The Free Will
"I heard things are out of control on your end too."
The governor's voice on the phone had a slightly sarcastic tone. In fact, the police strike was not unexpected, and they had even made preparations for it some time ago.
The reason is actually very simple: when people are young and facing difficulties, they will never take other people's advice seriously.
Even though the president's reputation in Federal country is somewhat bad right now, as long as the social foundation is stable, all of this can be seen as political infighting.
No matter how harsh the rhetoric, as long as basic order can be guaranteed, ordinary people will only see the street outside their door and what happens on that street. They will not see or care about what is happening further away.
Even the defamation of the president might evoke sympathy from some people, and could potentially cause other problems.
This is also to break the current stagnant situation in the Federal, to make the people feel the pain of being cut by a knife and bleeding profusely, so that they will understand that what they once revered has no value to this country.
They will open their eyes in pain, the comfort they feigned while pretending to be asleep will fade away, and they will have to open their eyes to face reality. Nothing can make them understand more clearly than the stark contrast between chaos and the rule of law that some things are not only the responsibility of politicians, but also the responsibility of the public.
This statement may sound a bit... official, but it actually reflects the true nature of the situation. Politicians who want to gain public support must first cater to the wishes of the majority.
The existence of isolationism is essentially a way to cater to the public. When people start to pay attention to wars abroad, when they are horrified by the large number of young people dying on the front lines, they begin to feel a deep fear.
Will his own child be sent to the front lines because of the war? Will he become a cold number in the newspapers, just like those soldiers?
Family members will die, homes will be destroyed by gunfire, and the entire country will be in imminent danger...
This deadly potential future instilled a fear of war in people, and isolationism emerged as a mainstream viewpoint in the society.
To correct some ideas now, it is necessary to break down some things.
If the police don't go on strike, there won't be any terrifying unrest in society.
If the police don't go on strike, the militia and the military can't make people feel that "war" sometimes doesn't mean casualties and destruction, but also protection and rebirth.
In fact, behind isolationism lies a morbid indifference and even hostility toward war and soldiers.
After replacing the Conservative Party in the Federal Government, the Progressive Party has decided to expand its international relations significantly. The Vice Chairman of the Progressive Party has already quietly traveled abroad to discuss issues of mutual assistance and benefit with several countries.
Once some problems were resolved, they decided to send troops.
Of course, this is not for the sake of war. Once they join a camp, they should naturally demonstrate their value and ability.
In some areas where localized conflicts still exist after the war, or in areas requiring military control, there is still a significant shortage of personnel.
After several years of war, many people abroad have begun to feel disgusted with war. It is said that the whole world cheered when the Ceasefire Agreement was signed, but soon people stopped talking about the war, whose smoke had not even been blown away by the wind, and stopped discussing the things that are still happening now.
A large number of people demanded that the remaining soldiers be disbanded and discharged, while the army was unable to recruit new soldiers. They were naturally even less willing to have those soldiers stationed in high-risk areas, but some things had to be done.
The Federal is well-suited to this role, and sending troops overseas is a foregone conclusion. The next step is to let people experience this atmosphere, showing that war is not just about destruction, but also about benevolence and love! Faced with the governor's teasing, the mayor of Sabine City sighed, "The situation is far worse than I imagined. I thought these problems wouldn't surface until next month."
The governor comforted him, saying, "Take care of yourself during this time. The operation won't start until November 25th at the latest, which is more than ten days away. I believe you can pull through."
He walked over to the television, turned it on, and watched it casually for a while. Suddenly, the local Television Station in Sabine City interrupted the broadcast with a news report. The host's fervent excitement contrasted sharply with the mayor's cold expression.
If these media professionals manage to report a particularly significant piece of news, they are very likely to "go down in history" for reporting that news.
People preserve history by saving videos or extracting frames, so they are enthusiastic, excited, and even feel that the news is not exciting enough.
Through television, the mayor and other Upper Class figures in Sabine City learned what was happening.
That evening, the Police Station chief, as instructed by the mayor, organized officers to talk to the organizers of the protests. Perhaps due to the continuous high-intensity work, some officers used excessive language.
That's the official explanation. In reality, the police officers don't use polite language at all, and they've never been particularly polite.
A conflict quickly broke out, and the situation quickly spiraled out of control. Some workers surrounded the three police officers who went to persuade them, and some of them even raised their guns.
At that very moment, in order to protect themselves, the police suddenly announced that they were also on strike; they were quitting, and whoever wanted to do it could do it.
The three officers' decision to strike to protect themselves immediately inspired most officers, who were able to escape their difficult jobs and join the strike and demonstration.
The brief calm was followed by a frenzy among the crowds. The strike of these Professionals, who represented the rulers' authority, further convinced people that their cause was right, their methods were correct, and their future was bright.
After turning off the television, the mayor shook his head. He walked to the window and looked out at the faintly bright sky in the direction of the city center through the security guards with guns in the courtyard. He knew that this was destined to be a sleepless night.
Perhaps influenced by the police strike, the daytime march, which had ended, started again. People spontaneously took to the streets after dinner, carrying police officers' Wide-brimmed Hat and uniforms on sticks or similar objects.
The police badges were strung together with a rope and dragged along the ground, where they were trampled on.
The pitch-black night seemed to draw out the deepest, most despicable desires in people's hearts. The streets became increasingly dangerous, and the nature of the march changed when a few young people rushed out of the crowd, smashed up roadside shops, and stole some items.
More and more shops were vandalized, and countless goods were looted. Those people even had the audacity to say that this was the price of their arbitrary exploitation and oppression! Look at this, the city has already fallen into a sea of people's free will! The next day, the mayor gave a speech on television. He now dared not even go to public places. He knew very well that in the midst of the public's agitation, if someone recklessly did something impulsive, everything would be over.
He warned the citizens that he hoped those who vandalized and looted shops would turn themselves in to the Police Station as soon as possible, and urged the organizers of the demonstrations to do their best to appease the striking group.
However, these statements were instead seen as a sign of weakness, and that afternoon, the radical group among the strikers announced that they had occupied the Sabine City Police Station.
They used paint to make a mess of the otherwise decent Sabine City Police Station, and someone even defecated on the roof...
On the same day, the Sabine City Hall announced to the public that, given the current public safety concerns, they would stop issuing Food Stamps and Supply Stamps and close all voucher redemption sites.
At the same time, the City Hall warned those who made mistakes during the strike game to turn themselves in to the police or court as soon as possible in order to reduce their punishment. The reason for mentioning the court is that the Police Station is currently basically at a standstill, and even if they go to the Police Station, there is nothing they can do.
The "incompetence" of the Sabine City Hall and the mayor was seen as weakness by those who had begun to go mad, but some people were starting to worry.
The chaos continued for the next few days, but the number of people on the streets decreased.
Apart from those who looted everywhere and were still able to fill their stomachs, most ordinary residents were already going hungry.
"Hunger won't solve these problems..."
Lin Qi stood on the top floor of a building, and through the window he could see the smoke rising from the burning city center in the distance, even though the city had been so quiet not long ago.
Perhaps the presence of some unemployed people makes this place seem a bit desolate, but at least it's safe.
In just a few days, the situation has deteriorated rapidly.
In the lavishly decorated room behind him, some well-dressed ladies and gentlemen were standing or sitting, and the tables around them were filled with a variety of exquisite foods and high-end wines.
Along one side against the wall, a band was playing soothing music live for everyone.
The speaker was the organizer of the gathering, a local wealthy businessman. He had a stern face, but his eyes were filled with anger.
"Our mayor is too weak. I think we should fight back and defeat these thugs head-on." He paused, then held up one finger. "Please note, gentlemen, I used the term 'thugs' to refer to these people."
"Their actions are actually more terrifying and destructive than those of rioters. I believe that the interests of everyone here have been harmed to some extent, but so far our city has not come up with an effective solution; it only makes appeals."
As he spoke, a shallow, unpleasant smile, tinged with sarcasm, appeared on the corner of the man's mouth. "No one can help us, only ourselves!"
"I consulted a lawyer, and he said that when those thugs smashed down our store doors, rushed into our store, and looted our property, it would be legal for us to kill them!"
His voice grew louder and louder, "This is a sacred right granted to us by the Federal Charter!"