Kalistani Major History

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Foreign Minister Backhands Lourenne over Talks
Calls Carnilaise state "expansionist" and "aggressive"
Kaliburg Ananto District
July 1, 4407


Foreign Minister Williams appears on Ananto Tonight to discuss Lourenne dustup

Appearing with journalist Delores Furstenburg, Foreign Minister Orenthal Williams responded to recent comments from the Foreign Minister of Lourenne.  Below is a segment of the interview, where the Foreign Minister explained Kalistan's position, and backhands Lourenne in high diplomatic fashion:

D(elores) F(urstenburg):  It's become clear that the Governments of Kalistan and Lourenne are moving towards a showdown in the Anantonese Ocean.  Is the new Socialist Majority ready for this international conflict so early in the administration?

(Foreign Minister) O(renthal) W(illiams):  Well, ready how?  I mean, is there ever a time for international conflicts?

DF:  I mean, does the Socialist Government think that Kalistan is ready?  Afterall, the Premier has launched an incredibly ambitious first year agenda.  Nationalization of nearly half of the economy, rebuilding navy ports and capital ships...  How is there time to tweak the nose of a powerful and aggressive neighbor?

OW:  There, Comrade, you said it.  Lourenne is a 'powerful and aggressive neighbor.'  They are buying stealth cruisers with the capability of firing rockets on our capital from international waters.  They say they intend to KEEP buying them, and they just concluded a deal with several of their own tech companies, including a secret tech firm who nobody knows anything about, to build and outfit MORE dangerous weapons.  Who knows what they could be working on?

DF:  But Lourenne has claimed that their development of these weapons of war is purely peaceful. 

OW:  Well, I mean...  come on.... you tell me!  Peaceful?  Their stated aim is to continue to expand their armed forces as they like.  They have no interest in sitting down with us and talking about why this causes us problems.  The foreign minister claimed that was the plan but it was shut down by their President.  Perhaps talking to Kalistan would make them appear weak?  I don't know.  What I do know, however is that their expansion is driving our own expansion.

DF:  How's this?

OW:  We get some heat from the Brethren for building these weapons of war.  They claim it is not what they signed up for when they helped us re-form the Party.  They want peace and so forth.  But we are confronted by an aggressive and expansionist neighbor, backed by a hegemonic alliance, who has explicitly stated that their intent is to expand their power.  We are right next door to them, Delores.  Do you realize that?  They're right across the channel.  And they are developing advanced weaponry with help from a shadowy, unnamed tech consortium.  Where are they going to use it?  They say they want to expand.  Where are they going to expand to?  You tell me.

DF:  Comrade Minister, there have been no indications that their expansionist tendencies are aimed at Kalistan.  Don't you think this is a tad alarmist?

OW:  Look...  what this bellicosity from the Lourennaise adds up to is an arms race on the Anantonese Ocean.  We can't possibly be secure while they are altering the relative balance of power.  Our military was neglected for generations, understand, Delores.  Generations.  There have been some things that our military commanders have forgotten, which are basic war skills.  We have to relearn that.  We have to rebuild from the ground up.  And yet, they feel the need to launch a fully modern, and stealth, I might add, navy upon the waters just off our shores.  Now, I'll be the first to tell you, I have no problem with military weaponry.  But we reserve the right to respond to threats by foreign hegemonic alliances like the Northern Council with deterrence.  Kalistan is putting a navy out at sea now so that Lourenne will at least not be able to attack us with impunity.  If some itchy trigger finger 'lunatique' in Louenne decides to sneak attack us in the middle of the night, we will be ready to return some pain.

DF:  Given the long history of neutral relations between Kalistan and Lourenne, some would say your government is being a touch paranoid.

OW:  Some would say...  I'll tell you.  I have communiques from Lourenne that suggests that our paranoia is to some degree justified.  We've printed our full correspondence, and they have added an additional letter in their own Press on the matter.  The people can see for themselves whether our attempting to balance Lourenne's power on the sea is justified.  It's not like we are going to invade them.  In the nearly 2000 years of the Socialist Party's History, we have never sent regular military forces into another country.  It will remain that way.  But we have been invaded before. If your house is less than 300 years old, it was built upon the old foundations of a leveled capital city.  Some of us don't forget history, not so easily.  It would certainly help if the rest of us remembered this too.

DF:  If you could speak with the foreign minister of Lourenne, would you have any kind words to say, or would you adopt a more hawkish tone?

OW:  Oh, of course, kind words.  Yes.  I would say to the Foreign Minister that it is impressive that such a backwater country like Lourenne was able to acquire powerful friends who dumped modern weapons on it, and let it do their bidding in our neighborhood like a bon petit chien.  That was a master stroke of diplomacy not matched, to my understanding in the history of Lourenne to date.  So good work, and congratulations:  you've finally arrived, after all this time.  But as the Foreign Minister has outright refused to say any further words to Kalistan, except to give us advice on how to conduct our own security affairs in a way which benefits Lourenne's expansionist ambitions, we will never get the chance.  Instead we will have to meet them, power for power, and wish them luck.

DF:  ...eh... Moving on...

The interview veered onto other matters after this.