Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 504 Conference Debate (Part 1)

In the expert meeting room, 251 members gathered for a meeting. Although their powers are not as great as those in the UK, members of parliament can still propose motions and discuss them.

The Liberal Party is currently proposing to limit military spending to improve people's lives. The government invests heavily in the military every year while neglecting the public's needs. More should be invested in the economy to improve people's lives.

However, this proposal was met with joint opposition from the Progressive Party and the Revival Party. They joked, "Are you kidding me? If you reduce military spending, how are you going to use your weapons to resist the Russian army and the Ottomans?"

Inside the conference hall, a debate surrounding the proposal was underway, and the atmosphere was so intense it threatened to push anyone trying to enter out.

Liberal MP Hamie was speaking about policy on the podium, but several Progressive MPs were shouting at him.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, please be quiet... You can object to the proposal, but you cannot prevent me from speaking..."

"Shut up! Your proposal is a disastrous move that harms the country. We need to invest more money to save the nation."

MP Hamiye raised his voice, trying to drown out the noise: "Gentlemen! If you abandon even the most basic etiquette of debate, how are we any different from the Ottoman Sultan's court? At least they would let the opposition finish their last sentence!"

Progressive Party MP Abbas jumped up and shouted before the chairman could give permission, "Anyone who insults the national army does not deserve to stand on this platform! Whose sacrifices did you pay for the 'people's livelihood' you speak of? It was the blood of soldiers! And yet you want to withhold their rifles and bread!"

The Hariment Party MPs banged on the table in agreement, while the Liberal Party side booed.

“Senator Abbas, if a passionate speech could repel the enemy, you would have been sent to the front lines long ago! But the reality is—Russian shells won’t change course because of our increased military spending, while our farmers will starve because of the increased taxes!”

Liberal MPs applauded, and some shouted, "Well said!"

The leader of the Revival Party parliament, Tahranch, slowly rose. The chairman gestured for silence with a sigh: "Mr. Hamiye, you seem to have forgotten how Napoleon froze in Moscow in 1812—not with the help of Parisian bakers, but with the Tsar's cannons! Are you suggesting that we fight the Cossack cavalry with dates and wool blankets?"

Most of the members of parliament laughed, while Hamie's face turned ashen. But he continued speaking.

"Lord Tahlrange, you've reminded me—Napoleon's defeat was precisely because of his militarism! And Britain ruled the world through its banks and factories! Are we going to melt down the last gold coin in our treasury to make a military emblem, just like in the war of 1853?"

The meeting hall erupted in uproar, and the speaker frantically rang the bell.

"Silence! Senator Hamiye, please follow the rules! Lord Tahrirach, please sit down—Senator Abbas, please sit down as well!"

The commotion subsided slightly, but hushed discussions persisted. One of the Liberal MPs shouted, "Let them finish!" A mocking laugh came from the Progressives side.

Hamiye tidied the documents and calmly continued, “Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I just said—Britain rules the world through its banks and factories, not through endless wars. We are not advocating the abolition of the army, but rather that increased military spending should not devour the budget for civilian purposes!”

Progressive Party MP Mousavi suddenly stood up: "Mr. Hamiye, have you forgotten that it was the British banks and factories that supported their navy? Without a strong army, trade is nothing but a lamb to the slaughter!"

The speaker frowned and spoke up to remind Mousavi, "Vice Senator Mousavi, please follow the order of speaking!" "I apologize, Mr. Speaker, but some facts must be pointed out—Mr. Khamiyeh's proposal is essentially weakening Iran's defense capabilities!"

Another Liberal MP, Nasiri, stood up and, after being signaled by the chairman, spoke: "Mr. Mousavi, you seem to be confusing 'reasonable military spending' with 'unrestrained expansion.' Last year, military spending accounted for 39% of the budget, while education and healthcare combined accounted for less than 24%! Should our children be given bayonets instead of textbooks?"

This ignores the achievements, because Iran's education and healthcare are arguably at the forefront of the world. Even Napoleon III of France and Queen Victoria of England did not show the same level of concern as Nasser al-Din.

All the children present either attend universities established by Nasser al-Din or study abroad. This is all thanks to the Shah.

The Liberal Party members applauded, while the Progressive Party MPs whispered among themselves, some offering quiet objections.

Another Ba'ath Party MP, Gorgani, slowly rose to his feet, his tone calm and composed.

“Mr. Nasiri, your words are very moving, but the reality is that the Russian Cossack cavalry will not stop marching south just because we build one more school, and the Ottoman Sultan will not give up his expansionist ambitions just because our hospitals are more advanced.”

“Mr. Gorgani, according to your logic, should we cast every single copper coin into cannons and then sing patriotic hymns on empty stomachs? History tells us that empires that collapse are often not defeated by foreign enemies, but perish from internal strife!”

The room erupted again, with Liberal MPs banging on the table in support, while boos came from the Warisan side.

Tahrirach stood up again, and the Speaker reluctantly gestured for permission: "Mr. Nasiri, you mentioned history? Very well. Let's look at history—the Roman Empire declined precisely when it cut military spending and indulged in pleasure! And Britain was able to rule the world precisely because it consistently maintained the world's strongest navy!"

At this moment, someone shouted: "What Iran needs is a lion, not a sheep!"

Hamiye seized the brief moment of silence: "Lord Tahlanchi, your words sound like 'unless we are armed to the teeth, we will perish tomorrow!' But the reality is—Russia is mired in internal strife, and the Ottomans are busy dealing with the Balkan crisis! Are we going to exploit our people for a 'potential threat'?"

Before he could finish speaking, Hamiye seized the opportunity to unfold a chart: "Please take a look at this customs data! Last year, we paid 30% more in tariffs on imported grain than on arms—while the Russians built five new technical colleges in Moscow during the same period!"

"'Potential threat'? Mr. Hamiye, are you still living in a fairy tale? The Foreign Minister has just received intelligence that Russia is increasing its troop presence in the Caucasus!"

The room erupted in uproar, with even some Liberal Party MPs showing surprise.

"If the intelligence is true, then the real question should be—why is it that despite our military spending increasing year after year, the enemy is still getting closer to the border? This is an efficiency issue, not a budget issue!"

Applause erupted from the Liberal Party side, while the Progressive Party MPs looked grim.

The parliamentary clock struck midnight, and the debate yielded no results—but tomorrow all the newspapers will carry the glorious and righteous report of "parliament's heated discussion on people's livelihood and national defense."

(End of this chapter)