Kalistan

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Democracy Comes to Kalistan... sorta
Pollsters ask Kalistani Citizens to weigh in on Foreign Affairs
Sulari, Grand Duchy of Suldanor
November 1, 5679


Informal Pollsters fanned out across the Empire to ask Kalistanis their opinions on World Affairs

The fifteen democrats in Kalistan are celebrating today with the rise of Kalistani Democracy... sorta. Public opinion polling is a fairly common occurrence in the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan, and the public is pretty used to being asked by pollsters any number of questions at any time. It is almost a given that if people are out and about in public, as most people are much of the year, they will be approached by people running polls on everything from consumer tastes to opinion on policy, and everything in between. It is such a common event, that code has developed so that pollsters can be easily dispatched by would be respondents with a simple phrase: "I'm busy right now," is universally acknowledged by Kalistanis as a sign for pollsters to go bother someone else. But most have built poll responding into their social schedules. If you're a little late to some event, a common excuse was that you were stopped by a pollster.

A necessary evil, to be sure, but it is one of the primary way for Kalistani citizens to provide feedback to distant officials, producers, and social institutions which they are often separated from both physically and conceptually. Responding to public polls helps policy makers craft popular policies, not just legal ones, producers create new and exciting products, rather than just functional ones, and social movements direct their energy in ways that will attract participants, rather than just news coverage. It's a form of direct democracy which has risen to fill the vacuum left by meaningless elections and planned national economic decisions. And its surprisingly effective: Social science research shows that, in Kalistan at least, politicians, social leaders and producers in both the public and private sector are surprisingly responsive to public opinion polling results, and there is also a high level of trust that responses to public polls leads to policy change in directions that are popular.

So it is no surprise that the Kalistani public has been asked about the recent developments around the Xsampa-Beiteynese Summit, and the aftermath. A recent poll, commissioned by The Kalistani Republic showed that the people of Kalistan generally are surprised by Xsampa's moves, but the frustration of Kalistan's people is exacerbated by the fact that Xsampa is a communist nation. "We are learning from the people that the antipathy recently expressed in a gaffe by the Chancellor is more widespread than just the Chancellor's statement in a heated exchange," said poll researcher Michelle Estevez, of the University of Suldanor. "Kalistanis do not understand why Kalistan has so eagerly associated with communists, and feel that the break should probably have happened sooner so Kalistan can distance itself from Dovani communists."

Most Kalistanis understand that the relationship was born of humanitarianism. "There are a surprising number of people who know the history of Kalistan-Xsampa relations," said Estevez. "They know about Beiteynu's unprovoked and demonic nuclear attacks against the capital, and would still support humanitarian aid to even the communist government in Xsampa were Beiteynu to deploy their nuclear arsenal again against Xsampa. They also understand that Kalistan's continued relationship with Xsampa has a lot to do with the fact that Kalistan also suffered destruction from weapons that were at least partially Beiteynese design. The trouble most respondents have is understanding how Xsampa could just overlook both the destruction Beiteynu created, actively rehab them and re-legitimize them on the international scene, for comparatively no real gain on the Xsampan side of that equation."

Estevez said Kalistanis also were baffled by the developing communist-capitalist alliance between Xsampa and Beiteynu. "They call it Amudim, we get that," said Estevez. "But Amudim is just Beiteynu with a thin mask. Just because Narikaton has occupied that nation for decades doesn't mean they will act differently than they did before. Beiteynu was well known for pushing its tentacles into many areas of international affairs: whether it be finance, diplomacy, or commerce. Beiteynu, whether it is a sovereign entity, or it is being puppeted by Narkiaton, has not changed its stripes. Kalistanis understand that Beiteynu is just as crass and cynical as it always was, is bent on its own benefit to the exclusion of its partners, and is a dangerous entity. Kalistanis don't understand why, when Xsampa and the world joined together to cage that wild cat, which is dangerous, unpredictable and acts for evil at every opportunity, why Xsampa is now enthusiastically and deliberately working with the laissez faire aberration known as Narikaton and Darnussia, to destroy the cage which has kept the world safe from that menace for decades?"

The poll results of this study weren't all negative. Kalistanis noted that they admired Narikaton for its imperialism. "Kalistanis were, across the board legitimately impressed by the ability that Narikaton had to actually be the imperialists that Kalistan could only aspire to be," said Estevez. "While Kalistan has been stupidly and wrongly locked out of Athosia for centuries, Narikaton has had ssemingly no problem invading, forceably annexing, and apparently fully integrating most of the former nation of Beiteynu into their own little Empire. The Nisrads will claim they are independent and sovereign, and though that doesn't match the reality on the ground, Narikaton is also given high marks for propaganda and their ability to easily maintain that fiction in the minds of the world's population. Kalistanis admire the brashness of their turpitude, and express a desire for the Anantonese Emperors to adopt a measure of that to finally reunite our own Empire."

Kalistanis also admire Narikaton beer, which is apparently imported by private distributors direct from the Triad. "More than 46% of Kalistanis say they drink Narikaton beer," said Estevez. "This is a surprising statistic, but it seems to be robust: Narikaton beer is known to be so low in alcohol content that a person can actually stay hydrated with Narik beer, and never be too intoxicated to function. Children often sample Narik beer as young as 5 when parents decide to start inuring their kids to the effects of alcohol. Others consider the flavor mild and somewhat refreshing, while some claim it actually improves energy and focus, as opposed to the opposite known effects of regular beer. It is considered safer to drink than a lot of sweetened drinks, and rivals bottled water in middle class households. Working class individuals, who actually prefer stronger drink, will actually prefer watered down Kalistani beer to Narik beer."

Kalistanis however also note that they won't use other products because Narikaton actively traded with Kundrati during the war. "The amount of money that nation made off of human suffering is incalculable," said Estevez. "Kalistanis remember this: they are regularly reminded of it. And consequently, this affects Kalistani and Narikatonian trade. The people of Kalistan, for the most part, practice an ongoing informal boycott against almost all Triad products, excepting beer, of course. While this wouldn't be an issue normally, the country that represents itself as a commercial empire that has wealth accumulation as its central guiding rai·son d'ê·tre, failing to sell to a market like Kalistan's represents a significant failing for the Triad. It is unclear what they could do to change the image of Narik products as being associated with the blood and suffering of both Kundratis, and also Kalistanis--That does seem to the be common opinion of all products associated with the Triad, even the beer, which is mockingly called 'Blood Beer' in Kalistan. But it is clear, at least to our poll respondents, that Narikaton is not even trying to improve that image." Kalistanis also site poor quality in general of products made in Narikaton and Darnussia, and prefer to buy Gaduri and Seleyan products for lower quality Artanian products.

Kalistanis cautioned against wading too deeply into the crisis however. "Most Kalistanis believe that 'Amudim' is a façade state, a new rebranding for a dormant Beiteynu" said Estevez. "But Kalistan should not involve itself in Red Bass affairs, or Migrant Pass affairs at all. Kalistanis are tired of conflict on the other side of the planet. They deem any blood or treasure expended on trying to maintain influence or even a place in the Red Bass to be a complete waste, as in not worth it. One common sentiment expressed is that nations in that part of the world are perennial basket cases, as chaotic and aimless as Northern Seleya is stable. Kalistanis also tend to prefer to support nations like Lodamun who do have legitimate interests in that region, and if Kalistan has to squander money dealing with the nonsense from that region of the world, it would rather send the money to Lodamun, a nation that Kalistanis feel will correctly and adequately represent a larger Northern Seleyan outlook with means and capacity."

Estevez said that the people of Kalistan understand that the rehabilitation of Beiteynu by Xsampa has sent political and diplomatic earthquakes throughout the world. "Kalistanis demonstrate that they are becomming more conservative in response to these changes. More than 8 out of 10 report they desire more stability and regularity in international affairs, a number that is up from a year ago. But more importantly, a growing number, 35% said they would favor international institutions capable of containing rising threats like Beiteynu and their partners in nihilism in Narikaton, and would want Kalistan to both actively contribute and participate in those institutions designed to protect the world order from these chaos agents. It also bears note that 39 percent of Kalistanis view fascism and communism to be equal threats to Kalistan, and feel that Kalistan should begin distancing itself from Communists the same way they do toward fascists. This number is up a full 7 percent from a year ago. Support for capitalism, especially the sort of laissez faire capitalism practiced in Narikaton, is in the low single digits, just above the margin of error."

@LaModa