Kalistan

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Empress Applauds Global Currency Stabilization Efforts
Luncasi Mission begins winding down; Jones releases The New Romantic in Kaliburg
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
January 23, 5716


Thomas Jones' 8th Studio Album, The New Romantic released on KMI this month

Empress Applauds Global Currency Stabilization Efforts
During her Annual address to the National Assembly, Her Imperial Majesty Empress Carolina II Ananto applauded the efforts of several nations in their move toward currency stabilization. "We can't say we can specifically take any credit for the efforts of other nations," the Empress said in Kaliburg. "In fact, we have nothing to do with any of these efforts. However, Kalistan welcomes other nations taking proactive steps to stabilize their currency. Kalistan's Imperial Peso, a currency which, like its predecessor, is based on bedrock monetary and fiscal policies and, controlling for population growth, has neither appreciated, nor depreciated since its adoption more than one half of one percent, suddenly finds itself in a good company of a number of international currencies who are adopting many of the same stabilization policies that specifically repudiate market free floating."

The Empress specifically cited recent reports from Luthori, Nadiya, Bianjie, and Dundorf that discuss financial responsibility and a conservative tightening on monetary policy. "Across the world, we are witnessing a growing consonance of attitude with regard to the importance of the very same fundamental principles of monetary policy that Kalistan has long treated as orthodox policy dogma, and it leads to growing faith in our own markets in the attractiveness of these currencies, allowing our very prudent and conservative investors to feel confident to begin investing abroad in a basket of currencies."

The Empress expressed hope that more nations would follow suit. "There is one correct way to do it," she said in her address. "And that correct way, as a first principle, is to not trust the value of your national currency to the magical thinking of the invisible hand of the market, but to keep a grip on the value of your currency as a tool of national policy. Kalistan has known and lived by the fundamental rule for centuries. And now other Governments around the world are also realizing that pernicious market liberalism is a scam perpetrated by interested individual and corporate actors who seek to use the National Treasury for their own personal, selfish gains. As more nations come to this basic understanding, and finally stabilize their currencies, it makes it easier for skittish Kalistani capital to safely go abroad."

Luncasi Mission begins winding down
The Luncasi Mission in southern Kizenia is formally set to end in 5719. At that time, the control and operation of the Luncasi Naval Logistics Station will be formally handed back to Luncasi Free City and the last Kalistani military units will finally return home after a 30 year long stay. Her Imperial Majesty's Defense Minister, Naval Captain Jane Smith has begun ordering the first units home. "We are beginning a phased draw down of Kalistani Military units from southern Kizenia, specifically the Luncasi Free City," said Capt. Smith. "In March elements of the 5th Engineers Batallion who would normally rotate will not be replaced. This marks the start of a gradual, but steady rotation of units out of Luncasi."

The last units to leave will be the small contingent of Kalistani Imperial Marines who have been stationed in Luncasi since the beginning of the Kizenian war against their former dictator. "The Kalistani mission was established to protect the safety of this important port on the south coast of Kizenia from dictatorial repression," said the Defense Minister. "More than 65,000 Kalistani expatriates live in Luncasi and in towns along the southern coast of Kizenia, and their lives and property were also of acute concern for Her Imperial Majesty's Government. That danger is passed, Kizenia has stabilized, and now we need to bring our troops home."

Luncasi is viewed as a "hardship tour" in that married billeting is not an option. "Those married service members spend a eighteen months without their spouses while in Luncasi, and though there were regular liberty and leave flights from Luncasi to Kaliburg, and the duty of operating the base is considered a non-combat exclave position, Luncasi was largely preferred by single servicemembers only." The Defense Minister commented on the very warm relations between citizens of the Free City of Luncasi and Kalistani Nationals. "Many of those same service members found, shall we say, companionship while fraternizing with the local population, an activity which was encouraged by both the Regular Navy Command and the Civilian Government of Luncasi, and more than a few returned to Luncasi as expatriates when their enlistments ended."

When the formal handover is completed, the Free City is expected to continue contracting services to the Kalistani Navy. "Since the Government of NEKK has not shown any interest in renegotiating the terms, deferring to the Free City in this matter, the only thing that will change is that Kalistan will no longer occupy the logistics center, but will continue to rely on resupply from Luncasi until the day when the Government of NEKK decided to formally renegotiate the agreement. This will continue to provide the free city with a reliable source of income that remains independent of what is happening in other areas of the nation." She noted that she expects other nations to conclude their own contracts with Luncasi when it opens up to general operations. "Primarily Anantonese nations, I would guess."

Jones releases The New Romantic in Kaliburg
Thomas Jones has not released any new music since 5713's Nordhaus. But his hiatus is formally ended with a new surprise album, along with a shift in sound and image. Jones has released his 8th Studio album, The New Romantic on KMI. On this album Jones has cleaned up and now veers dangerously close to pop and disco.

"I wanted to bring out Pop Art," said Jones. "I felt we did a lot of exploration on the last album (Nordhaus) and the logical next step for me was music I had actually grown up listening, which was New Wave of RF. I though we could contribute a voice to this movement, while remaining interesting and progressing Art as well." Jones expands on the lyrical themes of Nordhaus, but leaves the heavier guitars of the two disc magnum opus behind for more synthesized sounds and ambiance. "In a lot of ways this really draws heavily on the tech and the retro-futurist themes of the original, first wave of RF," said Jones. "It was a lot of fun to make the record, and to kind of play around with some of the weirdness that fits pretty comfortably with the New Wave movement, which grew up in conversation and in tension with Art Rock."

The album is garnering some critical praise, but it is not as universally lauded as Nordhaus. Chris Wilson of Kalistani Rawk Monthly summarized what many critics noted. "Jones sounds like he is experimenting just to do weird things. While he still is probably the most important artist in Kalistani music, qua artist, I think his fans wish he would pick a genre and stick to it, because its like with every album, he gets a whole new fanbase, while those who loved his early Art Alternative weirdness have long moved on, only to be replaced by a steady string of cocaine addicts, music snobs, and now tech geeks. In being someone for everyone, he runs the risk of being nobody to anyone." Wilson then added, "It is an historical fact that New Wave of RF was fueled by cocaine. But Jones has famously adopted sobriety and is instead referencing his old habits in the past tense, and his venture into the New Wave of RF certainly reflects that disconnect between the source and the derivative."

The criticism however, doesn't seem to affect Jones. "I make a lot of this music because I like making music, and specifically I like making Kalistani Music. Not everyone needs to like my music at all. I do what is interesting to me, and work with a lot of very talented and interested musicians, and if I could make any money at it, I would just tour all the time and play six hour shows. But in Kalistan, the money is in recorded music, so my records pay my bills, and on this score, I'm doing ok."

You can listen to Jones' first single, "Major Tom" from his new album The New Romantic, released by KMI, right here, and purchase the album, if you like it, at your local record store.

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS29gl3FwNQ]

@TheRepublic