Kalistan

[Doc]

Kalistani News in Brief: Kalistan opens Rare Earth Recycling Centers;
Empire to exit Seleyan Economic Community Treaty; Thomas Jones' "Creative Slump"
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Kalistan
October 1, 5719


The REM Recyclying Center in Dana processes E-waste for gold and REMs

Kalistan opens Rare Earth Recycling Centers
Sulari Salts (SLT), Seleya's largest Lithium producer and limited producer of some Rare Earth elements, and Kalistani MicroDivisions (KMD), Seleya's largest and oldest Consumer Electronics producer, have joined forces to open three new REM recycling Centers in Kalistan. This private enterprise is an expansion on relatively successful but small scale electronics gold recycling operations that were launched last year. The new recycling centers combine the efforts to extract gold from electronic waste with new methods of obtaining rare earth metals that are used in electronics, wind turbines, EV motors, and aerospace applications. Spokeswoman for the new Dana Plant, Carlie Mortenson, said, "Annually, Kalistanis throw away more than 2 and a half tons of electronics, and all of those require and utilize significant amounts of gold Last year, in our first year of large scale recycling, we obtained 17.2 pounds in total, which at current markets is worth about K$1.45 Million Imperial Pesos. Additionally 648 pounds of copper and 239 pounds of silver through recycling. But REMs, and specifically magnet scrapping is something we are just beginning to explore, and with current hi yield methods, we can begin to think of something like a 30% REM recovery rate, which is far higher than yields from a ton of raw ore."

REM recycling from electronic waste won't completely eliminate the need for imports to Kalistan. "Our entire economy is riddled with REM applications, but with these new techniques, we can significantly reduce the amount that we have to import from unreliable foreign countries." Mortenson said the three new recycling centers recently opened, one in Yoshimi, one in Dana, and one in Gendaris, will begin with electronic waste. "As we expand our operations, we will begin processing the waste from more than 150 years of electronic vehicle usage in Kalistan as well, and that's where the real bonanza from this operation will take place. Taking old EV motors, breaking them down and pulling out the useful stuff in them to return to the supply chain will not only dramatically reduce prices for consumers, but also dramatically reduce dependence on world markets for the things we need. And its all just sitting in the myriad junk yards. At least one is in every city. We just need to open a recycling center to process them all and return them to the supply chain." A full REM recycling effort that also includes EVs will ultimately save Kalistan tens of billions annually in imports.

The operations are already running at full capacity, with REM recycling in E-Waste having begun last summer.

Empire to exit Seleyan Economic Community
Kalistan has long been the sole signatory state in the treaty known as the Seleyan Economic Community. This treaty, which dates back to pre-Anantonese Empire days, was launched by Gaduridos to integrate the Seleyan market and encourage freer trade between nations in Seleya. Kalistan signed it when it was in a more internationalist spirit, but as it turned out, Kalistan is the only nation to have signed it. Nobody else, not even its author eventually ratified it. Its need was largely eclipsed by the rise of the Anantonese Empire, but as of today, it now stands as a fossilized artefact of a by gone era, when Gaduridos was more interested in regional trade.

Those days are gone, and Kalistan has more recently adopted a preference for bilateral agreements as opposed to open ended, open door free trade agreements. And so Kalistan has begun the process to formally withdraw from the treaty. "We look at the treaty's authors, and we realize that they have moved on from the idea of regional integration," said Her Imperial Majesty's Minister for Trade and Industry, Jamar Roberts. "As they are focused on attracting global competitors to local suppliers, Kalistan itself has moved to a more import substitution model, which means a reduction in both imports and exports. So leaving our doors open to trade, while nobody else wants to open theirs to Kalistan is a mistake for Kalistan- It leave us vulnerable to having our own markets flooded by foreign goods without a compensatory requirement for balanced trade, and allows the benefits of trade to go fully to foreign countries rather than allowing any to stay here in Kalistan. It's time to abrogate this treaty."

Mr. Roberts says Her Imperial Majesty has reluctantly given the green light to pull out of the treaty. "We will immediately notice that imported goods, especially those coming from Gaduridos, become more expensive, and less numerous, as we virtually eliminate trade subsidies and rapidly reduce our discretionary trade with that country to levels more appropriate to need. We have regrettably been subsidizing that economy for a century and a half, but they have new partners now who can pick that slack up for us. With regard to other Seleyan states, trade should not be affected much, as it has already normalized. But this is probably the last tie between Kalistan and its former partner in Gaduridos to be cut, and the pain will be felt in Kalistan far more acutely than it will in Gaduridos as trade normalizes there. They'll just have large surpluses of things Kalistanis used to buy at a premium that they will now have to find additional markets for."

In real terms, the minister said, he expects trade to drop fairly precipitously at first as sticker shock that comes from trade normalization leads to sharply reduced demand for Gaduri products. "Balanced trade means we stop overbuying Gaduri production. That could change if they start buying more Kalistani goods. But that's unlikely because they are currently trying to source anything they could get from Kalistan now from other nations, at a higher cost to them, I might add. For Kalistanis, we might just have to start drinking Kalistani coffee, and driving cars made with Kalistani steel, and it might cost a few cents more per pound, but normalization of trade will ultimately be worth it to Kalistan at least, as it will force Gaduridos and Kalistan to both decide what, if anything we actually need, and are willing to actually pay for, from one another."

The treaty is set to expire on December 31.

Thomas Jones' "Creative Slump"
Thomas Jones has not put out new music since his August 5717 release Visions of Dystopia. "I'm in a bit of a creative slump right now," he said, feeling quite uninspired. He says that Visions sold so well in Kalistan that he feels a lot of pressure to follow it up with more pop music. "I lost a lot of supporters with that record," said Jones in a recent KRM interview. "But I gain millions of fans. So I feel like, I'm really quite torn on the question of if I make music that the new fans like, or do I stick to my creative vision, which I kind of, maybe, veered away from a bit with my last album, to make a run at real superstardom. Like do I continue on that path, or do I blow it all up and try something different? I'm very ambivalent on this question."

Jones likened his slump now to the feeling he had just before revitalizing his career after a sojourn in Dundorf. "Well, the scene in Kaliburg had become very destructive to my health, my physical health I mean. And perhaps my mental health. So I left, went out and sobered up and got some new influences, and came back and did Nordhaus. I think what I need now is a recharge. Creatively I mean. Artistically. I need some new ideas, and I am to the point where I sort of don't really remember where to find them." Jones says he's written an album worth of material. "But its not my best work. It's pretty slapdash and pretty generic, simple melodies, the lyrics don't really mean anything. It just feels like the tank is empty at the moment. It's not art. It's just well, its what any musician would do when they are almost ten albums into a career. I'm not happy with it, so I probably will see if it can be reworked or just thrown in the fireplace."

It looks like fans will have to wait for new music from the art rocker turned pop superstar. "No, I'm not in the studio right now. I have been working in the theater. I have always loved acting. My entire career has been a theater revue. I'm playing mainly small roles right now. I like being part of the production, but not really having to remember a lot of lines. And I like makeup and obviously costuming and things like this. So its a convenient distraction from my life as a musician. I'm gonna keep doing this for a while. The music spark will come back. I am already working with a guy I met a couple months ago at a party. He's from Swedeport. He plays loud guitars. Its the kind of music I loved growing up and a kind of music I always had on in the background of my head as I worked. His name is Jack Guerra. We jam together sometimes. That's fun."

@TheRepublic

[Doc]

Luncasi Transfer is complete
The Kalistani Regular Navy leaves Keris after 35 years
Luncasi Free City, Kizenia
October 1, 5619


Last Ship Out: Logistics Tender KRLS-82 departs Luncasi Naval Logistics Center, withdrawing the last permanent personnel from Kerisian Soil

The Kalistani Regular Mission in Kalistan is finally at its end. At 11:59:59 pm local last night, the Imperial Standard that has flown over the Luncasi Naval Logistics Center was finally lowered, and was replaced by the flag of the Luncasi Free City and the flag of the United Kingdom of New Endralon, Kizenia and Kuzaki, signifying a formal end to Kalistani presence following the war in Kizenia which ousted the right wing dictatorship there more than 30 years ago. Over the last three decades, Kalistan has remained committed to supporting the Free City, has built and already transferred the Port of Luncasi, which is a major trading center on the southern Kizenian Coast serving Northern Seleya, and reconstructing the old port which was inadequate for modern ships, as the Luncasi Naval Logisitics Center. The lease agreed between the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan, and the United Kingdom gave Kalistan exclusive use of the Naval Logistics Center for thirty years with option to renew. Ten years ago, the Empire, dealing with the loss of the Southern Kingdom, opted not to renew that lease and moved toward retrenchment instead.

The Handover Ceremony followed the departure of the last company of Kalistani Imperial Marines earlier in the day back to Kalistan. Once all personnel had been cleared, and the final Logistics tender sailed away, the only thing left to do was to sign the documents to hand the base and all its operations back to the City Government, make a speech and lower the flag as the band played the National Anthem of the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan. Her Imperial Majesty's new Defense Secretary, Lt. Col Calvin Velasco was on hand the preside over the ceremony. Velasco spoke about the importance of the good will of the city, both during and after the war, the close and positive relationships that were built, and the true spirit of cooperation and fraternization between Kalistan, its expat community in Luncasi, and the Kizenian Locals who had been so welcoming.

He also noted that during the nearly 40 years of direct Kalistani tenancy, more than 650 new families had been formed between Kalistanis and Kizenians. "Many of the Kalistani men and women who found their partners here in Luncasi have returned to Luncasi to strengthen the Kalistani Expatriate Community, and it is something we are very proud of. You have welcomed our people among you for four decades, and we feel a sense of fraternity and genuine kinship, both implied and actual because of our time spent here in your beautiful city," said the Lt. Col. "You are a credit to your nation, and from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you and we are so proud of all you have accomplished for your City during our time here."

The Goodbye was both bittersweet and had a sense of finality to it. Much of the expatriate community had been important go betweens for the Kalistani and Luncasi City Government, and Luncasi has earned billions of Rubles during the 40 year Kalistani presence. "But it is sadly coming to an end now," said local Expatriate Leader William Ciobanu-Allen. "But Kalistan leaves us with a thriving and active community, where we Expatriates do not need to keep to ourselves, but feel welcomed and wanted across the entire city. We are happy to make Luncasi our home, and speaking for all 67,000 of us, I can say we will always look for your return as brothers and friends."

The tenure over the Luncasi Naval Logistics Center was largely without incident. Day in and Day out, logistics stores were supplied from the countryside, and that food, fuel, and materiel was used to supply Kalistani Regular Navy who regularly called at the port for resupply. In other situations, ships would fill up and supply Regular Navy at sea. It was considered a hardship tour for those who had families back in Kalistan, but for the Sailors and Marines who were single, the city was considered one of the friendliest and most enjoyable duty stations one could hope for. "It beats Bentasur," said one Regular Seaman in 5703. "Down there all you do is sweat and drink quinine. But here, there is nothing better than the company of a Luncasi National on a cool summer evening. I tried to get restationed in Luncasi as often as possible. The people love us here, the restaurants and dancing and bars are the best... It's like being in Kalistan but cooler because not everyone speaks Vrassan."

The lease on the base may be over, but Kalistan still anticipates that it will receive regular supply from Luncasi. "We continue to work with the Luncasi City Government on supply, and will continue to purchase their services going forward," said the Defense Minister. "We are continuing to cooperate with the Luncasi Free City Government, the responsible authority for the Base to allow us to continue regular operations of the 1st Fleet in the Northern Anantonese Ocean. This deal remains ongoing, and will continue until such a time that it is renegotiated. if that ever happens."

La revedere, Luncasi. Ne vedem data viitoare.

@The Republic

[Doc]

Editorial: International Communism:  The False Promise of "Revolution"
How a pernicious lie has infected millions, yet Kalistan remains immune
Eveari, Grand Duchy of Ananto
November 5, 5719


Despite being called "The Red Empress", Her Imperial Majesty slams International Communism at Nationalist banquet

Editorial Note:  The following is a speech given by Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto to the Eveari Nationalist Club.  She was welcomed to the Club for their annual Autumn Banquet, where she was asked to present a speech about the dangers of Communism in the modern world.  This is the transcript of her Key Note Speech.

International Communism:  The False Promise of "Revolution"
How a pernicious Lie has infected millions, yet Kalistan remains immune
By Carolina Ananto-Connor
Empress, Ananto and Kalistan

Communism:  Around the world, this ideology claims to be a vehicle for nominally left-wing movements to obtain power.  It really doesn't matter what adjective you put in front of it, the Metz-inspired ideology is a fundamentally revolutionary force aimed at inspiring masses of people to rise up against and throw off traditional authority.  They do so not organically, of course, but almost always at the instigation of some elite-dominated Party or faction, often referring to itself as a Vanguard, and may obtain power by manipulating an electoral system in a liberal democracy, or opening a military front and acquiring power by violent means. 

And then, predictably, upon seizing the reigns of the government, the Communists become the government, and like the evil capitalist system before them, they need to pass legislation to employ their people, fund their new revolutionary structures with taxes, incentivize businesses and producers, engage in trade and foreign relations and police crime.  Within a very short time, after the orgy of "revolutionary" violence and disruption has passed, if you put a communist government next to a liberal government, it is quite impossible to tell them apart in terms of their functions and institutions.

It sort of makes the "revolution," such as it were, look a bit ridiculous and utterly unnecessary.  Instead of actually changing anything, the communists simply reorder the seats at the dinner table, and put themselves in charge of the very same system today that they spent yesterday condemning as inhumane and immoral.  In the process, more often than not, their takeover of power involves death, destruction and the ruination of countless lives.  And for what?  So they, claiming to represent "the people" can take control and repress their enemies?  What people do they represent?  Have they asked "the people" if the people want violent or dramatic upheaval in their personal lives, only to end up with essentially the same thing as they supposedly overthrew?  Did these "people" ever give them an intelligible and externally coherent and cogent answer?  Did they bother to listen, or was the "asking" just for show?

At the end of the day, if you're just going to put a different gang of thugs into control of the same system, and not change the actual system, why waste the time, resources, and human life to do that?  In short, why is "revolution" even necessary if the result is just pain, suffering and death, only to ultimately replicate the system you just claimed to overthrow?

More importantly, why is communism so attractive to people worldwide?  How is it that cliques, almost exclusively made up of elites out-of-power, are nonetheless able to seduce the masses, even if its a minority group, into supporting this movement when if has very little to offer anyone in terms of actual human progress beyond the coercive apparatuses of the state?  It appears, in the final analysis to be just another cynical movement of out-of-power elites who will stop at nothing to become in-power elites, even using demagoguery or violence to hoodwink segments of the population to support them.  Their economies are still governed by international capitalism, along with their trade.  Their domestic policies are identical to the polices necessary of any government:  Providing public goods to the citizens and creating opportunities for individuals and firms to create private goods to fill in the gaps.  So why do millions foolishly turn to the siren song of the Communists, whether in Seleya, or Keris, or Dovani, or any place that misrepresented and misrepresenting ideology decides to pop its head up?

And finally, why has Kalsitan been so successful at avoiding communist movements?  Any Communist movements that historically appeared in Kalistan have, as a rule, been very short lived.  Why does communism find such fertile soil in some places, where it easily drops rhizomes and spreads around like a weed, while in Kalistan, it only finds hostility?  Are those countries who are currently under the sway of communist demagoguery really so incapable of realizing what the Communists are really doing? 

We can't begin to say what the problem with other nations is.  Communism in its current form, is a lie, at its core.  It's not revolutionary, in so far as the need to institutionalize the revolution following the overthrow of the former regime, the need to "make the government work now that you are in control of it", is ubiquitous.  But under no circumstances have Communists accomplished, let alone, even attempted to, abolish the concept of Government or state anywhere--in all cases they use it, and in some notable northern cases, they wallow in the apparatuses of the state in order to prevent their authority from being subverted institutionally.  Metz claimed that the end of Revolution is to create a stateless society, in which compulsion of the economic structure of capitalism gives way to happy free workers governing everything in their own naturally aligned and fully understood interests.  Which states who have succumbed to communism have even attempted to do that?

We don't understand why so many millions are so easily tricked by communists.  Perhaps the lack of critical thinking is endemic to the liberal or illiberal societies that the communists are rebelling against.  Perhaps people imagine that the promise of the communists, that the old overlords and authority will this time for real be abolished by the Communists, will actually come true.  It is hard to say.  Kalistan is not in the habit of discussing the merits of Communism with the people living under the lie of communist regimes.  We trade with communists.  We do not invite them to teach our children.

What we can say is that Communism never took root here in Kalistan because it is our national obsession to abolish human need.  One could argue that Kalistan is a socialist nation:  If this is the case, we have always been a socialist nation.  Our society is designed to be run for the benefit of our society rather than a single segment of it, hence "socialism".  There are always small parts of our society which would prefer an organization which would favor them more as individuals than the current structure does, but our structure, with its institutions in place, supported, and constantly maintained, does offer some benefit to nearly everyone all the time, to the point where nobody experiences the sort of that scarcity and mismanagement of other nations which may lead them to be seduced by the promise of fake populists and leftists among the communists.

We have abundant food that is practically free.  We have carefully controlled rents that give people the hope for a safe and secure home.  We have a generous, publicly owned and tax payer supported public health system that gives everyone access to promote actual health and wellbeing.  We guarantee all a means of living, and a modest universal basic income.  We provide people with ample opportunity to fully realize themselves without hurting or impoverishing themselves in the process.  People have the security to start businesses if they are so inclined.  They have the material wherewithal to become artists if they are so moved to do so.  Or they can return to school to learn a new skill.  And all without financially hurting their family or themselves.

We have gotten rid of the social conditions in Kalistan that communists frequently exploit in their attempts to acquire power for themselves.  Workers have the upper hands in their workplaces, and managers are properly in their role of managers, not hiring and firing agents.  They have the confidence of their fellow workers, because they themselves are workers.  CEOs do not have to choose between profitability for shareholders and food for their workers, due to the Nationalized workforce.  Nor are they able to force our working class to compete against one another for lower wages, because of National Service and Nationalization.  We do not have people starving in our streets due to the National Food Bank.  We do not have people freezing and dying behind our churches, synagogues and hospitals because of our national shelter system and Housing First attitudes.  In short, those things Communists use to trick people into supporting them are simply not present in Kalistan.

Do we have hunger?  Sure.  Do we have homelessness?  Regrettably, yes, we still do.  Does capitalist exploitation still exist in Kalistan?  We believe that it would be impossible to have private sector, or any measure of market based production and not have some degree of exploitation.  All of those things still exist in Kalistan, and we cannot claim to be perfect.  But the difference is that not only is their incidence far lower than in most incorrectly organized societies across the globe where Communism tends to appear, but our single greatest strength, our Imperial Regime allows us to more easily manage those issues, and keep them on a truly individual basis rather than allowing them to become systemic problems.

We can say for sure that liberal systems absolutely require those things to be present, those things that Communists complain about and organize around, for that system to work properly:  Things like racism and sexism are impossible to manage as long as you maintain a dogmatic and unreasonable adherence to the principles of majority rule.  You essentially guarantee in-group vs. out-group competition, and frequently, the out-group become the scapegoats for the in-group's failures.  It is the natural consequences of creating a society based on division along identity lines and forced competition for limited resources and political power.  And you cannot address those sort of social ills, or any social ills that are based in the domination of one large group over a slightly smaller group while you preserve the sort of regime that requires it and generates it.  Resolving the racism or sexism without first dealing with the system that thrives because of these will just lead to them appearing again.

But Communists feed off that division, and they exploit it just like liberalism does.  Communism is about taking the ideas of the clique and claiming that they are the ideas of the entire society, while that claim is itself fundamentally absurd.  Communism grows and spreads in a place where it is easy to say "You are the out group.  Follow us and we will help you take revenge on your enemies, the people with the boot on your throat."  That lure, incidentally, is the same lure that fascists use as they organize.  And people, especially desperate people bite:  they follow the Communists right into a new version of the same system but just one with Communists wearing the boot now because what alternative do they have when they live in a broken system and cannot possibly imagine any other way to organize their society?

Kalistani society, on the other hand, shows itself to be immune to that sort of call, because though these sorts of social ills do exist in places, 1) they are not definitive of the system the way they are in liberal societies, and 2) since they are not ubiquitous and baked into the structure of our society, they can easily be identified as aberrant and what is not dealt with through informal social pressure and normative correction can easily be obliterated by mere policy action.  The Kalistani system is uniquely adept at handling the permissive conditions that cause viral communism to communicate around the rest of the globe.

But one may correctly point out that people have had to surrender political power to an actual and explicit political elite in the Empire.  One may call us hypocrites for this.  Our answer is that we do not pretend to be democratic.  Of course we are elite-led--In and of itself, elite leadership is not a problem, but pretending to be anything otherwise when you are just another elite movement, as the Communists do, is dishonesty.  Of course every single aspect and institution in this nation is controlled by elites, exercising democratically unchecked authority.  Of course elections do not mean anything here in Kalistan except as a way for individuals to ratify the Legislature, and indirectly to give consent to the Imperial Fiat in doing so.  Of course all this is true.

The difference is that we never claimed anything otherwise.  Communists do.  They claim to be putting the people in charge, but at the very best, under a Communist Government, the people are in exactly as much charge of their government as they are in the sham democracies of Liberal states.  In a liberal democracy, no individual's vote matters at all.  One person can change their vote and it will not alter the outcome of important elections one bit.  The only thing that matters is the aggregate, and in a place with 50 million voters, one, or even 10 thousand votes do not affect the aggregate totals at all.  Especially in a winner take all system.  Not one iota.

Yet, Communists, like liberals, claim that they are governing in the name of the People.  In liberal society, only those who voted for the government are counted as "the people".  In Communist societies, the people are considered to be an undifferentiated mass, all with the same exact interests and class consciousness.  All are "workers" except of course the revolutionary vanguard, whose job it is to lead the "workers" to a brighter communist future where money disappears, and the state whithers away.  Ok.  And if you disagree with this?  Well, its often not pretty for those who disagree with communism.

In Kalistan, we have not been a Republic for centuries.  We do not claim to be about the People's business.  We are in the businesses of Good government.  There is no room for debate among 50 million individuals when it comes to Good government.  Objective Goodness of policy cannot be decided by a popular vote.  We have not argued anything other than that.  We have not claimed to govern in the Name of "the People", or asked the people what they think we should do.  Instead, we have freed them to do what they want to do, which clearly is not trying to do something they are not in the first instance the least bit qualified or trained to do, which is self government.

In Kalistan our people understand that the opinion of ten million men doesn't mean anything if those ten million men do not know what they are talking about.  In liberal states, they promote the idea that ten million diverging viewpoints on a matter is laudable.  And in a Communist society, the Communists claim that there is really only one opinion, and the Communists are the ones to say what that opinion is.  Communism can't take root in Kalistan because our system does not permit a clique of out-of-power elites to misrepresent itself to become the in-power elites, using the votes of tens of millions of untrained and under educated commoners to obtain that power.

These are but a few of the reasons for our hostility toward Communism in this Nation.  But we see we are running out of time.  The short answer is, Kalistan is functionally a small-s socialist nation, in that it is run explicitly for the benefit of the society.  All of our institutions are directed toward serving the need of society, which includes, but is not restricted to our people, as best as we are able.  Does that make us the intermediate stage toward a stateless society, as Metz predicted of socialist nations?  No, absolutely not.  Because Kalistanis also value order, abhor the sort of violence and revolutionary chaos you tend to see in other parts of the world where revolutionary movements are active, and support our institutions above all else.  Finally, Kalistan is immune to the false allurements of the Communist demagogues because we are correctly ordered.  We are much of what the Communists claim to want, and we accomplished it all without the resort to communism.

We believe that that's the summary of all of this.  Kalistan is an honest nation, and we have very little tolerance for the lies and false promises of leftist populism or the cynicism of the entrepreneurs who use that as a tool to get the people to help put them into power.  Communism will not take root in Kalistani soil, or in the mind of the Kalistani Citizen, because the values of Kalistan and all of its people are fundamentally hostile to the necessary conditions that allow Communism to exist and thrive.  As long as we live and breath, Kalistan will not ever ever host a communist movement, or anything remotely resembling it.  Though it easily finds nations and people gullible enough to allow it to proliferate elsewhere, it shall only find hostility in Kalistan.

We thank you for inviting us to speak and look forward to continuing to observe the remainder of your Organization's program this evening.

The Empress' speech was met with a resounding ovation, to the point where Nathan Rogers and Dame Donna Handley had to eventually ask the crowd to be seated and stop clapping so they could finish the agenda for the evening.  She welcomed the applause gracefully, and saluted several individuals in the crowd with a raised glass of brandy.  The meeting was also attended by Chancellor of the Empire Lady Melanie Alvarez-McLinn, a long time member of the Kalistani Nationalist Organization, whose local Eveari Chapter hosted the banquet.

@TheNational

[Doc]

Kalistani News in Brief: First Photo of Princelings Released;
Empress answers King of Gaduridos; Democrats to seek reform
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
January 24, 5720


Their Majesties The Princelings, Minor Princess Victoria-Monica Miriam Ananto-Rosenfeld, Minor Crown Prince William-Malcolm Isaac Ananto-Rosenfeld and Minor Princess Jennifer-Ericka Rebecca Ananto-Rosenfeld sit for their first portrait

First Photo of Princelings Released
House Ananto has consented to the release of an authorized portrait of the next Generation of Anantos. Including His Highness, the Minor Crown Prince William-Malcolm Isaac Ananto-Rosenfeld, the photo also includes the first official images of the Minor Princesses, Her Highness Minor Princess Jennifer-Ericka Rebecca Ananto-Rosenfeld (14) and Her Highness, Minor Princess Victoria-Monica Miriam Ananto-Rosenfeld (12). "Her Imperial Majesty and His Highness, the Prince Consort believed that it was appropriate for the portrait to be released to the Press," said Lady Christina Ananto-McKinley. "We believed that commissioning an official and authorized portrait would serve as an introduction to the Minor Princelings who will soon begin stepping into their formal roles in the Royal Family, and in the institutions of the Empire."

Neither of the Minor Princesses have debuted yet in Kaliburg Formal Society. "Those will happen when the Minor Princesses are each 16 years old," said Lady Christina. "His Highness, the Minor Crown Prince, has only been allowed very limited contact with the young ladies around him and has been asked to escort his peers on a handful of occasions. But he is beginning intermediate phases of his royal training with his mother and with us here at House Ananto now, and when he is not spending his time skating and surfing, dating is among the last things on his mind at the moment."

The Minor Crown Prince is said to be quiet, and have a sharp but very dry wit. "The Crown Prince is to some degree more of an introvert," said Lady Christina. "He was 6 feet tall by the time he was 13 years old and has always been known as a gentle giant, but this has made him kind of self conscious. He will likely grow out of that but for now, it is difficult to be one of the tallest of his peers, and not stand out. The Minor Princesses are as different from one another as night and day: Her Highness, the Minor Princess Jennifer is studious, prim and very imperious, while her younger sister, Her Highness, the Minor Princess Victoria is outgoing, gregarious, and full of energy. I've had the opportunity to watch these three grow: they all take after parts of both of their parents, the best parts, for certain."

We will certainly see more of these three youngsters as they grow and move to the center of Kalistani Society and power in the coming decades.

Empress answers King of Gaduridos
In her weekly radio address this week recorded from Kaliburg, Her Imperial Majesty, who had just opened the National Assembly for the year, commented on the message from His Majesty, the King of Gaduridos.

"And to His Majesty, the King of Gaduridos, King Victor de Valcorico, we welcome his kind and optimistic greetings. As we are sure he knows, there are still many outstanding, and very serious issues that remain between our two nations from our regrettable split. The cut that separated our two nations was not clean, it was not painless, and it was the source of a great amount of grieving in our nation. We are not sure we can say the same for the People of Gadurios: In Kalsitan we felt the loss quite acutely, and the residual feeling from us was sorrow, not anger, not envy, not hatred. Even those among us who have been most vocal in their anger are most upset that our friendship was so completely rejected: they grieve the loss most publicly. We haven't properly had time to heal from the death of our dream and the loss of our brothers and sisters.

"That said: we do agree that since Gaduridos has adopted a formal government, a legitimate governing apparatus, and has even taken an extra step and appointed for themselves a monarch which has the support of the nation. Our desire to recognize this measure led us to attend His Majesty's coronation. It is our hope that under these conditions we both may begin to properly, and healthily grieve the loss of our old relationship and then to look forward to a new one, built on mutual respect and a shared desire to cooperate when and where ever it is possible to do so. We understand it will take both the Gaduris and the Kalistanis some time, and despite the bad blood, eventually we will have to find a way to both live in the same world together. That can, we are confident and optimistic, begin at last."

Her Imperial Majesty extended another invitation to His Majesty to visit her in Kaliburg. She will not take residency in Athosia this winter, and has instead opened Playa de Paz to members of House Ananto to enjoy for the winter. It is believed that her uncle, Lord Andrew Rohrbach is declining in his health due to symptoms of pancreatic cancer, and she wishes to remain on the Island so she can assist her Aunt, Her Highness the Princess of the Empire Nicolette Ananto-Collins, with end of life arrangements if need be.

Democrats to seek reform
Kalistan's democrats, organized in the Democratic Club of Kalistan, met this week in Eshar, and drafted a ten point memorandum that they wish to present as a petition to Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto that broadly calls for reforms to the Imperial Regime. "We take our inspiration from the peaceful revolution which happened in Egelion," says the group's spokesman, James Christianson, of Gendaris. "In that nation, democrats peacefully organized, and through negotiation and debate, obtained the end of the Absolutist form of government in favor of a Constitutional Monarchy with a limited monarchy, some limitations of the power of the aristocracy, and an formation of a popularly elected branch of government able to check monarchical power."

Mr. Christianson admitted that he and his group will have an uphill battle. "I understand that Egelian 'absolutism' such as it was was not of the same variety as Kalistani absolutism, no quotes. The Kalistani variety is literally fiat authority of an autocrat. Not a dictatorship, not a tyranny, but certainly an autocrat. And it is well known that our autocrat is not conducive to the ideas of democracy or majoritarianism." But Christianson said he was optimistic any way. "We believe that Her Imperial Majesty is a philosopher, and therefore a lover of wisdom. She may have her opinions, but we believe that she does listen to other opinions and takes those into account. And we believe that if we would be allowed to simply present to her our arguments for more democracy, she would be willing to examine them, from a neutral perspective to consider them from an exercise of reason and logic. And perhaps she can be swayed."

The petition was forwarded to The Chancellor of the Empire's office, as is correct procedure. Bob Gerring, one of Eshar's two Deputies in the National Assembly was asked to bring the manifesto to the Chancellor. "Well, I will say they have some huevos," said Deputy Gerring. "I had to tell them that when I handed the document to the Chancellor requesting she carry it to the Empress, she read it, laughed and asked if I was putting her on. I said the Democrats were in earnest, and they believed that the Empress would read it and give it fair consideration. And she looked at me, and gave me a smile that I can only describe as sarcastic, and she simply said, 'Those Democrats do not know the Empress at all.' I answered that this may be so, but it might be an opportunity to meet them and hear what they have to say. She shrugged and said she would carry the petition to the Empress personally, just so she could be the one to tell me about Her Imperial Majesty's response."

@TheRepublic

[Doc]

Chancellor addresses Democracy Petition
"The Result was predictable" said Lady Alvarez-McLinn
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
March 10, 5720


Chancellor of the Empire speaks with reporters outside her offices at National Assembly

"Well, I'll give you two guesses what the Empress said," answered the Chancellor of the Empire, Lady Melanie Alvarez-McLinn, in response to questions about the fate of the petition submitted by the Democratic Club of Kalistan last January. "First she nearly threw me out of her office at Cliff House, and then she simply shook her head. The result of my request to consider the petition was entirely predictable."

The Chancellor laid out the Empress' arguments. "Well, first Her Imperial Majesty asked me where I thought I was. She then suggested I might think I am in a place like Egelion, which has fallen to the Democrats, who have forced a constitution upon their monarch. When I reminded her that this petition was brought to me by constituents in Eshar, she asked me, rhetorically of course, if Eshar does not still possess a Lord Mayor, and then she asked wasn't that enough Democracy for these Kalistanis. She then reminded me about the ridiculousness of the suggestion that the Monarch should need to be constrained by democratic pressure, because of the Kalopian etymology of the word monarch, which means there is one and only one who governs, as opposed to democracy, where the demos or the people govern. She then proceeded to explain to me that an aggregate is accurate when guessing the correct of nominal facts, such as how many jelly beans there are in a jar, but are seldom correct in matters of determining policy which may be necessary and good for society but violates their own individual interests, and are almost never right when they determine moral and ethical right through a popular vote."

The Chancellor found the matter humorous. "I could have saved everyone all the time and just let you know what the Empress would answer to a request for democratic or constitutional constraints," she said with a knowing smirk. "Her Imperial Majesty is one of the most reactionary, anti-democratic people I know, and she has spent decades thinking about and reasoning out and testing her own political theory, which is at its core, the living embodiment of top down rule, traditionalist hierarchy. She didn't develop this theory herself. She inherited it from generations of men and women before her, all of who taught her, through example after reinforced example, the importance of maintaining proper order in this nation, and that order begins and ends in her own mouth. She believes, more sincerely than the most active religious zealot, in the principles of Absolutist Hereditary Monarchy. And a petition, concluded by a committee of well-meaning democrats who want modest reforms to that system could never possibly stand a chance against that sort of mindset."

The Chancellor was asked if she would have supported the petition if it was up to her, and she smiled. "Oh, I don't cross the Empress in these matters. I read the document. It was ten points. The reforms the Democrats sought were very modest, things like allowing multiple parties to compete in elections, allowing the Legislature to initiate legislation, giving the people the right to recall their representatives, and the simple initiative and referendum. Frankly I was surprised they did not seek to allow the National Assembly to overrule Imperial Fiat. These were all the most basic reforms a group could ask for. I can vouch for Her Imperial Majesty reading the petition. We had a lengthy discussion on each point. And at the end, she rejected the arguments of the democrats explicitly. As expected."

The Chancellor didn't feel it was a total loss. "Well, the law gives the people the right to petition for the redress of grievance. That right was protected and acknowledged. Her Imperial Majesty said something in the discussion which I feel was worth repeating here in this point: She said that asking an Empress to reduce her own power is inappropriate. She also said that a lot of these matters can be handled both in the free cities, and within the National Assembly. The Deputies may freely determine whether they want to allow initiative and referendum, but those two powers don't actually mean much, as laws that are passed come from Her Imperial Majesty's fiat--If she commands it, we do it. We don't have power to reject the fiat of the Empress, so why would the people in a referendum? And in an initiative, that doesn't quite mean much without the power in the Assembly to initiate legislation, which we do not have. So either the Democrats have either deliberately or accidentally cut themselves off from actually enacting a lot of these things, or they haven't entirely reasoned out what it is they are looking for from this petition. At any rate, no legislator will ever vote to constrain Her Imperial Majesty in this nation. So if we had to make laws based on this petition, it would be impossible to obtain a majority, let alone passage."

In short, the petition was dead before it ever arrived to the Chancellor's office. "Basically, we have spent centuries making the Kalistani political system as resistant to democratic pressures and reform pressures as possible. We have no method of independently toward democracy, and the Empress will not ever consent to reforms that limit her power in any way in this nation. Other states may call Kalistan any number of adjectives for it, but within the nation, the only voice that matters on the subject, now and for all time, is the Empress' voice. And she believes democracy to be fundamentally flawed as a political governing structure. She has no interest in changing anything, and she is in fact, training her son about the importance of absolutist, autocratic rule as we speak. His mind on the question of democracy will be as encased in cement of reaction as hers is, as her fathers' was, her Grandmother's, her Great Grandfathers, and etc. If you are looking for democracy in Kalistan, you can find plenty of it in the nonpartisan elections in the Free Cities. Beyond that, it does not now, and will never exist, if current opinion on the topic holds in the Royal Family."

The Chancellor said she appreciated the willingness of the people of Kalistan to take the chance to try to see if the petition would be acceptable. "They were brave and they were honest about their convictions, and Her Imperial Majesty, and myself both agreed that those traits were admirable in the people. But, perhaps Her Imperial Majesty is correct that they correct vehicle for potential democratic reforms is through the Free City Governments: those are far more responsive to the demands of their people, because they are directly elected, and the Lord or Lady Mayors are a bit more restricted in their power over the City Councils. The National Assembly simply doesn't have the freedom to run contrary to Her Imperial Majesty's fiat. It just is not something we do in Kalistan."

The Chancellor thanked the reporters for their questions, and gave one small update. "We have received His Highness King Victor of Gaduridos' message, and have dispatched a team from Her Imperial Majesty's Foreign Ministry, including Lady Marisol Paz Alvarez-Navarro, who is acting as the official representative of Her Imperial Majesty, to Ciudad de Gaduri, to work with their counterparts on the Gaduri side to plan a visit for the King. I would like to reiterate that Her Imperial Majesty welcomes the King to visit her here in Kalistan so they can determine what issues our two nations need to work out, and what order of priority those matters have. Her Imperial Majesty would like to discuss Altea with Gaduridos, while it is fully expected Bentasur will be on the agenda as well. I do not want to poison the discussion on the matter, so I will simply say that is for the Principles to work out between themselves. I am merely saying that we are moving ahead with joint planning for a visit, to ensure the King feels safe and welcomed here in Kalistan."

The Chancellor then returned to work, while reporters passed their remaining questions to her phalanx of interns who recorded the questions for the Chancellor to answer for the record.

@TheRepublic

[Doc]

Dah Surf Company to Sponsor Luxon Invitational
Announcement is accompanied by Stunning Commercial
Luxon, Grand Duchy of Ananto
April 8, 5720


Dah Surf Co. announced their Sponsorship of Lewis after he had a record setting run on the Swell earlier this month

Dah Surf Company, who leads the world's market in surfboards, wetsuits and beachwear, announced its sponsorship of Gendaris based surfer Mike Lewis. Lewis set the World Record this year for highest wave surfed. On April 3rd, with a major early season storm raging south of the Strait, Lewis and a tow crew were dropped into the Anantonese Ocean about 50 miles off the southwest tip of Ananto at a spot known a Crusher Bank, which are the remains of long eroded and extinct supervolcano. The Bank is known for a rapid rise in the ocean floor and then another drop, which often creates problems for ships who stray too close to the bank. And few surfers surf out that far because they cannot afford the crew necessary to get them out there.

But Lewis, a well known big wave and ocean surfer from Gendaris in Odufaray had his mind set. He assembled his crew, which consisted of a full yacht crew along with jetskis, and set sail for the Bank on March 30th. The waves began rolling through from the storm late on April 1st, and on April 2nd, Lewis and his crew began doing what is called tow-surfing, where the surfer graps ahold of a rope, very similar to those used in water skiing, and the water craft, in this case, a jetski, tows them through the trough and up the backside of a massive ocean wave. As soon as they hit the crest, the surfer left go of the rope and drops down the wave face.

"When you're that far out into the Ocean," said Lewis, "paddling up the front of a wave, as we do closer into the shore, is not really an option. You will get tired too fast and some of those swells are like a mountain of water. You almost have to already be up there when it starts cresting, because otherwise you're gonna get smoked and you'll never even get to stand on your board. Tow Surfing takes a lot of the work out of paddling, and more or less pulls you up to a cliff face, in the water, of course, and then you just carve your way down it, relying on your speed from the jetski and after that just sheer slope and gravity. It's a stunt really: Many don't consider it actual surfing--I don't even consider it real surfing. But the spectacle is simply astounding, and so we do it. And you can still definitely get killed if something goes wrong."

On April 2nd, the waves were still pretty dangerous, because the storm was at its height. The crew were not in any danger, but the wave forms were unpredictable and there were a lot of cross currents. After surfing for a few hours, and not finding anything satisfactory. "On Saturday, there were a lot of these triangle waves and the sea was really moving pretty fast, which were super dangerous. We were more worried about Brian, (the Jetski operator) getting into a situation that he would have trouble getting out of than anything else. Plus the helo was not out there, so after like two hours, we called it for the day and went back to the ship to sit tight off the bank for the evening."

But on Sunday, April 3rd, the Swell forecast dramatically improved. So at about 6:30am, the call was made to the helicopter to come out and film a few of of Lewis' runs. "We had wave predictions of between 50 and 55 feet, which you will only get that far out to sea," said Lewis. "When the whole sea runs up to that bank, it just pushes it straight up in the air, and the storm had moved off in such a way where the whole energy was firing directly at Ananto, so the team made the call: this was the day." Lewis said he went out as soon as the helicopter arrived on site.

"The first two runs were really screwy," said Lewis. "I couldn't make it to the top on the first one before it started breaking, and that's dangerous because you think you have 60 feet of water under you and really, you just have 60 feet of air, and just no, we had to pull off it. The second, the wave was coming in from like three sides, and it didn't work." Lewis and his team sat out the next two waves, but was just about to call off the shoot when the helo pilot flew up a ways to give a report, and radioed back to say the next set were going to be perfect.

"Jon, the helo pilot said they were long and straight, and they looked real good from the air, so we decided this was our shot," said Lewis. He let the first one roll by, and then set up for the second one. "Oh man, that wave just started building as it rolled up on the bank," he said recounting it. "It just kept growing and picking up speed, and we were almost racing to get up the backside of it. Brian kept looking back like 'want me to bail or what?' and I was like no, gun it, so we went up to the top and as soon as I got up there and went over the crest of it, and looked down, and saw just nothing but a nearly sheer face that was really quickly becoming vertical. And so I just went for it, and it was a LOOOOOONG way down."

The long way down was actually a 66 foot vertical drop. Lewis had to fight to slow himself down about half way down the wave so he didn't lose control of his surfboard. "At one point I had to reach down and let my hand drag a bit to slow down a little and turn out a little, because I was going so fast down that face, I was just praying the whole time I would stay with the water rather than it going to a negative slope on me and then I'd be flying. But I was able to make my turn and start actually carving rather than more or less surfing straight down, and then it was just nuts."

Lewis was clocked at travelling at 41 miles per hour at his top speed. "They told me it was like 40 miles an hour. If I would have lost it, it would be an equivalent to a car wreck. I wouldn't be walking away from that..." As the tube closed over the top of him, Lewis was engulfed in massive plumes of oceanspray which obscured his vision. "I love salt water because it doesn't really hurt your eyes. But you still are blind in there, and you just gotta trust gravity and your training, and follow the light, man." He emerged the first time and extended his run for another 35 seconds until he had slowed enough that the sea caught up with him and grabbed him in the wash as the wave he rode broke.

"Oh wow it was amazing," said Lewis. "Once you are done with a wave, you gotta kind of sit out there in the wash, and get hit with more wash, and just sit on your surf board and just be with the ocean until your ride can get out there. The Anantonese Ocean is warm out at the Crusher Bank, but its still pretty early in the season, and the really warm stuff hasn't quite won yet, so you kind of get a little numb, which is competing inside with the adreneline you feel from the ride itself. It's an amazing and very strange feeling." When he was picked up, the helo had to return to Luxon, and Mike and the crew decided to also call it. "It was the perfect wave, and I didn't want to test my luck trying to top this one."

Back in Luxon, the tape of the ride, shot from the helicopter as well as the yacht off the bank was verified in Luxon and it was determined that Lewis had beaten the previous record for Largest Wave surfed by more than two feet. "They did math and everything on the tapes and determined that the wave was 66 feet, 4 inches tall when I dropped in. That beat the previous world record, held by Luca Donte from 5640, by two feet 6 inches. I was so like humbled and grateful and just so overwhelmed that I had had such an awesome day out there."

Later that evening, Lewis also got a call from Dah Surf Co who said they intended to sponsor the Swell Invitational this summer, and wanted to put me on their team. "I was at first like no, I'm not a competitor. I'm a stunt guy. I surf big waves, and that's mostly it. But they said I was what every competitive surfer hoped they would become when their days at competition was over. They told me to name my price, and I said I would rep their products if they paid my crew. I don't really need the money myself: I do it for the thrill. But my crew does need to eat, and I thought if Dah just sponsors me and pays me enough to pay all of them, well that opens some more doors for us to go to new places and try more huge things. They're adrenaline junkies as well, so this is the opportunity for all of us to have a real awesome couple of years."

Dah agreed, and announced the sponsorship with a new ad campaign, with the first wall sized posters that feature a photograph of Lewis on his record shattering run, as well as a new 3 minute long commercial for Dah that plays Lewis' footage over the classic Surf Noise track from early 5500s band Hypoderma called "Deep Swell." It's only the first part of the track, but it is essentially a short documentary film footage shot by the helicopter crew on early April 3rd that includes the full run itself. Lewis approved of the use of the music. "Perfect soundtrack to that footage," said Lewis.

Mike Lewis said he will not be surfing in the Invitational this August, but has been asked to serve as a guest judge, representing Dah on the panel. "I said sure. We already have a trip scheduled for Xsampa in July, but if I'm not dead, I'll be back in Luxon to judge the competition. What an amazing honor!" Lewis, who is 39 years old said that this year will likely be his last year of surfing. "Yeah, I have a couple kids, now, and would love to see them grow up. Plus, this kind of stuff wears a body out too." Lewis will continue surfing, but less in the future. "Going to Dana all the time to really hit the last good waves on the Southern Kali shore takes a lot of time, but I am not willing to move out of Gendaris, so I'll keep surfing, but just less."

Meanwhile, you can watch Mike Lewis, current World Surfing Record Holder, surf the record setting wave out at Crusher Bank. The is the Luxon Swell at its most amazing, and Lewis now sits in a class all by himself in both Kalistani and International Surfing. Congratulations to Mike Lewis on his world record and his new Sponsorship.

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUQ9PDu_lUA]
Mike Lewis, of Gendaris, sets the verified World Record for largest wave surfed in this cinematic footage which Dah Surf Co. has turned into a music video/commercial

@LaModa

[Doc]

Sir Thomas Harney announces Retirement
Departure of Veteran Foreign Minister "end of an Era"
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
July 6, 5720


FM Sir Thomas Harney, seen here with Dame Quella Jones being interviewed at his retirement party following his announcement

"I'm needed at home," said Sir Thomas Harney, Her Imperial Majesty's Foreign Minister as he announced that he was finally leaving his post after three and a half decades. "Obviously, my wife is utterly helpless without me and has asked that I tender my resignation. So as of Friday, I will be stepping down from my post at the Foreign Ministry and bidding public service adieu." (Dame Jones, 24 years Sir Harney's junior, later corrected the record, stating that Sir Harney was merely attempting to keep up appearances and had recently been diagnosed with hypertension and arrhythmia, and was ordered by his doctor to retire, an order Her Imperial Majesty had concurred with. Dame Jones added that she was currently taking classes in heart healthy nutrition to help Sir Harney live a healthy, long life. -ed.)

The Foreign Minister, who has been largely absent in Kalistani affairs over the last few years is said to be one of the last of the old batch who were promoted during the Regency. Harney has long been a very close ally of Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto, sharing many of her perspectives about international relations. In addition, though Harney was not well liked by former Chancellor Lady Erika Donahue for his moderate views and his personal eccentricities, he was kept in his office by Her Imperial Majesty who wanted him to remain her foreign minister. His schedule has slowed down since the mid 00's, which allowed him time to get married and enjoy some of his home life.

"It's my wife, see," he continued to insist in his comments. "She keeps me up all night--how can anyone sleep when she's laying next to a person? She wants me to do yoga with her. Can you believe that? Every day, and I tried it but I think my joints are too stiff to do much more than watch her. If I lived like this insane woman lives, I'd be jumping out of planes and mountain climbing and all sorts of wild extremist things. But yeah, I humor her. I'll try her ridiculous lean chicken diet if she insists. Bye bye mint lamb chops. Bye bye barbecue gyros. Bye bye all the pleasures in this life. Hello boredom--It's chicken rice and broccoli for me for now on. Look at me! Do you think I can afford to lose weight?" Thankfully, the Minister did not appear to offend Dame Jones, who was standing next to him on stage as he announced his retirement.

"We're soul mates. I don't know what he has to complain about," she said with a laugh later when asked if she looked forward to the Minister's retirement. "And no, its not chicken and rice. I have this whole meal plan made up. Tonight we're having lemon chicken orzo with vine ripened tomatoes. And, before he says anything, orzo is not rice. It's pasta. I just want him to be alive when I'm his age. So he's gonna get healthy."

There is no word on who will replace the Foreign Minister at his position, but there was a lot of speculation in the futures market. Today, in the Observers Market, contracts on a hardline conservative replacement for the Foreign Minister were selling for 72 cents. "At the end of an era, there is a lot of guess work," said Gregory Lefton, of the Sulari Bookmakers' Association. "But one thing is fairly sure, Her Imperial Majesty was really the only ally Harney had left because he was far more internationally minded than the rest of the Government, and it is very likely that the Nationalists will press the Empress hard for a more Nationalist Foreign Minister to replace Sir Harney." The money seemed to agree, as the contract was up three cents over yesterday's close.

Harney is the most recent departure from Her Imperial Majesty's government. "Her Ministers are super old," said Government columnist Jackie White, of the Republic. "Most of them have long passed retirement age, and it is time for some new blood. Her Imperial Majesty is not of the same mind as when she started her reign--she's moved to the right noticeably during her tenure, and will probably want people who more closely reflect her views. She still has at least 10 years left in her Reign before she is prepared to retire, so replacing them now would make sense so the Minor Crown Prince can decide what he wants to do when he enters office."

The Foreign Minister was preceded by the former defense minister, who was retired under questionable circumstances which is not fully understood, and the recently retired minister of Infrastructure and transportation, Mr. Michael Johnson, the only openly socialist member of the Government, who retired last spring and handed his work off to an interim Minister. Sir Harney will remain in Kaliburg with his wife, and is long expected to remain a fixture in Kaliburg society, where he and Dame Quella Jones are favorites of many, including Her Imperial Majesty. Despite her personal affection for the now former Foreign Minister, if and when Her Imperial Majesty selects his replacement, it will likely be a change in direction from his tenure in office. Sir Harney doesn't seem concerned. "That's someone else's job now. My new job, apparently, is to make my wife happy in as many ways as I can possibly imagine. I hope she appreciates that, even if I have to suffer from her ultra healthy cooking."

@TheRepublic

[Doc]

Miguel Ontiveros named new Foreign Minister
Dark Horse Nationalists is supported by Chancellor
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
August 15, 5720


FP scholar and longtime Ministry Consultant Miguel Ontiveros names to replace Sir Thomas Harney at ForMin

Her Imperial Majesty has accepted the nomination of political insider and longshot candidate Miguel Ontiveros to become her next Foreign Minister. Ontiveros, 34, is a descendant of the 56th century Chancellor Dame Lindsay Ontiveros-Maxwel, who served during the reign of Emperor Fredrick II Ananto, and who was nearly killed with the Emperor when assassins attacked the car they drove in in 5558, and his family has long been associated with Institutional Party politics. Ontiveros' nomination was supported by Chancellor of the Empire Melanie Alvarez-McLinn, but he was generally believed to not have the required experience in the Foreign Ministry to make a serious candidate.

"Mr. Ontiveros is a foreign policy consultant," said Brad van Eck, who writes for The Kalistani Republic. "His experience is in giving advice, rather than setting policy, and so it is a bit of a strange, and rather unexpected pick on Her Imperial Majesty's part. But judging from the individuals she had to choose from, it is possible that she selected Mr. Ontiveros to make more of a statement than to pick a person who would act independently. Sir Harney was a very loyal servant of the Empress, even if he was a bit on the eccentric side, and made up for his wildness with his charisma, which seemed to allow him to get things done. It is possible that Her Imperial Majesty wants someone who will still get things done but approaches the work from a theoretical perspective."

Others have a different take on the matter. "From what we are reporting," said Janice Gunn, of the Kaliburg local The Capitol Gazette, "Lady Alvarez presented Mr. Ontiveros as a ultimatum. In much the same way that nationalists flexed to get Lady Alvarez selected as Chancellor, they brought the same pressure to get Ontiveros named to Foreign Minister. He is a staunch nationalist, which is a real pivot from Sir Harney's well known moderate, pragmatic stance. He doesn't have experience in the Ministry, but he is a well known ally of Lady Alvarez and regularly consults for her during deliberations over Kalistani foreign policy. His stated policies tend to follow the Alvarez line on nearly all things. The selection of Ontiveros at Foreign Ministry feels like it was a bit forced."

Ontiveros is on the record as supporting more import substitution and Peso supremacy in international exchange. "Kalistani goods, including our currency, should set the standard abroad," Ontiveros wrote in 5718. "There is no reason that the most stable, least volatile currency on the globe should not be the standard that other currencies are measured. Our currency does not move. It is kept within a very small window of fluctuation to ensure that inflation is tamped down to essentially nothing while maintaining supply and a good cost of living for our 97 million people. We are smart enough to not let market forces set the value of our currency, either locally or internationally. And so why is it that we are not already the single universally convertible currency? We would hope this is something that would be something that Her Imperial Majesty would look into because it would ensure that we have regularity in our trade, and it would encourage more import substitution than we currently do."

Ontiveros also supports a more robust and forward leaning National Defense. In 5719, he spoke at the Nationalist Club's meeting in Port Swedes, where he said, "Diplomacy sure, but diplomacy only goes so far. Talking only goes so far, especially if we can't always trust what others say to us. Our Empress, of all people, must bite her tongue when others run our nation down, because she is concerned about alienating allies. But being an ally, or a friend doesn't give anyone the right to speak poorly of Kalistan in the press or at their meetings. Those words we all want to use have to be backed up by credibility and for this world's fetishization of liberalism, that credibility still comes in the form of force, or threat of force. Kalistan has unfortunately been on a retrenchment kick in the last few decades, and it perhaps time to snap our system out of that funk." He advocates recapture of Athosia and reincorporating the Crown Lands back into the Empire.

"Alvarez and Ontiveros are cut from the same cloth," said Gunn. "But, they do provide an interesting foil for Her Imperial Majesty, who can now play good cop to their bad cop. The Empress is able to go into any discussion internationally and play the moderate, reasonable one, representing her offer as better than whatever the frothing nationalists will offer if she leaves. Bringing such an outspoken, and quite frankly, lesser qualified Foreign Minister onboard may allow her, indirectly, to get to the place that she wants to be at in Kalistan's foreign policy by being the clearly better alternative for other nations, and it also could allow her to see more of her preferences in foreign policy, because she's no longer presenting the most extreme position, but the more centrist one compared to Ontiveros. This may be a really bad bet on her part, but if it pays off, she will be given a whole range of new options internationally that she could not have while her position was represented by Harney."

Van Eck was a little more bearish on the new Foreign Minister. "Her Imperial Majesty's Foreign Minister is her primary representative to other nations. One does not want a loose cannon, shoot from the hip sorta of fellow in that office. Sir Harney was well liked by international leaders, and he could get meetings with the right people in time. If Ontiveros goes overseas and starts talking convertibility and Athosia, people are going to tune him out right away. He may be a good consultant, but theory only takes one so far. The rest involves reading the room to determine where people are at on these ideas before they are ever uttered. It's not clear that Mr. Ontiveros possesses these skills. So we will have to wait and see how he does."

The Chancellor of the Empire celebrated the selection. "Her Imperial Majesty has shown wisdom and foresight, not to mention a serious commitment to the National Interests of Kalistan with the selection of Mr. Ontiveros," she said in Kaliburg over the weekend. "The other candidates were wrong for a number of reasons. And the only thing that people here can throw against Mr. Ontiveros is that he hasn't worked for the Foreign Ministry prior to being nominated. That's pretty thin gruel if you ask me. Mr. Ontiveros brings policy advocacy experience as well as the correct international orientation to the office, and this is something that Kalistan is in desperate need of."

Reaction to Ontiveros' nomination was mixed across the Empire, with some strongly supporting him, while others think he will shift Kalistan off its moorings and promote policies which are antithetical to Kalistan. Whatever happens, he is now Foreign Minister and others will learn how to interact with him the same as they have with previous foreign ministers.

@TheRepublic

[Doc]

Ontiveros discusses Economic Nationalism
"Crushing Petroleum Demand, Monetary Supremacy is National Priority" says Foreign Minister
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
February 15. 5721


FM Miguel Ontiveros describes sustainable energy as a Strategic Objective

Last week Her Imperial Majesty's Foreign Minister Miguel Ontiveros delivered the keynote speech to the annual Meeting of the Kalistani Foreign Policy Association in Kaliburg. He provided an update on Kalistan's foreign relations with the nations of Terra, and then dropped two major policy statements: Kalistan's informal policy of undermining the global price of oil by doing what it can to replace demand abroad is firming into a national strategic effort and Kalistan is focusing on monetary supremacy.

"Beginning with the failed bid to close the Rossfada Oil fields in New Englia to exploitation," said Foreign Minister Ontiveros, "it has been a growing priority of Her Imperial Majesty to undermine demand for global petroleum stocks with the aim of making oil exploitation, especially of the more expensive, dirtier and harder to acquire reserves not profitable. The ultimate goal is to reduce carbon emissions and environmental destruction perpetrated by the cynical nations of the world who put profits ahead of health and well being, but far too often the strategies for combatting global climate destruction are passive and rely on naming and shaming. But the Empress asks: If a nation has no qualms about pulling fossil fuels out of the ground to burn for profit, what makes anyone think those same nations will respond to moral arguments opposed to their reckless, shortsighted, and self-centered behavior? She feels a more appropriate, and effective tactic is to hit them in the pocket book, to make their existing operations less profitable by reducing demand internationally for Oil, making it hard for nations to continue to exploit oil. Hopefully they will stop."

The Foreign Minister outlined a number of tactical efforts Kalistan will begin engaging in in the coming years to make oil less attractive to consumers. "Besides support for the Green Terra Initiative, which aims to promote green, renewable and sustainable energy production across Terra, Her Imperial Majesty wants to make a serious investment into Kalistan's own technological industries that supply necessary components for Green Energy generations. This includes photovoltaics, wind turbines, and both hydroelectric and hydrothermal generation. Kalistan has the capacity to greatly scale our industrial output of these necessary components to allow others, both in small and large scale projects, to begin generating electricity on a large basis, perhaps a national basis, to ideally completely replace their fossil fuel and coal based power generation systems with sustainable, renewable and ecologically friendly infrastructure."

The Foreign Minister said new subsidies in the Kalistani markets would be paired with incentives for other nations to acquire the Kalistani technology. "For those who wish to make the shift, these would include purchasing the items from Kalistani companies at lower than market rate. These can conceivably also be paired with Kalistani backed trade credits which would make it easier still for interested nations to acquire this technology." The Foreign Minister responded to claims that this equates to dumping, which some liberals consider an act of economic warfare, answering, "Oil companies dump millions of tons of pollutants into our air each year. So perhaps we are already at war, and its time our side just joined the battle."

The goal, said the Foreign Minister, is to ultimately improve the ancillary renewable market as well. "We would also like to include subsidies for electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as infrastructure to support a new electric vehicle fleet. Kalistan currently leads the world in EV production, but the limiting factor is that in many countries there is only infrastructure to support a gas or diesel powered fleet. We will put through an initiative that for every EV shop that agrees to sell Kalistani EVs, the National Government will fund recharging stations enough to support annual sales. We don't have much else to spend our national surplus on, we may as well do some good with it." Much of that money will come back through vehicle sales, said the Foreign Minister.

Additionally, the Foreign Minister discussed monetary supremacy. "The Kalistani Imperial Peso is one of the most stable currencies in the world. It is based on hardline inflationary control policies, as well, as protections against capital flight. It has maintained its value within a small range of fluctuation for decades, and is largely immune to international financial and monetary shocks that plague currencies of other nations. It should have the confidence of gold when it comes to an investment item. The difficulty in expanding its convertibility lies in the Peso's capital immobility. So Her Imperial Majesty wishes to take steps to reduce this."

The Foreign Minister said that in June of this year, the Imperial Bank, who maintains Kalistan's currency, has authorized the ForIn Bank to will issue International Pesos which shall be made available to international investors. "The International Pesos will be pegged to the Imperial peso deposits in the ForIn, and will be essentially certificates of deposit which will appreciate over time based on investments of the bank in the Kalistani economy. These will be low risk, low reward options for investors who want to protect their wealth against inflation in their own nation. As opposed to gold, the value of which is based on the buying and selling of the market, the Imperial Peso is based on careful controls. Creating International Pesos to be pegged to the Imperial will allow the capital to exist outside of the Imperial System, available on demand through the ForIn Bank and a method for investors to hedge against other currencies. Ideally this should improve desirability of the Peso abroad, especially for institutional investors, and serve as a based for increasing convertibility without opening the Imperial up to speculative forces that allow manipulation of our currency by outside actors."

The focus on currency supremacy and the essential declaration of economic warfare on oil producers globally represent the first main efforts of the hardlined new Nationalist Government, and represent a major step forward for Kalistan in the International economic arena. Bills to promote these two policies will be forwarded through the National Assembly this spring and have Imperial support. "Ultimately, Kalistan would like to serve as an example for nationalist states who want to protect their country's economies from the corrosive forces of international neoliberalism. If Kalistan can accomplish this with a mixed economy, any nation can. So we're going to show that its possible."

@TheRepublic

[Doc]

Minor Crown Prince plans to tour friendly nations
17 Year old Royal will gain his "First Introduction to the People of Terra"
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
May 3, 5721


His Highness, the Minor Crown Prince with Miss Julia O'Connor-Milton at the 5721 Spring Social in Kaliburg

His Highness, the Minor Crown Prince William-Malcolm Isaac Ananto-Rosenfeld is planning a world tour for this summer. He has completed his junior year and wishes to visit nations across the world to get to know the people of the planet. "It is His Highness, the Minor Crown Prince's intention to take a trip around the world this summer," said Lady Christina Ananto-McKinley, head of House Ananto. "He will travel with a number of travelling companions and shall obtain his first introduction to the nature and character of the people of Terra."

House Ananto said that the solo trip was approved for the Minor Crown Prince by Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto and His Highness, the Prince Consort Elliot Rosenfeld. "Of course, His Highness, the Minor Crown Prince will have a full security detail which will stick with him throughout the entire journey," said Lady Christina Ananto-McKinley. "And the itinerary will be set up so he will only visit countries that are not hostile to Kalistan, but will welcome him. He may want to visit those places, but Her Imperial Majesty has fiated that there is no reason to put him in any unnecessary danger by letting him go to nations where the people simply do not possess the innate capability to behave civilly or maturely toward Kalsitani nationals."

The itinerary for the trip, nor the complement of the Minor Crown Prince's travelling companions have been made public, but it is assumed that His Highness will at least visit Hutori, Valruzia and Xsampa, where years of long standing positive interactions back and forth have made these places popular destination for Kalistani tourism. "His Highness will certainly visit his uncle and aunt, His Majesty, King William and Queen Diane of Hutori and will stay with them for some time. It is likely that he will also tour Egelion to formally introduce himself to Emperor L. Alexander Montelivet, with whom His Highness will likely interact with once he formally takes the throne on his own."

The Crown Prince has been studying Kalistani history in school and has expressed interest in studying it further when he completes his national service. "His Highness, the Minor Crown Prince has one year left in his secondary education, but he has expressed his desire to enlist into the Regular Military for his national Service," said Lady Ananto-McKinley. "His Highness has observed exercises with the Militia during his High School years, is fascinated by indirect fire. At 18, His Highness would not be eligible to be an officer in the Regular Force, so he may either opt to study at University and obtain a degree first, or he may serve as an enlisted member. Either way, His Highness is sure that he wants to join the military to fulfill his National Service commitment. The Empress is supportive of the Crown Prince's decision."

Lady Christina Ananto-McKinley said the Minor Crown Prince's world tour is expected to begin in June of this year, and he will need to return to Kaliburg by mid-August at the latest so he may begin his final year in public school.

@TheRepublic