NationStates Jolt Archive

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"Hello and welcome to Meet the World. I'm Jason Hill, and in tonight's broadcast we'll be continuing our international interviews with none other than Sir Alistair Davidson, Consul of British Londinium. Consul, please tell us about yourself."

"First, I'd like to say that I'm honoured to be with the PBG tonight," Sir Alistair said. "But, back to the question at hand. I was born in 1961 in the Nyquist borough of Kensington. It was in 1978 that I entered into the prestigious Imperial University at Kensington, where I majored in political science and international finance. I was planning on receiving a doctorate in Roman history before I decided to go into politics. Starting as a lowly MP for my home district, I managed to rise all the way to Deputy Consul until the 2000 election of a Mr James Swanner, a horrific tyrant surely familiar to your viewers. I was imprisoned in a special torture facility in Tasmania, the penal colony, until his downfall in 2006. From there, I founded my own party, the Londinian Democratic Socialists, and took power in 2010. And that, Mr Hill, is my biography in brief. Unless, of course, I missed something."

"Well Consul, that's quite an impressive life. our viewers know of Swanner, in popular opinion the man was and is a pig. Now, let's get down to business. I won't dwell on the issue, but our viewers are dying to hear about Cazelia. As I'm sure you'll admit, the occupation was a fiasco in every sense. How are you planning to show the world a kinder, gentler Londinium and repair your international image?"

"The most concise way to describe our efforts to repair the Londinian image would be to say that we will be implementing a variety of policies, domestic and foreign, designed to maximize the accrual of soft power. Essentially, Mr Hill, we will be going about business as we normally would - complete with the humanitarian and libertarian socialist policies that define the People's Sovereign Republic."

"Are there any plans to reimburse the Cazelian government or help with rebuilding? As you probably know, they're in yet another war, and in my opinion postwar rebuilding efforts at the hand of the Londinians will do a lot to clean up your nation's image. But, on another note, who do you see as the future of British Londinium? If memory serves me, I believe you're on your last term as Consul. Have you done as many other renowned politicians and picked your successor within your party?"

"I'm afraid you're mistaken, Mr Hill. There are no set limits on how long a Consul may stay in office; I intend on serving my country for many more years to come. But, of course, I have prepared my party for my eventual retirement, and have picked a successor, a Mr James Azzopardi.

As for Cazelia, I would like nothing more than to help the Cazelian people - but I have no way of ensuring that Londinian funds meant for the populace are not taken by the nepotistically undemocratic Cazelian government and used to finance their poorly-designed war machine."

"Ah, forgive me Consul, I had assumed that your nation ran on term limits. Nonetheless, your concerns with the democratic process of Cazelia bring me to my next point. As you know, Alexander Hasley was assassinated last month, bringing the Hasley name to an end except for young Ingram, who I should say is, at 16, hardly Presidential material. What impact do you think the demise of the Hasleys will have on Cazelia?

"I would hardly say we've seen the last of the Hasley family. I would not put it past the uneducated, overly-indoctrinated peasantry of Cazelia to elect such a Cro-Magnon troglodyte into office."

"Well, what I was getting at was that perhaps with the Hasley Dynasty broken, at least temporarily, more moves toward true democracy will be made. Your views on what it will take for the Cazelians to achieve true democracy and rise to the ranks of first-world nations, Consul?"

"If Cazelia wishes to join the ranks of the First World, she will have a long, hard road ahead of her. I do not blame the Hasleys necessarily for the lack of democracy in Cazelia; they are simply the product of a mindset that has dominated the nation for centuries. The spirit of multi-party liberal democracy that pervades countries such as British Londinium and Central Prestonia must spread to Cazelia, and the best way to do that is to give the average Cazelian access to free, open, and unbiased media. Once that is established, all else will follow."

"I agree there, on my visit to Cazelia during the reconstruction I found no real media to speak of. Now, let's talk economy. With the New Prussian Empire at war with the Corporate Alliance, the prices of crude oil have risen drastically with Griffencrest Oil at war. How does the Londinian government plan to deal with the rising prices of such an important world staple? For our part, the nation's own oil company, Republic Oil, is planning to start exports to nations unable or unwilling to deal with Griffencrest.

"Between the three trillion barrels worth of petrol underneath Londinian territorial waters, and the fact that most power in British Londinium is derived from nuclear fission, high oil prices are the least of our concerns. But oil will become a valuable weapon in the future. For now, though, it's business as usual. Londinian oil companies are only prohibited from exporting to nations that are a direct threat to our security, such as Prætonia or Clandonia Prime."

"The Republic is transitioning to nuclear fission as well but oil still remains a high demand commodity. Finally, last question. Who do you see winning the CA-NPE war, and what do you think the end result will be?"

"To me, the Corporate Alliance is severely weakened by the fact that there is no common thread between its members. The New Prussian Empire, at least, is bound by a common heritage and culture, and, thus, the group can be assured of its members' loyalty. I feel that the NPE will most likely find victory. What they'll do with it is beyond me."

"Well, thank you for your input tonight Consul, any further remarks before we close the show? Also, our editing staff is working on a version dubbed in Volscian should the LBG wish to broadcast the interview."

"I'd just like to thank the PBG for having me on their show tonight."

"You're most certainly welcome Consul, it's a pleasure to have such influential men as yourself on the show. Well, that about wraps it up folks. This has been Meet the World with Jason Hill, goodnight everybody!"

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