NationStates Jolt Archive

http://wikistates.outwardhosting.com/w/images/0/01/Kingstonpact1_copy.png

An invitation to all memberstates of the Kingston Pact -

His Majesty King George IV, acting upon solemn advice of the Commons and Lords in this present Parliament assembled, does request the presence of the Heads of State, or their duly appointed representatives, of all member countries of the Kingston Pact, to assemble in Congress at Kingston to discuss the emergence of powers commited to the promotion of collectivist tyranny abroad.

His Majesty submits to the attention of the Kingston Pact the following points of discussion: -

1. Whether the Alliance for the Proliferation of Communism represents a threat to the Kingston Pact or its protected countries.

2. Whether the Alliance for the Proliferation of Communism represents a threat to the liberty of peoples living in countries not aligned to the Kingston Pact,
and further, whether the Kingston Pact should extend general guarantees to those countries against the Alliance for the Proliferation of Communism.

3. Whether the assaults that the alliance's member-states conduct against their own subjects ought properly to be ended by the Kingston Pact's military.

Official Message from the Federal Republic of Franberry to the KGP

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o205/Franarama/sealoffranberry1111.png

The Federal Republic of Franberry stares with shock and disbelief at the rampant growth of these international unions dedicated to the proliferation of subversive Marxism. These cruel nations reign with terror over their own people and wish to do so over the entire world. They are a danger to the KGP, to Haven and to the world itself, maybe not now, but soon if they are allowed to continue unchecked.

As such, the Federal Republic of Franberry shall send a high-ranking representative to this conference, if not the President himself, in order to address these important items.

"Orden, Progreso, Libertad"

"Pass the oaties."

"You've already eaten half the bloody packet!"

Questarian diplomats. Apparently, their reputation preceded them as ignorant, uncultured, general all round morons who had their orders and carried them out as best possible.

"Come on..."

"Fine."

Andrew R. Thompson, Foreign Secretary, and Roger A.M. Harrow, War Secretary, landed on their private jet in Kingston, a city they had visited many a time before. They "waited" at a gentleman's club until it was time for the Congress.

The two Clandonian delegates had flown in from Warminster on a Imperial Clandonian Airways short commuter jet, Sir Peter Langford the Foreign Secretary and Lord Ashton Minister for War. Stepping out of the First Class section into a Range Rover where they went to the Clandonian High Commission while they waited for the other delegates to arrive for the liberty congress.

Fortuna of orbis terrarum sileo in umerus humerus of pauci

The fate of the world rests on the sholders of few

Dr Grenoble and Dr Peters stepped off the chartered flight, taking deep breaths of cool Haversham air. 9 hours ago they had been boarding the same flight in Richmond, Northford, with the knowledge they were to represent Northford at the extraordinary summit of Kingston Pact delegates in the Praetonian capital. Unlike the last time such a summit was called, Grenoble and Peters (two of the most educated and respected Diplomats Northford had to offer) did not have 'full delegate' rights, reflecting the change in constitutional status Northford had undergone in the last year.

After a short VTOL connection flight, they arrived at NNS (Northfordian Naval Station) St-George for a short briefing by Northfordian and Praetonian Intelligence agents regarding the recent rise in strength of Communist forces across the globe, with the Royal Intelligence Commission, of the Praetonian Foreign Office, providing several folders of intelligence on the threat to Havennic food supply. Unlike most issues, Food Supply was particularly close to Northford. 25% of the Northfordian food supply came from inter-regional fishing fleets, and if there was a credible threat to their security the KP could be sure of Northfordian support.

After a hearty lunch paid for by the Praetonian-Northford Society, the Diplomats and their minders set off for the congress in Kingston. It was a short journey, however it gave them ample time to become fully aware that the decisions made in a few hours had the potential to set off a series of events that could lead to conflict between dozens of billions of people.

The Allaneans sent a man to the conference too – specifically, it was the Allanean Undersecretary for Havenic Affairs, only recently confirmed by the Senate. His name was Andrew Zaitsev, he had a Ph.D. in History from the University of Menelmacar, and he wore his blue-and-silver Diplomatic Service uniform with pride.

In fact, it was difficult for Zaitsev to conceal his derision for the other KGP diplomats. Sure, many of them came from cultures that were sort-of, kind-of free. Still, racism, fursecution and other disgusting cultural habits were still rampant among these people. Some of them even had prohibitions against voluntary associations like unions or political parties.

They were better than the Doomani, of course, but they were not Allaneans or Menelmacari. He knew he should not hold it against them – and outwardly, he was polite and benevolent, but inwardly he was disgusted.

Barbarians.

The airship blotted out the sky over Kingston, needlessly large and luxurious, it was the exact representation of Franberry in airship form, anyone would know that without having to gaze at the 30m long flag the airship towed behind it or the giant "Federal Republic of Franberry" written in gold on the sides of the craft. Its dozens of little turbines powered the ship through the air, sluggishly cutting through clouds as it made its decent in Kingston airport, momentary suspending in-coming flights. It made its way down, coming within meters of the ground. A hatch opened on the largest of the gondolas, only to have a giant red carpet flawlessly unravel itself without a single wrinkle, seemingly powered by an invisible and strange technology. A moment passed whilst the local greeting party looked upon the happenings in awe when a full music band and a pair of lancers descended from the craft. His Honorable Excellency Giancarlo Marchese di Rudinì, Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Franberry followed them, riding in an elaborate carriage pulled by 6 pure breed horses, followed by a pair of hussars.

"I say, lead on to the conference hall!"

Secretary of War Alistair Cummings tugged at his lapel while adjusting his pin of the Royal Crest with a blue, green, and white ribbon stabbed through the center. He and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Leroy Webbings were awaiting final approval to leave the aircraft and arrive on the tarmac where a motorcade supplied by the Cravanian embassy in Kingston had been arranged to whisk the two and accompanying staff away. Webbings was a direct representative of Lady Annadale; Cummings was present for military interest in the matter and would have attended whether or not Annadale could have been able to make it.

"Sirs," a petite brunette Northfordian flight attendant who worked for the charter company used said as she approached them in the spacious cabin, "Your motorcade is ready to depart."

"Right," Cummings said, "Thank you, Miss."

The duo, often known for their close companionship, set to gathering their personal items. They had three assistants accompanying them total, who also set to work gathering briefcases and bags, and also coats as the weather had taken a turn for the worse the previous day in Laurana. The aircraft had just barely managed to get out without complications.

As they filed off of the plane, the brisk air of Kingston nipped at the two Secretaries faces. Immediately they were ushered into a waiting car by security personnel, and they were off.

Government-operated Chevrokian Aerospace C-175 Sigrun SST, somewhere in Haven
"Lemon curry?"

Lieutenant Gregory Hawking looked incredulous. "On a plane?"

"Yes, sir, the chef's just cooked it up." the flight attendant said, smiling perhaps a bit too much to look normal.

"Well, I'll have a bowl then. A small one."

"Very good, sir. And you, Undersecretary?"

The Akimonadi Undersecretary for Kingston Pact Affairs, Rutherford Brayse, looked up from his Air and Space magazine.

"Whatcha' got, then?" he asked, having not paid attention.

"Well, egg and bacon; egg, sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg, bacon and spam or Lobster Thermidor a Crevette with a mornay sauce served in a Provencale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with truffle pate, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam." the flight attendant recited.

"Have you got anything without spam?"

"Well, there's lemon curry..."

"Lemon curry?" the Undersecretary asked.

"Why, yes..." the flight attendant said, somewhat confused.

"I'll have a bowl."

"Two lemon curries then."

Several rows back, there were further shouts of "Lemon curry?"

Several hours later

The SST plane touched the runway, causing smoke to issue from the tires. Inside, a bit of the Undersecretary's lemon curry spilled from its bowl.

"Blimey." he cursed, grabbing his napkin.

In a few moments the plane was still as a portable staircase was driven up to the plane. A few meters away, a motorcade from the Akimonadi embassy sat idling.

"Let's get on with this." the Undersecretary said to his military attache. They descended the stairs and were whisked into a limousine which promptly departed the airport.

Polar opposites occuring at the same time, in roughly the same place, could have a tendency to cause problems depending on the specific situation. Air traffic controllers in Kingston would experience such an event shortly before the Kingston Pact congress, with the arrival of delegates from the member nations.

On one hand, you had the huge airship carrying the Franberrian delegation. It was huge; difficult to miss, in fact, which was rather the entire point. The huge flag and gold lettering certainly rather drew attention to it. It cruised substantially slower, and rather alot quieter than most airliners. The slow speed, huge size, and poor maneuverability caused problems with ATC due to the risk of other aircraft crashing into it; so other aircraft operating in the vicinity of Kingston were instructed to keep clear of the airport until the huge Franberrian airship had completely landed, in a sense.

On the other hand, you had the SST carrying the Chevrokian delegation. It was large, but not necessarily noticeably; even the immacuate white paint scheme with the sharply detailed Sjevråkiske Republikk lettering and blue-white-green cross flags painted on the fuselage and wings did not make it terribly noticeable compared to the Franberrian airship. However it was fairly loud, and the long approach into the Kingston airport made it certainly possible that at least a few Praetonians were disturbed from their tea by the racket of the four huge engines grouped in the center of the VC-175 Sigrun. Air traffic control had to increase separation between it and other aircraft; not because it went too fast, but because the wake turbulence behind it was serious business.

"Right, Chevrokian Air Force zero-zero-two heavy, we have you one-zero kilometers out from the airport, you are cleared for final approach and landing on runway 17 left, current surface winds are 210 at 13 knots."

The long descent likely rattled a few windows as the SST came in low to keep its speed down to an appropriate level for landing; even then, it touched down at a rather hot 180 knots, and required a good deal of the runway to roll out and slow down.

"Chevrokian Air Force zero-zero-two heavy, turn left taxiway alpha-niner, go to ground control on one-two-one decimal three-seven-five, have a good day chaps."

The Chevrokian Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Jens Gunnar Nygård, and his staff had managed to secure one of the number of VC-175s operated by the Chevrokian Republic Air Force on behalf of the government, to fly to Kingston. The advantage was that they could cruise very fast, the 21,000 kilometer trip taking just 9 hours including two refuelings in air along the way. The disadvantage was that they were a bit cramped; room for 60 when configured for pure passenger transport, much less when configured for government VIPs. Awaiting the delegation was a trio of specially built Haraldssen Motors L500 Kingston Estate Specials, the name at least being appropriate for the occasion, to transport them off of the airport grounds.

Sandra Forestier looked out the window of her SST as it began its descent into Kingston. The trip to the Praetonian capital for the thirty-five year old senator would be her first as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the first international conference for Hamptonians as a republic. Aside from staff and other assistants, she was joined by Senior State Minister and Minister of State for Haven Peter Easton. A veteran of Havenic politics he would be on hand to support Ms Forestier in any negotiations or debates that would take place.

With a thud the plane touched down on the runway. Secretary Forestier and Minister Easton gathered their papers and directed the staff to inform the Praetonians that the Hamptonian delegate would be at the Federation's embassy until the conference began.


[OOC: Sandra Forestier is also Deputy Vice Chancellor]

Viktor Bratenko's airplane taxied out of the large military airport somewhere off the Cohenian coast, setting out for the Praetonian capitol city of Kingston. The Foreign Minister was briefed not to let his temper flare in regards to the corrupt bargain that the whole of Parliament assumed occured between Solaria and Praetonia. The plane was a small, private jet holding him and several staff members but nevertheless holding them in style. They were to first make a quick meeting with His Majesty's Representatives in Kingston before embarking to the conference of Kingston Pact members.

Hours later and after their meeting with the ambassadorial staff regarding the corrupt bargain, the Foreign Minister of Cohenia was on his way to the Congress.

When all the delegates were assembled in the Congress room, the Questarian, Andrew R. Thompson, Secretary to the Foreign Office, decided to quickly open with an issue he obviously found greatly important. With little more than a cough he began in a clear received pronunciation accent with only a tinge of the Questarian dialect.

"Friends and members of the Pact, while we are here for the coming days to discuss the Communist threat to world peace and freedom, there is firstly a more important issue that I would like to touch on, that in any case diverges little from the matter at hand. It is the existence of Aequatio as a member nation amongst the ranks of the Kingston Pact. That Aequatio has threatened Questers with military strength over the Brydog crisis has prompted to the foreign office to re-examine the membership of Aequatio in the Pact and we represent this case to you today, on behalf of our nation and Empire.

"It seems that diplomacy, when undertaken to be conducted by this Socialistic rogue, does not follow a more aggressive mantra like speak softly and carry a big stick; or even speak harshly and carry a big stick, but in fact, carry a big stick, and from time to time care to release incomprehensible drivel of the sort that only a man fumbling for words to explain his position could care to utter. Indeed, Aequatio, as we speak, is conducting mock attacks on Questarian shipping in South Haven. Only the hand of the foreign office has stopped the Navy from retaliating in a similar manner. But it is not even the hostility of this country to our Empire that necessitates a suspension from the Pact.

"Liberty, Property, Justice. We hold these truths to be self-evident, in this hall, or at least I should hope. In Praetonia, a nation of men committed fully to the cause of freedom, I know that the name Social Democracy implies no more than tyranny and justification of petty theft for the purported purpose of charity. We hold, in our Pact, that collectivist principles are the hallmark of a brutal and barbaric system that routinely works to destroy individual and economic freedom in the widest possible sense. Should the Government aim to remove the property of the Praetonian, or the Questarian, or of any of us, I should dare to suggest, they would be facing the barrel of a gun. For as the age-old Communist saying goes, political power grows from a barrel of a gun.

"And in the spirit of this Pact, I declare that the Social Democratic Republico f Aequatio has failed to fulfill not one, not two, but all four of the entrance requirements of the pact. It has achieved a singular state of tyranny unlike no other in this Pact. The constitution of Aequatio makes no reservation for an independent judiciary. In a country which used to call itself the National Socialist Republic, what reason do we have to believe that if there is one now it may not be removed tomorrow? And on points two and four of the pact, the commitment to individual liberty, free trade, economic freedom, and strong property rights - what insurance of their existence does Aequatio have to offer?

"Let us take a look at the Socialistic and most certainly Illiberal constitution of the Aequatian Republic. Let us ignore for the moment that their Constitution refers to trade as a privilege and not a right. Firstly there exists no bill of rights; no constitutional assurance that the people have any sort of freedom. There is an old saying in the farming plainlands where I was brought up; yes, officer, I do have a firearms license - it's called the Bill of Rights! Yet no such article exists in Aequatio. Let me read to you some choice excerpts from this Constitution; Article 4, The following matters shall be under the supervision of the Republic and its Legislature:-
- Legislation concerning customs, duties, and commerce, and such imports as are to be applied to the uses of the Republic.

- Regulation of weights and measures, and of the coinage, together with the emission of funded and unfunded paper money.

- The regulation and surveillance of the medical and veterinary professions.

- The Press, trades' unions, et cetera.

"If there were not enough, here are some more;

- Aequatio shall form a Customs and Commercial Agency, having a common frontier for the collection of duties.

- The imposing of duties and excise on article of consumption, and the collection of the same (Article 35), is left to each State of the Republic within its own territory, so far as this have been done by each State heretofore.

Import taxes, Gentlemen? Import taxes are explicitly outlawed in the Questarian Bill of Rights! The list goes on!

- Railways, which are considered necessary for defense of Aequatio, or the purpose of general commerce, may be constructed for the account of the Republic by a law of the Republic, even in opposition to the will of those members of the States through whose territory the railroad run, without prejudice to the sovereign rights of that country; or private persons may be charged with their construction, and receive rights of expropriation.

- The posts and telecommunications shall be organized and managed as States institutions throughout the Aequatian Republic.

"So, friends, we understand that Aequatio, a Social Democracy and a Constitutional Tyranny who under its constitution, offers no assurance of freedom save for its certain destruction, is no friend of freedom. While many of your nations criticise Questaria for her imperialism, you look the other way when Aequatian Socialism spreads itself from continent to continent! When you reprimand us for the state of race relations, you fail to ignore that the Questarian black is constitutionally a million times free-er than the richest man in Aequatio!

"And when Questers rightfully reminds a good quantity of her allies that it is they, not ourselves, who have nationalised the institution of the money supply, of which they are consistently, year after year, inflating and devaluing, and when Questers rightfully reminds a good quantity of her allies that they have equal or significantly more colonial acquisitions than ourselves; and when we remind them that the spread of Questarian Liberalism is diametrically and ideologically in competition with the spread of Aequatian Social Democracy, answer me this; do you look to the ground like shamed men or do you brazenly resist the accusations of tyrannicism that your Governments undertake and support so openly?

"Reference not the past; for we can agree that Aequatian National Socialism was an equally morale vile form of segregation and slavery than that which was practiced in Questers. No, reference not the past, but understand the present. The Questarian Empire calls for the removal of the Aequatio from the Kingston Pact, or our Empire shall be forced to withdraw from this organisation ourselves; for we fear the continued existence of Aequatio will infect the member states of the Pact with that contagious and infectious disease we know and have come to despise; tyranny.

"As he died to make men holy, let us live to make men free."

The Questarian diplomat awaited a response.

The Allanean spoke, contempt dripping from his voice:

“As we all know, Allanean foreign and domestic policy is focused upon the defense of Liberty, Free Markets, and Peace. The world knows us for a host of institutions, public and private, that work tirelessly to protect these values – whether they be soldiers driving the Maoist foe from New Liberia, volunteer teachers introducing young Questarian Africans to the works of the world's finest economists and philosophers, or corporate employees working to install high-bandwidth Internet backbones in Franberry and Mondoth. Wherever people go, the word 'Allanea' is a synonym for 'freedom' – or, in some cases, 'insanity'.”

“Why is that? Because Liberty is a lot like driving. They say that those who drive slower than you are idiots and those who drive faster than you are crazy. In the same way, those who support more freedom than one views necessary are insane and those that support less freedom than that are fascist.”

“Well, you know what? I will tell you why some people call Allaneans – and sometimes Questarians – crazy. This is simply because we love freedom more than they do. In simple words, they hate us because we are better.”

“But when your society is as advanced, as civilized, as free as ours, that bestows upon you certain obligations. We must not pretend that those societies that have chosen the barbarian paths of Communism or Social Democracy are our equals. We must not, in any situation, pretend that there is no good and evil, and that all cultures are equal in value. That is just not true. Freedom is one thing. Civilization is one thing. What they have in Aequatio is quite another.”

“Therefore, I voice my agreement with the delegate from Questers.”

“May God Bless the Pact.”

“And May God Continue to Bless Allanea.”

OOC: Don't like doing arrivals, but assume I got here on time k?

IC:

Jordan Chatham, Senior Undersecretary to the Foreign Affairs Minister, sat in the rear of the hall taking notes. Jordan had not been slated to come on this trip initially, as Foreign Affairs Minister Markham typically attended such gatherings himself. That, however, had changed two weeks ago when Markham returned from the disastrous visit to Doomingsland. Markham had taken an unscheduled holiday to recover from the events of that visit, and thus it fell to Chatham to make the trip to the first-ever Kingston Pact Congress.

Not that he expected his presence to matter, that is. It didn't take a monkey to figure out what most thought of Prestonia, and he seriously doubted anything he said would be taken seriously, but even still he intended to speak where he had reason to. That occasion, it turned out, would be coming quite soon.

"If I may state my opinion, I believe this pact ought consider the numerous improvements to the government of Aequatio undertaken of late. It is true, their government still has several leaps and bounds to go before becoming truly free, but is not the current incarnation of Aequatio leaps and bounds above that seen merely a decade ago? The honorable Questarian and Allanean delegations have several good points, but the point stands still that the Aequatian government is drifting, however slowly, to the side of liberty. They are not yet a free and liberal nation, but it is my personal belief that the Aequatian people, having been exposed to the liberty and freedom of fellow Kingston Pact states, shall in due course begin demanding and receiving the liberties due them. For this reason, I believe the nation of Aequatio ought not be ejected outright, but that if any disciplinary action is to be taken, a probationary period wherein the government of Aequatio can show its true colors ought to be considered.

"I think we've deviated quite a bit from the predefined topic. We're not here to put nations' memberships in jeopardy."

Rutherford Brayse paused.

"Now, we were set to discuss the Eurasian Socialist Republics, and what danger, if any, they pose to the world."

Lieutenant Gregory Hawking spoke up.

"It is my considered opinion as a military man that they are blowing hot air. They could not invade anyone. Their tanks would collapse from corrosion just being loaded for transport."

"I agree." Brayse said. "They haven't the power to attack anyone except a tiny state that no one would care about. And even that would stretch them."

The Kingston Free Trade Hall has once been the headquarters of the Sovereign League. As the Kingston Pact came into being, the natural successor to the Sovereign League, it had come to replace its ancestor as the occupant of the grand old building. The room in which the delegates bickered and spat was the Great Hall, sitting under the building's enormous dome that dominated the skyline. Like the nave of a Papist cathedral, this 'room' could quite comfortably contain a horse race. The delegates were sat around a much smaller table, circular with an open centre, in the middle of the great room. The dome above was painted in a vast relief depicting the Storming of Imperia, and the destruction of most of this city, ending the Praetonian Civil War in 1612, and establishing the first modern anarchy in Havenic history.

The great attraction, though, was the floor. Built in 1615 of cast iron - then a sparkling symbol of modernity - it was an etched map of all Haven. A map of what those revolutionaries had intended to be their end destination - a Grand Commonwealth of All the Nations, a Haven without government and with liberty for all. As the dominoes fell, they were overlaid in gold leaf. In 1615, only Praetonia and Willink had been - the former cast in gold plate. Now, the shining relief represented the Kingston Pact, and had come to engulf much of the region.

The Praetonian delegation had not yet arrived. As the Akimonadi sat down, the orchestra began to play.

God Save the King!

And so the King was here. As the music died away, he took his place at the table.

"Ladies and gentlemen,

"It is my greatest pleasure to welcome you all to Kingston. Quite rarely do we all meet together in one room like this, although I am sure that if we did, a great deal more good would be done, and a great deal less disagreement would long remain.

"I, and My Government, have called this conference to discuss the growing significance of collectivism in this world.

"There are now among us several major aggregations of states upholding collectivist philosophies such as fascism and bolshevism. These philosophies, so aggressive and destructive in all things, are even now waging war upon one another in Stoklomolvi and the Grand World Order, and elsewhere. And yet despite the magnitude of that war - unusually great for one outside Haven - not nearly all who might be engaged in a war of collectivist ideology are so. They are disrupting trade, and threatening to throw their competing enslaved armies against one another in a manner that will cause much death and destruction. Finally, there is the certainty that even in peace between nations, these sorts of state wage war eternally upon their subjects.

"The Kingston Pact was founded as an ideological organisation. We all are here because we wish to uphold, at home and abroad, the principles of individual liberty for which so many of our compatriots have died. These organisations, and the states within them, are irreconcileably at odds to all that we hold dear. They would make slaves of one another, and make slaves of us. That, of course, we cannot abide.

"But beyond the obvious conclusion that we will defend ourselves and one another, do we believe that we have a wider duty? Do we believe, for instance, that we ought to intervene where these countries would threaten free countries outside the Pact? Indeed, do we have a moral obligation to those people trapped inside these tyrannical countries, for whom there is no possibility of escape from oppression save from outside intervention?

"To answer these questions is why we are assembled here.

"For My part, it has always been My policy, and that of My Governments, to support everywhere the onward march of freedom. To oppose, to the best of Our ability, the philosophy of 'national sovereignty' as superior to the sovereignty of the individual. I would submit to the Pact that, wherever it is practicable and without undue expense, we ought to smash these groupings of tyrannical states, and bring to them the liberation that has by our hard and ceaseless striving been granted to us.

"I invite the representatives of each nation here assembled to submit to the Pact their own view on the matter."

[OOC: No fixed order, but you may only make 1 speech until everyone else has spoken (or I get bored waiting for them).]

"To first address the issue which The Honorable Mr. Thompson brought up, that of Aequatian membership in this Pact," Webbings began, "I must first say I partially agree. Aequatio is by no means a true example of liberty, despite the close relations the Eastern Kingdom has shared with her northeastern neighbor over the decades. The Republic is, however, an example of a nation transitioning itself into the throes of true liberty, slowly but surely, as great leaps and bounds have been made since her first foray out of the shadow of tyranny.

"Was it not a mere thirty or forty years ago, Mr. Thompson, that one was able to purchase another human being as property in Questers? Yet liberal reform over due time has since set the black man's rights to be as sacred as any other individual's rights, just as intended by the forces that be.

"It is a goal of Her Majesty's Government that additional pressure for further liberal political reforms in Aequatio is to be placed on Magna Casa; this much I can say is no secret to anyone. Aequatio has always been a close friend to the Cravanian Kingdom and Empire, and it is Her Majesty's Government's opinion that further reforms, including those of a constitutional nature, would only serve to cement these long-standing ties to which I refer further.

"Although perhaps the continued full membership of the Aequatian Republic in this Pact is somewhat hypocritical of our standards, is it not also hypocritical to merely cast them out and turn them away as their transition to liberty continues? It is a stated goal of our organization to spread liberty and freedom to all souls who crave its warmth and safety; what would make us better than the monsters which we claim to despise if we were to turn away those who wish to change further to bring liberty to as many souls as possible? While we, as our governments, may not oppress our own people, allowing tyranny to continue to exist in the world is still a blemish on this organization's aims and goals. If liberty can be spread through peace instead of combat, we must obviously take the former option. By keeping Aequatio at least somehow connected to our organization, we can easily take the former option.

"This leads me to the primary point of this conference; action which we as a group of like-minded states may take to reduce or eliminate the threat of collectivism in our region and in our world to both ourselves, speaking in terms of nationstates, our people, and the people of free nations who are not necessarily of our own camp. It is no secret that the Cravanian Empire is no stranger to combat and war, but at the same time it is no secret that the Cravanian Empire highly prefers peace and stability.

"As such, I submit a proposal which may also serve to remedy the Aequatian problem: I propose to create a provisionary organization aligned with the Kingston Pact; a child organization if you will. Its membership will consist of those states who do not fit the criteria of membership in the Kingston Pact, but who display interest in transitioning themselves to liberal ideals and governance. This option, which would facilitate the spread of liberty through peace and understanding, is perhaps an attractive option to all.

"Obviously, not all states are willing to make such a transition; in fact most despots and dictators outright refuse the idea to surrender their power to the people in the name of freedom. In such instances, the use of force to endorse liberty may be the only option. Regrettable, yet understandable considering the circumstances usually surrounding such situations.

"As such, I will allow my associate, Mr. Cummings, to address the issue further."

War Secretary Cummings simply leaned forward in his seat, making a quick motion with his hand.

"In the interest of spreading the time on the floor around, I will speak further on the Cravanian position towards the use of force in dealing with collectivist states later. Please, someone else take the floor," he said, leaning back in his chair.

"Sirs," Thompson rose to speak again. "If you will ignore for the present my transgressions against convention and conduct and listen to my words, I and my nation would be most honoured."

"I, my Government, and my Nation believe that the aim of the Kingston Pact ought to be to annihilate the foul stench of collectivism wherever it be found, and if this cannot be undertaken via education of leaders, intellectuals, and of people, then it must be undertaken via violence and action, to destroy the threat of that tyrannical cancer we know as socialism spreading to the free and prosperous countries of the Kingston Pact. If those nations who stand united under the red banner pose any threat to our Pact and to Liberty in general - we should not cower from military action but instead embrace the desire to defend, not offend, freedom from tyranny, individualism from collectivism and choice from coercion.

"There comes a time in the history of human affairs when men must prepare to defend not their homes alone, but the tenets of faith and humanity. That time is sweeping across our region and our world. Our old enemies are in full retreat or else are acting almost as reclusively as never before, pretending that the annexation here and there of minor powers will extend their ego far and wide beyond their wildest dreams, but we know that their hopes are futile and they shall never again reach the position of strength that they hope to attain once more. In their place another old enemy has arisen to replace that which no longer opposes us and threatens to replace our civilisation with a form of collectivism so vile its realisation would be the absolute and utter destruction of any form of freedom or humanity in our nations or even the entire world.

"The collective delegates of the nations of the pact may scoff at the suggestion that Communism could rise in their nations or that Communism may overpower the old Liberal - or, not so Liberal, as it may be - orders that rule their respective countries. Those of who who will scoff have not seen that damage that socialism, which attempts a total refutation of any belief of human freedom, can do. It is not the Liberal tradition of freedom of speech or press that fosters Socialist hatred. It is the sponsorship of armed group by foreign Socialist nations that has torn apart the fabric of Questarian society. Until those who reject the notion of a foreign policy of anti-Communism have seen entire farms ablaze; entire families put to the sword; men pressganged at the threat of violence to their families; torture, murder, and rape, then let them be shamed to silence, for it was to their protestations, at least in our country, that led to Communist atrocities.

"Socialism, in a Parliamentary Constitutional form, when it can be brought to the academic debating table and utterly destroyed, is no threat to our order of freedom. We must tolerate intolerance for Liberalism to flourish. However, it is the totalitarian - and make no mistake, all forms of collectivism must inherently be totalitarian - states whose foreign policy endorses the spread of their ideology, who transform the weapon of the Socialist from book and from song to the grenade and to the piano wire. The distinction is clear. The domestic Socialist is no threat to freedom. The International Socialist Movement is a grave threat to the security of the freedom of nations and of people. With all our wealth, our might, and our ideological righteousness, we must crush the forces of tyranny once and for all so that the blight they wish to impose upon the free world never manifests itself in violence. For our country, it is too late - for yours, it is not.

"But before the International Socialist Movement can be isolated, attacked, and wiped off the face of God's good earth by the military forces of the free world, we must adapt those in our midst. Earlier, I made accusations against Aequatio that their state was nought but a pedestal for socialist demagoguery and expansionism in Haven. I do not know if you heard, Your Majesty, but in any case I shall forward my words to you shortly, for your later perusal. To speak briefly, I agree with Mr Webbings, that we ought to insist that nations left-leaning adopt the liberal individualistic leanings of the Pact.

"However, His Majesty's Government refuses to accept Aequatio as an equal in the Kingston Pact. If some measure or assurance such as the one that Cravan has presented to us is not adopted, or if Aequatio itself does not adopt the broadly constitutional liberal principles espoused by the Pact, we will be forced to resign our position. That will happen in precisely a weeks time from now.

"The destruction of international socialism can only begin when those socialistic elements right before our eyes are dealt with."

The Prestonian delegate listened intently to the Questarian speech before rising to speak once more.

"Mr. Thompson, you speak of the atrocities of international socialism, and I assure you I know of these atrocities as well as any Questarian. You see, in my youth I resided in the Maasailand, Prestonia's colony in Karain. Many of you are familiar, no doubt, with the Karain National Congress, the communist terrorist organization responsible in part for the horrific series of attacks in Jesselton just a few months ago. This group, an avowed socialist organization, has been in a state of war with the established colonial government of Maasailand for some forty years. We have been fighting the wave of socialist tyranny in Maasailand for four decades, and I cannot tell you how much this war has cost us. I could speak of atrocities unfit to be uttered in civilized company, atrocities which, were they mentioned, would cause even the hardest of men to vomit in disgust and horror. I have borne personal witness to such acts in my own time as a soldier in the Maasai Security Forces. If anyone can speak to the nature of these combat socialists, as we may call them, it is me.

"However, I believe there is a line that must be drawn between the combative socialist who wishes to spread his ideology with the bullet and bayonet, and the book socialist who wishes to spread his ideology with the pamphlet and rally. The former will not accept any but his own ideology; he will not rest until all who oppose his flawed ideology are dead before his rifle or crushed beneath his jackboot. This, in my opinion, is our enemy, the international socialist movement which actively threatens freedom and which must be brought to heel by any means necessary.

"The book socialist can be brought to the debate table, interacted with as a civilized being despite his ideology and perhaps even brought to accept the flaws inherent in his school of thought. He is still opposed to freedom, and indeed bears watching, but he is not nearly as immediately dangerous as his armed and radical comrades. The book socialists of our world are only dangerous in that they have the ability to become combative socialists.

"Having presented this cross-section of our enemy, I believe we must now decide as a whole which category our colleague Aequatio falls into. For my part, I believe that while the Aequatian government's policies may be contrary to the values espoused by this Pact, they are as stated previously reforming in a manner that only a noncombative socialist would, and thus I believe any indications by this Pact to remove Aequatio from its ranks, or by the Questarian delegation to resign, to be extremely shortsighted and premature."

Bratenko yawned loudly, obviously bored hearing the Prestonian delegate talk, but quickly covered his mouth as to not give off the impression of rudeness to the rest of Haven's leaders and whatnot. He rose from his chair, "Sirs, if I may?" Bratenko proceeded in removing his glasses, "I would like to cite an example, if I may. Cohenia nearly one hundred years ago was a land of absolute monarchy, Cohenia nearly eighty years ago was a land of socialist revolution, Cohenia nearly sixty years ago passed the Western Co-Existence Act. In the Western Co-Existence Act, Cohenians pledged the rest of Haven to abandon their former ways that would classify Cohenia as a nation equal to Doomingsland or Tyrandis. Slavery was banned, protectionist tariffs were lifted, relative isolationism was lifted, colonies were given proper representation in Parliament. Cohenia today exists as a constitutional monarchy, Cohenia today exists as a strong nation both militarily and economically, Cohenia today is free."

"Aequatio has been given plenty of time to change her socialistic ways to a more...pardon my grammar, free society. I am not going to deny that Cohenia has quite a large socialist party, currently in opposition to the Liberal Party. In a truly free society, parties are allowed to exist despite their affiliation. Democracy is what makes a free society."

"In addition to the statements made by Mr. Thompson of the Questers, I would like to put forth an issue as to why Cohenia would want to see the Aequatians out of the Kingston Pact. Sirs, Cohenia claims a large tract of land known as Belacohenia on the continent containing the Northfordians, the Spacians, and the Azahans. Belacohenia was set up through a charter passed by the Parliament of Cohenia and given the ability to establish a colony of an unspecificed size to protect Cohenian and allied shipments through both the Halladi and Strobovian straits. In her efforts to create the colony, the Socialists in Aequatio not only claimed the very land that the Cohenians did, but called it a 'disputed' border. My comrades, the nation of Aequatio acted as if it were the school yard bully and Cohenia the first grader on the playground. Aequatio threatened force against Cohenia, and Cohenia was ultimately forced to abide by the demands of the government in Aequatio. According to the Governor General in the colony, he was threatened at gun point to cede valuable lands in the area to the Aequatians. Aequatio, a nation of socialists and traitors," he stared at the Praetonian delegate, "deserves not to be in this very alliance."

"Cohenia states that she too will leave the Kingston Pact should Aequatio not abide by the laws set forth by the charter. While the forces of communism and socialism may rage through out the world, how can we as a bloc move upon nations even in our region if we allow their kind in our alliance?"

The Clandonian delegate Sir Peter Langford stood up next, there had been intense diplomatic traffic between the Clandonian Foreign Office, Joint Intelligence Committee, the War Office and several other state institutions on the issue of Aequatio in the pact. The solution was clear, the Questerian Empire could not be let down, a great friend to the Clandonian Kingdom and a vital ally on the sticky issue of Clandonian South Haven and the racialist policies that the semi-independent colony had enacted upon itself.

"Following consultation with the Prime Minister and His Majesty, this delegation voices support for Mr Thompson. The constitution plays on the value of 'necessity' to the Aequatian state, gentleman necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. Is is the argument of tyrants, it is the creed of slaves. Of all the vulgar acts of Government, that of solving every difficulty that might arise by thrusting the hand into the public purse is the most illusory and contemptible. Aequations are bent on world dominance. The men in their 'Politburo' of a cabinet do not have to worry about the ebb anf flow of public opinion. They put guns before butter while we put just about everything before guns. Nations have no permanent friends or allies, they only have permanent interests, it is these interests that the Imperial Crown Kingdom joins the Questarian Empire in the call for the removal of Aequatio from the Pact."

Thompson continued unabated.

"In lieu of the support granted to my Government over this issue by our allies and friends, to whom we are most thankful, grateful, and relieved, we propose the following framework to be completed within sixteen months in Aequatio.

"The abolishment of all Government and Quasi-Non Governmental Organisations and Bureaus related to commerce or trade, including customs and excise, and the repeal of any legislation directed to the control of trade, including internal and external trading standards,

"The privatisation of all state owned companies, with shares to be sold on the open international security trading markets, although state funding for education and healthcare may be exempt,

"The abolishment of occupational licensing,

"A guarantee of the eradication of wealth redistribution within the extended timeframe of twelve years,

"And the reduction of the taxation that brings the revenue which supported those Government controls.

"We believe these to be most reasonable."