Kalistan

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OP ED: Kalistan got played
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
February 20, 5686


Propaganda from an unidentified source, but definitely not IBSI

Kalistan Got Played
by Jeanette Meloni

First of all, I want to be the first to welcome you to The National. Our aim is to provide perspective on Imperial Events from a nationalist angle. We are not claiming to be non-biased: In fact, a nationalist bias is what we were established to put forward. In issue 1 of The National, we want to present our first Op-Ed, written by our Editor in Chief, Jeanette Meloni. Ms. Meloni was an Institutionalist Deputy from 5674-5684, when she retired from Government and took a position as an associate editor at The Kalistani Republic. There, she realized that, due to the staunch fact-oriented reporting that newspaper excels at, she wasn't often able to represent a specifically nationalist viewpoint.

Last year, as the "Kizenian" "peace" "conference" was finishing up, she and a number of other conservative columnists decided that now was the time to finally launch a journal that promotes an independent viewpoint for the nation, that speaks from a specifically nationalist perspective, and offer advocacy for the kinds of positions conservatives and nationalists should be adopting in our nation. Not both-sidesism. We are specifically coming from a very particular location on the political spectrum that is unapologetically pro-Monarchist, pro-Kalistani, and pro-AE. We are people unwilling to make peace with Metzists and Communists, and will say so. And this journal will represent that viewpoint that is being left out of the mainstream press.

Welcome to The National

and: on to the Op Ed.

Before they died in the tragic and unforeseen plane crash late last year, Their Imperial Majesties, Emperor Fredrick IV Ananto and Empress Jennifer I Ananto were mid course correction. They had spent the first ten plus years trying to reach out to the world, and they got almost nowhere. During that period of time, those who saw themselves as our nation's rivals used that openness to build their own capacity against Kalistan. Egelion enjoyed a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity, largely at Kalistan's expense. They forcible occupied a naval base in a part of the world completely outside of their area, taking advantage of internal strife and conflict in the nation of Rildanor to opportunistically seize a part of the world they had literally no business in, for the expansion of their own empire. The presented the seizure as a fait accompli: What is anyone going to do about it?

Kalistan did nothing about it, because their Imperial Majesties, as wise and well meaning as they were, did not want to open a conflict aimed at containing the growing Egelian menace. They sought peace in the region. They thought Kalsitan and Egelion were friends and were equals. They were, in this sense, Pollyannas. This sunny cheery internationalist optimism was taken advantage of by other expansionistic nations like Istalia, who used the period to insert themselves into the Anantonese Region with their Trade empire, and Xsampa who took advantage of internal disunion in Amudim to carve out a niche enclave for themselves. All this bold faced imperialism was denied by its perveyors, and overlooked by the world. By everyone except Kalistan, who called it out when it happened, hoping to call attention to it.

When their Imperial Majesties abandoned internationalism, correctly a couple years ago, Kalistan finally found its backbone again. And the responses were mixed. Some nations who subscribe to the fairy tale of rules based global order, lost their minds. Other nations took it as an opportunity to attempt to repair relations with Kalistan that had long been seen as permanently broken, through bilateral treaties. Kalistan reconnected with places like Tel Bira/Amudim and Kundrati, had restored friendly ties to Valruzia, was making headway on comity with Luthori and could hope that there was a possibility of repairing bridges with Mordusia. Kalistan had more success when they took off those stupid rose colored teashades of internationalism, and actually began working toward doing the work and making the calls we needed to to meet our new friends on the grounds of mutually shared national interests.

One such housecall Kalistan was making led ultimately to the greatest tragedy our nation has experienced for decades. To be clear. Nobody is saying Kundrati had anything to do with the plane crash that very nearly caused the Ananto line to go completely extinct. (Some people are whispering about a cursed gem, but we'll leave the science fiction for others.) Their Imperial Majesties were flying to our ancient nemeses, Kundrati, to finally and formally, and credibly declare peace in the century long hot/cold/hot war with that Artanian Nation. An achievement that has eluded three previous monarchs. And to all accounts, they represented their Empire admirably.

But at the same time, Kalistan was being told, in no uncertain terms, by the Kingdom of Egelion, where, at least according to that same Kingdom, Kalistan stood in its thoughts. Yes, insulting. Yes, condescending. Yes, petty. No, not productive. No, not friendly. No, not equalizing. The whole peace process was fraught: in fact, the whole Kizenian war was fraught, because as we consider it from our very clear eyes here on the Right of our nation's political discussion, the entire storyline in Kizenia begins to look more and more like a false flag event to promote Egelion into Kizenia rather than a legitimate effort to liberate a people from tyranny. The Provisional government is not set yet, but it is clear that Egelion will annex lands based on a far more flimsy historical claim than Kalistan's own claim to Athosia. And it is also clear that Egelion intends to put its own house forward as a claimant to a restored throne, if there is to be one.

Kalistan will not contest that. We should. But we will not. Even before the loss of Their Imperial Majesties, Kalistan has no historical claims in what is now known as Kizenia-New Endralon. Our regional claims are all in southern Dolgava, which is why the city of Luncasi, which borders Kalistan's crownlands, was so important to the Empire during that conflict. But now that our Empress is still a minor and cannot even announce her fiat legally, opposition to Egelion's advancement in the region no longer exists in any meaningful fashion. We simply do not have the political capital to do it effectively, and doing it ineffectively would be an absolute disaster. It is also clear that Egelion's neighbors intend to assist, rather than resist Egelian advancement: Trigunia revealed itself to be a sycophant during the conference, and Kizenia is far too disorganized to mount any serious resistence at this time, nor will it be reorganized until Egelion reorganizes it, under the Montilivet Dynasty, which may or may not actually be a legitimate claimant to that throne.

Kalistan got played in the peace negotiations by an aggressive and absolutely obstinate Egelion, who would not take yes for an answer, and only included language to its erstwhile partners after staunch protest both on and off the floor of the meeting. Egelion is convinced that they are more than a match for Kalistan, and were arguing their point from what they view to be a position of strength. It's not clear who would triumph in a battle between Kalistan or Egelion. Egelion very well may win, but at what cost to their people? And for what? Because the people of our Nation would rather die on their feet than live on their knees. Any Egelian victory would be pyrric at best, but more likely, it would be an extremely long grind that would destroy both nations as certainly as nuclear arsenals would, and if that's the victory Egelion thinks it wants, it has wisely opted to choose peace and offered Kalistan two minor concessions in the language of the treaty alone. There is no indication that any of those provisions will be in place in practice.

No matter though. Because Kalistan is now in no position to oppose or push any of it anyway. Our Regent is in office now, and bless her for reluctantly stepping into the role, because someone needed to, but she is certainly far more fit in terms of training, and preparation and intent, we think we can say, for her title of Surf Queen than she is for the role of Empress, and all that goes with that. She has lived nearly 40 years and with the exception of her time in the National Service, has more or less lived the life of someone who has had no responsibilities and has face no difficulties in her life. We bless her for that and love that for her, but now she is sadly and tragically thrust into a role for which she has no training, and has shown no aptitude, and the job cannot be on the job training. We love the Regent, and acknowledge her as our acting sovereign until the Empress In Waiting can achieve her majority, but we, as nationalists fear for the advantage that opportunistic nations like Egellion will take of Kalistan in the meanwhile.

If we may say, what Kalistan needs to do is to continue building those bilateral relations that Their Imperial Majesties started before their untimely death. We have excellent starts with Kundrati and Tel Bira, and Valruzia has shown its true colors by being the only nation in Terra to even acknowledge the loss of our Monarchs to date, and offering us assistance in helping to find them. They show themselves to be true friends of Kalistan, despite some of our Chancellor's more, shall we say, rambunctious remarks, and we encourage that link to be strengthened as much as humanly possible. Luthori is another possible friendship that we should be pursuing: it can yield great benefits in the long run to build these bridges, so that when Egelion finally does throw Kalistan under their steamroller, at least we will have friends willing to help pull us out.

@TheNational