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Il Ducato, the number one news source from the Grand Duchy of Potenza, now has international availability. Look for coming updates in the following days.
Il Ducato | News from Potenza | Who Sunk the Nembo?
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Il Ducato, the number one news source from the Grand Duchy of Potenza, now has international availability. Look for coming updates in the following days.
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Parliament Dissolved - Elections Forthcoming
Duke Eldizio I announced earlier today that he was dissolving parliament in the wake of the growing economic scandal enveloping the Chamber of Ministers. Sometime after the economic acts passed by Prime Minister Guliano Amato's L'Ulivo Coalition, what many had seen as a thriving economy took a turn for the worst. The nation's GDP decreased and the unemployment rate shot up from 12% to almost 17% in just several months. Many analysts had blamed the acts passed by the L'Ulivo Coalition, which had sought to control the influences of larger businesses into smaller, local markets, as well as government functions. This is currently the greatest decrease seen in the markets in decades.
Prime Minister Amato said in a press release that it was an unfortunate decision, but he welcomes the duke's concern for the country's state of affairs. Amato does not intend to step down as party leader of the L'Ulivo Coalition. He has been saying for the past few weeks that the parliamentary acts are not to blame for the economy's turn of affairs, but the state of Europe itself. Attempts made by Amato's party to reverse the economic turn have been credited by some to have stalled the downturn. However, the economy remains in a stagnant state.
The current Chamber of Ministers will remain active until elections have taken place.
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Great Engellex
Established Nation
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The Right Honourable The Secretary of State has received the Command of her Imperial and Royal Engellexic Majesty The Queen-Empress to make known the following gracious Statement of her Imperial and Royal Engellexic Majesty to the Grand Duke, and their Lordships of Potenza.
An Extension of The Queen-Empress' Statement in Council.
TO THE GRAND DUKE, AND THEIR LORDSHIPS OF POTENZA
I am instructed to EXPRESS on behalf of her Imperial and Royal Engellexic Majesty;
As discussed with his Excellency the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Potenza, her Majesty is concerned greatly with the economic and especially employment situation within Potenza. It had been suggested by his Excellency that Great Engellex may influence conditions within your country favourably by readjustment of our historic succession of trade agreements, and formalise an ever extended agreement that would encourage greater freedom of commerce between our two realms.
It is our desire to see the President of the Board of Public Trade to begin negotiations earnestly with representatives of Potenza within Dulwich to effect a free trade arrangement which would mutually promote commerce and would strengthen the close relations presently existing between us. His Excellency has allowed her Majesty and the Cabinet of Ministers to feel assured that the sentiments of the Grand Duke and Parliament, as well as the people of Potenza, was such that they would welcome the measure which would result in an increase of trade for both states and would open up the manufactures and resources of Potenza to the great mass of industry and consumers within Great Engellex.
By the Grace of GOD, of the UNION of GREAT ENGELLEX, CHARLOTTE, the QUEEN-EMPRESS, through the SECRETARY of STATE, Sir ANTHONY PELHAM-HOLLES
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The duchy extends her thanks to her Majesty for her great concern regarding the state of affairs within our nation. His excellency, the Grand Duke Eldizio I, is likewise concerned, and is seeking a resolution during the elections. Minister of Economy and Finance Vincenzo Visco, along with his Royal Highness Count Drago Visconti, would like to personally fly to lead the representatives of the duchy in Dulwich with discussions. We are eager to pursue an extended period of free trade, if not opening further doors for business and commerce.
We look forward to hearing from Her Majesty on this further.
Franco Frattini
Foreign Minister
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Murder Rates Up, Ministry Report Says
The Ministry of Justice released a report earlier today that murder rates are at their highest in the past few decades. It was believed a decade ago that more than 12% of deaths in Potenza every year were the result of murder, and today's report updated that to almost 17%. The ministry attributed this to cuts in the Ministry of Law Enforcement, low police recruitment, and the increase of poverty with the failing economy. Many of these murders happen in the lower income areas, although some have begun to trickle into middle class areas as well. The Ministry of Economy and Finance says they are worried this will affect tourism and business.
The news comes as polls show a lack of public support for Prime Minister Guliano Amato's party. Yesterday the L'Ulivo Coalition was said to have fallen apart between the various left-leaning parties, further decreasing Amato's strength in the Chamber of Ministers. Gaetano Merlino has been chosen to lead the right-leaning National Alliance, and is already showing growing momentum within the polls.
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Trade Deal Announced with Great Engellex
After meeting with their respective representatives, Minister of Economy and Finance Vincenzo Visco and His Royal Highness and Heir Count Drago Visconti agreed to extend and expand the current trade deals with the historical Potenzan partner. After hearing news of Potenza's mounting economy recession, an offer came forward from the President of the Board of Public Trade to assist Potenza through relaxed economic relations.
Among the articles of the agreement include:
- A decrease in tariffs on agricultural imports coming from Engellex, with Engellex lowering tariffs on automobile imports coming from Potenzan automobile manufacturers.
- Easing travel restrictions for skilled labourers and foreign professionals.
- Tax benefits for home companies choosing to open business in the opposite nation.
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Interview with Gaetano Merlino of the National Alliance
The following is a transcription of the interview between Il Ducato (ID) with Gaetano Merlino (GM), leader of the conservative National Alliance and currently one of the top candidates for the current election. During the course of the discussion, we asked Merlino about the economy, crime rates, and the future for the grand duchy.
ID: Thank you, Mr. Merlino, for joining us today for this interview.
GM: Not a problem at all.
ID: Analysts have said that there has been some recovery in the economy, but not by any large margins, and the economy remains well below its pre-recession levels. Could you please explain how your party intends to improve this situation?
GM: First thing, let me make it clear that the direction headed by the current majority is a completely misdirected one. What we need to do is remove the restraints placed by them upon businesses and companies, and allow the economy to function properly. This sound too simple, but I think it is simply put: the government, in regards to economy, should be like a referee at a sports game - it steps in when rules are broken and fouls are made, but otherwise it simply stays back and permits the game to continue as it is supposed to. Now one might wonder - where does that leave our government? Well, what our government needs to do is relax the stranglehold on businesses so that Potenza will appear as a suitable place for foreign businesses to invest in.
ID: In this vein, what do you think of the recent trade agreement made by the duke with Great Engellex?
GM: Well, I think there were good objectives made with that agreement, let me start out with that. However, there were a few things I would have done differently. Most of all, I would have objected to the point in the agreement where tariffs on agricultural imports from Engellex were lowered. That puts the imports directly at odds with locally grown farms, and we can already see Potenzan farmers are starting to grumble about this. While I applaud the agreement for giving a boost to Potenzan foreign investment, I think it likewise jeopardizes local businesses. What the government needs to do is find a happy medium. In like manner, we can't rely on Engellex all the time. We need to branch out and find other trade partners. That's how the 21st century economy works, and that's the direction we need to head. Besides, what if something were to occur and Engellex would remove her trade agreements, or her economy were to suffer? We can't focus on just one nation.
ID: What is your party's opinion regarding the rising crime rates?
GM: We're dealing with a war - a war on the streets. How do you win a war? With an army. And right now, our army - the minister and the Carabinieri themselves - are in trouble. They've had reduced funding over the past few years, and recruitment has not been stressed enough resulting in a decrease in numbers. What we need is, first, an emphasis on recruitment to gain greater numbers so we can have more Carabinieri on the streets, and, second, more funding so that they can have the proper training, equipment and support they need.
ID: What other objectives will your party have, if they come into power after this election.
GM: Potenza needs to be strong. It needs to be independent, but it needs to be able to adapt to the changing world. Isolationists, whether they are political or economic, can't be allowed to run things. We've seen wars develop across the region and we've seen that anything one nation does affects everything beyond her borders. We need to adapt to a global market, increasing foreign investment of Potenzan companies, while at the same time creating jobs and promoting the creation of goods at home. We also intend to create a stronger civilian government - I believe for too long we have allowed Chambers to be led that did nothing but cater to the duke's authority. This wasn't what our nation was founded upon, and it isn't how it should continue. The goal of our government was to keep a balance between historic royalty and perpetual populism, and the latter needs to be enforced yet again.
ID: Thank you again for your time, Mr. Merlino.
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Interview with Filipo Serrati of the Democratic Party
The following is a transcript of the interview between Il Ducato (ID) with Filipo Serrati (FS), leader of the left-leaning Democratic Party and currently one of the top candidates for the current election. During the course of the discussion, we asked Merlino about the economy, crime rates, and the future for the grand duchy.
ID: Thank you, Mr. Serrati, for joining us today for this interview.
FS: You're welcome. Thank you for inviting me to come.
ID: Analysts have said that there has been some recovery in the economy, but not by any large margins, and the economy remains well below its pre-recession levels. Could you please explain how your party intends to improve this situation?
FS: The recession was the result of the economy adapting to the restrictions placed upon the rampant businesses. This is not entirely unheard of. Since then, there has been a steady recovery as the market adjusts. We do not intend to throw money at the problem, but we will provide any assistance needed to businesses to get a jump start on their recovery. In the meantime, the Potenzan people should be patient - times are tough right now, but they are getting better, and within a few months we predict that we should be back to our pre-recession levels.
ID: What is your opinion of the recent trade agreement made by the duke with Great Engellex?
FS: We believe that the duke has done the right thing. We need to seek help from elsewhere and increase foreign ties to encourage investment from foreign markets. We would gladly support such agreements with other nations in the future. We would even support them with those nations whose political ideologies do not always line up with ours.
ID: What is your party's opinion regarding the rising crime rates?
FS: The question lies in the root of the problem - where is the crime rate stemming from? The majority of these crimes are stemming from the poorer classes. We would emphasize further funding into education to give many who formally would have the opportunity a chance to improve themselves, as well as learn better methods of lifestyle. We would likewise encourage greater community activity, and raise up leaders from within the troubled communities themselves so that there would be a local foothold that could fight against this crime from the inside.
ID: What other objectives will your party have, if they stay in power after this election?
FS: Many are seeking to change the country dramatically. Our country doesn't need to be revamped - it needs to be healed. We will bring about that healing with the blessing of the Potenzan voters and under the careful and knowledgeable guidance of the duke.
ID: Thank you again for your time, Mr. Serrati.
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Potenzan Farmers Protest Trade Agreement
Over the past few weeks, farmers have protested the recent trade agreement between the grand duchy and Great Engellex. Specifically, they have called for a reverse of the agreement to protective tariffs on Engellex's agricultural imports. Spokesmen for the farmers say that this agreement threatens local markets by permitting ease of competition. With the struggling economy, many farmers are worried that this will only aggravate their already troubling situation.
Both Vincenzo Visco, Minister of Economy and Finance, as well as Umberto Bossi, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies, deny that the trade agreement posts a threat to Potenzan farmers. Minister Visco said that protective tariffs will remain, but are simply at lower levels than they were before. Minister Bossi said that Engellex's agricultural imports were of different crops than what is grown inside Potenza, and hence will not prove to be as much a competition as some may believe them to be.
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Feature Article: The Real Story Behind the 2011 Elections
by Angela Santini
by Angela Santini
Within the coming month, Potenzan citizens will be turning to the polls to settle what ultimately was a dispute between Grand Duke Eldizio I and Prime Minister Guliano Amato over whose fault the economy was. This is a unique election in that it is the first one in decades wherein the voters are polarized, with two parties vying for majority control. Conservatives have gathered behind Gaetano Merlino with his National Alliance party, whereas liberals have gathered behind Filipo Serrati, who took over the reigns of the Democratic Party after Amato resigned as party head.
As often happens, polarization of parties breeds polarization of criticism. Merlino has been called a "quasi-fascist," whereas Serrati has been called a "quasi-communist." Neither is entirely accurate, although as with all thing some truth can be found in either. However, this goes much deeper than Merlino versus Serrati, and conservative versus liberal (however one may define those two terms). This goes to much deeper lengths than the two main parties, and makes a statement about where the nation is headed, and where it can go.
Potenza, we must realize, is at a dramatic moment in her history. To the southeast, Solaren is being raged by war. To the north, Great Engellex has launched a massive invasion of Montelimar. There are great fears about a refugee crisis spilling over our borders, in particular from the north. The economy has been - and remains - abysmal. There was some hope when it began to grow steadily, and it seemed like Serrati's call of "calm during the storm" would bear fruit. Unfortunately, recent market trends have returned into a downward direction, and many are afraid the nation may soon face a depression.
So the question is...where from here? In this election we see not only parties and personalities at war, but ideas as well, and all of them regarding how to handle this moment in Potenzan history.
From Merlino and his supporters is a slowly growing battle cry of a return to pure Niccolism that was hoped for in 1828. Some suggestions have come of removing the cabinet from the Grand Duke and giving it to the Prime Minister, giving that position a much greater role in government. Such a move would dramatically shift the power sphere from the ducal office to the Chamber of Ministers, but the points to ponder on are: 1) could the Chamber pass such a reform, which would reshape the constitution?; 2) would Eldizio I agree to such a reform, which would obviously cripple his influence on the government to a large degree. The last time the Chambers attempted such a reform - at the infamous Political Crisis of 1898 - the duke dissolved parliament and executed the dissenters. However, that was due to the nature of Francis II's rule, and Eldizio I is no Francis II. There is no sign that he would oppose any such reform with military authority. If Serrati is to win the election, chances are things would remain as they are, and the issue would become a moot point.
There is also a great economic debate. Merlino favors a more laissez-faire approach to the economy, giving business near complete free reign within the nation. Serrati favors the economic interventionism that the Democratic Party has been practicing since the last election. Interestingly enough, Eldizio I likewise favors interventionism, and had been influencing Amato to enact interventionist policies within the Chambers. Some moves have been so extreme that some critics have said the duke is moving towards economic nationalism, hence Merlino's emphasis of a more international market-minded approach. This makes Eldizio I stand out among other past dukes, who tended to favor the laissez-faire approach, especially since the days of Francis II.
More importantly, how much more involved will Potenza become in the events around her? Will the Grand Duchy have a say in the formation of a proper Solaren government? Will she have a part to play in peace-keeping in Montelimar? Thus far Eldizio I has maintained what he has dubbed "extreme neutrality," wherein all Potenza has done thus far is close off the borders and give minimal diplomatic support to her allies. Though neither Merlino nor Serrati have stated what they would intend to do, it might be safe to say that Merlino would advocate a more active role in the affairs of her neighbors. Merlino has been on record of criticizing what he says is a "far too complacent foreign policy."
Whoever may win this election, we will be fools to think all that will be decided is which tie appeals to voters more, or whose smile earned more favors. Potenza is not only at a crossroads in regards to economies and wars, but in regards to ideas that have begun dueling one another inside the nation. Whichever party wins this election, much more baggage will come with their victory than some might realize.
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Protests Erupt Over Refugee Crisis
Tiburan Catholic civil rights groups have begun protests in San Salvo and Turin today in response to the growing refugee crisis in Montelimar to the north.
The refugee problem from Montelimar had been growing as the war progressed deeper and deeper within the nation. The governments of Wendmark and Euskadi had already arranged for the care of refugees, both with funding and (in the case of Wendmark) the care of any who crossed their borders. Grand Duke Eldizio I, in response to demands from northern towns for assistance, responded by mobilizing the Folgore division along the northern borders. Refugee camps were torn down and refugees themselves were banished from Potenzan soil on pain of arrest.
Now, inspired by similar protests in Wiese, Catholic and socialist groups are protesting the grand duke's use of the military against refugees, saying that it is inhumane act by the monarch.
The Interior Ministry released a statement earlier today, saying that no refugees had been killed and the move was simply a continuation of the duke's policy of Neustrema (or "extreme neutrality"). Any refugees with family or governmental ties to Potenza were permitted to stay under the permission of the ministry. The statement also pointed out that the government had been asked to remove the refugee problem by the locals, and that it was in response to mounting difficulties in local Carabinieri units in handling crime and crowd control.
Eldizio I has defended his move, saying that he is interested in preserving Potenza while avoiding any move that might extend her beyond the neutrality she has maintained during the conflicts in neighboring Montelimar and Solaren. A recent Il Ducato poll shows that most living along the borders approved of the government's measure and are happy the Folgore are there.
The Chancellor of Eiffelland had offered to pay for treatment and removal of the refugees within Potenza, to which the Interior Ministry assured them there are no longer any refugees within the grand duchy.
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We would like to gently correct the statements of Euskadi's foreign office.
1) The Montelimarian refugees were not "allowed" in. They came in on their own accord as a result of the war, uninvited. Their arrival came sooner, quicker, and in greater numbers than had been anticipated and were causing a problem to the local economy and populations.
2) No inhumane acts were committed. The Folgore were ordered to fire only if fired upon, and they are presently serving to assist and relieve the local Carabinieri enforcing law and order.
Franco Frattini
Foreign Minister
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The Grand Duchy has treated the refugees with the utmost dignity given the circumstances. No one has been shot or beaten without just cause. Those with familial or political ties in Potenza have been permitted to stay. The other refugees are permitted to stay along the Potenzan borders provided they do not cross it. The Folgore have been told to cross the border only if attacked from it. To attempt to portray the grand duke's order as inhumane without considering both the circumstances and the alternatives to how it could have been carried out is entirely unfair.
Franco Frattini
Foreign Minister
Socialist Commonwealth
Establishing Nation
Commissariate for Foreign Affairs
We echo the sentiments expressed by the Foreign Office of Euskadi and wish to remind Potenza, that it may some day be in need of foreign aid as well, if desaster strikes. The egocentric stance of the Potenzan government is not merely a lack of compassion, it is also a sign of shortsightedness and we hope that its population does take action to reverse the policy of forceful removal of refugees, who have done nothing wrong when seeking safety from war.
We echo the sentiments expressed by the Foreign Office of Euskadi and wish to remind Potenza, that it may some day be in need of foreign aid as well, if desaster strikes. The egocentric stance of the Potenzan government is not merely a lack of compassion, it is also a sign of shortsightedness and we hope that its population does take action to reverse the policy of forceful removal of refugees, who have done nothing wrong when seeking safety from war.
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Eldizio I Pays Surprise Visit to Folgore
The Grand Duke appeared to the Folgore division earlier today to inspect the deployed units along the Montelimar border. He was greeted with the traditional cries of "Ave! Ave!" from the airborne, and participated in one of the routine patrols along the border. He also dined in the mess hall and spoke with division command.
The visit comes after protest both within and without Potenza regarding the Eldizio I's deployment of the Folgore to remove the refugees from Potenza and secure the borders. The move came after complaints from local and county officials regarding the swarming numbers, as well as an incident in which a Carabinieri was stabbed. Montelimarian refugees were removed from Potenzan soil and refugee camps town down. The only refugees permitted to stay were those who had political or familial ties in Potenza, and had been affirmed by the Interior Ministry.
Tiburan Catholic humanitarian groups within the country have protested the move, saying it was inhumane and reflected poorly upon the nation. This was followed by an outcry from various countries against the duke's decision.
Eldizio I has defended his move as preserving the failing Potenzan economy and assisting the local Carabinieri in performing their required duties. The deployment of the Folgore was an extension of his Neustrema policy, seeking to maintain complete neutrality in all Potenzan foreign affairs. The duke's cabinet ministers have echoed this as well.
Recent polls have shown that only 45% of Potenzans support the duke's move. Much of the support comes from the northern regions.
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Merlino Involved in Car Accident; Alcoholism Involved
Gaetano Merlino, leader of the National Alliance party, was involved in a car wreck tonight around 9:00PM, just outside of San Salvo. No one was hurt, but the party leader's car was reported by witnesses to have veered off the road and crashed into a street sign. Police arrived to the scene and found Merlino in a state of shock, and it was reported that his alcohol level was high. Merlino was fined for the damage as well as for driving while intoxicated.
This news comes shortly after recent polls had shown Merlino's party to be in a greater lead over Filipo Serrati's Democratic Party.
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Feature Article: The Monarchist Question
by His Royal Highness Count Niccolo of the House of Grimaldi
by His Royal Highness Count Niccolo of the House of Grimaldi
Much is being said of the decision by King Alexander IV to abolish the nearly 600-year old monarchy of Nicosia. According to his majesty's decree, once he passes away, the nation will become a conventional democracy. Many within Nicosia are shocked by the news, as are most nations who have upheld or maintained their monarchs for some time. Nations with no monarchial structures have welcomed the news and lauded it as a great act. These responses, in fact, give an open display of the simple-minded if not foolish rhetoric thrown about anti-monarchist circles and passed off as sincere criticism of what they perceive to be backwards thinking.
Let us first examine the mentality of Alexander IV in this move. In his public statements (and similar to words found in the memoirs of predecessor Nicholas VII) the Nicosian king compared monarchs to dinosaurs, adding that "dinosaurs have no place in this world," hence it is time to "move forward." Here his majesty (with all due respect intended, from my own part, for his royal position) displays a misunderstanding within his own metaphor. Dinosaurs were selected by nature to be removed through natural means; they no longer served a purpose in our world. Animals can, at any time, become extinct by natural means, and when this happens it is entirely natural and no one is to be blamed. On the other hand, the intentional extinction of an animal species - whether through deforestation, hunting, pollution, or other means - is entirely the fault of the causation. On the one hand, the animal died out through natural means without interference; on the other hand, the animal died out because of interfering powers beyond the realm of natural selection.
Now apply this to the meaning behind Alexander's metaphor. He calls monarchial governments "dinosaurs" which "have no place in this world" and so must be discarded - and yet monarchies have continued to thrive up until today. Unlike the dinosaurs, who could not survive the changes of our world and so were cast out by history, the monarchies of the world have survived wars, rebellions and economic collapse without destroying themselves in toto. Many have embraced some form of change within the government structure - including our own monarchy here in Potenza - and continued to exist within the reformed institution. If monarchies were truly "dinosaurs," in the sense that the Nicosian king puts it, then we would be seeing a dwindling number of monarchies in this day and age. Yet we see the contrary - in nations such as our own, as well as Arendaal, Engellex, Wiese and many others, monarchies have thrived and continued to thrive at varying levels. Oftentimes when monarchies are removed, it is by force and from special interest groups - one example of the earlier mentioned intentional extinction.
We also cannot do this discussion justice without pointing out that Alexander's entire point can be applied across the board. Why is this? It is because democracies and many other forms of representational government are nearly as old as the monarchial institution itself, certainly going back as far as the Tiburan Empire and many other ancient cultures. A monarchial government could very well, by Alexander's own standards, declare democratic institutions to be dinosaurs no longer needed and hence desirable for nothing else but the rubbish bin. We would not make this argument, of course, because it is likewise fallacious to suppose that the mere age of something equates to being faulty. It makes as much sense as saying that democracy will no longer be relevant come next Tuesday.
Let us now turn to the responses from the international community, beginning with the foreign affairs ministry of Ahiret. The ministry welcomed the move and said that now "people can take charge of their own fate and see to their own destinies outside the will of one man or woman." This statement seems to presuppose that, in placing either absolute power or controlled power in a monarch, the citizens of a nation become slaves to the will of that particular individual. This also presupposes that this cannot be the case in other forms of government. Indeed, outside of the near anarchic direct democracy which was seen in some ancient civilizations, it would be impossible to avoid placing any power upon any government individual. One could easily argue that the people of a parliamentary government cannot control their destinies outside the will of one man or woman, given the standards we have been presented. Are not those who elect presidents placing that individual into a seat of authority, and therefore are placing their own destinies into the will of one man or woman?
The Ahiret foreign ministry also seems to presuppose that it is impossible to modify the monarchial form of government in such a way that the people can have some say or representation. We have seen this in constitutional monarchies. Nicosia herself has had some level of representation since the 1880's, and had already promised a nationally elected government for 2012. We have also seen a balance between monarchy and representation within Potenza itself - indeed, it was the very tenet of Renaissance teachings which were eventually called Niccolism and which became the basis for our current government. Through a more indirect or representational form of democracy, the people can find themselves represented before the monarch and in affairs of government. Their destinies will still, logically speaking, be in the hands of other men or women, but with this form of government the people can be represented and their collective voices heard before the monarch.
Another source of support for the move by Alexander was the external affairs ministry of Vangala, which called monarchy an "anachronistic political institution." Anachronism, however, suggests that an item, person, or linguistic element is out of place within another point in history, and we have already established that monarchial governments are not out of place today any more than democracies. It also leads us to question just how long must a form of government exist before it is "anachronistic"? How long will it be before democracies will be anachronistic? How long before communism will be anachronistic? If we cannot answer these questions, then we are applying standards to monarchies we are unwilling to apply to other political forms, and we confess an inconsistent position.
The evidence here suggests that this is not a matter of allowing history to flow, nor is it a matter of tossing out that which is passing away. Rather, it is a matter of anti-monarchist governments and sentiments winning the day in Nicosia. Though Alexander, as recently as August, had promised the monarchy would stay, and many within Nicosia had desired it to stay, this has now been reneged and the monarchy sent to the proverbial chopping block. Now the anti-monarchists will pour a glass of wine and raise a glass of toast, proclaiming this to be a victory. It is not a victory for democracy nor civilization, however - it is a victory for rank ignorance. Age is being confused with usability, and argumentum ad novitatem is peppering the fallacious reasoning used by men expected to run world governments.
Let us now, in a kind of summary, respond to and give options to these allegations:
Firstly, Monarchies are antiquated and no longer relevant. I answer: On the contrary, they are just as relevant today as they were 600-years ago. There is no expiration date on a form of government, only a demonstration of how that form of government loses any shred of functionality. Unlike despots who come and go like a storm carried by the wind, monarchies have, by and large, survived the test of time. In some cases, they have survived far better than many other democracies have.
Secondly, Monarchies give far too much power to one man. I answer: One needn't remove the monarchial structure in toto to resolve this problem. A representational addition to the government, like those found in constitutional or federal monarchies, resolves this issue nicely. We have seen examples in past history where monarchs, gaining too much power or losing favor with the people, were removed by the representational bodies and replaced with another member of the royal household. In fact, the power vested in a monarch can have positive effects. For example, it presents a consistent authority to temper the representational authority. Representational institutions can oftentimes prove to fall into either oligarchies, wherein those who are elected run the show regardless of the people's desires, or what some call "mobocracy," wherein every minor whim of the people are met without any rationale behind it. On the other hand, monarchs, because of the length of their reign and the consistency of their policies, can temper this through benevolent guidance within their sphere of control.
Thirdly, Conventional democracy is a far better form of government. I answer: On the contrary, conventional democracy, sans a central, consistent authority to temper it, can present many problems, some similar to those of which monarchies are accused. It can become, as some fascist commentators rightly pointed out, a form of dictatorship wherein the people are given the illusion of power through a vote every few years. When citizens elect a man, they place great power into his hands, and therefore they will be surrendering their "destiny" (even if short-term) regardless of the form of government. In fact, they surrender the destiny of their entire nation to a governmental body that functions only as Fortune, acting through elections, permits them. The only form of government wherein man is in complete control of his individual destiny is no government at all.
The political changes in Nicosia therefore reveal an irrational hatred of monarchies by powers who wish to advocate their own form of government. Yet the people must not be swayed this kind of emotional thinking, and monarchs across Europe must not fall into the same trap which Alexander has plummeted. While many ask the question Should monarchies stay?, we should be asking in response: By whose hand do you wish them to leave? History, or your own?
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Merlino's Son Killed in Car Accident
The son of National Alliance leader Gaetano Merlino was fatally struck earlier today by a vehicle as he and his mother were leaving a shopping center in San Salvo. Eyewitnesses say the car was going along at a moderate pace when it suddenly swerved, striking both mother and son. The boy, barely six years old, was caught under the tire and pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. The driver was reportedly texting on his cell phone when he lost control of the car. Carabinieri have arrested him on the charge of vehicular manslaughter.
Merlino, who was given the news before Carabinieri released an official report, said with tears in his eyes that he would continue through with the election despite the loss, and that this should only show he is "as mortal as the average citizen." Merlino had been running for the conservative parties in the current election, and had begun trailing behind his opponent after a drunk driving incident.
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:idea: Critics of Count Niccolo's article dub it "Neo-Reactionism"; His Royal Highness declares it will be adopted
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