Kalistan

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Dr. Emmet Walters presents his paper on Imperialism in Kalistan during a panel on Imperial Theory



Kalistan Political Theorists gather for National Conference
"Kalistan's Strange Imperialism" is theme of Event
Eshar, Duchy of Odufaray
January 19, 5567

Political theorists from around the Empire gathered at Eshar Duchy University in Eshar this week to present papers, network, and critique each other's research at the annual Conference of the Kalistani State Political Science Association.  The overall topic of the Conference was "Kalistan's Strange Imperialism."  The Kalistani State Political Science Association has recently become the most prestigious political science Association in Kalistan.  KSPSA's conference annually attracts more than 125 scholars to present on numerous panels, hold discussions and encourage professionalization and comradery in the field.

Several of the panels dealt with Kalistan's political development, historically and more recently.  The panels that discussed the Republican history of Kalistan were particularly well attended, and some of the discussion over the proper legacy of the Republic was heated at times.  "To suggest that the Republic was a good thing because it allowed for plurality of viewpoint on the very purpose of the state," said Dr Joanna Caruthers of Vrassa Duchy Univeristy in Vrassa City, "seems to be asking the wrong question.  The Republican Parties would frequently ask about the nature of the state and its relationship to the society, when we are accustomed to thinking of the state in less political, and therefore less contentious terms of being there to do things that the people can't or simply won't do for themselves, but which must be done because, even despite majority votes to the contrary, are still good for the people.  The Republican state was about competition among elites masquerading as populists.  The Imperial State is about cooperation of populists masquerading as the nobility." 

Other panelists talked about the roots of Kalistan's empire in the distant past, also known as Pre-History.  "For us," said Dr Conrad Benton, of Kalistan National in Kaliburg, "our current empire is not very close to the ancient Anantan Empire, due to the fact that there was far more democracy in the ancient empire, for the aristocratic class at least, than there is in Kalistan.  The Institutionalists, and more so the imperious Sovereign, have been very successful in resisting the urge to share power with the mass.  When popular protests broke out, and the Empire crushed them, democratic reforms were not in the offing.  Instead, the Empress used those protests as an excuse to remove the last vestiges of control by the People.  What we have now is a legislature that exists to rubberstamp the dictates of the Empress, and a court system which is rendered inert by the sheer fact of lack of a docket.  Our modern Empress possess power in her every utterance that the ancients could only have dreamed of."

One panel discussed how strange Kalistan's socio economic system is compared with what one would expect under an imperial government.  Dr. Corrine Donaldson of Lucid Duchy University discussed her paper on the legacy of the Socialist Party in Kalistan.  "Kalistan's economy can be very much described as socialism.  The legacy of the Socialist Party is still very powerful in Kalistan's economy.  Which is rather strange, given the absolute amassing of political power at the top of Kalistan's political pyramid.  The Monarchs are the most astute protectors of the concept of workers' power in the economy, and regularly speak up for workers against employers.  You would think that the Anantos would work to strengthen the power of those who are economically closer to them, but instead you consistently see Ananto economic power and policy favoring workers, favoring nationalism, favoring public health, infrastructure, and ownership of the productive segments of the society.  It is clear that the Anantos are enthusiastically carrying on the socio-economic program, and in fact the very essential libertarianism of the old Socialist Party, and trading off general prosperity and socal security for the people's acquiescence in the political realm.  The Anantos are wealthier than anyone else, and yet, they consistently champion redistribution of wealth for everyone else.  It's bizarre, quite frankly."

The Keynote speech, delivered by Dr Henry Hughes of Eshar Duchy, the host institution, was titled "Is Kalistan an Empire?"  In this paper, he discussed the different definitions of imperialism in Terra.  "Very few empires you will find are political empires.  The Jelbic Empire comes to mind.  Of these, Kalistan could be described as a political Empire as well, which is likely why Kalistan finds common ground with Jelbistan."  Other types of empires Dr. Hughes described were economic and military empires.  "I think Kalistan has a pretense, at least in part, of becomming a military empire, with bases that allow some degree of hemispheric, if not global projection.  This is the kind of Empire that several other nations are pursuing, with more or less success.  Canrille fits this description to some degree, though it can be argued that they are more economic, with their LFR regime, than a strictly military one."

Hughes' summary then led to the a discussion of the stability, from an historical perspective, of the different kinds of Empires.  "The Political type is certainly the most difficult type of Empire to accomplish and the hardest to maintain.  Canrille has it to some degree, and Kalistan wants this more than anything, but it relies on the will of the peripheral nations that the Center nation wishes to incorporate."  Military empires are somewhat easy to accomplish.  "We could say that Dorvik seeks forward projection, more than any other goal, and they will, if they haven't already done so, seek to establish bases on the shorelines of several continents.  They will also tie their empire together through arms arrangements, training opportunities, and other sort of security related actions.  And quite frankly, the third ingredient is a measure of ruthless impunity:  At least historically, many military empires have used their extensive military network to simply go where they wanted, and then dared the countries they encountered to do something about it or stand down.  It often has not gone well, and at the very least, escalated tensions unnecessarily."  Economic empires have been easiest to accomplish and have also been the longest lasting form.  "We see this in nations like Luthori, which, despite its relative inertness in terms of policy and irrelevance in foreign affairs, seems to nonetheless have significant dumb, one might say, accidental luck in attracting nations to its commonwealth, though the lion's share of all benefits always go to the Home country at the expenses of the neo-colonies.  Economic empires tie the imperialized nation to the mother country in ways which are both exploitative, and irresistible, so that commonwealth nations, for example, couldn't escape even if they wanted to."

On whether Kalistan would be considered an Empire, in its current state, Dr. Hughes answered in the affirmative.  "Kalistan would be considered a political Empire for a number of important reasons."  Kalistan, according to Dr. Hughes, has historically been considered an economic and cultural hinterland of Ananto.  "Even during the Republican era, when both entities were held, in a de jure sense, to be equal, Kalistan was always the junior partner to Ananto.  The greatest city in the Empire currently is Sulari, which, in terms of economy, size and population, as well as key infrastructure and industry is second to none in all of Kalistan and Ananto, as well as all of Northern Seleya, is still called the Empire's 'Second City', behind Kaliburg, which has been the nation's political, financial and cultural capitol since before the Republican Era.  Everyone knows what Kalistan Proper's political relationship to Ananto is:  Kalistan, all four Duchies, are governed by the Viceroy in the Grand Duke, while the Empress sits in Kaliburg.  Ananto is a paradise that many think of as belonging to and existing for the Empress herself, while Kalistan needs new housing stock.  The Nobility keeps townhomes in Kaliburg, and summer homes in Kalistan.  Internally, Kalistan is very much an empire."

But Hughes also noted that Kalistan has external pretenses to political domination of Seleya.  "The Anantos have claimed for themselves much of the land washed by the Anantonese Ocean," said Dr. Hughes.  "They have revived old titles, so much so that the old-new Kingdoms and Duchies are collectively called the supernational 'Crown Lands'.  Whether anyone else recognizes those claims is ultimately unimportant to the question of whether Kalistan is an Empire.  The claim alone is enough to suggest that Kalistan will take the lands if it ever gets a chance, that the Anantos view those lands, as an article of faith almost as strong as their Brethrenism, to be their's personally, and if they ever actually possess them, they will fight to protect them as viciously as they will fight to defend their Island and its imperial hinterland on the mainland.  Kalistan sees itself as an Empire, it calls itself an Empire, it takes steps to aggrandize its empire.  I would say that Kalistani Imperialists are the world's truest Imperialists, because they are honest about what they are, what they want and what they intend to take if they can."

Dr. Hughes concluded with a discussion on some possible reforms that the Empire could institute to further its imperialistic goals.  "Exporting your economic system is a good way to do so.  Making allies with socialist nations, though politically reprehensible, is a good idea to increase Kalistani influence in the world markets.  Continuing to reach out to other nations to create infrastructure for Kalistan's military in a forward posture will help Kalistan increase her influence both in the countries where it bases its forces and also in the surrounding area.  And for crying out loud Kalistan, it is time for you to begin acting unilaterally, like some of the other imperial powers do, the ones I described above who are empires but put on the pretense that they are just countries with no imperialist pretenses.  Kalistan is an Empire which embraces that label, and with the possible exception of the Jelbic Empire, is really the only nation in Terra that enthusiastically embraces the label.  Act like the Empire you are, instead of an isolationist republic.  It is the way Kalistan will be great and will respected in the world."

Dr. Hughes says that he believes Her Imperial Majesty Empress Pavlina I Ananto understands this, and while she may be blocked in a number of ways, she will continue working to remove those blocks and will leave an even more absolutist state for her daughter when she steps down from the throne.  "Under Empress Pavlina's tutelage, I feel Crown Princess Carolina and whoever she selects as co-sovereign, if she opts for one, will possess a singularity of power unique in Seleya and in Terra.  The world will see the former Gaduri Dynasty as a peaceful one, but the Kundrati Dynasty, as it is already being described under Pavlina could very possibly turn nationalistic and expansionistic very quickly.  The attitudes of the current Empress will most likely be magnified when she begins instructing her daughter, and now that her National Assembly is entirely supine, there is little to stand in her way.  Carolina is a bright light standing next to the Black Empress, but could you imagine Pavlina's will to power in a smiley, happy young woman with supermodel good looks and max charisma?  It seems a terrifyingly appealing prospect for the Anantos."

The conference ended after 5 days, and the scholars returned to their home institutions.  The proceedings of the Conference, along with the text and notes of each of the panelists' papers will be published in the single Annual Journal of the Proceedings of the Conference of the Kalistani State Political Science Association.