News Media of Istkalen

[Istkalen]

The National Times: Ms. van der Bijl, Mr. Katzian are deported; farmers deliver ultimatum to the J-TAI

Correction: The petition below was not approved by any trade union, nor by anywhere near 500,000 people; it appears that no one, in fact, has had any interest in it

As political chaos ravages the country, with uncertainty over the status of remaining institutions of state, at least one thing has become clearer.

Earlier today, Ms. van der Bijl and Mr. Katzian, who attempted to form a government with the nine other members of their party, were taken into custody and forcibly expelled from the country. The two, 'refugees' who appear to hop between country and country in search of one malleable to their revolution, were already well-known for disseminating false information, as well as violent rhetoric, as they had done in the many previous countries they had been in before.

Their expulsion, which occurred in a nature preserve, was met with widespread applause. The two were seen largely as performance artists with little importance; in a way, laughable. One blogger's commentary called their various attempts to paint themselves as important a "very, very sad, comedy; one would laugh at it if they weren't such pitiable figures."

Most felt as though it will cause a drop in the severe instability that formed upon the collapse of the democratic "Republic of Istkalen," by centering power under the nascent "State of Istkalen" under Helejtek Vestisz X; however, the "Council of State" formed by the two will apparently continue on. Its members, most of whom, while well-educated - mostly doctors, engineers, and educators - appear to have joined simply as to laugh at the attempts of the two leaders to gain power, will continue to hold office. They have largely re-oriented its efforts away from the communist ideals of the two, and instead to Green-Party-esque conservative politics, which retain the same vaguely socialist nature, while at the same time attempting to "blend" it with the historically predominant political and cultural systems in Istkalen.

The Council of State, after these changes, was openly endorsed by the Communist, Union, and Green Parties, with the Patriotic League and the National Republicans, oddly enough, endorsing the Helejtek, despite him being a member of the Green Party.

Both endorse effectively identical political systems, and diverge only on the economy, and even then only slightly; most of the reformed People's Committees participating in the coming elections have stated that the "Patriotic Union" formed by both will be considered as one, and that only one election, to both of the proposed and identical states, will be held.

Support for this, however, is significantly lower than for the old Republic, which had to its benefit a strong legal basis and existing institutions.

In other news, farmers, joined by those in the sector of commerce, have delivered a dangerous ultimatum to the J-TAI in an attempt to dismantle it.

"Either you leave," its first sentence goes, "or everyone starves."

The ultimatum essentially states that farmers will not farm and that importers will not import anything as to make up for the deficit if the J-TAI does not begin to leave in the coming two weeks.

It has been signed by the corresponding member-unions of the Labor Federation; thousands of others have signed it, with many more doing so and planning to do so.

Combined with strikers and factory occupiers, who have in recent days managed to stop electricity production indefinitely, the effects will be beyond disastrous.

A copy of it is below.

---

TO THE JOINT TRANSITIONAL AUTHORITY FOR ISTKALEN

Either you leave, or everyone starves.

That is the simple message we bring to you. We will be without mercy; we swear that we all will die if you do not comply with our demands.

Within two weeks, you are to begin the process of dismantling yourself. We have little against the present occupation, if it can be proved that the atrocities truly have not occurred; but we abhor that you have usurped power and have used that power to leave this country miserable.

If you do not, we promise the following.

We will no longer work in the fields, we will no longer harvest. We will burn our crops, what little harvest we have, so that there is none left.

We will no longer import what is necessary, nor try to rectify the destruction of the harvest with importation. There will be nothing for Istkalen; everyone shall die if you do not dismantle yourself within a week.

We will no longer distribute necessities. All shall be destroyed, and we shall go happily to our deaths, knowing that you will have been proven brutal and evil.

Do you think the people of this nation will be angry? They will not. All of them would rather die than live a tortured existence under you. They shall go to their deaths, as we will, joyfully, knowing that your name will be forever slandered.

We do not think you will give in. You will be content to see us die, for how will it affect you? So long as you have the resources of this nation to make yourselves fat on, you will be happy. The empty land, too, will serve as living space for your citizens - surely you will rejoice at that, won't you?

So, then, watch as we laugh, even as skeletons, falling to the ground in masses. The old, the young, everyone. Watch, and rejoice!

But, of course, who else will?

We are a stalwart people; do not underestimate us. We will carry this out with the greatest fervor.

We will not falter; through this we will continue, even as we begin to die. We will mourn, we will be saddened by what we will have done; but we will know that it has been done for a good cause.

To our last dying breath, we will curse you for what you have done, for what you planned to do, to us.

---

[Istkalen]

The National Times: Exodus from the cities as order collapses
The Republic of Istkalen has declared that this is misinformation, spread primarily to further create the idea that Istkalen is unstable. Istkalen is prospering.

On the 27th of May, a general strike, the scale of which is unprecedented, begun. It was then that the nightmare begun.

By the 1st, the sanitation workers refusing to work, the garbage of the previous week accumulated on the streets of the cities of Istkalen. The smell was terrible; a great infestation of rats rose up. They were everywhere, skittering here and there.

Many were too scared to go outside, so terrible was the smell and the rats. But on the 1st, some brave souls went as to burn the garbage. The cities were clogged, then, with terrible noxious smoke -the rats still there, covering the streets as they ran back and forth through the cities.

Shortages, meanwhile, plagued the city. Many, if not all, of the farms within the city had been abandoned rapidly after the arrival of the rats; at the same time, with transportation workers on strike, nothing was being taken into the city.

No one wanted to go out and face the smoke and the garbage and the rats; but this was untenable. On the 3rd, small streams of people began to go out - but as expected, there was no one as to tend to the stores. Desperate, some broke in, and that is when the looting and the crime began.

~~Those who broke in, knowing that a shortage was to come, took as much as they could, whether it was food or petrol. ~~

Meanwhile, the garbage fires that had been lit spread, into buildings, into parks, especially in the capital and surrounding conurbation. There and in many other places, they continued to spread, eating more and more and more, until great areas - of parkland, of farmland, of housing - were aflame. An attempt was made to combat the fires; it failed, the fire continuing to spread.

Thousands, quite quickly, lost their homes and their belongings, and were thrown onto the smoke-clogged streets.

The rats fleeing the cities, many followed suit.

Without food, surrounded by fire, a veritable exodus began, thousands running as fast as they could away from the hell that had been created in just a short few days. The countryside, part of the thinking went, did not have such a severe condition in terms of food shortages - it was where most of it was produced.

Many were turned away - without electricity, it turned out, the situation remained perilous in the countryside, although certainly not as bad in the cities. The People's Committees of the villages and towns often argued that they had to prioritize their own citizens above those from other areas; they refused, as such, to offer refuge to many of those from the cities.

Many had to walk for up to 150 kilometers, into the night and sometimes the next day, simply to seek shelter and food. Several, exhausted, collapsed on the side of the road; some, especially the elderly, died there, alone and without comfort.

Despite the severity of the general strike, which has effectively destroyed the country's infrastructure, it is not expected to end until the J-TAI agrees to the agreement proposed by the Republic. Many, however, have become impatient; it is believed that a partisan movement may begin if action is not made.

[Istkalen]

Postimees: The East is plunged into panic; the West remains calm
We have been advised to mark this as misinformation, and have labeled it as such. The source from which we found this information has since been banned for its spreading of misinformation against the state and nation.

The East of the country has plunged into chaos - although not one that is violence. Much of the Capital Region is aflame; hundreds of thousands continue to stream out from it into the countryside - an apparent result of the general strike, which paralyzed the economy almost entirely.

It is thus perhaps fortunate that this has not yet befallen the West. Some level of moderation has remained there; at the very least, electricity has not been cut off and the movement of food from the countryside into the cities continues.

There remains anger towards the J-TAI; yet, fortunately, it has not manifested in the self-destructiveness of the capital region especially. No exodus from the cities has occurred here, and perhaps not even from much of the East save from the Capital Region.

In light of this, however, the general strike has come to an "organic" end. Fearful that the same which has stricken the Capital Region will strike elsewhere, many, save for miners, who remain in their stalwart occupation of the mines, have returned to work.

Many are unhappy with this, for they believed that such a strike would eventually force the J-TAI out; however, they have accepted it as vitally necessary, in order to preserve life itself.

Support for a partisan movement against the J-TAI, however, has risen, which is worrying.

The economy appears at least partially to have responded well; while there was a steep downturn during the war and after the dissolution of the Republic, said downturn has at the very least now slowed. Exports, however, are not likely to recover until the J-TAI is dissolved.

The issue of the Capital Region, however, remains a threat. Holding the lion's share of Istkalen's economy, its ongoing destruction may leave the country scarred for a long time afterwards.

With the number of internally displaced people already high as a result of repeated "evacuations" of the cities, the present events are expected only to add to them, further causing chaos and economic strain.

The situation seems untenable; the country can no longer support the level of political, economic, and societal disorder that it is experiencing as a result of the occupation.

[Istkalen]

Postimees: Hysteria - more and more, let it stop!

We greatly regret having to inform you that the hysteria in the north has yet again climbed. With Mr. Liiv, and the Northern Radio's formerly disgraced staff in general, now seen as prophets for their eerily accurate predictions of the arrest of the legitimately elected legislature, the total closure of the borders, and now possibly colonization (many suspect the declaration that over two million will be conscripted in Reitzmag to be, in reality, a declaration of the sending of settlers en masse), they have gained ever more influence over the opinions of the population - and the general crazed state that exists in the north, with tomato puree now everywhere, priests screaming nonsense in the streets, and women dancing crazily while ululating in front of their housing, has, in turn, increased greatly.

Severe shortages of tomatoes continue. The vegetables, believed to have the ability to ward away Vards, are in such demand that people are willing to kill for it. In fact, such an incident occurred yesterday, when an elderly woman was beaten almost to death by a forty-three year old man for a single slice of tomato contained in the salad she was taking to a meeting of the local Seniors' Association. The woman, fortunately, has been taken to hospital, and is expected to recover; the man, however, was arrested. As a result of severe disruptions caused by the dissolution of the Republic and general concern over who exactly has jurisdiction and what law exactly applies, if at all, no trial can be held until some form of clarification is made, requiring the man in question to be held in jail, without bail, indefinitely until the issue is resolved.

In other fits of craziness over the tomato, a group of priests were seen walking through a village and throwing, from a bucket, tomato puree over everything, while chanting loudly what appeared to be nonsense derived from one of the programs of the Northern Radio. The incident was celebrated by the villagers, many of whom danced outside, wearing, as is now unfortunately normal, cardboard boxes as to ensure that Vards do not see their torsos or anything approximating their torsos, as the tomato puree landed on their bodies. They would then smear it across them and the boxes they were wearing, before continuing to dance, screaming various praises to the priests and to God.

Elsewhere, at a busy market, a woman accused a merchant of being a Vardic agent, as she was upset with rationing policies that had nothing to do with the merchant. Said merchant was then attacked by a mob, tomato puree thrown at him before he was jumped on, dragged, unconscious, into a nearby ditch, covered in a thin layer of dirt, and left there to suffer as the mob and most of the others in the market celebrated their "defeat," in which they gathered tomatoes and the spilled tomato puree at the center of the marketplace before praising and seemingly praying to the tomatoes and puree because of the "victory against the Horde" it had led them to. The merchant fortunately survived; unfortunately, no one can be arrested, as it is unclear who participated and who did not, and most are worried of legal trouble and possible arrest by the "thugs" of the J-TAI if they make any sort of decision.

Even worse, a large group would later set upon the gathered tomatoes and puree, fighting each other to get more as to protect themselves against the Vards, leading to eighteen injuries. The market has since been closed and forced to relocate as a result of the repeated incidents occurring there.

Many other incidents, of looting and of violence over tomatoes, have occurred; they have become so common as to become normal.

The severity of the shortages, in addition to the extreme desire for the tomatoes, has led to a massive ballooning of the cost. One tomato, on average, now costs well over 70 ketsels, expected to continue to increase sharply in the coming days. Attempts to impose price controls have not been fruitful.

In other events, the storytime assemblies have continued. Teachers continue to regale children with stories of how the Vards will assault them with various vegetables and fruits in various areas considered vulgar; they have supplemented this with passages from the newly released "The Modern Mother Goose," which includes rhymes such as:

"Greedy General Renwalt,"
"Mr. Kim is Going to Fry,"
"[name], [name], Go Away,"
and
"Hey, Ho, They Will Go,"

Glitter and cucumbers, now impossible to find, remain prized objects among children, the trade of them flourishing in a sort of black market in the schools.

Their walks to and from the schools have themselves gotten much worse. Wearing cardboard boxes, tomato puree covering their faces - obtained generally by the school - they walk, holding a rope, behind priests, who flick more puree on the road before them, as women, before their housing lining the roads, dance crazily and ululate in an attempt to scare Vards away, per the instructions of the Northern Radio.

The young adults, on the other hand, are wasting their talent and creativity at a hitherto unseen scale. With the universities closed, generally as a result of the continuing strike, they have turned almost all of their time to the production of vulgar art of Vardic and Reitzmic soldiers - a true scar on themselves, their families, and their nation. Their productivity in this is terrifying - they produce up to 1000 times the "works" in this genre per week as teenage girls produced regarding the relationship between Aguilar and Bridges did on average in a month. The internet is flooded with their work, scarring many permanently as their work climbs upward through search engine results - typed screams of "Bleach! Bleach!" in relation to the vulgar works are now far too common.

What, then, of the south? People there have simply barricaded themselves inside their homes, waiting to die. They believe that the Reitzmics will "play" with them before killing them; they want to put that off as much as is possible, and thus have tried to shut themselves off from the outside world. Perhaps simpler then the craziness in the North; but perhaps it is worse. Here, we have hope; there, they have none.

[Istkalen]

The Citizens' Voice: Ikomar urges calm as the Republic attempts to wrest back power from the Joint Transitional Authority for Istkalen

As the Republic continues to attempt to reconsolidate itself following its dissolution and the resulting chaos and hysteria, the Premier, Liros Ikomar, who continues to remain abroad due to worries surrounding his security in Istkalen, has made an appeal for calm.

"The claims of the Northern Radio are entirely false. Liiv and his cronies are criminals whose only desire is to terrify people as for their own gratification. The Republic continues to be in negotiations with the J-TAI as for the preservation of self-rule, which we continue to view as our sole priority. So please, remain calm. On guard, yes - we remain in dangerous and uncertain times - but calm," he stated.

The message comes as the cult of personality around Liiv has begun to escalate even further, with some going as far as to proclaim him a prophet of God, worrying many across the nation. Some speculate that the message itself was not meant to oppose the Northern Radio, but rather Liiv's increasing popularity and thus danger to the state and peace. Most, however, believe the simplest explanation - that the insanity was climbing to an unacceptably high level, and, per his duties as the interim Premier, it was Ikomar's duty to make such a statement.

Regardless, he would later continue by speaking of the tomato and cardboard box crazes, which he condemned, before rapidly announcing that the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning had instituted price controls as well as rationing in response. The measures, meant to put to a stop the ongoing inflation and shortages, have been attempted before, to little success; the state, however, believes that centralized application of the policy may work.

Most People's Committees, which continue to hold power across the country and have remained the only stable government through the period of occupation, are expected to at the very least attempt to implement the policy again; the central government, in its attempt to encourage them to do so and rebuild its base of support and power, has promised support from the Popular Militia, which remains under state rather than committee control.

This was joined by an announcement that, as a result of the economic turmoil that the country continues to face, the state-oriented policies of Kerel would make a "return." Limited "liberalization," in which greater control was given to individual economic actors, occurred before the dissolution of the Republic; blamed, now, by several political factions for certain economic issues, combined with economic instability and a fear that freer policies could endanger recovery, the Council of Ministers has been put under extreme pressure, especially by the National Assembly and the occupational chambers, to return to the previous model of development.

Ikomar has not expressed complaint over the decision, instead calling it necessary; however, he stressed that greater decentralization was necessary - which has indeed been integrated into the restoration to an extent.

Some have speculated that the move, more than being an attempt to restablize the economy, is in reality an attempt to align the government with others seen as more hospitable towards the government - that is, the various socialist governments, seen as diametrically opposed to the occupying powers - by establishing itself as socialist. The government has denied this; however, some parties, especially the Communist Party and the newly founded "Socialist Party," a social-democratic party that split from it recently, have gone as far as to praise the government for these actions in this vein.

Regardless, the majority view is that the actions have a purpose twofold in nature - first, to ensure calm, and secondly, to wrest power back from the Joint Transitional Authority. The new Republic has struggled to re-assert its nominal power in Istkalen, especially against the Joint Transitional Authority, which much of the population now fears; by instituting popular and rational policies on a national level, it may believe that it can regain the trust and the power of the People's Committees, and thus again govern through them. While it does have aspirations of forming a settlement with the J-TAI, it seems as though talks have slowed, which may have driven them to struggle for power yet again.

The reaction of the Joint Transitional Authority is as of not known. Most, however, believe that it will look at this negatively. It does not wish the Republic to have any true authority in Istkalen; it wishes instead to reserve all political authority in the country for itself, leaving the Republic as a vaguely advisory structure, similarly to a "Shadow Government" in countries with more oppositional forms of governance - that is, as to scrutinize its policies and offer potential alternatives in a non-binding way. Some have predicted that a second dissolution will occur as a result of the efforts of the new Republic, especially with the increasingly harsh policies being taken towards Copala City.

[Istkalen]

Istkalen Information Service: Patriotic Front Leadership Elections

The Patriotic Front, a right-wing party widely considered to be an Arian interest group, is to be holding leadership elections, as the term of present leader Erkas Tilisek has ended, requiring her to win re-election as to remain in the position. The candidates are below. As is tradition, all are converts, as to dispel the belief that only Germans are members of the party.

Name	Political Positions	Image
Erkas Tilisek	The current leader of the party, Tilisek is considered to be an extremist, even within the party, although with the departure of the Patriotic Leage, the party itself has become significantly more extreme in nature. An ultraconservative, she believes in a strict interpretation of what she has termed "Christian Law," which includes the prescribing of the death penalty for "deviant behaviors" (ex. homosexuality, adultery), a total prohibition on divorce, the arrest of non-Arian clergy, the destruction of non-Arian religious buildings, forced conversion to Arianism for all Istkaleners, and the total destruction of industry for the re-creation of an idealized, hierarchial agriculture and craft-based economy which "praises God in all things." Many have claimed her to be against modern science as well, as she has denounced modern medicine and any form of investigation into natural phenomena as "sinful," arguing that "people must put trust into our Father for and in all things," as well as that "our Father is responsible for all, that is all we need to know, and for this we must praise Him endlessly;" however, she has denied this.
Mikeli Neripas	Mikeli Neripas is also considered an extremist; however, she is not as extreme as Tilisek. While she still endorses the death penalty for homosexuals and adulterers, and in this is particularly enthusiastic - she once, while campaigning, beheaded and stoned effigies of various people she termed to be "degenerate," including said adulterers and homosexuals - she is a secularist, and does not advocate for religious leaders of non-Arian religions to be put to death and all to be forced to convert to Arianism. She is, however, accused of being anti-Semitic, although she herself has denied this. While in support of a more agricultural and craft-based economy similarly to Tilisek, she has argued for the more mainstream position, adopted by the center-right Green Party, that this should take a modern form with the usage of modern technology as to augment it. However, she has repeatedly railed against "industrialists," who she denounces as being "from Satan," and calls for extreme violence against them. More radically, in opposition to Tilisek, she argues that higher education should be abolished and replaced entirely with a system of apprenticeship, although she states that she is fully in support of the retaining of primary and secondary schooling. She also does not hold that modern medicine and science are sinful by themselves, but states that they are often vehicles for sin, and believes that both should be "regulated" as to ensure that "sinful activities" are not justified or excused with science.
Kinides Peralkal	Kinides Peralkal is considered a radical, although, oddly enough, not an extremist, although this means nothing in the context of the party. He has been rejected by many other members of the party for being a heretic, especially for claiming that he is "a son of God" and calling for people to "mix their holy blood with that of Christ" in the receiving of the Eucharist. He believes that he is destined to become the leader of Istkalen and spread Arianism across the world, and that all should worship him. He has no viewpoints except for this, although he appears to have the same opinions on social matters as all others.
Sirisik Gingivitis	Sirisik Gingivitis is considered to be off the rails, even within the party. Calling for the total elimination of political and religious opponents to "constant religious struggle" - that is, terrorism - he has argued that Istkalen must be "purified." He also argues for the total abolition of industry and education, stating that the modern world is "corrupting" and should be abolished. In particular, he calls for children as young as three to work, even in noxious environments or with noxious chemicals, stating that they will learn lessons as a result. He is also a known racist and anti-Semite, saying that "certain people" should be "replaced," and that "there are evil people" who should be "eliminated." He denies these accusations.
Reszelport Jezebel-Swift	Reszelport Jezebel-Swift is the most extreme of all. She calls for the establishment of a "corporative dictatorship on organic principles," founded on the old Gaulois fascist adage - work, family, fatherland. She has also called for the expansion of capital punishment to all forms of "murder," which include any "wastage of the gametes," "birth control," "abortion," "ungodly behavior," and much more; she has also said that political and religious opponents should be rounded up. She herself claims to have killed various people, and openly says that her wish is to be able to kill Ikomar and his government for "their crimes against our Father." Her economic positions, however, are similar to those of Neripas.
Mollet Afierme-Kendek	Mollet Afierme-Kendek, similarly to Reszelport Jezebel-Swift, supports the establishment of a corporative dictatorship on organic principles, although he refers to this as a "new and moral republic." He also believes in the principles of "work, family, and fatherland," and has stated that "the principle of equality is a falsehood." He is, however, a secularist who has adopted most of Neripas's positions. He does not believe in stoning or beheading, instead stating that those who "break God's law" should be punished with the electric chair or with lethal injection, which he calls "more humane." He is considerably less radical in his rhetoric, but is considered to be just as conservative and extreme as all the others.

[Istkalen]

Istkalen Information Service: Long-debated "draft constitutional act" finally approved as Istkalen enters "transition to democracy"

A long debated "constitutional act," which would abolish the legislature and create a radically centralized regime in which legislative and executive powers would be concentrated in the Council of Ministers. While popular drafts of the act entailed the abolition of the occupational unions and the establishment of a one-party system, its final form did neither, choosing instead to preserve the multi-party system as well as the occupational unions, albeit in what appears to be a limited form.

The structure of state will be as follows:

The President of the Republic will have the right to nominate the Council of Ministers of Istkalen, as well as dismiss its members, save for the Ministers of Justice, Examination, and the Censorate, which will be appointed by the Council of Justice, the Council of Examination, and the High Council of the Censorate respectively. The Council of Ministers will be headed by a Prime Minister, who shall be responsible for coordinating its activities as well as those of the ministries.

The President, as well as the ministers, will have broad power to issue orders for the "enforcement of the laws."

The Council of Ministers will also be able to propose legislation; if a majority is in favor, and if the President approves, then it goes into law. The 16 occupational committees - renamed "producers' committees" in an attempt to revisit past populist-producerist governments - may repeal legislation related to their corresponding sector. They will, however, possess certain legislative powers of their own apart from this as well - primarily to regulate their corresponding economic sectors, to coordinate economic activity, and to stimulate economic development. A majority of the 16 committees has the power to declare a state of defense, at which point the President will gain the power to rule by decree, without even the Council of Ministers.

The occupational unions, renamed "producers' associations," will continue to exist, primarily to define occupational ethics and norms, to codify the duties that members of a given occupation hold, to codify how said members should approach other members and the public, as well as to provide welfare and assistance to their members. They will no longer take a role in the economy apart from this, as they did previously.

The Censorate, Council of Justice, and Council of Examination, will retain their current powers, and thus provide a significant number of checks against the exercise of power by the President and Council of Ministers.

Local government is left undescribed; it will likely continue to function as it does now.

According to Ikomar, who per the act is now President, the move will be temporary.

"Istkalen is not yet ready for democracy," he stated in a virtual press conference. "It posesses neither the culture, nor the stability. For almost twenty years, much of its administration has been almost feudalist in nature. Prior to that, the country was ruled by a military junta; before that a one-party state, and preceding even that a personalist dictatorship. The country has not seen democracy or anything approaching sane governance for almost 50 years; we have already seen how, in this state, people have turned to authoritarianism. A quick transition sounds good, but will not work - it will lead to someone even worse than the Social Democrats gaining power, and the same cycle repeating itself. In the passing of this act, we are entering a period of prolonged but temporary transition - really of state-building - that is necessary for the construction of democratic culture and institutions in Istkalen."

This is in stark contrast to the opinions of the act's writers, who all have proclaimed their antipathy towards democracy and their wish to establish "a moral, stable, and authoritarian" state in Istkalen.

"Istkalen is not the West," one stated during debate. "It is not a country where ridiculous ideas of rights and popular sovereignty can thrive, nor where they should even be forced. Its people do not know of either; they know only of duty. On this, rather than any ridiculous and evil Western notions, should governance be based on. For them, they may have their limping, corrupt, state; for us, we shall have our strong, enduring, state of duty rather than entitlement, of service rather than demands."

This opposition has been common in the present period - a reflection of the popular opinion, which is strongly for authoritarianism, and its opposition to that of the West, which pushes for the establishment of liberal democracy - but in reality has never manifested in genuine struggle, and likely will not. While Ikomar claims to be supportive of democracy, in reality he largely governs according to the wishes of the public and thus, by extension, the authoritarian politicians of the National Assembly. While it is probable that he does in fact eventually intend a transition towards true democracy, the form this will take, not to mention the length, is unknown.

[Istkalen]

An Announcement from the Producers' Committee of Culture

The Producers' Committee of Culture, formerly the Producers' Committee of Arts and Literature, in coordination with the similarly renamed Ministry of Culture, has, in the spirit of the Internal Revolution, and with the authorization of the Council of Ministers as a whole as well as the President, resolved to put a firm end to the issue of journalistic elitism.

The journalists of today, influenced by the class-based ideology of the Social Democrats, hold an unfortunate belief that they have a monopoly on truth. Whatever comes from their mouths, they believe, is truth, or at least will be considered as truth. That which anyone else who is not within their clique says is not truth, it is lies, and is denounced by them as such. This has escalated to such a level that the journalists of today are preventing others, educated and well-trained, from entering their class; they have also lied to the public in order to incite people into removing from their class those they dislike for daring to defy their insane beliefs on their monopoly.

In this vein, in fact, they have come to lie to the public as a group as to manipulate it into hating that which they hate and loving that which they love. Lies, lies, lies, constantly and always.

IN the struggle for democracy, this elitism has no place. Journalists are indeed the purveyors of the truth, but that does not mean that they are better than all others, that they possess some divine right over the truth, that they define the truth rather than reality itself. They simply communicate it simply, concisely, and effectively, perhaps providing analysis or an opinion, insofar as both are presented as analysis or opinion rather than as facts in themselves.

It is the destruction of the present insanity of the journalists and the setting of the present situation to rights as we have described that we seek presently, as well as, in part, the expansion of certain journalistic activities to the people.

Thus, there shall be an end to the present cliques that have formed in journalism. All of these, regardless of the medium through which they operate, shall be integrated into the "People's Information Service," named so as to continue the mockery of old Social Democratic institutions and remove from them whatever mystique or terror they carried with them, which shall be divided into the "Istkalen Information Service," for national news, and the "Local Information Service," for local news. Integration does not mean prohibition; it simply means that all must now publish under the name of the Information Service rather than the various cliques that existed before.

In order to prevent the inciting of violence and require the truth to be reported, councils of selected editors, known to be truthful and moral, shall be set up as to ensure that lies and propaganda are not disseminated. Within the Information Service, there shall also be outlets for ordinary people to submit various reports and opinions, which may be published from time to time, as to encourage public participation.

Freedom of the press shall remain sacrosanct. So long as what is reported is:

• truthful
• if not truthful, marked as untruthful
• if opinion or analysis, marked as such

it will be published. Citizens will also be free to continue writing and disseminating what they wish, although the mediums of print, radio, and television shall be placed under committee regulation and control, without fear of retribution - in fact, this will be encouraged for the sake of democracy.

Long live democracy; may the Internal Revolution succeed.

[Istkalen]

Istkalen Information Service: Government announces timeline for "democratic" transition"
International

The Council of Ministers, in line with recent reforms, and in an attempt to deny amounting accusations of fascism, has announced its intention to develop a new "democratic" constitution, based on that of 1931, setting a timeline for its creation, the holding of elections, and handover of power to a new government, occurring, in reality, unusually rapidly - all of this in but six months.

Make no mistake - this is not an attempt to court, at the very least, liberal democracy. Istkalen's government has made it clear that it has no intention of ever truly becoming one, instead putting forward a concept of "Istkalener democracy" - effectively an authoritarian ideology that, as is tradition, integrates, rather than suppresses, dissent and political activities in general into controlled, "ordered" state institutions, mostly organized on the line of profession and, in some cases, identity (youth, women, minorities, etc, etc). The choice of the 1931 constitution - a particularly authoritarian document, although mild by Istkalen's standards - as a basis highlights this.

With most Istkaleners supporting such a regime, however, having come to see, after the extreme corruption of 1973-1983, as well as the extravagance and myriad political alliances with the most bizarre of institutions that defined the Social Democratic regime until its violent attempt to purge these all through war both internal and external, even the basic trappings of liberal democracy as leading to failure, there is likely to be little internal opposition to this.

"What has the multi-party system done for us?" asked a woman who wished to remain anonymous. "We saw - they were siphoning money for seances and all sorts of ridiculous ceremonies! Others were doing beheadings and stonings and all sorts of vile things, and when the Social Democrats, seeing the monster they had created, tried to get rid of them - whoosh! - invasion! I don't want it back, I don't know anyone who wants them back. Right now it is tolerable, but it won't be for very long, you will see!"

What exactly will change? Very little. An elected legislature, proportionally appointed by chambers of various professions and vocations, themselves created by the Council of MInisters with the approval of the President and elected by "professional associations" and "workers' associations" and even, oddly enough, "artisans' guilds," composed entirely of members of the National Front, if the format of the 1931 constitution is followed. An executive structured similarly to the present government, requiring the confidence of the legislature, albeit without the same expansive legislative powers. A judiciary, censorate, and council of examination left virtually unchanged, as they have been since their recreation in 1910.

In effect, the same old, same old - not of the Social Democrats, of course, but rather of past, "softly" authoritarian governments - the "Emergency Government" of 2003 after the devastating terrorist attacks on the country's government but before Social Democratic takeover, the Tiraki regime, and so on and so forth.

The perfect manifestion, then, of the "Internal Revolution," the government's expansive, nativist attempt to rid Istkalen of the last remnants of the Social Democratic regime.

Why all this? Why not simply establish a true democracy and gain the support of Europe?

As is perhaps obvious, the people of Istkalen do not want such a thing, and believe, now more than ever, that true democracy has failed; such a thing would thus cause instability. More than anything, the very purpose of the present government is to prevent such instability, now by removing the last dangerous influences of the Social Democrats, and, through the adoption of a nativist platform, the countering of the far-right. It wants to create an oasis of sorts in Eastern Europe, a non-aligned state in all ways separate from European geopolitical conflict and from the militarism that it sees as consuming the region as a whole. Instability would counter this all - it cannot have any of it. Indeed, it would prefer isolation to violence.

[Istkalen]

Istkalen Information Service: The reviled Josephine Areai exempted from deportations of "non-citizen Social Democratic guest-collaborators" after begging for life before immigration board

Josephine Areai, the former State Elder of the former state of Eastern Haane, was and remains a highly controversial figure. Allowed to enter the country as a "guest" of the Social Democratic government (which she, famously, referred to as "the Republic" instead of "the Federation" during a Commission debate) as were hundreds of thousands of other refugees, she became one of the most high-profile "collaborators," as they were called in the common parlance - foreigners who, on the condition for support for the Social Democratic government, were given citizenship and power - although this was hidden from the public - as well as one of the most hated. The vast majority saw her as a symbol of the decline of Istkalen over the past two decades - of the mass infiltration of foreign ideas and culture, of the over-the-top despotism that the state had fallen into, and of extreme moral and cultural decay; her violent past further caused many to believe that she was further disgracing the country abroad and accelerating its already rapid turn away from normal governance.

Upon the Social Democratic self-coup of the 13th of April, her execution was near-immediately ordered, to massive support, providing a further surge in popularity for the new government. She would vanish, but as the nation became swept up in state-directed violence against "guests" and other forces that had kept the Social Democratic order afloat for its whole existence, the fervor for her execution exploded. Effigies of her were burnt; people who resembled her were often violently accosted, and in some cases killed. It was only the declaration of war that would intervene, with the extreme disorder, constant "evacuations" of population centers, and repeated purges resulting in the total collapse of institutions, and thus of the power that fueled the anti-Areai movement.

Upon the fall of the Social Democratic government on the 18th of April as a result of a coup, the interim government of Ilest Kerel, despite the unprecedented chaos and crisis that the country was experiencing, turned its attention to the continued suppression of the anti-Areai movement. Hundreds of its instigators outside of the state were rounded up, in the context of further purges of Social Democratic loyalists led by the military. Small protests began, but were almost instantaneously suppressed by force.

The new leaders of the state did not want their rule to be marked by chaos. They were men and women who, above all, desired order and cleanliness, and would do everything and anything to create and maintain both. The anti-Areai movement was the very definition of chaos; thus, in their eyes, it had to be destroyed, with remaining elements forcibly integrated into what remained of the ruined state apparatus.

We turn, then, to the present day. Almost 400,000 "guest-collaborators," if not more, are to be expelled within six months, by direct order of the President in an attempt to fulfill populist promises. At the top of the list was, predictably, Public Enemy Number One - Josephine Areai. Despite the collapse of the movement and the forced disappearances of its leaders, hatred for her remained alive and kicking, although not with the extreme ferocity that characterized it under the Social Democratic regime - that was largely reserved for the J-TAI.

After her failed Commission campaign, she had returned fully to public life, insofar as it was possible without her being assassinated by members of the public. It was thus relatively simple for her to be arrested and detained, on the 1st of August, where she would immediately begin protesting her fate.

Her argument was simple. She had survived crucifixion and escaped her home country because of the efforts of the "Thirteen Comrades," who rose to national leadership after the Reitzmic intervention in late 2020; with the total collapse of society and of civilization in general, mostly the result of the short lived "Catholic dictatorship" of the Reverend Father Jean-Pierre Antoine, who ruled using the "Thirteen Comrades" as a facade throughout the month of November of 2020, she claimed that she would be unable to survive there.

"They will eat me up," she said, in testimony given to the immigration committee responsible for her fate on the 14th of August. "There is nothing left there but the husks of what once were people. Everyone sane long has left. I can't go back, don't make me go back. I did this all, I know, through my hands did they create this hellscape; but I cannot die now. If I were to die now, I would not have paid for what I have done even by a morsel. I need to pay for what I have done, to give back what I took, to somehow repair what through me was broken. Don't make me go back, don't make me go back, they'll kill me, they'll kill me and roast me and eat me! Don't make me go back, don't make me go back!"

She would plead like this day after day, to her guards, to the immigration committee, and to virtually everyone who could hear. On the 28th, she seemed to have gone mad, screaming again and again about horrific pain, despite her being in perfectly fine physical condition and not having undergone any real stress since her flight from her home nation in early November of 2020.

Today, the immigration committee responsible, due to "the evident mental deterioration of the individual in question," as well as "potential health issues the individual may continue to experience as a result of the ordeals and extreme stress she has experienced" ruled that she would not be deported, resulting in massive public outcry. Protests have not been held, nor is it likely that they will be held - the J-TAI remains in power, and the Republic itself continues to frown on the anti-Areai movement - something significantly more powerful, given that it holds control over religion while at the same time having the ability to call upon what has been termed the "National Union" - that is, the popular idea that, because of the present crisis, citizens must rally around the Republic and uphold its structure and orders as well as possible, themselves taking the vigilante-like role of punishing those who refuse to comply.

However, the President is expected to comment, from exile in Spain, on the situation, as well as to offer guidance on the issue.

[Istkalen]

People's Daily: "Unfortunate" that Czech Slavia Ministry of Culture sees criticism of pre-1948 Czech capitalism as criticism of itself, says Íkrat

General Secretary Ilisapit Íkrat (formerly Romanized Ilisapit Iykrat) of our Communist Party of Istkalen recently received a threatening package from the Czech Ministry of Culture, after her poem cycle "Her Love," which is about the evils that "Mother Capitalism" forced on the Czech people before 1948, focusing especially on the 1918-1948 period, was judged criticism of the modern Czech state, which, while not considered socialist by the Party, is considered to be developing towards socialism, despite a number of errors on the part of the Socialist Republican Party.

Comrade Íkrat, in a statement from prison made in her official capacity as Minister of the Professions in the government of the Republic, addressed, among other issues including what she terms "the continued revision and outright falsification of historical events by the present government" and "the necessity of creating a society of free producers as to begin the process of constructing socialism," the threatening package.

"Let us now turn to less serious matters," she wrote. "I have received an unusual package from the Czech Slavian Ministry of Culture, as acknowledgement of my participation in a festival they held. Within this package is contained a death threat, in pictorial form, which appears to depict a man swinging an ice pick at what is, assuming form the unusual criticism that the Ministry of Culture gave my work, a caricature of of me."

"The reasoning for this disturbing package is related to the unusual criticism that my work was given. The Czech Minister of Culture appears to have interpreted the poem I submitted to the festival, a short work that criticizes Czech capitalism during the 1918-1948 period, as criticism of the Democratic Republic of Czech Slavia itself, its economic system, and of its President. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are deep flaws in all of these, but not so deep that they can be condemned in this way. I, as a member of the Party and in line with the principles of democratic centralism, do indeed hold to the official policy of the Party as regards Czech Slavia, made in the spirit of socialist internationalism, that:

• the socialist mode of production no longer exists in Czech Slavia

• due to the material conditions prevailing there, the Socialist Republican Party was right in allowing for private enterprise as an integral part of the socialist system in Czech Slavia

• due to the presence of a clique of capitalist roaders in the party, this project was undermined and resulted in increasing control of the international bourgeoisie over the economy of Czech Slavia

• due to the continued influence of genuine socialists in the Socialist Republican Party, the state can still be considered as progressing towards socialism."

"As a result, the interpretation of the poem presented by the Czech Minister of Culture could not be any further from the truth. I am a stalwart anti-capitalist and communist, who would not engage in petty sectarianism as he implies I would. While I do hold to the party line in supporting the Communist Party of Czech Slavia above the Socialist Republican Party, I do not necessarily oppose the Socialist Republican Party, merely believe that it has made mistakes and has enforced party discipline strongly enough; I certainly do not believe that it has brought, or intends to bring, to Czech Slavia the capitalist system I described in the poem!"

"Perhaps the Minister did make a mistake, but I cannot see how he could have. It is easy to distinguish between the "her" of the poem - "Mother Capitalism," the embodiment of capitalism, the maternal figure that capitalists claim capitalism is but also the cruel figure that capitalism in reality is - and the President of Czech Slavia, who, despite having made many mistakes, continues to provide strong leadership for her country, trying as best as she can to develop socialism there. It is even easier to see that the conditions described better fit the Czech lands before socialism, falling victim to consumerism and imperialism, represented by the yellow land and the plastic woman, than they do now. It is certainly a possibility that the Czech Minister of Culture indeed believes that the estimable President of Czech Slavia is similar to the embodiment of capitalism, and that he also believes that Czech Slavia is descending into the capitalism I have described, but let us hope that this is not true. Regardless, it is unfortunate that the Czech Ministry of Culture has interpreted my poem in such a way, and I do hope that they come to their senses. I'm sure that they do not want to send any more death threats - I certainly don't want to receive any more!"

[Istkalen]

Istkalen Information Service: Government abandons constitutional project, calls for establishment of EU transitional authority to oversee elections to constituent assembly, rebuild state apparatus

For the past few months, true governance was absent in Istkalen. The civil service and bureaucracy had been gutted during the war; the establishment of the occupation effectively stopped any and all attempts to reconstruct it. The J-TAI itself was virtually unable to administer the country except in sudden convulsions of force, and even then could not pursue any definite policy aims; the Republic, on the other hand, relied almost entirely on organized vigilante justice in order to retain what little power it had. It did pursue a policy of radical social and economic reform, yes - but that was more or less and endorsement of a process that had begun with the fall of the Social Democratic government on the 18th of April.

There was nothing, then, but organized violence. Stirred up by clergy, instructed by the government through the Religion Council of the Republic of Istkalen, the only institution to survive the war relatively unscathed as a result of its importance in regards to control over society, to tell people that support for the J-TAI was an automatic ticket to the worst of tortures in hell, as well as that support for J-TAI was anything outside of active opposition to it, as well as by other organizations which participated in the institutions of the Republic, including the Women's Association and the Cultural Association of Istkalen, the people of Istkalen protested and resisted, often with violence. Supporters of the J-TAI were subject to extreme public harassment.

In one case, the staff of a local news agency, which published an article in support of the occupation, were forcibly laid off by order of the municipal government, before being stripped of their ability to work in the journalism sector, an action that was later extended to virtually everything except work that did not require a license to engage in on a professional basis - that is, manual labor. In another, a group of teachers who students claimed were supporters of the J-TAI were brought before an assembly of town residents, who proceeded to shout and scream at them for over ten hours. Their faces were placed on posters, labeled "TRAITORS TO THE NATION" and posted around the town. They were systematically denied service by virtually all business operating in the town, and their homes picketed daily. All eventually left because of the level of hostility displayed towards them. In one of the most egregious cases, a rural People's Committee decided that suspected J-TAI supporters were to have to carry bells with them, shaking them and shouting "Unclean! Unclean! Unclean!" so that people would avoid them, in a punishment taken directly from the Bible.

Alongside with the wave of "revolution" that swept across Istkalen in the initial month after the end of the war, which included the trying of thousands before what were little more than kangaroo "traditional" courts for "crimes against morality," "crimes against dignity," 'introducing foreign elements into the sacred culture of the nation, and "denying the people their rightful livelihoods," as well as a program of wealth redistribution fueled by vigilantism implicitly encouraged by People's Committees across the country, this was what passed for governance in Istkalen.

It is no surprise, then, that the Republic has abandoned its constitutional project. While the state of the civil service and bureaucracy is slightly better than it was at the beginning of the occupation, both remain severely underdeveloped. Without the "National Union" - the nationalist vigilantism that has upheld whatever remains of Istkalen's sovereignty over the past few months - they would be completely unable to administer the country. To push forwards with a new constitution would be pure folly; the country is already showing signs of disintegrating as the J-TAI appears to be readying itself for a withdrawal, which is predicted by most to end fully in May of next year, with the insanity of the Northern Radio continuing to go unchecked in the north and hysteria there getting worse and worse day by day. It was just yesterday that the rest of the country received news about a riot over illicit tomatoes; just last week that the Northern Radio denounced the current government as a "hive of Vards, who wear the skin of pure Istkaleners in order to hunt us down and eat us bloodily." With these conditions, a genuine constitution would be unenforceable; its passage, on the other hand, would create shockwaves enough to cause the total collapse of the Republic.

In lieu of the planned transition, however, the government has planned something far more radical.

"Upon the end of the occupation," said President Ikomar from exile in Spain, "the Government of the Republic of Istkalen will officially initiate a motion in the European Council to establish a transitional authority in our country. Our transition has failed; we possess neither the power nor the institutions to effect it. We must now turn to the European Union for aid, so that we may see the rehabilitation and restoration of our homeland."

The plan is for the European Union to manage government for between three months and a year. An interim "legislature," operating on the basis of consensus, would be established in the country, with one representative from each participating member of the European Union, including Istkalen; the present government of Istkalen would remain in place, with the same powers it has now, although it would be subject to "parliamentary" confidence. The primary responsibilities of the interim "legislature" would be to establish stable institutions of government and hold elections to a national constituent assembly, which would draft a new constitution. Upon the stable establishment of the new constitution, of stable government in general, and of peace, the legislature would be dissolved and full government would be handed to the people of Istkalen under the constitution they themselves developed.

The plan is surprisingly popular, likely because it preserves Istkalen's sovereignty, to an extent, and does not involve the imperialization of the country. Many believe it may be the best possible path, as it could result in the end of sanctions against Istkalen.

Updates will be forthcoming.

[Istkalen]

Istkalen Information Service: Koline pushes through project of reform as slow disintegration of the country continues

Minister of Finance Iskiris Koline, the longest serving finance minister in the history of Istkalen, in her fourth nonconsecutive term in that position, has spearheaded a radical and broad project for economic reform. Her focus, unlike many of her colleagues in government, is not on the structure of the economy. Despite her membership in the Radical Democratic Party, she has not pushed for the abolition of the producers' committees or even the much more controversial state occupational unions, although she has lent support for the ongoing attempt to reform these institutions as to abolish "feudal" hierarchies within them. She has instead attempted to return to the economy of the 1990s, amid internal chaos and the imposition of sanctions on Istkalen by Inimicus, Nofoaga, and Gadalland and Aspern, seeking partial deregulation combined with a strong commitment to the "traditional" organization of Istkalen's economy - the oft-mentioned "society of free craftsmen" or "society of free producers" - alongside the creation of temporary state-controlled "collectives," under the supervision of national or regional producers' committees, with loose economic plans for development uniting the whole. More controversially, Koline intends to place tariffs on foreign imports into Istkalen, especially on industrial materials, most notably steel and glass, while using deficit spending to invest massively into the development of industry to replace exports in the country. The primary goal of this program is to increase and augment employment while making Istkalen self-dependent and, eventually, a net exporter of goods.

Fiscally, the plan is to increase revenue as much as possible. Income taxes are to be raised for the very wealthy, while decreased or maintained at their present level for everyone else, from a flat tax of 20%. This is, however, to be accompanied by the implementation of what would be one of the highest VATs in Europe, at 25%, with exemptions made for certain goods and services considered essential, although municipal sales taxes have been ordered reduced to below 4%. Social taxes will also be raised, from presently 30% for the self-employed and, in collectives, 15% for individuals and 18% for the whole collective, to 35% for the self-employed and, in collectives, 20% for individuals and another 20% for the whole collective. The hated tax-in-kind will be maintained, primarily because of a continued inability on the part of the state to track economic activity, although it will be reduced in scope due to the continued expansion of banking and the so-called "digital Ketsel" introduced in 2019. The expectation is that this will reduce consumption of "foreign" luxury goods, while at the same time raising revenue for the Republic, which throughout the previous year was dependent almost entirely on what little money was sent "upwards" from People's Committees, which sporadically collected taxes as to fund their own operations and regional cooperation, allowing for the maintenance of the expansive welfare state amid the plan to increase spending as for development while not pushing the Republic into unmanageable debt.

Koline has also planned, with the support of the Central Bank of the Republic of Istkalen, a crackdown on the usage of promissory notes as private currency in the countryside, with the argument that it is stagnating economic progress in Istkalen by hampering the progress that banks can make in the area, largely by making operation extremely risky.

The primary effect of this reform has been the removal of the economic controls imposed by Kerel, although the welfare state that he created has remained largely untouched, as well as the increased involvement of the producers' committees at all levels of government, with, unlike even uner the most extreme phase of the shortlived Kerel government, all control over the economy vested in them, with the People's Committees playing no role whatsoever in them. Koline has referred to this, at varying times, as "self-government for the economy, "rational democracy in planning," Neither investment or taxation reforms have gone into place; even previous development programs have been halted, due to concerns over the burgeoning debt. More importantly, however, the reforms regarding promissory notes have caused unrest, with many arguing that without them, there would be no way to conduct trade due to the undeveloped state of financial infrastructure in the region. For the first time, protests are to be held against the Republic, perhaps a sign that it is stabilizing as a regular democracy, perhaps a sign that it is disintegrating.

Other controversies have arisen. Many have accused Koline of being hypocritical for arguing against ISI just a few months ago, while now advocating for it in her own country; she has responded by saying that "conditions in Istkalen are unique and not present elsewhere; regardless, I would not imagine taking money from the European Union to finance this endeavor." She has convinced very few of this argument, although she remains popular due to her acumen, now near-absent in the country as many have fled or gone underground. Others believe that the reforms are a waste of time, especially as food insecurity looms over the horizon, with crop failures across the country as a result of the volcanic eruption in Nofoaga and the extreme economic disruption caused by the war and later civil resistance,and that the government should be focusing more on ensuring that all are fed rather than on "abstract" economic reforms.

Still others argue that the reforms are an attempt to seize power from the People's Committees, which have become increasingly independent from the state as tensions and radicalism grow in the country; others argue that while they indeed are such a seizure, they do not go far enough, as the People's Committees have grown too radical and thus have become a threat to democracy and stability.

The most pressing question, however, is not of intent, nor of effects, nor of necessity. It is simply enforcement. With the state crumbling, and the J-TAI looming over the horizons, there is no way to actually implement the reforms fully apart from that which has already been implemented, simply because they are not popular enough to be made "active" through the "National Union," or, in other words, through pure vigilantism - something especially true given that the government has effectively lost control over the North to the Northern Radio, with the last institutions loyal to it - the producers' committees - largely in hiding. This is especially true given the even less popular reforms pushed regarding justice and law enforcement reform, which seek to control both as a result of their "wildness" over the past few months and force them into things approaching the institutions of a liberal democracy, which have been entirely ignored and have probably significantly reduced trust in the central government by the People's Committees.

On top of that, the J-TAI continues to loom over the horizon; there are again new rumors that, despite Inquistan recognition, which may in any case be revoked, the Republic will be dissolved, this time not merely the central government but genuinely local government as well. Such a thing would not merely leave the reforms unenforceable but would leave the country entirely paralyzed.

Regardless of what happens, these reforms and the reaction to them illustrate more clearly than ever that Istkalen is truly at a crossroads. Should it take the path to integration, or should it continue as it was, an isolated pariah state? Only time will tell which it will choose.

[Istkalen]

Istkalen Information Service: Producers' committees force calling of constituent assembly

In an emergency, evidently pre-planned meeting, the producers' committees voted to force the calling of a constituent assembly, citing "the deteriorating conditions in the Republic," as well as the "the failure of the present Basic Law to uphold the principles of republican government in Istkalen." The meeting, which lasted five hours, was denounced as a coup by several members of the cabinet, and was certainly illegal, as no provision for it exists in the interim, or "Basic," constitutional law of Istkalen; however, widespread popular support for the move, especially after the centrist turn of the present government, effectively forced its implementation.

The constituent assembly shall be formed of 700 delegates, 690 elected by proportional representation from 20 electoral districts, 5 appointed by the German Self-Government Council, 4 by the Turkic People's Self-Government Council, and 1 by the Finnic People's Self-Government Council. Only member-parties of the National Front may contest the election.

Upon taking office, the assembly will be the first in Istkalen to be elected according to any protocol approaching true proportionality. The legislative election of 1910 operated on the principle of equal representation for the 19 administrative districts of Istkalen, which varied significantly in population; all elections further on operated on an estatist (1911 - 1930, 1983-1985, 2002-2008, 2010-2021), syndicalist (1930-1959, 1985-1996, 2008-2010), or corporatist (1959-1983) model, all of which resulted in significant distortions between the popular feeling and the actual constitution of the elected legislature.

The hope of the producers' committees is that by holding an election which returns a legislature in line with the beliefs of the people, the existing tension in Istkalen between the People's Committees, the producers' committees, and the cabinet will be resolved.

Most parties have already prepared lists, as they were previously prepared to contest the planned elections to a constituent assembly that were to be held in June, but were cancelled by the Ikomar government due to instability. All parties presently polling above 5% are presented here.

Party	Ideology and Position	Symbol
Communist Party of Istkalen	A far-left to center-left party, the Communist Party of Istkalen includes most of the Marxist left, from "revisionist" social democrats to hardline communists, united only around a willingness to participate in electoral politics, distinguishing them from the Party of Labor, which was unwilling to and collapsed with the coup of 13 April. While moderate communists dominate the Party's leadership, its platform is vague and incorporates positions from the whole of the spectrum it represents, although it is considered in favor of nationalization of the economy and the creation of a decentralized, parliamentary model, which it terms the "model of the soviets," to manage it. The party is strongly anti-imperialist and for the creation of a multi-party democracy, which has made it popular in these times; more controversially, it has argued for the abolition of legal marriage and its replacement with "cohabitation," as well as the expansion of social services as to shift responsibility from the family to the state. It has, however, no experience in governance, except for a short period in 2002 which it spent as a member of a national unity government and now in 2021 where it plays a similar role
National Republican Party of Istkalen	The National Republican Party, a left-wing to centrist party whose official ideology is Liresian Democracy, (Liresianism is the majority religion in Istkalen) began as the center-left "Republican Movement of National Unity" in 1915, and entered government as the "Common People's Union" in 1930, staging a coup against the monarchy in 1946 and establishing a short-lived coalition government with the anti-electoral communist Party of Labor before ascending to uncontested power, where it would begin a radical policy of land and industrial reform, distributing land among individual farmers and state-recognized unions, while nationalizing or handing over to unions many mines and factories, while continuing to allow for private influence in the economy, largely in the form of individual, "dual," cooperative, and family proprietorships and businesses. It also, however, pursued a Westernizing and conservative social policy, encouraging the formation of traditional families while at the same time arguing for equality between women and men, mimicking more conservative communist parties. More unusually, it sought to strengthen the "partnership of labor" while highlighting the "traditional" role of women in the household while claiming all of this, at the same time imposing a policy of laicitism, causing many to accuse it and continue to accuse it of instability.The National Republican Party, during the years of "national" social democracy, moved significantly to the right under the leadership of Akem Linek, endorsing an economically liberal, national conservative, and authoritarian ideology, but, with his departure, has moved back to its roots. The party has significant experience in governance; with its turn back to the left, as well as its moderation on cultural matters, especially on LGBT+ rights, support for which has effectively become a prerequisite for membership in the National Front due to perceived international pressure, it has experienced a resurgence in popularity and trust.
Istkalener Agrarian Union	The Agrarian Union, a syncretic party, stands primarily for decentralization and the restoration of the what it claims to be a traditional economy of "free producers" - that is, of sole and dual proprietorships, as well as cooperative and family business, complemented by the widespread existence of mutual-aid groups, organized through well-established syndicates on the National Republican model. The Union is strongly opposed to nationalization and socialization, although not state intervention in the economy, and seeks a society where individuals are, in the words of its own platform, "free to pursue their own paths," but also have "responsibilities to society." It especially tries to advocate for smallholders, who it argues form the backbone of Istkalen's society and economy, as well as protect the environment, and argues for relaxed taxes and regulations on them in coordination with the imposition of tariffs on those products which they create. Socially, they are strongly in support of the subordination of the family to the partnership of labor, although they argue that both "create the social life of the nation. The Agrarian Union governed as an unofficial coalition partner to the National Republicans after the removal of the Party of Labor from government, its members officially listed as "independents," and thus is considered to have some experience in governing, but has continued to struggle to move beyond its rural base.
Green Party of Istkalen	The Green Party is a new party, which has gained significant popularity for its unorthodox politics and since the ascension of member Vistek Rikkalek to first the position of Emperor and second the position of Prime Minister. It seeks, primarily, the abolition of both producers' committees and estates for a "occupational union," or guild, based form of representation. The Green Party, unlike the Union Party, believes strongly in the natural equality of all people; however, it believes that, because of the royalist period of Relem, the partnership of labor has become the dominant partnership in the country, and thus that it, rather than the family, should be the center of society. This necessarily entails the adoption of a policy of radical "free love," alongside one protecting the "sanctity" of the partnership of labor against "foreign influences,' leading to them having been labeled both as conservative and progressive. Economically, their policy is similar to that of the Istkalener Agrarian Union; however, they are only for dual partnerships, and cooperation of said partnerships through the state occupational unions. They are focused on promoting traditional forms of production as superior, including crafts and smallholder agriculture, arguing that both do more to preserve both "humanity" and "the environment" in production, while at the same time believing that the state should do more to try to modernize and make more efficient both. They have little experience in governance, but, in the few portfolios given to them in the present cabinet as well as in the actions of the Prime Minister, have already shown themselves to be highly competent.
Istkalener Solidarity Party	The Solidarity Party is a syncretic political party which emerged in 1959 as a faction of the National Republican Party seeking liberalization of the economy on communitarian lines. They allowed for the establishment of small business, and were in the favor of the creation of a "petite bourgeoisie," but were also protectionist and strongly against the formation of anything beyond medium-sized companies. Nationalized enterprises were privatized; those under the control of the unions were either given to individuals or split off as cooperatives. Business sectors were represented in "horizontal" syndicates, which sought to represent all possible class interests and merge them in the context of a profession, while also facilitating economic cooperation and, in some cases, going as far as to issue economic plans. This organization was denounced as fascist, and indeed the Solidarity Partyat some point admitted to having borrowed the policy from the far-right; however, it combined with this a strong commitment to decentralization of power, democratization, and social progressivism. The Solidarity Party continues to hold to these same principles today; despite its policies having led to a disastrous period in Istkalen's history culminating in the reaction of Tiraki, it has experienced a recent resurgence in support due to its synthesis of Western and Istkalener ideas.
Radical Democratic Party of Istkalen	The Radical Democratic Party of Istkalen is a centrist, liberal party which argues for widespread privatization, reduction in taxes, and openness to foreign investment. Some have gone so far as to label it as libertarian, due to its lax position on the economy and on social matters; it has rejected this label, arguing that it is in support of a state-role in the economy, largely in ensuring a free market, as well as rights social and economic for workers. Initially a minor party, it has become popular among professionals with the ascendancy of Liros Ikomar to the Presidency, as well as for its advocacy for the establishment of a parliamentary system in the country, both of which are seen as stabilizing. However, the Radical Democratic Party, prior to Liros Ikomar, and, more importantly, the institution of the national unity government, has had no experience governing, and what little it has seen has been characterized by instability, which has driven many Istkaleners away from it.
Union Party of the Istkalener People	The Union Party is a center-right to right wing party, in favor of the establishment of an estatist system of representation and the restoration of the quasi-guild system that existed under the Social Democrats. They are highly technocratic, arguing that only "experts" must be able to ascend to any form of public office, and believing in a rationalized and planned economy with market characteristics as a way to increase efficiency. Socially, they are highly conservative, arguing that only men, or women who are man-like in temperment, should be able to work, with women relegated to the household, and "below" even the "husband's" partner in the so-called "partnership of labor." While this is a position somewhat similar to those of the National Republican Party and the Istkalener Agrarian Union, both of these parties are open to other forms of relationships and only highlight this, in the modern day, in the argument that the state must allow "one parent," without specifying gender, to take a role in the home rather than work as to support children. Their only experiment in governance was with Kerel, and was by large an unstable failure characterized by their inability to consolidate power over Istkalen, combined with extreme hypocrisy and general insanity. Support for them has rapidly declined; while it has stabilized, it is possible they may not make the 5% threshold.

[Istkalen]

Istkalen Information Service: Filth from Awakening

The Republic of Istkalen presents this to the people to reveal the true insanity of the Northern Radio. This filth was in one of their horrid magazines, "Awakening," which claims to help people attain political consciousness but in reality buries them, most of whom are already buried, under steaming piles of nonsense.

Read and laugh. Let us not take these insane ramblings seriously, but instead let them show how deranged the Northern Radio is, so that they may be revealed for the charlatans and lunatics they are.

---

On the 25th of June, long ago, the Copalan people woke up in shadow. The sun had been blotted out; hope was gone. The Reitzmic state had banned them, had, through decree, wiped them from legal existence. They were already dead, from the moment that that day dawned; there was no escape.

Old, young, it did not make a difference to the unthinking automatons of the Reitzmic army. Nicoleizians, Inquistan Orthodox, Haaneans - all alike were dragged from their homes and forced into buses. They did not know where they were going, they did not know what would be done with them. Such is the nature of midnight decrees, made in cover of darkness.

Secret image taken on the morning of the 25th of June, depicting the deportation of innocent Copalans to the New Saint Regina Internment Camp by members of the evil Reitzmic military.

In the months previous, there had been a graduaeescalation. The teachers in the schools were fired, and new ones direct from the Center, the Interior, were brought in to force Korean culture and Reitzmic political ideas on the innocent youth of Copala City. No longer was culture celebrated; only Reitzmag prevailed. Reitzmag now, Reitzmag then, Reitzmag forever, that was what it was.

It was a concerted attempt to snuff out Copalan culture. Copala could not prevail, there was only Reitzmag. For the glory of Reitzmag, Copala must die, and they accomplished that. They killed Copala. They sent its youth to die in war, brainwashed its people into forgetting their roots and becoming eternally faithful to their King, who they knew loved them eternally and with which they would repay him with eternal loyalty and service.

But the Copalans resisted, even as the insidious Reitzmic ideas slithered their way through their brains, corrupting them slowly, turning them against themselves. The Copalans resisted as their minds were taken from them by a supernatural force, resisted until finally the Reitzmic monster had eaten and consumed them, and all they were was but mush, excrement. And for that, they were driven away to a place where they would be broken down fully, turned into automatons themselves, lobotomized and going about life without thought, only with total obedience.

The trip to the internment camp where they would meet the end of their lives took three to five hours. Three to five hours on winding roads, going up and down, winding, bumpy roads, the bright summer sun shining down, the buses, overcrowded, stuffed to the brim with Nicoleizians and Inquistan Orthodox and others, less than cattle to the Reitzmic snakes, getting hotter and hotter. No food, no possessions but what could be hurriedly fit into a small backpack. No idea of what the destination would be, only the wide Reitzmic plains expanding on forever, a narrow strip of black before them leading beyond the horizon into further road, further plain, hills, plain, hills, plain....

Many collapsed. There was no water, and so much heat, and it was so crowded, people standing shoulder to shoulder, face to face, breathing on each other, trying to lean away but failing to. A crush; people sitting on each other. Someone fallen down on the floor, the limp, pale body surrounded by feet next to each other. Less room for everyone. Too much, too much, too much.

They would never reach civilization. Exhausted, they would stumble out before a great building, placed in the middle of wide plains, uninhabitable, marched to a fenced enclosure, and kept there.

Processing facility for new inmates at the New Saint Regina Internment Camp

Secret image depicted what is believed to be the enclosure in which Copalans were kept.

They could not leave; they would be shot if they did. They received no food, no water, no shelter. For three days did each batch of Copalans stay there; many collapsed there, of the heat, of the exposure, of many other things. The Reitzmics did not care. Eventually they were moved to another part of the internment camp.

Secret image depicting lodgings for approved emigrants, for Inquistan Orthodox.

Alleged lodgings for non-Inquistan Orthodox approved emigrants

THey were divded into approved - those who had become fully Reitzmic - and unapproved. The unapproved were kept with the approved for a few days, but outside; they were then moved back to the enclosure. Some were allowed to return; the fate of the others is unknown.

The approved took lessons - political and cultural reeducation lessons - here for two weeks, living on little. It was a camp for them, said the Reitzmics, to prepare them for New Anastasia City. A gift from the King to them. They should be grateful. It was here that many fell out. They were sent back to the enclosure, or made to stay a little longer.

Those who were trusted by the state were allowed to proceed. They were then sent to an airstrip to be taken to the United Duchies.

Alleged image of the airstrip "terminal"
ue
Citizens, do you see this? Citizens, do you understand what happened here? It is the strategy of the Reitzmic regime for subjugating their colonies! It is the strategy that is being applied to us now!

Do you not see it? they have already locked down our country, they have already begun their infiltration into our minds with their witchy, serpent powers! It has begun, and now it cannot be stopped! They will force us all into camps, we too weak because of their incantations and serpent deviousness! We must overcome serpent spells! We must overcome serpent magic! We are humans, we have been given dominion over the serpents and the wolves who torture us constantly! We can strike them down with the magic of the Supreme Being, with which we are all imbued but do not know due to the illusions and spells of the serpents and the terrible efforts of the wolves.

Was it not said in the Book? "Lo, and there I saw, the shining cross on the hill struck by the moon; and great streams of blood issued from the ground, For it was written that the dark earth would turn red and shining when the fire of evil destroyed itself. The priests of Jevad screamed, for in their evil actions they had condemned themselves, and thus they turned, each, into serpent. Fourteen serpents issued from where the priests of Jevad were standing, their robes struck by the light of the moon and turned to sackcloth, falling on the ground wet with blood and themselves wetted, so that they were made red and wet. And the serpents slithered, ho, across the wettened ground, and themselves became wettened with the blood of the earth; and they were red, as it was written. The cross itself became two serpents, which were bound to each other by a bright rope; and bound they did remain because of the light of the moon. And thus the serpents became bound by the blood of the earth, and the great Supreme Being pronounced holy judgement. Let us rejoice!"

It is clear that the prophecies are revealing themselves, by the grace of the Supreme Being. The Reitzmics and Vards are turned to their true forms, of serpent and wolf, by their own works reflected by that concentration of their activities, and they are left bound to carnality and forced into an eternal and torturous cycle.

Let us rise up, ho, and defeat the serpents and the wolves for the final victory of the nation, so that we may be freed completely and totally, becoming the light and removing the shadow which proceeds from the darkness.

[Istkalen]

Northern Radio: PROCLAMATION OF THE IMPERIAL REALM OF ISTKALEN

(OOC: Little violence will actually come out of this - this is really just posturing, for the most part)

We have been oppressed by the South and by the occupation too long. They have conspired to destroy our nation, so that they may devour our flesh and make the rest of us unthinking slaves, animals for them to use as they wish, abusing endlessly. They think themselves superior to all else; they think themselves the masters of the world. We must tear them down; we must ensure the independence of our nation and of our people in eternity, through violence if necessary.

The wolves and the serpents are to be driven out by the force of the sun; with them shall burn the collaborationists, who shall die the most horrible of deaths for their sins and crimes against our nation. Then may we become a nation one, great, and independent; then may we accomplish our rebirth.

Forwards, Istkaleners! Forwards to the liberation of our nation, forwards to the great renaissance of our people! Strike the occupiers and the country-sellers down without mercy, let their blood cover the streets. Spare none. The nation must be purified with their deaths, for, to be strong, it cannot have the ranks of the weak and the traitorous among it. All of its members must be strong and energetic, willing to die for its cause and its defense.

From Kirelesille, our new Imperial Realm, the restoration of our national glory, is proclaimed for the unity of the people and the purity and greatness of the nation! Our Emperor, our leader, is the patriot and prophet Andres Liiv, who has led us through these terrible times and now will lead us to the light and the eternal glory! Let us praise him, praise him endlessly, praise him, and be devoted to him, for he shall liberate us all! Praise upon His Majesty, infallible and blessed, praise, endlessly praise, praise!

We will allow twenty-four hours for the patriots of Istkalen to join us in our fight. Those who do not help us will be struck down. Rally behind the leadership of our leader His Majesty the Emperor Liiv, so that you may become free as a member of the most glorious and blessed nation to ever exist!

[Istkalen]

State Announcements for Kirelesile

Kirelesile is the primate city of Istkalen, with a population of 7.1 million - by far the largest, as well as the most economically productive. State Announcements serve as a bulletin, contributed to both by the government and by the people, although it is screened by the Ministry of Communications before publication. It is presently the only permitted publication in Istkalen.

General Reminder: Citizens are to be vigilant for terrorist activity, especially by the so-called Imperial Realm and the Reformed Social Democratic Party. It is the responsibility of every Istkalener to defend the integrity of the nation and of the Republic.

A permit has been issued for the planned demonstration against the confiscation of mines on the part of the occupying forces. Attendance is limited to 50; the event will be heavily monitored to prevent violence.

A permit has been issued for the planned demonstration in favor of syndicalist-style reform to government in Istkalen. Attendance is limited to 100; the event will be heavily monitored to prevent violence.

A permit has been issued for the planned demonstration against the prohibition of promissory notes. Attendance is limited to 40; the event will be heavily monitored to prevent violence.

The Congress of Producers of Kirelesile will be meeting today at 16:00. The meeting will be broadcast on television, as well as livestreamed on the Municipal Government online service provided by the central government. Citizens will not be allowed to attend the meeting in-person due to concerns about the safety of the members of the Congress.

Due to the severe food crisis as a result of the volcanic eruption in Nofoaga, rations are to be reduced, at a level to be announced by the Congress of Producers.

Housing Cooperative 46 has eight open units, which are 80 ketsel-ir a month. Please contact [email protected] if interested.

We of the Department of Political Science of the University of Kirelesile are conducting a study regarding the effects of propaganda, primarily regarding the Northern Radio. Contact [email protected] for further information.

....

[Istkalen]

Istkalen Information Service: Rikkalek begins radical program of reform
Authorized by the Ministry of Communication - regards essential release of important information that cannot be conveyed through other channels

Vistek Rikkalek, in his first day as Head of State, in an effort to reconstruct the Republic and the nation, has turned the Internal Revolution on its head and steered the country on a new path - that of "non-aligned socialism." This is not the socialism of the UNSR or Czech Slavia - that is, it is not a socialism of control - but rather a socialism of democracy, whose meaning, in Rikkalek's own words, is "not the abolition of the classes or the creation of some new society but rather reforms to our economy and country so that both serve the common people rather than an elite." In particular, the "non-aligned socialism" of Rikkalek will not attempt collectivization or nationalization - it will instead attempt what he refers to as "a direct socialization," in which business is subordinated to the interests of the whole through the introduction and strengthening of new decentralized and collective institutions.

"Our conception of socialization," he said in the unveiling of the new ideology, "is not one which involves ideas of all sharing, of all holding all the wealth as a collective. Our conception of socialization does not involve putting industry under the state or any government. More than anything, rather than control, it regards motivations. Our socialization seeks the end of selfishness in the economy - it intends, through the creation of binding fraternities of workers - not the state occupational unions but rather more decentralized and egalitarian organizations, managed by the producers' committees, to gradually subordinate the interest of the individual to that of the whole, without ever touching the way in which property is owned or in which production is controlled and managed."

There is a strongly traditional and organic aspect to "non-aligned socialism," primarily in regards to the aspects of political organization and the forms of business that are to be allowed to exist in the new Istkalen. In particular, Rikkalek's conception of the producers' committees, which are to form what he terms "people's syndicates," involve this. In more common forms of socialism, institutions like the "people's syndicates" - democratic institutions founded on labor that encompass the whole of the working class - form the state and represent the people, removing institutions they feel are unjust. while acting to Rikkalek, however, argues that the people's syndicates will be collective institutions which will, while forming the state, primarily act to bind people together, rather than to represent them, although representation - thinking of the collective rather than a mass of disconnected individuals - will be one of their purposes. In essence, they will be communitarian and traditional, rather than progressive and individualistic. In addition, only traditional forms of business - "free workers," families, and the collectives they may form - will be permitted - an obvious invoking of nationalism and, again, traditionalist communitarianism, rather than anything socialist in nature. There is also an obsession with the worth of manual labor especially, considered the moral backbone of Istkalen - but this seems more or less cosmetic in nature - Rikkalek himself is a member of the intelligentsia, and has previously advocated for policies that benefit all sectors of society equally rather than merely manual workers.

However, in many ways, the ideology is also revolutionary. The nationalism it invokes is not that of Ikomar, with his ethnocentrism, or Kerel, with his statism, but rather one that cannot really be defined by traditional words. Istkalen has no common culture, nor any dominant culture - culture, thus, cannot be invoked. It has no common or dominant language that is native to the country - language, thus, cannot be used. It has no dominant ethnicity - ethnicity cannot be used. The only thing that all of its people share is history, and thus Rikkalek has decided to invoke history, alongside a vague idea of the "solidarity of peoples," in order to create his new nationalism. In particular, he has chosen to portray Istkalen before Relem as almost a utopia regarding race relations, in which all lived equally and beside each other, doing their part. It is this which he argues forms "the nation," and thus this that he wishes to return to. There is, as such, no focus on statism, no exclusionism, but rather one on binding people together based on the idea of shared history and interdependence - a continuation of the theme, one could say. At the same time, it definitely seeks a greater egalitarianism - it condemns "selfishness," and thus the accumulation of extreme wealth, as well as the economic exploitation, especialy within family businesses and certain collectives, that was endemic to Istkalen before the Social Democrats, and seeks the creation of a new society where all are made equal through solidarity and shared norms.

Non-alignment is an important idea that does not fall into either of these categories. Rikkalek, like Ikomar, wants to bring Istkalen outside of regional conflict, having it pursue a policy solely in its own interest, and seeks to give it a national ideology that is able to be reconciled with those of the outside world. In particular, he wishes to distance it from the ideologies of the outside world, creating a new one for Istkalen, a well as pursuing pragmatic policies in regards to foreign affairs rather than ideological ones.

[Istkalen]

Istkalen Information Service: "Istkalen is the most progressive country in Europe," claims Council of Ministers

The Council of Ministers today released a statement claiming that Istkalen is the most progressive and modern country in Europe.

"Istkalen has long been at the forefront of social progress in Europe. It has never been held back by so-called 'traditional morals;' it has always raced into the future. We are a nation, a society, far more advanced in terms of social and civil rights than any other....Even in the most progressive of the European societies, patriarchal institutions continue to exist. The woman, in the family, is expected to give up her rights in society - her work, her independent life- and become totally dedicated to her husband and to her children. When she chooses to work, she is treated much more poorly than any other. She is asked constantly whether she is ignoring her children, whether she is contributing to social decline. She is disrespected in the workplace; she is asked, constantly, to answer difficult questions that are asked to no one else. She is caught in a constant cycle of guilt and despair. In Istkalen, there is no difference between woman and man. Both act as producers equally; none are ever asked questions, none are ever made to feel regret for working, that most natural expression of human creativity and strength. Childcare is the work of the community, rather than of a single sex; all participate, and none shirk. We are thus confident in saying that there is absolutely no sexual inequality in the Republic of Istkalen," the Council claimed, perhaps outrageously. The movement for women's equality began in Istkalen only with the rise of Tiraki, and even then was hampered in the countryside until the rise of the Social Democrats, who were able to impose the policies on the countryside; even then, they remained, until a few days after the invasion of Istkalen, in a horrific condition in the German territories of Istkalen ruled by he Patriotic Front; to this day, while they have won a great number of rights, in that area there remain restrictions on their ability to travel and work, although far from odious compared to the policies from before, which put them under virtual house arrest and deprived them of virtually all rights.

The statement also addressed the issue of LGBT rights. Istkalen, until very recently, was poor on this issue; while only same-sex "partnerships of labor" were permitted until the 18th of April, with marriage banned, morality laws in place prohibited homosexuality and "deviant" gender expression, carrying a penalty of up to five years in prison. In the German territories, this was completely untrue; people were expected to marry between the ages of 14 and 16, and could face severe reprisals for not doing so; virtually any act of a sexual nature outside of procreation was punishable by stoning, including the wearing of clothing which revealed even a small amount of skin (for women, including the face, for men, not), the act of going outside unaccompanied (for everyone), and putting one's hands into one's pockets. These policies have since been abolished, but their effects continue to last. The Council, however, virtually denied this and claimed that Istkalen was a veritable utopia for members of the LGBT community.

"In Istkalen, all consensual acts are legal. It is a very free society; people are not, and have not been for a very long time, bound to any institutions, or ridiculous 'traditions,' except those which ensure mutual respect and solidarity. People have been able to conduct themselves as they wished in a manner of respect throughout the ages. There are no thoughts about purity or respect to nonexistent spirits in the sky. No one will go around and scream at you because you have disrespected - oh no! - their precious idols or the ghosts and supernatural forces they have an unhealthy obsession with. In fact, very few people would care at all, unless if an act was against the principles of mutual respect and solidarity. Yes, there is a 'partnership of labor;' but this regards the organization of labor alone. It does not affect or bind the people of Istkalen in any other manner. There is also, too, a religion of sorts, but it is not a religion which ascribes anything to immoral gods who are respected solely because they are so-called gods or spirits or whatever; it is a religion which is devoted to virtue, reason, and labor - represented as constituting the heavens. It is clear we are a totally liberated society in this regard, far more liberated than other societies, even those societies which are constantly lauded as being 'liberal.'"

The statement then, most audaciously, claimed that Istkalen had the "most democratic art culture in Europe:"

"In Istkalen, art is totally controlled by the people. We have no authorities which determine what art is; art is the people's realm of authority, and the people's realm of authority alone. We indeed have artists and an intelligentsia, and we do support both; but the state promotes no specific cultural agenda. Everything produced by the people is supported, and thus, rather than conforming to ostentatious styles as in other countries which seek to claim that they are great at the expense of their citizens, or too simple styles, there is a great diversity of styles and creativity in Istkalen, allowing all talents to demonstrate themselves fully and putting the people in charge. We have the most democratic art culture in Europe; no one can claim to be freer in this regard than us."

In reality, art in Istkalen has been subject to censorship on and off; while under Rikkalek there has been rapid liberalization, under Ikomar it continuously was subject to regulations, which were continuously lifted and put back in place, or suddenly changed dramatically. Similarly, the Social Democrats and the Communists before them were in favor of 'looseness' in the art world; the "democratic" governments of 1973-1983, as well as the National Republicans, were however in favor of a very strict definition of "folk art." Yes, it is democratic now; but it is strongly influenced by anti-democratic policies that existed in the past.

The statement would continue to go on and on about the various freedoms people enjoy in Istkalen, again and again exclaiming that Istkalen was and is far better and freer than any other society or country in Europe. At the end, it seemed to tire even its writers, who were clearly giving up on their argument. While there is certainly great truth to their statements, especially in the post Social-Democratic society, where women and men are indeed largely equal and a spirit of liberation in all spheres of life prevails, they ignore many of the continuing inequalities, whether between the sexes, between sexualities, or ethnicities, as well as the effects of past repression on current culture.

In the end, the whole thing was a hilarious exercise in propaganda which no one is likely to believe entirely, even if there is a grain of truth in it (as is true for all good propaganda).

[Istkalen]

Istkalen Information Service: Rikkalek aligns state policy on occupation towards that of population

As Head of State, Vistek Rikkalek has pioneered radical new policy. While he is accused of being a crypto-social-democrat, largely due to his ideology of "non-aligned socialism," which shares certain characteristics with the Social Democratic ideology, largely in the area of social and economic organization, he has been the first of Istkalen's leaders since 1798 to not attempt to rewrite history in their favor or engage in totalitarian projects of social planning, and instead to acknowledge what already exists; in essence, a breath of fresh air for the people of Istkalen.

His policy in regards to the occupation follows this pattern. In opposition to the generalized antipathy of Kerel and the ambivalence of Ikomar, Rikkalek has decided to align the state towards the beliefs of the population - that is, ambivalence or mild support for the Reitzmic side of the occupation (particularly since the dramatic shift in policy beginning in mid-August), and strong opposition towards continued Vardic presence, although he has not sought to court the extremist racist beliefs now held by many Istkaleners in regards to them.

Today, while unveiling this policy besides a more minor reform to the apprenticeship system (an alternate form of vocational education), Rikkalek gave a four-hour long speech condemning Vardic actions in Istkalen, denouncing the Vardic government as "imperialists," "thugs," and "hypocrites."

"Over the past few months, the people of Istkalen have been constantly attacked and threatened by a group of thugs, who have used their so-called 'authority' to pillage and loot this country. They cannot be brought to justice; the state has no control over them. If it took any action, the nations of Europe would unite firmly against it, and crush it, allowing this gang, this mob, to run amok. They continue to stand by these monsters, you see, despite all they have done, all they have stolen, and condemn those who were merely misled and have now changed their course. Why? From them they have oil, from them they have protection for their precious, precious trade, and their precious, precious money. To them, human life, human happiness, is less important than the pursuit of profit," said Rikkalek about two hours into the speech.

"And so we have been tortured, constantly, the rest of the world silent. We must now stand up. Not violently, not violently; that would allow them to dismiss us before the public, and thus allow this situation to continue; but peacefully. Protest instead of war; words instead of weapons. We must make ourselves heard, so that the public of Europe knows, and, in that knowledge, demands an end to this horror. This inhumanity cannot be tolerated anymore."

"What we want is the return of dignity of our people and our nation; an end to the theft and the lawlessness, an end to this inhumanity. The mines, stolen from the hardworking and moral people of Istkalen, who were thrown out onto the street by the goons of Nylund and his government of criminals, must be returned, along with all else they have illegally seized and taken back with them to sell off. The destruction that was done to the environment in the pursuit of profit, in pursuit of the fulfillment of their insatiable desire for minerals, must be repaid for. They destroyed; they must now make reparation, to those and that whom and they harmed."

"We more than anyone else in all Europe understand reparation. As a nation, we did wrong, and for that we must repay. We have tried to repay; and we have failed because the thuggish government of Nylund refuses anything other than the permanent humiliation of our people and their subjugation to the interests of capital. Wrongs cannot be repaid with more wrongs; we make repayment not as the fallen being punished, but as the reborn making amends, as an equal, for what was done in a past life. Again, we demand that the government of Nylund itself makes reparation for what it has done, nothing more, nothing less. We do not demand that we be given the right to steal from the Vards, we do not demand that they humiliate themselves before us; we demand only reparation and an end to this."

"But we know they will not agree to this. They will never agree to this. They are a government of thieves, imperialists, and hypocrites. They will speak at length about their dedication to sustainability, ethicality, and a green world; but they turn around and they exploit others in other countries without any regard for any of these. It is clear they care about nothing but money, power, and fame; not about sustainability, and certainly not about ethicality. They are obsessed about themselves; they would kill millions if it meant they could hold on to their miserable positions. If they do not prove us wrong, it is the responsibility of the honest people of Vayinaod to bring them down for their terrible crimes and their total lack of morality."