Kalistan

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Hewlett Announces Limited Overture to National State of Rildanor
"We're still reviewing the situation" says Kalistani Foreign Minister
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
August 4, 5662


Minister Jeffrey Hewlett discusses Anantan Response to Rildanor

In brief remarks on the Rildanor situation on yesterday's "Politics This Week" on KRTVN 1, Her Imperial Majesty's Foreign Minister, Mr. Jeffrey Hewlett commented on the developments in Rildanor. "We're still reviewing the situation, but Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Mary I Ananto may not be fully closed off to talking with them once the dust has settled a little bit," said Minister Hewlett. "She has some thoughts about how the war played out, as well as the stated intentions of the new government directed at national unity which are currently driving our foreign policy toward that country and it could benefit both sides, I think to get a little clarity."

The Foreign Minister said Kalistan was impressed by their calls for national unity and explicit disavowal of liberal ideas, capitalism and communism. "The Rildanor Government is correct to assert that liberalism, political heterodoxy, and churn in the economy is bad for the society. Of course it is. If you are an elite, it is always a potential existential threat to you unless you happen to be the one who benefits this time, and if you are a non-elite, the only people that sort of chaos and disorder benefits are the elites who are not you. As we learned in Kalistan recently, liberal democracy is a threat to good social order and tranquility, and those two things are absolutely, and let me say that again, absolutely necessary for the existence of a healthy and free society. When that breaks down because of some stupid ideological commitment to what we refer to as disorder here, the people are not free. They spend their lives living in fear of losing the next election."

The Foreign Minister said that the Empress looked favorably on the Rildanor government's call for "National Democracy". "It's something that Kalistan can understand," he added. The FM praised the banning of opposition parties, a strong and empowered executive, the outlawing of liberalism, the policy preferences for anti-capitalism and anti-communism, anti-classism, and nationalization and cooperation between the State, corporations and labor to determine the outcome of labor disputes. "We could use some clarification on a few matters though. For example: when Rildanor says anti-cosmopolitanism, what do they mean? In Kalistan, cosmopolitanism, or welcoming the world to Kalistan, Kalistanis going out into the world, in an effort to not only understand everyone better, but also to take things from those other cultures back to Kalistan to improve our own culture, that is the foundation of our cultural heritage. Is Rildanor against a free and open exchange of culture and ideas, perhaps to preserve something which, really hasn't existed for a very long time, or perhaps to assert a new cultural identity as being anti-this or that? This might be a road bump for us." Additionally he noted in the tripartite cooperatist model of resolving resource disputes, the State and the workers almost always find themselves on the same side against Corporations in Kalistan. The FM expressed hope that Rildanor workers will find a similar friend in their own government.

"It is clear that Rildanor is going through some changes, and many of them are being driven by external factors, and non-Seleyan Nations who have inserted themselves into a Seleyan Situation," said the Foreign Minister. "The House of Peers, for example, has passed a resolution expressing objection to the naked powergrab by the Kingdom of Egelion of the Meriath du Mer Naval Base in Rildanor, despite the fact that Egelion is not and never was a part of the Canrillaise Empire. Her Imperial Majesty concurred with this objection and said that it almost looks like Egelion simply involved itself in a war on the opposite side of the globe so it could grab a base and extend its influence where it really shouldn't even be, and more or less make the island a haven for its investment and the spreading of its influence. And don't even get me started on Beiteynu's inexplicable interest in the conflict." It is important to note that the Objection of the Chamber of Kalistani Peers, formerly the Peer Assembly, in which Egelion maintains a proxy vote due to its possession of the Baronetcy of Casa Varastela in Eveari, does not have the force of law and is advisory only.

"I mean, just imagine the howls of alarm from the jackals of the world if Kalistan had, for no reason whatsoever, inserted itself into someone else's war simply to steal a naval base and create a virtual colony of a breakaway island," said Mr. Hewlett. "If Kalistan did that it would create a world ink shortage as a million opinion writers took to a million computers and typed a million asinine editorials each condemning Kalistani imperialism. And really the only differences here is that 1) Kalistan is actually an Empire, and 2) we've never actually done what we see Egelion doing right now in Rildanor. But... there is a double standard when it comes to all non-Kalistani countries, isn't there. So naturally, Kalistan is the only one to object to this naked power grab, and it is easy to dismiss the objection of the Peers. Such is the world today, isn't it."

Hewlett suggested that the transformation of Mariath into a virtual Egelian 6th Province was only part of the reason that Kalistan has chosen to consider working with the new National State of Rildanor. "The more important problem with Meriath, I will say is the fact that they are run by communists. And Kalistan seeks to limit its intercourse with communists as much as possible." He maintains there is an exception for a state like Xsampa with whom Kalistan trades. "Our interactions with Xsampa are limited in their scope, involve direct one for one sales at international market rates, and provide both nations needed strategic and industrial resources that are mutually beneficial for each of our economies. We don't as a rule, associate with Communists."

Minister Hewlett said that if the Government of Rildanor would like to schedule some time to visit Kalistan and meet with Her Imperial Majesty, especially to clarify some of these points, the Empress would welcome the visit, and perhaps a closer relationship could be forged. "We see something of our selves in their path," said Hewlett. "It is tentatively encouraging, to say the least."

@TheRepublic