Kalistani Major History

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Conservative Columnists mock Liberal Tax Protests in the Press
Liberals refuse to be relent on taxes
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
January 31, 5502


Conservative cartoon mocking Liberals is accompanied by dire warnings against opposition to taxes

Columnists who openly side with the Prime Minister in her ongoing conflict with recalcitrant liberal Deputies in the National Assembly have taken to the press to make their case in the court of public opinion. "Cutting taxes at this time threatens Her Imperial Majesty's agenda for this Empire, and this columnist would, for one like to go on record as being not only in full support of the public works program proposed by the Government, but as as being completely willing to chip in just one cent more on every dollar I earn to bring sanity and prosperity back to Kalistan!" stated conservative opinion Columnist Margaret Michaels, of the Kaliburg Times in her daily column today.

"These liberal revolutionaries are undermining the very foundation of our entire social order," declared another conservative writer Brian Thomas, writing for the Sulari Free Press. "I don't believe its hyperbole either to say that. Without a steady source of revenue, how in the world will this government operate? Demanding that taxes remain exactly where they are while we have a major energy crisis in our laps is a recipe for deficit and debt, something this Nation has avoided like the Plague for millennia."

Liberal Deputies have been participating in tax protests for months, and some of them have grown rather large. The largest protests are primarily centered in Vrassa and Odufaray, with smaller events happening across the entire Empire. The largest protest in years was held in downtown Senvias, Vrassa, where more than 10,000 angry citizens marched. When the protests met up with counterprotestors who support the Prime Minister in this ongoing debate, the tensions escalated into a street melee between the two sides. "These conservatives want to turn us all into slaves, into thralls for the Prime Minister," said one anti-tax protestor. "It just gets so bad that when I even hear them open their mouth, I just want to knock their teeth to the back of their throats. I can't tolerate their view that we should all just work our whole lives just to pay for dams and power plants for someone else." Police made 25 arrests, mostly for disturbing the peace and destroying property.

Conservatives have distinct institutional advantages: the pro-Administration view is over represented in Kalistani Media on a magnitude of 9 to 1, and most of the press covering the liberal position is being issued independently on the Internet. "The fact that the television, the radio and the news papers are publicly, and therefore government owned and run is a problem for free press in Kalistan," said liberal Deputy Marco Aguafrio. "I never realized how much government repression of liberty there was in this country, until I, like countless others before, found myself in the 'non-popular opinion' segment of the population. These papers only ever report exactly what the Government wants you to hear and constantly, rigorously and systematically censor anyone who even attempts to point out that fact. I will be introducing a bill this session that aims to address this issue, to allow the liberal viewpoint more press freedom, which is completely non-existent right now for people who, like me, oppose the tyranny of the Government."

Recent polls show that 7 out of 10 Kalistanis support the proposals made by Her Imperial Majesty's Government. "You know, I don't even care what those polls say," said Liberal Deputy Gwendolen Norris. "First of all, we don't live in a democracy... obviously... but also, majorities supported slavery. Does that mean that slavery is right? Does that mean that majorities even know what they are talking about? And third of all, those polls are all rigged anyway. The protests will continue until we get our demands met!"

Her Imperial Majesty the Empress has reportedly met with her Justice Minister to keep updated on the protests, and ensure that people retain the rights to protest, as long as the protests remain peaceful and are aimed at policies. "Her Imperial Majesty feels that protests are a good thing: they signify a vibrant civil society," said Justice Minister Roberto Cruz. "She also has informed me that as long as they remain policy oriented and peaceful, they are to be allowed to protest while this political matter works its way out. But she has also ensured me that these bills will pass the Legislature, and she will add pressure where needed to ensure that her will is carried out in the Legislature, even to the point of dissolving the National Assembly and holding new elections. She and Lady Newburg are in daily consultations, and the Government is keeping Her Imperial Majesty apprised as events unfold."

For now, the liberals remain in the streets, and the Conservatives are meeting them in the Press. The Spending Bill has already easily passed, acquiring enough yes votes before the end of last October, but the Tax Bill will not pass before July 1 of this year, so it will remain a tense situation in the Empire, at least until then.