Socialist Republics of America Laws and Regulations
Conscription
All males between the ages of 18 and 65 and all women between the ages of 18 and 55 are, upon either their eighteenth birthday or upon becoming a legal citizen of the Socialist Republics of America, to immediately report to their nearest recruitment center for mandatory military service. Certain exceptions can be made to allow for religious beliefs, medical issues, education deferments and other such special cases which will be reviewed by the Army Board on a case by case basis. Each person conscripted under this system will report for two years of mandatory service, to be served consecutively, after which they will be placed into a reserve pool of manpower, with refresher training taking place every winter every two years.
Punishment for Avoiding Conscription
Attempting to avoid military service in the Armed Forces of the Socialist Republics has the following repercussions if found guilty by a military tribunal:
- Imprisonment in a Socialist Republic Army military prison
- Enforced service in a Punishment Brigade
- Fines up to $1,500
Punishment Brigades
A soldier of the Socialist Republics Army may be imprisoned in a Punishment Brigade following a military tribunal which finds the soldier guilty of any crime which the presiding military judge deems worthy of service in a Punishment Brigade. Service in a Punishment Brigade will consist mostly of beneficial work, such as repairing roads, maintenance on unit vehicles and aircraft, and other tasks which reflect the reformatory nature of the Punishment Brigades.
1963 Revision: Women were allowed into combat positions and thus were now subject to the draft.
Nationwide Health Act of 1953/1956
Per the Nationwide Health Acts of 1953 and 1956, all citizens of the Socialist Republics of America are to report for mandatory vaccinations, if not already vaccinated as part of their military service. Under these Acts, all children are to be vaccinated at the earliest possible convenience. Any child over the age of 2 who is not vaccinated will be barred from from the public school system; furthermore, fines shall be imposed upon the parents or legal guardians of said child until they have been vaccinated in accordance with State and Federal law. Those who consistently refuse to vaccinate their children for any reason whatsoever and ignore fines levied upon them will be arrested and charged with Endangerment of Public Health. The child, or children, of those arrested shall be placed in the care of the State until either the parent is released from prison and judged to be of sound mind, or the child reaches 18 years of age. State regulators and federal enforcement officials will ensure compliance with the above Acts.
Anti-Confederacy Apologism Act
By this Act, enacted in 1953, it is a federal offense to be what is termed a Southern Apologist. A Southern Apologist is any individual, group or institution which;
- Makes arguments in favor of the Confederate government which, in no uncertain terms, are meant to glorify or downplay the crimes of the Confederacy
- Deliberately alters historical textbooks or interprets historical texts to portray a false narrative about the Confederate States of America or the American Civil War
- Rejects the role of slavery in the American Civil War
Further stipulated under this Act is the specific prohibition of non-historical use of the Confederacy's flags, symbols, songs, slogans, and other such associated imagery. Depending on the severity, punishment for violating the terms of this Act range from fines to imprisonment. Any individual, group, or institution which habitually breaks these regulations or attempts to insinuate the Confederate States of America was not wholly responsible for one of humanity's greatest crimes since the Holocaust - which has also been deemed illegal to deny by the terms of this Act - shall face severe jail time and may be deemed a traitor to the Socialist Republics.
Media of the Socialist Republics of America
Status of Regional Press Organizations
Each State is entitled to organize its own regional news outlets - whether those outlets are radio, television, or print - and shall receive no interference from the federal government except a license which the federal government issues which grants a outlet Recognized status. Recognized status allows a station to broadcast, and can be revoked if the outlet is defunct or if the outlet receives more than three written violation notices from the federal government. The federal government shall implement across all States a uniform code of appropriate guidelines on how to secure funding and stay “on the air.” The federal government shall not infringe on an outlets’ content or broadcasting, unless it has violated the guidelines as set by the federal government at least three times. The federal government cannot revoke funding for an outlet unless it has recorded more than three violations against the guidelines established by the federal government.
State Newspapers
Current as of 12/30/18
The Atlanta Post
As the nexus of the Socialist Republics of America's news services, The Atlanta Post provides party-approved news to the people of Atlanta primarily, and the people of Georgia as a whole. In its reporting, The Atlanta Post typically reports all sides with no bias for or against the government. In its reporting, The Atlanta Post does not twist facts to suit the narrative of the SRA, to both the pleasure and dismay of members of Congress.
(OOC: Basically, treat anything from The Atlanta Post as straight reporting.)
Alabama Daily News
Serving as the state-wide newspaper for Alabama, Alabama Daily News had a history of twisting facts to it's needs, as well as printing what could be labeled fantasy, at best. Prior to 1957, outright lies and made-up stories were not outside the real of possibility for a reader of Alabama Daily News, until new leadership radically changed the direction of the paper, which now reports its news straight with no inherent bias one way or the other. To some, not much has changed in Alabama Daily News.
(OOC: Straight reporting, with no ideology bend.)
Tallahassee Times
The Tallahassee Times takes notes from and The Atlanta Post as well as the legacy of Alabama Daily News, reporting with clarify local events, but altering facts when reporting on events worldwide. As such, the Florida Socialist Republic typically refuses to allow other papers to circulate within its borders and only allows the Tallahassee Times to be printed and sold.
(OOC: For local events, it's a truthful reporting. Anywhere else, assume it's propaganda to varying degrees depending on how friendly/unfriendly relations between the nation and the SRA are.)
The Washington Post
Following the reunification of Maryland into the Socialist Republics of America in 1957, the Washington Post was repurposed into a purely economical newspaper, stripped of its privileges to report on political affairs. This in mind, it serves purely as a report on the broader economic developments of the Socialist Republics on the East Coast.
(OOC: Economic development paper only. Any political opinions within should be disregarded.)
The New York Times
Following the end of the German Flu in New York, the presses began to roll again, leading to the reestablishment of the New York Times in 1959 after it had successfully applied for a media license in the SRA. The paper's leadership, impressed by the strength of the American military, tends to focus on the public movements of American troops and has taken a decidedly propaganda-like approach to its reporting.
(OOC: Treat anything from the New York Times as propaganda and nothing more.)
