Restarkism
Restarkism, (Cape Coscivian: Restarkizme, archaically Rektarizm), or the Four Principles, is the founding ideology of the Federacy of the Cape. Developed by Melvyn Kalma, it is a philosophy with the aim of developing and uniting the Cape into a modern, Occidental, and powerful state. As defined by him, it is an ideology with the broad goal of uniting the ethnically disparate peoples of the country and separating the new nation from its previous tribal and colonial roots. To this day, Restarkism remains the official constitutional state ideology of the Federacy, and is the guiding philosophy of the dominant Republican Nationalist Party.
Much of the ideology was developed under various colonial reforms before the Cape War of Independence, where the ideas of civic nationalism and democracy took root. Following the independence of the Cape, Kalma took the earlier civic-nationalist and democratic ideals and combined them with the ideas of the budding liberal and socialist movements of the Occident. Restarkism was first implemented during the premiership of Kalma, with the ideology further reformed and enshrined by later leaders into guidelines for governing the Cape.
Etymology
Restarkism takes its name from the Cape Coscivian word restarka, meaning federacy or federal republic. It therefore can be translated roughly as republicanism, although in Cape Coscivian the default word for republic entails a federal state.
Canon
Much of Restarkism is based on Kalma’s written works and enacted policies throughout his life and his premiership. The most definite example of these principles was a collection of Kalma’s incomplete speeches written near the end of his life where he attempted to define the legacy of the ideology. The ideology remains therefore up to interpretation and not as defined as Kalma may have wished.
Principles
There are four principles to the ideology: nationalism, republicanism, judicialism (sometimes rendered as statism), and reformism. These principles, combined, outline the guidelines to create a sort-of social democracy. Kalma intended for the use of state authoritarianism in a period of “political tutelage” to break apart the social authoritarianism within and between existing communities.
The ideology was greatly influenced by Kalma’s time in the Occident, especially in Caphiria and Kiravia. It contains both elements of social liberalism and autocracy championed by the Caphiria political system, and elements of federalism and republicanism found in Kiravia. Kalma credits the principles of Shaftonist democracy, namely athnivirsa (proper order) and uordhiria (edification) as an inspiration for Restarkism.
Nationalism
Nationalism in the Restarkist framework is closely aligned to civic nationalism. Restarkist nationalism is defined as a community of persons united by purpose, rejecting the previous colonial ethnic nationalism. Kalma intended for the creation of a Cape nationalism superceding ethnic lines with the goal of uniting the Coscivians, Cronans and Cartadanians that comprised the country. Restarkists believe in the creation of this nationalism and consciousness through socio-economic means. However, Restarkism rejects class conflict, giving primacy to national unity.
Restarkist nationalism rejects imperialism. It posits that national communities are equal and should not be dominated by others, with states to act only when their own national interests are under threat.
Republicanism (power of politics)
Republicanism, sometimes rendered as the power of politics, is defined as the creation of a republic where sovereignty is recognized in the people, and the people alone. Kalma states his inspiration in the original Latin res publica, meaning “public affair”. Therefore, Restarkist republicanism asserts that a state should be organized in a way in which the individual may have stewardship over political affairs in the state framework, asserting the principles of democracy, popular sovereignty, and rule of law. Restarkism further asserts that as a “public affair”, political deliberations must be secular and for the creation of good material conditions for the public to thrive on Earth.
The Restarkist republic is a parliamentary constitutional republic. It has a parliament, or National Stanera, chosen by representative elections, with a popularly-elected non-executive president appointing a Prime Executive to serve as the head of government. There is no {[wp|seperation of powers}}, the legislative branch holds primacy over the executive branch and may compel it to resign through a motion of no-confidence. It is also a federal state, as Restarkism asserts that communities of persons within the larger community of the nation hold rights. These communities are represented in a {[wp|upper house}}, the Procuracy Council.
Judicialism (power of governance)
Judicialism, sometimes rendered as the power of governance or statism, asserts that the state has the power of governance of the nation. It can be defined as creating an “edifice” of the state: politics and the individual may, in the system of the state, steer the Restarkist state but not overcome it. Judicialism therefore enshrines the creation of a state structure defined by an apolitical civil service, an independent judiciary, a system of checks and balances, a professional military and the enshrinement of the rule of law.
The power of governance asserts a responsibility of governance in the Restarkist philosophy. The edifice of the state must protect the rights of an individual as guaranteed by the Fundamental Statute. It must also prevent the tyranny of the majority, and therefore defend itself and its institutions. Kalma gave this role to the military, which has invoked it in multiple {{[wp|Coup d'état|coups d'état}} when it perceived the undermining of the state.
The Restarkist state, with the power of governance of the nation, has also been interpreted to mean the primacy of the state in the modernization and development of the Cape. Kalma intended it as a direct criticism of the ills of capitalism, proposing the state use its power of governance defend the people from those conceived ills. The nation’s social welfare system and strong regulatory bodies are a legacy thereof. Today, it is widely believed that Kalma was a socialist, although judicialism has been largely interpreted by his Republican Nationalist Party to mean a form of social democracy.
Reformism
Reformism in the Restarkist framework is defined as a constant struggle to replace traditional concepts with modern concepts. This principle advocates for social change: in the Restarkist philosophy there is no way to return to the old principles and systems deemed as backwards. It is rigid scientism, presenting it as the only objective means in which the state must determine its actions and policies.
It also asserts that Restarkism must be based on the material conditions on which it is applied, with reform encouraged to successfully adapt it to its specific temporal and locational context.
Analysis
Restarkism and Cape politics
The Republican Nationalist Party was established by Kalma shortly after the foundation of the Federacy of the Cape in 1871. The Republican Nationalist Party has continued to update and change the philosophical roots and interpretations of Restarkism to fit the time and situation. As an example, it renounced Kalma’s nationalist ideal of neutrality and non-interference during the Great War as the RNP and the Cape aligned itself with anti-communist forces against the Austral Democratic People’s Republic. With this constant adjustment, Restarkism has remained the popular ideology of the democratic centre.
Restarkism outside the Cape
As defined by Kalma, Restarkism is an “ideology created for the material conditions of the Cape, and interpreted considering these material conditions. It is not a universal liberation ideology.” Although he stated that many of the ideology’s principles can be applied to many nations, especially in Crona, he stated that “adaptations would need to be made to suit each national population.”
Nevertheless, Restarkist parties have been a political force across Crona for decades.
Interpretations of Restarkism
Within the Republican Nationalist Party, Restarkism has been interpreted in many different ways. There are three current factions and interpretations:
- Socialist RNs, who take a more socialist interpretation of the principles of reformism and judicialism. Socialists seek to use the statism laid out by judicialism to protect the economic equality of the individual, embracing the use of the state to reform society into a democratic socialist one. Many of the party’s socialist and {{[wp|trade unionist}} members would be considered socialists.
- Liberal RNs, who take a liberal interpretation of the principles of reformism and judicialism. They seek to use the state to protect individual and economic rights. They interpret judicialism to mean state intervention in the economy only when necessary for the public good, and the further establishment of welfare. They align closely with social democracy, although neoliberalism remains a force in the liberal faction.
- Conservative RNs, who prioritize republicanism and nationalism. They adhere closely to neoconservatism, de-emphasizing the role of the judicialist state in the economy and in politics, and emphasizing nationalism. Many of the party’s liberal conservativess are considered Conservative RNs. The principle of reformism prevents {{[wp|social conservatism}} in the party.