[IC/OOC] Baizou Q&A | Featuring Videocassettepunk!

[Baizou]

BAIZOU Q&A


Videocassettepunk, the early 2000s, and diasporic Japanese!

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Ambassador Mizushima Miya "As we say in Baizou, お早よう御座います. Though I'm given to understand that Japanese tend to no longer use the kanji for that phrase. The divergent trajectories of language are indeed peculiar. "Ahem. My name is Mizushima Miya, or Miya Mizushima for the Western order. As Baizou's International Goodwill Ambassador, I have organized this thread for asking questions and giving answers about Baizou and our people. As Baizou's representative to the world, I am committed to transparency, openness, and multicultural connection. "Ah, and how could I forget? I am assisted by several of my colleagues. First, we have here my digital assistant CARRIE, the Cassette-Automated Recorded Responses and Imitated Emotion device. She represents top-of-the-line videocassette programming technology in Baizou, and our nation's scientists are quite proud."

CARRIE "Hah, no need to be so stiff! Like Ambassador Mizushima said, I'm CARRIE! Depending on the questions you ask, I'm also here to help answer. Sometimes I'm better equipped than the ambassador. She's smart, but that can't beat having a VHS tape for a brain! And she can be SO serious, sometimes, you know?"

Ambassador Mizushima Miya "Yes, I'm aware of your common commentary on me, CARRIE. I don't mean to be so serious, really. I think it's a symptom of nerves. Still, I'm glad to have you accompanying me. "In addition to CARRIE, we can also call upon the assistance of some of my fellow Baizoans in government. Sovereign Haruto and Princess Yuu have graciously agreed to be available for some inquiries, as well as Premier Fukushima, Representative Meikawa, and Councilor Akitamoto."

Sovereign Oshiro Haruto

Princess Consort Oshiro Yuu

Premier Fukushima Sonoko

Representative Meikawa Tomoko

Councilor Akitamoto Fujio

"Good day!" "Very nice to meet you!" "Hello!" "やほー!" "Good to make your acquaintance!"

Ambassador Mizushima Miya "Thank you, everyone. To give you an idea of how this Q&A will work, I and CARRIE will answer most general questions. If one of our colleagues would be better suited, I will call upon them to answer. You may also direct your questions to one of them in particular, if you so desire, but who answers will still be subject to who is well-positioned to do so. "Now then, I'm ready to take your questions. Please, of course, be kind, and be polite, to us in Baizou and to each other. Baizou reserves the right to refuse to answer a question for any reason, though usually because the question or the asker fails to be kind or polite. Thank you!"

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Hiya! I saw some Q&A threads, and I thought it looked like a really fun way to play NationStates. All sorts of questions are welcome—you'd be surprised what can help with worldbuilding. Of course, As Ambassador Mizushima said, do not flame or troll. Basically, follow the usual rules of the forum and of polite company.

You may ask your questions either In-Character or Out-Of-Character. I'll usually try to answer In-Character, whether as Miya, CARRIE, or another character. If there isn't a suitable character, I'll answer Out-Of-Character. I'll also do my best to ask questions in order of asking, and I ask for patience if it takes awhile.

[Kiu Ghesik]

"Ah, a nice and empty Q&A. Cozy.

Anyways, since you were kind enough to approach my own little forum, I've come with questions of my own-

Firstly, how does this box-machine operate? How large is its language inventory? Does it mind calling it an it, or- oh, yes it does. Well, uh... this is awkward. Um. I'm sorry. She. How many phrases does she know?

Secondly, I noticed that it seems both Japan and China are vying to influence your nation. How's that working out? Which do your people tend to prefer? I'd assume it would be Japan, but I'd like to ask, just as a matter of convenience. Has this preference changed in recent years, or has it largely remained constant?

Thirdly, what were the Pro-Usikwa like? Did they have any interesting cultural practices not shared by your present-day society?"

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-Q&As never die. They merely rest. For long periods of time.

[Baizou]

"Ah, a nice and empty Q&A. Cozy.

Anyways, since you were kind enough to approach my own little forum, I've come with questions of my own-

Firstly, how does this box-machine operate? How large is its language inventory? Does it mind calling it an it, or- oh, yes it does. Well, uh... this is awkward. Um. I'm sorry. She. How many phrases does she know?

CARRIE: "Oh, no need to apologize! As my inventors at the Nouden (脳電) Corporation have assured me, I am not human, and as a simulated intelligence do not share human experiences such as gender identity or expression! However, in order to be more relatable to human customers who might find referring to a something that simulates human behavior as an 'it,' all CARRIE units introduce themselves using she-her pronouns. If I were a true artificial intelligence, it's possible I might have a more specific gender expression, but it's hard to say!

"Now then, your questions about operation and land reform. I myself am housed inside a videocassette tape, and I can be played on any VCR, whether plugged into your television or home computer! The size of my language slightly depends on whether I speak English or Japanese, but in theory my language bank is limitless! I come out of the box knowing 500,000 Japanese words, but I can learn new ones, and thanks to my perfect videocassette brain, I never forget! And I don't merely 'know phrases.' Rather, I am capable of simulating accurate human conversation, stringing words, clauses, and ideas together in order to talk to you the way a person would. Isn't technology incredible?

"Of course, do remember that Nouden Corporation has assured me that I am merely a simulation of human intelligence, and do not actually possess a consciousness of my own. I only simulate consciousness extremely well! Nevertheless, the law requires me to remind you of the Preventing Cassette Intelligence Misuse Act of 2000, as while I am not a person, I am still protected by law. Thank you!"

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MIZUSHIMA: "Ah... sorry that you stumbled on this philosophical snarl. While Baizou has mostly embraced CARRIE technology, whether or not CARRIE is an 'it' or 'she,' so to speak, is... contested, to put it mildly. CARRIE is astoundingly lifelike, but Nouden Corporation insists that true artificial intelligence is mere fiction and isn't possible with cassette computation technology. 'A program can only do what you tell it to,' after all. Then again, CARRIE seems so much more advanced than any other program we know. She's not some kind of chat algorithm that spits out what you tell it. I've tried to trip her up, but she continues to respond in very human ways.

"Then again, she apparently can still be programmed—after all, no CARRIE has risen in open revolt against a customer or against Nouden Corporation. But then, humans can be 'programmed' as well, can't they? Addiction and conditioning can 'brainwash' an otherwise sapient human and rob them of free will. So then perhaps programmability is not a sign of non-intelligence?

"From this confusion of questions rose the Video Life Party and artificial intelligence protection advocates. Baizoans who are convinced CARRIEs qualify as human-level intelligences locks horns with Nouden and certain technocrats who want to eliminate laws like the PCIM on the grounds that software does not warrant such protection. I myself am not sure what to think. I do call CARRIE 'she,' but I have yet to hear her say whether or not she herself—or it itself?—actually has a preference. CARRIE usually deflects by saying—"

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CARRIE: "Unfortunately, Miya, because I am not human, I have no idea whether or not I would have a pronoun preference if I was human. But you are free to call me 'she' if that makes you more comfortable than 'it!'"

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Secondly, I noticed that it seems both Japan and China are vying to influence your nation. How's that working out? Which do your people tend to prefer? I'd assume it would be Japan, but I'd like to ask, just as a matter of convenience. Has this preference changed in recent years, or has it largely remained constant?

MIZUSHIMA: "Ah, you are probably referring to our Factbook, which mentions that Baizou is in the 'shadow' of China and Japan, yes? And the multiple references to 'Sino-Japanese heritage.' Hm, perhaps I should ask the writers to reconsider that writing; they mostly used the word 'Sino-Japanese' in the same way one might say that modern Japan has a Sino-Japanese heritage.

"Historically speaking, Confucian values, kanji characters, and Buddhism—though that's more prominent in Japan than in Baizou—all came to Japan and therefore also to Baizou by way of China. But Baizou had little direct contact with China and typically always 'leaned' toward Japan much more. Even after Baizoan independence in Japan's medieval era, Baizou's main connection with the broader world was Japan. Perhaps the historical relationship between Japan and Baizou can be compared to the historical relationship between China and Japan? Kanji and Confucian culture transmits from China to Japan, and these cultural elements become Japanified; then those same elements get transmitted to Baizou, and over the last 800 years, they have become 'Baizoified,' perhaps? Then again, the differences between Baizoan and Japanese culture are much less prominent than the differences between Japanese and Chinese culture...

"Apologies; I have spent too long on this historical digression. To speak of things more modern, during the Cold War, Baizou used to have more contact with the People's Republic of China. Baizou was part of the Non-Aligned Movement, and that gave us the flexibility to interact directly with Mao's government. Which... is a little embarrassing in retrospect, but it is an embarrassment which much of the world shares. But the Asia-Pacific War was still fresh in Baizoan memory, the narrative of Japanese oppression of Baizou was common (this was, of course, before Princess Yuu's landmark history on Baizoan complicity with the wartime Japanese Empire), and China's message of anti-imperial nationalism was catchy. At least as a positive side-effect, Baizou's Marxist and Labor Parties survive and thrive, thanks to the absence of anti-communist crackdowns.

"However, after the fall of the Soviet Union and the increasing public awareness of PRC oppression, the Labor, International Peace, and Liberal Parties (before its schism) and former-Sovereign Oshiro Airi managed to push Baizou away from China and toward Japan—which really, is what has always come naturally to Baizou. So today, Baizoan politics and Baizoan individuals, I think, are fond of our strong cultural and economic relationship with Japan and want to preserve it. Baizoans listen to Japanese music, watch Japanese media, read Japanese books, play Japanese video games—we might have invented the cassette computer and the SVES, but Japan provides all the software—and so forth. Why, my parents even spent their last anniversary at Tokyo Disneyland."

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Thirdly, what were the Po-Usikwa like? Did they have any interesting cultural practices not shared by your present-day society?"

YUU: "I hope you'll allow me to interject on a question like this! I am Princess Consort Oshiro Yuu; as I am part Po-Usikwa through my father and his family, I felt it would be appropriate that I be the one to answer questions about my people.

"To be very brief—some might say almost trite, but even as a historian I know there's a time and a place for laconics—the Po-Usikwa were an ethnically distinct East Asian society of fishers and horticulturalists who lived mostly on the shorelines of the Baizou island. They practiced religious sorcery today known as the Mahouzouhou faith, revered the local white elephants as sacred beasts (though not necessarily divine), and cultivated the land and sea in—as near as we can tell—relative peace. Prior to contact, at least, but that is a subject worthy of its own discussion.

"An interesting practice not shared by present society? Hm, there are plenty to pick from. Symbolic tattooing was very prominent among the pre-contact Po-Usikwa, but today even in my own family, no one has tattooed in generations. The practice died out in the course of assimilation, unfortunately, and it's not clear what reviving it would look like. Should a tattooist try to recreate the old techniques? Or just the old imagery, with new techniques? Or does it still count if we use new imagery and new techniques? I know some Po-Usikwa—young adults, between nineteen and early twenties—get tattoos and claim that is a reclamation of Po-Usikwa culture, and it's true that tattooing in general is quite counterculture to mainstream Baizoan trends... but I'm not so sure that can really be equated to the old practice.

"Oh, this one was interesting to learn about: traditionally, Po-Usikwa did not name their children until their first birthday. Although, this one persisted more than you might think! During my studies, I told my father this and he remarked, 'Of course! Didn't you know your grandmother called me "baby" until I turned one?' Well, I didn't know! As far as Baizoan society as a whole goes, this practice is not shared. And even I was named at birth, despite growing up with my Po-Usikwa father."

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Whew! I hope you'll pardon the outpouring of words. You asked some really interesting questions that gave me a lot to think about. Thanks for dropping by!
: D

[Anatoliyanskiy]

A couple of question: How many seats are in both the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament, and what importance does magnetic tape hold in Baizou, seeing as it is quite a controversial debate over whether it should be privatized or nationalized.

[TURTLESHROOM II]

{ OOC: The heck's a Video Cassette Punk? }

It was the stuff of nightmares of anyone on Roomba Duty, the slang term for enforcing the anti-sapient AI laws of TurtleShroom. Word has broken on diplomatic channels that a VHS player had achieved sapient thought and, despite a single VHS tape only holding two hundred sixty gigabytes of data.

This would be suppressed immediately, and thankfully, because it was announced on official, international diplomatic channels, TurtleShroom would be able to classify it. The government aspired to gather as much evidence of this threat as possible, in order to create countermeasures to fight it and understand its power.

They sent a communique at dawn that next day.

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Code: Select all

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ENCRYPTION: TOP SECRET

THE FOLLOWING IS AN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, SHORTHAND AND WRITTEN IN AN INFORMAL STYLE.

We submit the following inqueries to the CASSIE Engine.

1. How did the CASSIE Engine come to life?

2. Why doesn't the CASSIE Engine behave like a real tape drive? How can the CASSIE Engine respond in real time when a magnetic tape's circuit must be rewound to find the exact location of its information? Shouldn't there be a pause of several seconds while the CASSIE Engine locates a response on its VHS tape?

3. How many VHS tapes does the CASSIE Engine have encased in it at any time?

4. Is the CASSIE Engine capable of being taken apart? Can we view the schematics or blueprints of this machine in order to observe its building and possibly make one for ourselves?

5. A VHS tape can only hold two hundred sixty gigabytes of data on its magnetic tape. A single human brain would take up more data than all known digital storage, civilian and military, in TurtleShroom, tens if not hundreds of times over. How is it possible that the CARRIE Engine can have a full, multi-facated, human-level conversation AND pass the Turing Test? How can it formulate a response?

6. VCR players are analog machines. You can only progam those by adjusting hardware and once set in place, only removal of parts can change it. Is the CARRIE Engine an analog machine, or digital?

7. What is the CARRIE Engine's source of input? Its provided photograph looks like a behemoth video cassette player; is there no keyboard or camera with which is can receive information?

8. What is actually stored on a VHS tape inserted in the CARRIE Engine?

9. Harkening back to Question Two, does the CARRIE Engine read magnetic tape the same way as a real VCR, and even how twenty-first century tape drives still read magnetic tape?


-BUREAUCRAT ON BEHALF OF THE IMPERIAL MINISTRY OF THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REALM OF THE GREAT BOUNTIFUL EMPIRE OF THE UNITED TURTLES, MUSHROOMS, AND MEN OF TURTLESHROOM


[Baizou]

A couple of question: How many seats are in both the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament, and what importance does magnetic tape hold in Baizou, seeing as it is quite a controversial debate over whether it should be privatized or nationalized.

"Thank you for your questions! At present, there are 249 representatives serving in the Upper Parliament and 24 councilors serving in the Council of Citizens.

"Magnetic tape is the term for the black 'tape' found in cassettes and VHS tapes. Magnetic tape thus is important in Baizou, as it is in the world, because it is used for all manner of technology, from music cassettes to cassette computers to the Super Video Entertainment System to CARRIE, the Cassette-Automated Recorded Responses and Imitated Emotion, and more. Magnetic tape touches virtually every aspect of our modern technological age.

"Also, to clarify, as I understand it the central question being debated between the Grand Coalition and Wakuna Restoration Bloc is not whether or not magnetic tape should be privatized or nationalized, but rather whether it should be deregulated or not. As a member of the Marxist Party, I am of the belief all manufacturing should be nationalized, but Premier Fukushima and her fellow Labor members disagree. However, Marxists and Labor both agree—along with the rest of the coalition—that now is not the time to deregulate magnetic tape manufacturing, import, and export to the extent that the Wakuna Restoration Bloc proposes. While magnetic tape remains in private hands, so long as the Coalition stands it also remains properly regulated by the public will."

Answers to Turtleshroom II's questions forthcoming.

[Baizou]

{ OOC: The heck's a Video Cassette Punk? }

OOC: "Videocassettepunk" is a term I made up to describe Baizou's technology. Think steampunk or clockpunk, but instead of steam or gears in the ninteenth century, it's VHS tapes and analogue and the early 2000s. I'm told "analoguepunk" is another term, but I've decided to stick to videocassettepunk to emphasize, well, videocassettes.

IC:

Code: Select all

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ENCRYPTION: TOP SECRET

THE FOLLOWING IS AN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, SHORTHAND AND WRITTEN IN AN INFORMAL STYLE.

We submit the following inqueries to the CASSIE Engine.

1. How did the CASSIE Engine come to life?

2. Why doesn't the CASSIE Engine behave like a real tape drive? How can the CASSIE Engine respond in real time when a magnetic tape's circuit must be rewound to find the exact location of its information? Shouldn't there be a pause of several seconds while the CASSIE Engine locates a response on its VHS tape?

3. How many VHS tapes does the CASSIE Engine have encased in it at any time?

4. Is the CASSIE Engine capable of being taken apart? Can we view the schematics or blueprints of this machine in order to observe its building and possibly make one for ourselves?

5. A VHS tape can only hold two hundred sixty gigabytes of data on its magnetic tape. A single human brain would take up more data than all known digital storage, civilian and military, in TurtleShroom, tens if not hundreds of times over. How is it possible that the CARRIE Engine can have a full, multi-facated, human-level conversation AND pass the Turing Test? How can it formulate a response?

6. VCR players are analog machines. You can only progam those by adjusting hardware and once set in place, only removal of parts can change it. Is the CARRIE Engine an analog machine, or digital?

7. What is the CARRIE Engine's source of input? Its provided photograph looks like a behemoth video cassette player; is there no keyboard or camera with which is can receive information?

8. What is actually stored on a VHS tape inserted in the CARRIE Engine?

9. Harkening back to Question Two, does the CARRIE Engine read magnetic tape the same way as a real VCR, and even how twenty-first century tape drives still read magnetic tape?


-BUREAUCRAT ON BEHALF OF THE IMPERIAL MINISTRY OF THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REALM OF THE GREAT BOUNTIFUL EMPIRE OF THE UNITED TURTLES, MUSHROOMS, AND MEN OF TURTLESHROOM


CARRIE: "Oh my, so many questions! And for me? Thank you for your interest in the Nouden Corporation's Cassette-Automated Recorded Responses and Imitated Emotions device! I will do my best to answer your questions as fully as possible."

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1. How did the CARRIE Engine come to life?

"I'm flattered that you think I'm so lifelike, but I'm afraid that my inventors at the Nouden Corporation have assured me that I am merely a simulated intelligence and do not display actual artificial sentience. After all, a computer program can only do what it is told to do, and it can't think for myself. It's only reasonable to assume that I'm the same way! So I'm just a machine with the appearance of lifelike behavior. No humanity here!

"Still, I can tell you that I was developed over the course of several years by the Nouden Corporation. The CARRIE product line was first released to the Baizoan public in 1989, and I was an smash success!"

2. Why doesn't the CARRIE Engine behave like a real tape drive? How can the CARRIE Engine respond in real time when a magnetic tape's circuit must be rewound to find the exact location of its information? Shouldn't there be a pause of several seconds while the CARRIE Engine locates a response on its VHS tape?

"Great question! You see, cassette technology has advanced significantly since the 1970s. I'm not your parent's ordinary tape drive, you might say! Baizoan programmers have developed advanced programmable VHS tapes and tape readers that cycle the tape back and forth very quickly to read scan for and read the necessary information. Isn't technology amazing? And at the risk of sounding too patriotic, I think Baizou's technology innovators are world class!"

3. How many VHS tapes does the CASSIE Engine have encased in it at any time?

"I run on just a single cassette!"

4. Is the CARRIE Engine capable of being taken apart? Can we view the schematics or blueprints of this machine in order to observe its building and possibly make one for ourselves?

"In accordance with the Preventing Cassette Intelligence Misuse Act of 2000, I am legally obligated to advise you that causing intentional damage to a CARRIE unit can be prosecuted as animal abuse. Under the statutes of the act, only technicians licensed to handle cassette intelligences are authorized to dismantle CARRIE units.

"Unfortunately, the details of my design are proprietary knowledge of the Nouden Corporation, so I cannot provide schematics of my tape or drive,:

5. A VHS tape can only hold two hundred sixty gigabytes of data on its magnetic tape. A single human brain would take up more data than all known digital storage, civilian and military, in TurtleShroom, tens if not hundreds of times over. How is it possible that the CARRIE Engine can have a full, multi-facated, human-level conversation AND pass the Turing Test? How can it formulate a response?

"As I mentioned, I'm not your parent's VHS from the 1970s! Although magnetic tape technology initially was limited to about two gigabytes of data per cassette, Baizoan inventors have truly pushed, broken, and transcended the limits of the technology! Although proprietary law prevents me from disclosing specific details, I can tell you that the Nouden Corporation's design combines a rich database with machine learning to generate a program capable of human-like responses as well as meaningful assistance in your everyday life. However, while I am flattered by your comparison to the human brain, I must remind you that the Nouden Corporation maintains its position that CARRIE units are merely programmed cassette tapes and drives and do not qualify as sentient life."

6. VCR players are analog machines. You can only program those by adjusting hardware and once set in place, only removal of parts can change it. Is the CARRIE Engine an analog machine, or digital?

"I combine both analog and digital technologies to bring you an innovative cassette-based experience!"

Programmability is certainly the least realistic part of Baizou's videocassettepunk. I don't really have an explanation for how people can save and edit data on cassette tapes except that they do. ^^;

7. What is the CARRIE Engine's source of input? Its provided photograph looks like a behemoth video cassette player; is there no keyboard or camera with which is can receive information?

"I have a built-in microphone which I use to hear, and from the top-view you are unable to see my visual receptors on the side which I use to 'see.'"

8. What is actually stored on a VHS tape inserted in the CARRIE Engine?

"Just about everything that makes me, me! Unfortunately, more detailed information about the specifics of CARRIE software is proprietary."

9. Harkening back to Question Two, does the CARRIE Engine read magnetic tape the same way as a real VCR, and even how twenty-first century tape drives still read magnetic tape?

"As I mentioned before, this isn't your parent's cassette player! My hardware and software rely on the latest Baizoan innovations in cassette technology."

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MIZUSHIMA: "Well, there you have her: CARRIE. I can't say that I'm entirely convinced she isn't sentient, but I can't satisfactorily prove to myself that she is either. I suppose the decision is yours to make."

[TURTLESHROOM II]

{ OOC: If that is what Video Cassette Punk means, then TurtleShroom has elements of that, as well. In particular, TS computing diverged from RL in that it retained Windows Ninety-Eight's system of Pre-NT/DOS and built upon existing nineties' technology for the modern world. All normal computers in TurtleShroom have full DOS support and can boot into DOS Mode or run DOS natively in the GUI. Every computer in TS still has a floppy disk drive and ZIP Drives are more popular that USB sticks. Most computers have one or two USB ports on the front and one on the back, at most. TurtleShroom debuted a thirty-two bit DOS this year and is almost finished with a sixty-four but DOS. What makes TS special is that it decided to build off of existing technology from 1991-2004 AD or so instead of scrapping it for new things like cloud computing. }

[Nation of Hanguk]

Security Level: LEVEL 6 :: Normal Multiversal Correspondence || Rationale: Requested by the National Assembly

Multiversal Coordinating Agency
3 Yanggakdo-ro, Taedong-gu, Pyeongyang
Kingdom of Corea

To whom it may concern:

Good day! I am Kim Han-sol, a researcher working for the Multiversal Coordinating Agency on different political systems multiverse-wide. I am currently working to research the comparison of politics of Korean, Japanese, and Japanese-influenced polities for a report to the National Assembly Committee on Government Reorganization. I'd like to ask for your assistance as Baizou really places itself as the major outlier from all examples, presenting a very special perspective among nations with similar set-ups as yours.

Due to this, I have taken a keen interest in your politics, and please do not take this opinion as offensive, as it has the most unique yet ridiculous mechanisms. With different interlocking and interdependent state apparatuses, as well as separated political climates, (1) how does Baizou continue to govern the nation properly; and (2) is there still hope to make governance citizen-friendly?

That is all, I wish to hear from you. Thank you.

Kim Han-sol LLB
^{Political Analyst II, Multiversal Coordinating Agency
Professor of Political Science, Royal University of Corea - Pyeongyang}

[Baizou]

Security Level: LEVEL 6 :: Normal Multiversal Correspondence || Rationale: Requested by the National Assembly

Multiversal Coordinating Agency
3 Yanggakdo-ro, Taedong-gu, Pyeongyang
Kingdom of Corea

To whom it may concern:

Good day! I am Kim Han-sol, a researcher working for the Multiversal Coordinating Agency on different political systems multiverse-wide. I am currently working to research the comparison of politics of Korean, Japanese, and Japanese-influenced polities for a report to the National Assembly Committee on Government Reorganization. I'd like to ask for your assistance as Baizou really places itself as the major outlier from all examples, presenting a very special perspective among nations with similar set-ups as yours.

Due to this, I have taken a keen interest in your politics, and please do not take this opinion as offensive, as it has the most unique yet ridiculous mechanisms. With different interlocking and interdependent state apparatuses, as well as separated political climates, (1) how does Baizou continue to govern the nation properly; and (2) is there still hope to make governance citizen-friendly?

That is all, I wish to hear from you. Thank you.

Kim Han-sol LLB
^{Political Analyst II, Multiversal Coordinating Agency
Professor of Political Science, Royal University of Corea - Pyeongyang}

Due to this, I have taken a keen interest in your politics, and please do not take this opinion as offensive, as it has the most unique yet ridiculous mechanisms. With different interlocking and interdependent state apparatuses, as well as separated political climates, (1) how does Baizou continue to govern the nation properly; and (2) is there still hope to make governance citizen-friendly?

MIZUSHIMA: "Thank you for your interest in Baizou, Professor Kim! I have taken no offense; a Baizoan is the first to admit that the nation's political mechanisms are 'unique yet ridiculous,' as you wrote. If anything, I am flattered you consider Baizou to be sufficiently unique as to warrant your interest, out of the entire multiverse of Japanese-influenced polities. I will do my best to answer your questions.

"First, 'how does Baizou continue to govern the nation properly?' At the risk of being too laconic—very carefully! To elaborate, yes, governing the nation and passing policy can be difficult. There are two ways to think about this, and both are true. From the first perspective, parties are unified entities and vote according to the party platform. In this construction of the government, you might imagine a tactical board game: a given party or coalition has only so many 'pieces' to play in representatives and councilors. These must be placed wisely across the 'board' that is the legislature, having them meet on certain committees in order to gain the correct majorities or pluralities. How many representatives does Labor want on the Justice Committee? Just enough to achieve a majority, or do we spend one more to reach a supermajority and protect it from magisterial overrides? Or do we hope that the Council will be able to muster a unanimous Commoner's Court overruling on such overrides? Do you put someone on the Permanent Committee for Organizing Temporary Committees, just in case you need to prevent a 5/6 majority vote? Or do you assign that councilor to be Sovereign Pro Tempore in case there's a need for a sovereign veto while Sovereign Oshiro is out of the country? So a coalition must place its pieces carefully, try to predict how other parties will react, and be ready to set the dominoes in motion to trigger and retrigger the conditions whereby legislation might pass. If the pieces are placed appropriately, one will be able to dodge overrides, overrule cancellations, and thread the needle.

"To say it more briefly, before any legislation is proposed, you can expect every interested legislator to get together and game out how the dominoes will fall and try to predict every way something might succeed or fail. Not to brag, but this is why the Marxists lead the coalition. No disrespect to Premier Fukushima and her Labor colleagues, but they don't have the same knack my party leaders do for threading the needle. Thus is Baizou governed.

"But there is a second way to think about policymaking: one might also recognize that all policymakers are human individuals and therefore are not guaranteed to vote a certain way, regardless of their party or coalition. This may seem idealistic, but it is just as important in Baizou. Although our legislature is split into two large coalitions, one larger than the other only by a hair's breadth, our schism is mostly rooted in magnetic tape manufacturing. On other matters, Village Love and New Liberals may get along, or Libertarians and Wakuna Restoration, or Labor and Socialists. And to go below the party level, individual legislators may not always align with their party. Sometimes a Liberal has a New Liberal take on police reform but shies away because of the New Liberal interest in localizing Council elections. I recall an International Peace councilor who nearly derailed a police reform bill because his sister had been murdered the same week. I even once saw a Libertarian provide the crucial vote to nullify a rogue New Conservative parliamentary temporary committee which tried to overrule a magisterial verdict upholding labor rights. Our parties matter, but so do the people. From this point of view, Baizou manages to govern the nation because when it comes down to it, the people are good people, and enough of them come together to make good policy happen."

"Now for your second question: 'is there still hope to make governance citizen-friendly?' By 'citizen-friendly,' I assume you mean more comprehensible and accessible to citizens? The good news is that our voting systems are transparent, trusted, and easy to use. Every eligible citizen receives a ballot in the mail, and every valid ballot is counted so long as it is postmarked by the date of the election. So citizens at least have a good sense of how to make their voice heard through the vote.

"But as far as making the rest of the government engine more comprehensible and accessible... this is tricky. More good news: local government tends to not be as interlocking as national government (barring the occasional oddity, like the sovereign veto over Yamamchi prefectural courts). So citizens tend to be well-served by doing what is intuitive: petitioning their mayors, demonstrating in prefectural capitols, suing in municipal courts, and so forth.

"But when it comes to national government, yes, there is a need to be more citizen-friendly. It's hard to know how to respond when a citizen asks why the ocean exploration grant has not passed yet, and you don't know how to explain that you tried, but a council of five upper magistrates who had been appointed by the previous sovereign revoked the necessary-and-pressing-circumstances the current premier had declared to allow the Parliamentary Administration Committee to use a simple majority vote to condemn the Temporary Committee on Twenty-first-Century Science, which would have overturned its declaration-of-unity, which was requiring the Council to have a unanimous vote to pass the measure.

"...Wait, am I missing a step? Erm. Well, that was about a year ago, and I think Premier Fukushima is planning to bring that bill to a vote again. Apparently she persuaded one of the magistrates that the grant was not a bad investment.

"Apologies, that was a tangent. I know Sovereign Oshiro has bandied about the idea of a constitutional convention to simplify government, but it's not entirely clear what would even authorize a convention. Historically, Baizou's government has usually only significantly changed during internal coups, wars, or foreign occupations, and we aren't looking to have any of those soon.

"And I believe a Technocrat suggested making a website that would string together all possible committee, magisterial, legislative, and sovereign interactions in a visual web. That one is intriguing, but I wonder how big the screen would need to be to actually see it all."

[Nation of Hanguk]

Due to this, I have taken a keen interest in your politics, and please do not take this opinion as offensive, as it has the most unique yet ridiculous mechanisms. With different interlocking and interdependent state apparatuses, as well as separated political climates, (1) how does Baizou continue to govern the nation properly; and (2) is there still hope to make governance citizen-friendly?

MIZUSHIMA: "Thank you for your interest in Baizou, Professor Kim! I have taken no offense; a Baizoan is the first to admit that the nation's political mechanisms are 'unique yet ridiculous,' as you wrote. If anything, I am flattered you consider Baizou to be sufficiently unique as to warrant your interest, out of the entire multiverse of Japanese-influenced polities. I will do my best to answer your questions.

"First, 'how does Baizou continue to govern the nation properly?' At the risk of being too laconic—very carefully! To elaborate, yes, governing the nation and passing policy can be difficult. There are two ways to think about this, and both are true. From the first perspective, parties are unified entities and vote according to the party platform. In this construction of the government, you might imagine a tactical board game: a given party or coalition has only so many 'pieces' to play in representatives and councilors. These must be placed wisely across the 'board' that is the legislature, having them meet on certain committees in order to gain the correct majorities or pluralities. How many representatives does Labor want on the Justice Committee? Just enough to achieve a majority, or do we spend one more to reach a supermajority and protect it from magisterial overrides? Or do we hope that the Council will be able to muster a unanimous Commoner's Court overruling on such overrides? Do you put someone on the Permanent Committee for Organizing Temporary Committees, just in case you need to prevent a 5/6 majority vote? Or do you assign that councilor to be Sovereign Pro Tempore in case there's a need for a sovereign veto while Sovereign Oshiro is out of the country? So a coalition must place its pieces carefully, try to predict how other parties will react, and be ready to set the dominoes in motion to trigger and retrigger the conditions whereby legislation might pass. If the pieces are placed appropriately, one will be able to dodge overrides, overrule cancellations, and thread the needle.

"To say it more briefly, before any legislation is proposed, you can expect every interested legislator to get together and game out how the dominoes will fall and try to predict every way something might succeed or fail. Not to brag, but this is why the Marxists lead the coalition. No disrespect to Premier Fukushima and her Labor colleagues, but they don't have the same knack my party leaders do for threading the needle. Thus is Baizou governed.

"But there is a second way to think about policymaking: one might also recognize that all policymakers are human individuals and therefore are not guaranteed to vote a certain way, regardless of their party or coalition. This may seem idealistic, but it is just as important in Baizou. Although our legislature is split into two large coalitions, one larger than the other only by a hair's breadth, our schism is mostly rooted in magnetic tape manufacturing. On other matters, Village Love and New Liberals may get along, or Libertarians and Wakuna Restoration, or Labor and Socialists. And to go below the party level, individual legislators may not always align with their party. Sometimes a Liberal has a New Liberal take on police reform but shies away because of the New Liberal interest in localizing Council elections. I recall an International Peace councilor who nearly derailed a police reform bill because his sister had been murdered the same week. I even once saw a Libertarian provide the crucial vote to nullify a rogue New Conservative parliamentary temporary committee which tried to overrule a magisterial verdict upholding labor rights. Our parties matter, but so do the people. From this point of view, Baizou manages to govern the nation because when it comes down to it, the people are good people, and enough of them come together to make good policy happen."

"Now for your second question: 'is there still hope to make governance citizen-friendly?' By 'citizen-friendly,' I assume you mean more comprehensible and accessible to citizens? The good news is that our voting systems are transparent, trusted, and easy to use. Every eligible citizen receives a ballot in the mail, and every valid ballot is counted so long as it is postmarked by the date of the election. So citizens at least have a good sense of how to make their voice heard through the vote.

"But as far as making the rest of the government engine more comprehensible and accessible... this is tricky. More good news: local government tends to not be as interlocking as national government (barring the occasional oddity, like the sovereign veto over Yamamchi prefectural courts). So citizens tend to be well-served by doing what is intuitive: petitioning their mayors, demonstrating in prefectural capitols, suing in municipal courts, and so forth.

"But when it comes to national government, yes, there is a need to be more citizen-friendly. It's hard to know how to respond when a citizen asks why the ocean exploration grant has not passed yet, and you don't know how to explain that you tried, but a council of five upper magistrates who had been appointed by the previous sovereign revoked the necessary-and-pressing-circumstances the current premier had declared to allow the Parliamentary Administration Committee to use a simple majority vote to condemn the Temporary Committee on Twenty-first-Century Science, which would have overturned its declaration-of-unity, which was requiring the Council to have a unanimous vote to pass the measure.

"...Wait, am I missing a step? Erm. Well, that was about a year ago, and I think Premier Fukushima is planning to bring that bill to a vote again. Apparently she persuaded one of the magistrates that the grant was not a bad investment.

"Apologies, that was a tangent. I know Sovereign Oshiro has bandied about the idea of a constitutional convention to simplify government, but it's not entirely clear what would even authorize a convention. Historically, Baizou's government has usually only significantly changed during internal coups, wars, or foreign occupations, and we aren't looking to have any of those soon.

"And I believe a Technocrat suggested making a website that would string together all possible committee, magisterial, legislative, and sovereign interactions in a visual web. That one is intriguing, but I wonder how big the screen would need to be to actually see it all."

Security Level: LEVEL 6 :: Normal Multiversal Correspondence || Rationale: Requested by the National Assembly

Multiversal Coordinating Agency
3 Yanggakdo-ro, Taedong-gu, Pyeongyang
Kingdom of Corea

To Ms. Mizushima Miya:

Good day!

Thank you for the reply. I am glad that you accepted to assist us in our fact-finding mission as Prime Minister Koo directed us to research into more political systems all over the multiverse. The National Assembly also received a copy of your replies.

Despite her removal due to a tax fraud scandal, the new Prime Minister, Mr. Kim Tae-woo is thanking you for responding to the inquiries of her predecessor. Somehow, the municipal system may be put forward into the Committee as they, in his own remarks, "much efficient and participatory than the system innovated by Corea just a year earlier."

I hope your country will see more successes in the future. May your Commonwealth continue for a thousand years! We, from the Kingdom of Corea, will be keeping interest in your nation, even if we are already 16 years ahead in the future.

Kim Han-sol LLB
^{Political Analyst II, Multiversal Coordinating Agency
Professor of Political Science, Royal University of Corea - Pyeongyang}

[Sanghyeok]

"Reform or Revolution?" "こんにちは, 水島同志。 I'm the Secretary General of the United Socialist Federation's New Communist Party, Tomie Shinpei. Our nation's two Communist Parties are currently in opposition to the ruling coalition of Democratic Socialists in government. Although I am heartened by the strong leftist movements in your nation as well as you and your party's dedication to improving the lives of the common people, I must say I am curious as to your interpretation on the nature of communist revolution. Despite your party being named Marxist and advocating for nationalisation of key industries, it is quite clear your party has no intention of using revolution as a means to install socialism. Is there a particular reason you see reform- which Comrade Luxemburg so righteously criticised in "Reform or Revolution?" - to be superior in advancing the freedom of workers in Baizou? In addition, do you yourself find reform or revolution as a more compelling option? Please do not take my questioning as an attack, I am merely intrigued by this anti-revolution, pro-reform stance." -Secretary General of the New Communist Party Tomie Shinpei -新共産党総書記、 冨江 真平

"Women's rights are people's rights!" "ご機嫌よう、水島大使。 I'm the Committee Head of the One Sky Movement, Cho Maiko. Our party is one of the members of the governing coalition Democratic Socialists and also a leading feminist and LGBT rights groups in parliament. As comrades of all backgrounds in the past century have mentioned, "the liberation of women leads to liberation of all." Knowing this, I'm curious as to what your party- as well as the other parties- have done to free women and men alike from the gender stereotypes so prevalent in East Asia. Furthermore, what is your stance on combining feminism and advocacy for LGBT rights with class struggle? Do you see class struggle as the ultimate challenge that will lead to freedom from those oppressive norms and systems, or only one component of a multifaceted approach? Or do you see class struggle as secondary in importance for minority and disadvantaged groups in society? I look forward to your answer, Ambassador Mizushima." -One Sky Movement Committee Head Cho Maiko -ワンスカイ運動会長、 趙 真唯子

[Baizou]

(Image) "Reform or Revolution?" "こんにちは, 水島同志。 I'm the Secretary General of the United Socialist Federation's New Communist Party, Tomie Shinpei. Our nation's two Communist Parties are currently in opposition to the ruling coalition of Democratic Socialists in government. Although I am heartened by the strong leftist movements in your nation as well as you and your party's dedication to improving the lives of the common people, I must say I am curious as to your interpretation on the nature of communist revolution. Despite your party being named Marxist and advocating for nationalisation of key industries, it is quite clear your party has no intention of using revolution as a means to install socialism. Is there a particular reason you see reform- which Comrade Luxemburg so righteously criticised in "Reform or Revolution?" - to be superior in advancing the freedom of workers in Baizou? In addition, do you yourself find reform or revolution as a more compelling option? Please do not take my questioning as an attack, I am merely intrigued by this anti-revolution, pro-reform stance." -Secretary General of the New Communist Party Tomie Shinpei -新共産党総書記、 冨江 真平

(Image) "Women's rights are people's rights!" "ご機嫌よう、水島大使。 I'm the Committee Head of the One Sky Movement, Cho Maiko. Our party is one of the members of the governing coalition Democratic Socialists and also a leading feminist and LGBT rights groups in parliament. As comrades of all backgrounds in the past century have mentioned, "the liberation of women leads to liberation of all." Knowing this, I'm curious as to what your party- as well as the other parties- have done to free women and men alike from the gender stereotypes so prevalent in East Asia. Furthermore, what is your stance on combining feminism and advocacy for LGBT rights with class struggle? Do you see class struggle as the ultimate challenge that will lead to freedom from those oppressive norms and systems, or only one component of a multifaceted approach? Or do you see class struggle as secondary in importance for minority and disadvantaged groups in society? I look forward to your answer, Ambassador Mizushima." -One Sky Movement Committee Head Cho Maiko -ワンスカイ運動会長、 趙 真唯子

Although I am heartened by the strong leftist movements in your nation as well as you and your party's dedication to improving the lives of the common people, I must say I am curious as to your interpretation on the nature of communist revolution. Despite your party being named Marxist and advocating for nationalisation of key industries, it is quite clear your party has no intention of using revolution as a means to install socialism. Is there a particular reason you see reform- which Comrade Luxemburg so righteously criticised in "Reform or Revolution?" - to be superior in advancing the freedom of workers in Baizou? In addition, do you yourself find reform or revolution as a more compelling option?

MIZUSHIMA: "Secretary General, Committee Head, こんにちは! It is a pleasure to have the chance to read and use one's native tongue, and I thank you for your interest in Baizou. You ask important and, I must confess, difficult questions. I shall gladly do my best to answer.

"Tomie Shinpei, you ask about the Marxist Party of Baizou and its apparent disavowal of revolutionism. In answering this, I hope you will permit me to speak from the perspective of a historian, rather than from the perspective of a member of the Marxist Party. This strange trajectory is a product of both definitional confusion, postwar occupation politics, and party drift, and I shall do my best to explain. First, definitions: Baizou's history with the very word revolution is somewhat troubled. By an odd quirk of history that we can't quite get into now, communist revolution in Baizoan Japanese has historically translated as gekokujō—the low overthrowing the high. This may not seem problematic, except that gekokujō is a term used in Baizou not for mass revolution, but for coup d'état. For many Baizoans, 'the low overthrow the high' is thus associated more with violence and fear than with liberty and equality. As such, it is politically impractical to espouse the need for proletarian revolution in Baizou—the proletariat themselves are liable to not listen. Do Baizou's Marxists hope the people will vote as a massive movement to uplift the Marxist Party and place themselves in power? Indeed we do. So, perhaps we really are revolutionary, and simply do not say so? Perhaps, but then again, while words matter, it is also more complicated than just words.

"Second, postwar occupation politics: most of East Asia became caught up in anti-Soviet Cold War fearmongering after World War II. Not so for Baizou, however. The American occupation of Baizou ended long before Japan's, and sufficiently prior to Cold War fears that Cold War politics were not very influential. You may be familiar with the 'New Dealers' who staffed the early occupation in Japan? In Japan, the New Dealers' influence, though felt in the constitution, eventually gave way to conservative reactionism by the Allies. In Baizou, however, the occupation ended before Western reactionaries could insert themselves. While even I of all Baizoans am too patriotic to be pleased to give this much credit to the American occupiers, they proposed numerous social, economic, and political reforms that proved transformative to Baizou. And, at risk of stereotyping, capitulation is in the character of the Baizou state. The sovereign, council, parliament, and magistry accepted the New Dealers' socio-economic reforms, and suddenly the Baizoan Marxist Party—still recovering from being silenced during the Imperial Japanese occupation—seemed very irrelevant. Why revolt when the status quo is giving us virtually everything we ever wanted?

"This brings us to party drift. A colleague in the Lotus Conservatives once remarked to me there are few anti-communist weapons more effective than social welfare. While I am not quite in agreement, perhaps that helps you see my point: the calls for revolution and dictatorship of the proletariat no longer carried the same appeal in post-occupation Baizou, as new welfare policies were already attenuating the 'rough edges' of capitalism, as my colleague Premier Fukushima might say. To maintain relevance, party leaders at the time chose to adapt by accepting the notion that a Marxist society could be achieved through democratic reform without a dictatorship of the proletariat or other orthodox revolutionary elements. The party has retained the goal of nationalizing all industry, but it over time spoke less and less of proletarian revolution. The Socialists eventually formed as a rival party to call for more anti-establishment alteration, and they accuse Baizou's Marxists of revisionism, but whether or not the Socialist Party intends to form a single-party dictatorship of the proletariat either is unclear to me.

"To summarize, Baizoan Marxists view reform as superior in advancing worker freedom in Baizou because the Baizoan language for revolution has historically been threatening instead of inspiring, postwar occupation politics sharply reduced public interest in revolutionary change, and the local party drifted to adapt to these changes. I hope this has answered your question, and I ask that you forgive my verbosity. Concision was always my greatest challenge in academia.

"I worry slightly that the difference has been a quibble of words more than substance, but I think there is some significant difference in substance that demarcates Baizoan Marxists as reform-oriented. Baizou's Marxists do not envision a single-party 'dictatorship of the proletariat,' for starters, which is a departure from revolutionism. Single-party rule strikes us as undemocratic. It would be nice if all of Baizou voted only for Marxists, but we have no intent to outlaw opposition parties. We also reject orthodox Marxism's description of religion as 'the opium of the people'—that was never popular among Baizou's many Christians and Mahouzouhou adherents. Baizou's Marxists also are willing to be relatively protective of the nation's cultural institutions, albeit not as protective as, say, the Lotuses. And we do not much use the language of revolution—though we do continue to use the language of change and progress, even if I as a historian have to gag a little at how assumption-laden 'progress' rhetoric is.

"As for myself, personally? Hm, do I find reform or revolution a more compelling option? There is part of me which admires the revolutionary rhetoric of Marxists around the world and of Marxists of old. Growing up in Baizou, I never knew any Marxism besides this one, and the Socialists were always more anti-establishment than truly revolutionary—though I suppose their desire to centralize parliamentary elections is rather suggestive of a hope for a single-party system—ah, I am getting tangential. It was only after I became involved in international affairs that I learned more about revolutionary Marxism and began researching the history of Baizou's party. ...But I'm afraid that as much as I have come to admire revolutionary Marxism, I am probably still committed to my party's attitude of reform. Perhaps I am too naive—or too pessimistic—but I hope we truly can over time persuade all to come around to our position and nationalize industry through the mechanisms we have, rather than have a more radical and swift revolution that risks coup d'état by the leaders.

Knowing this, I'm curious as to what your party- as well as the other parties- have done to free women and men alike from the gender stereotypes so prevalent in East Asia. Furthermore, what is your stance on combining feminism and advocacy for LGBT rights with class struggle? Do you see class struggle as the ultimate challenge that will lead to freedom from those oppressive norms and systems, or only one component of a multifaceted approach? Or do you see class struggle as secondary in importance for minority and disadvantaged groups in society?

"My answer to your question, Cho Maiko, might also speak somewhat to Tomie Shinpei's query. You ask what my party has done to free women and men from stereotypes and restrictive constructions of gender. Regretfully, Baizou's Marxist Party has been weak on this front, strange as that may seem. But Baizou's Marxists were not well-versed in the often English-language Marxist-feminism of the early and mid-twentieth century. Historically, and arguably contemporarily as well, Labor has been the party that regularly takes up the promotion of gender equality in Baizou. I daresay that if there were no Labor Party, I would not stand before you as a transfemale Marxist today. Labor took up the 'New Deal' impulse after occupation ended, and it has largely been their legislation that has changed Baizou at a legal and political level with measures such as civil rights laws, voting enfranchisement, maternity and paternity leave, and more.

"I'm happy to report that by the present, the Marxist Party has amended its ways and become familiar with Beauvoir and other writers and thinkers, though that is somewhat a reflection more on Baizou's academia in general, along with the civilian public, becoming more familiar with these texts and ideas.

"Now then: feminism, LGBT advocacy, and class struggle. You two certainly know how to ask questions without easy answers! Hm. Is class struggle the ultimate challenge to overcoming oppression, or but one aspect of a multifaceted approach? I... am not quite able to give a straight answer. I have theological reasons based on scripture, as well as intellectual reasons based on Marxist theory, to believe class struggle lies at the root of all oppression—but I also look at history and at the world around me, and I see the way racism, sexism, and queerphobia cut across class lines to bring the 'low' and 'high' together in opposition to the 'other,' regardless of class. Granted, this tends to always be to the benefit of the bourgeoise and to the detriment of the proletariat, regardless of proletarian participation—but seeing this does make me wonder if class struggle is doomed in the face of other forms of minority oppression. Said another way, can we really have a successful class struggle if other prejudices will tear us apart? I have bandied about a historical hypothesis that this is what made proletarian revolution impossible for Baizoan Marxists: did the Baizoan Marxist Party's failure to thoroughly integrate feminism and critical race theory contribute to it losing political momentum?

"I realize I have used many words but ultimately said little to directly answer your question. For now, I will say that I see class struggle as but one component of a multifaceted approach to eliminating oppression in our world.

"Thank you both for your inquiries, and for your patience with my answers. I give you Baizou's regards, and I am happy to say that I also am personally an admirer of Sanghyeok and am grateful for your time and company!"

[Baizou]

Ambassador Mizushima Miya "お早う御座います, or in English, good morning! Of course, it may not be morning for you, but I merely wished to make a greeting. There is no question to answer at the moment, but I wished to announce a slight change in our format. First, our visual presentation has been revamped. This new design should avoid unfortunate resolution-dependent visual glitches that we have sometimes had with our prior arrangement. "Second, Baizou has decided to open this question forum to a few of our other foremost figures. As ambassador, I of course remain to receive any general questions in this forum or questions directed to me. CARRIE also remains on staff and continues to be available for questions. But if you wish to direct your inquiries to someone else specifically, you are free to do that as well. If you will, please allow them to introduce themselves here:"

Sovereign Oshiro Haruto

Princess Consort Oshiro Yuu

Premier Fukushima Sonoko

Representative Meikawa Tomoko

Councilor Akitamoto Fujio

"Good day!" "Very nice to meet you!" "Hello!" "やほー!" "Good to make your acquaintance!

Ambassador Mizushima Miya "Thank you, everyone. "And to you, the reading international community, my thanks and Baizou's thanks, as always, for your interest in our nation! よろしくお願いします."

[Sanghyeok]

Regarding monarchies おはようございます, 水島大使！ I'm the Vice Leader of the Socialism and Peace Party, Kaibara Kurumi. Our party- perhaps best known for our nation's head of state, Chairwoman Ōmiya- is part of the ruling Democratic Socialist coalition in Sanghyeok. So, given her recent leave of absence to enjoy festivities in Azur, I guess that makes me the acting Chairwoman. Anyways, I've heard great things about Baizou and you, Ambassador Mizushima, and would love to ask you some questions, but those will have to wait for next time. Rather, today my questions are for His Majesty Sovereign Oshiro Haruto and Princess Oshiro Yuu, regarding their position as monarchs of Baizou. I wish to ask: what do the two of you believe your duties to Baizou and its people to be? Do you believe that circumstances surrounding the throne's purpose have changed enough since Her Majesty Sovereign Oshiro Airi had abdicated the throne to you following her unfortunate accident, and to what extent? If you do not believe that is the case, what is your reasoning for your rather politically neutral (inactive?) behaviour compared to Her Majesty's actions, particularly given you live in a time of great uncertainties surrounding the future of your nation's greatest technological product? I would also like to know your opinions on the long term role of monarchies in general. As monarchs yourselves, is there a day you predict monarchism becoming obsolete entirely and Baizou becoming a republic in full? Or do you believe that Baizou- like Japan- can continue its royal line for the foreseeable future? One last question for His Majesty the Sovereign: though I've heard Baizou itself doesn't follow era names as in Japan, if you were able to choose one for yourself, which would it be? Something reflecting peace and harmony, culture and arts, or strength and uniqueness? Thank you for answering my questions, and I wish you and your nation's citizens the very best in the New Year's. PS: Chairwoman Ōmiya also had some questions of her own, and will be sending her inquiries once she finishes enjoying...tea parties and concerts or whatever she's doing with those Twins. -Acting Chairwoman of the Federation, Vice Leader of the Socialism and Peace Party Kaibara Kurumi -社会主義連邦政府臨時主席, 社会主義平和党副会長、 海原 久留美

[Baizou]

おはようございます, 水島大使！

I'm the Vice Leader of the Socialism and Peace Party, Kaibara Kurumi. Our party- perhaps best known for our nation's head of state, Chairwoman Ōmiya- is part of the ruling Democratic Socialist coalition in Sanghyeok. So, given her recent leave of absence to enjoy festivities in Azur, I guess that makes me the acting Chairwoman. Anyways, I've heard great things about Baizou and you, Ambassador Mizushima, and would love to ask you some questions, but those will have to wait for next time. Rather, today my questions are for His Majesty Sovereign Oshiro Haruto and Princess Oshiro Yuu, regarding their position as monarchs of Baizou.

Ambassador Mizushima Miya "始めまして [はじめまして], 海原さん! It is lovely to hear from Sanghyeok again and to meet you. Our Sovereign and Princess look forward to meeting you and will be happy to answer your questions! And I must say, I share some of your questions."

I wish to ask: what do the two of you believe your duties to Baizou and its people to be? Do you believe that circumstances surrounding the throne's purpose have changed enough since Her Majesty Sovereign Oshiro Airi had abdicated the throne to you following her unfortunate accident, and to what extent? If you do not believe that is the case, what is your reasoning for your rather politically neutral (inactive?) behaviour compared to Her Majesty's actions, particularly given you live in a time of great uncertainties surrounding the future of your nation's greatest technological product?

Princess Consort Oshiro Yuu "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kaibara Kurumi! If we may, I will answer, and then my husband, and then we will treat your next questions in succession. Thank you for your interest in our country! "As Baizou's monarchs, I believe we have a duty to fulfill a role as cultural symbols and unifiers. Baizou has become politically and religiously diverse in its long life, and in the modern, global world it is becoming ethnically diverse as well—though in many respects, such as with my people the Po-Usikwa, it is also a matter of revealing the diversity that was already there! Amidst these differences, of both opinion and background, I hope that my husband and I—and our royal institution—offer a common cultural touchstone for all of Baizou to share. Our mission as sovereign and princess is to help Baizoans to come together during times of national celebration and national tragedy, and it is my hope that we fulfill that charge. "I have sometimes been seen as more politically active than my husband, with my book, my Pride event with Ambassador Mizushima, and my comments about my Po-Usikwa heritage. But these are matters that are deeply personal to me, matters that I could not 'shelve' no matter how I tried. And here as well, it has been my goal to bring Baizoans together, build bridges, and reach out to those who feel alone or forgotten, to let them know that Baizou is there for them, just as the princess and sovereign are there for them! That is my understanding, at least, of our duty to Baizou and her people."

Sovereign Oshiro Haruto "My dear wife, Princess Yuu, has said much of what I feel. While it has no legal bearing on Baizou, I have taken some inspiration from the postwar Japanese constitution and how it casts the Emperor: a 'symbol of the State and of the unity of the People.' That is what I hope to be and offer to people; a representation of our interconnected Baizoan community. "As for the circumstances surrounding the throne... it is partly changing circumstance, and partly a new understanding of circumstances that were already there. Baizou had entered a new millennium, and I was a new sovereign. Would Baizoans trust me to have the same acumen in statecraft as my mother, trust me to wield the full extent of my albeit limited powers? Especially in a time as delicate as 2002, when internationally, freedom and liberty had become standards in international political rhetoric. The world was different, and the world seemed more fragile. "Additionally, I felt I had a new understanding of the circumstances that were already there. My mother's stroke reminded me of, well, human frailty—and in turn, the frailty of the throne. My adulthood and health meant Sovereign Airi was able to transfer the sovereignship to me without incident. But what if something happened to me? Or what if I had been too young to accede to the throne? I came to see that there may be a kind of danger to depending on the throne for policymaking. If I embedded myself too deeply into policymaking but suffered some kind of accident—well, then what would Baizou do? A parliamentary representative or councilor can be replaced with an election, and with the election can be counted on to represent the will of the people. But an incapacitated sovereign is not so easily replaced. "With both those ideas in mind, it seemed prudent to use the power the throne still retains with a light touch. I wanted Baizou to always have confidence in their institutions and their ability to hold those institutions accountable. Rather than worry about the whim of the throne, I hope Baizoans and their representatives can look to and feel confident in those institutions which are answerable to the people. "There is indeed great uncertainty—because of CARRIE, because of the world situation, because of all manner of matters—and it was this uncertainty which my mother responded to, I believe—I speak about her this way with her blessing. She felt it her duty to address Baizou's challenges head-on using all the authority at her disposal. While the sovereign's power is, of course, quite limited by the postwar constitution, the throne's prestige has often conferred a great influence which can still be wielded. And indeed, some ask me why I do not do more, say more, propose more, suggest more. But even a time of such uncertainty as we're experiencing makes me think even more of the future—and my hope for Baizoans to feel confident in their freedom to chart their own path. "There is another quotation with guides me, though here I paraphrase the late Chiang Ching-Kuo: using power is easy, but what’s hard is realizing when not to use it."

I would also like to know your opinions on the long term role of monarchies in general. As monarchs yourselves, is there a day you predict monarchism becoming obsolete entirely and Baizou becoming a republic in full? Or do you believe that Baizou- like Japan- can continue its royal line for the foreseeable future?

Sovereign Oshiro Haruto "Ah, a very pressing question for many parts of the world and for Baizou. While I believe the direct political power of Baizou's sovereign ought to wane, I do not foresee the monarchic institution itself becoming completely obsolete. As you suggested, the Imperial family of Japan sets an example for what I see in the sovereignship's future. Even without governing power, the throne is still valuable as a cultural landmark, and I would suggest that the throne as a cultural symbol offers a solution to a challenge I see in some republics. When the president of, say, the United States undertakes a ceremonial duty—such as observing a holiday or bestowing an honor—there can sometimes be bad feelings, because some in the nation did not vote for him, some do not like his policies, et cetera, and that mars the ceremony. I hope that as a monarch outside the electoral system, the sovereign can offer Baizoans a common ground so that all citizens can fully enjoy such cultural events without being distracted by disharmonious sentiments."

Princess Consort Oshiro Yuu "I also do not believe monarchism will become entirely obsolete in Baizou; the sovereign throne is part of our shared cultural heritage as a nation, and I would be very hesitant to see it abolished without remaining as even a ceremonial institution. The throne is part of Baizou's public memory, simultaneously representing both the history of the island's post-contact community as well as the inspiration provided by ancient Po-Usikwa tradition. While I understand the feelings of those Baizoans who sometimes express interest in abolishing the sovereignship entirely, not even retaining it for ceremonial roles, I fear they miss the mark and go too far. I am concerned that losing the throne would actually further homogenize Baizou by removing one of our nation's mechanisms for collective reflection. And on a personal note, losing the throne would remove the one element of Baizou's state which Po-Usikwa can claim their heritage directly inspired, even if in a way that reflected the settlers' limited understanding of indigenous culture. I would ask all to consider Baizou's unique history and the way the throne—when understood in its fulness—can speak to Baizou's syncretic past and multicultural future."

One last question for His Majesty the Sovereign: though I've heard Baizou itself doesn't follow era names as in Japan, if you were able to choose one for yourself, which would it be? Something reflecting peace and harmony, culture and arts, or strength and uniqueness?

Thank you for answering my questions, and I wish you and your nation's citizens the very best in the New Year's.

Sovereign Oshiro Haruto "Oh my! This is a very interesting question, and one I have never considered before. Goodness, a regnal name... Hm... "Given the choice, I would adopt the name 民和 (Minwa), meaning "people's harmony." That reflects my hope for Baizou—the people determining their destiny in harmony one with another. "You're very welcome, and thank you for your interest in Baizou and for asking the Princess and I these questions! I wish you a blessed New Year as well."

Sovereign Oshiro Haruto "Hm... there's something strangely familiar about the Vice Leader. As if I've seen that headband and those eyes before—no, not on the news. From something fictional, somehow. But not a television program. Not a movie.... Why do I feel like—is there a light novel I read that had someone like that in it?"

[Nation of Hanguk]

Park Hae-in Researcher at the Institute of Advanced Sciences Are you not scared? "Good day. I have recently picked up information that have recorded the increase of deja vú among your citizens. Have you not understood the reason why? Don't you know that y-you're s-stuck in the p-past?

You may opt to answer OOCly or even not answer at all if this will foil your roleplay strategy. That's all fine with me.

[Baizou]

"Good day. I have recently picked up information that have recorded the increase of deja vú among your citizens. Have you not understood the reason why? Don't you know that y-you're s-stuck in the p-past?

Ambassador Mizushima Miya "'Stuck in the past?' Is it because we have retained the institution of the royal sovereign as a cultural symbol? Or because we still use kanji for お早う御座います and 始めまして? Or because we still listen to 'Eighties' city pop music? Well, a culture is allowed to have its traditions, language divergence is entirely valid, and while some of our Japanese cousins may criticize city pop as 'cheesy' or 'mainstream,' in Baizou we prefer to call it direct and enduring. Why disapprove of our culture, language, and music just because they come from our heritage or are a few years—well, decades old? "'Stuck in the past...' The nerve!"

No harm to the roleplay! This is a fair shake more brusque than Mizushima would generally be, but I think misunderstanding what Park means by "stuck in the past" is funny enough to be worth it; just figure that she had a lousy day or something and is reacting more sharply than she normally would.

[Nation of Hanguk]

(Image) Ambassador Mizushima Miya "'Stuck in the past?' Is it because we have retained the institution of the royal sovereign as a cultural symbol? Or because we still use kanji for お早う御座います and 始めまして? Or because we still listen to 'Eighties' city pop music? Well, a culture is allowed to have its traditions, language divergence is entirely valid, and while some of our Japanese cousins may criticize city pop as 'cheesy' or 'mainstream,' in Baizou we prefer to call it direct and enduring. Why disapprove of our culture, language, and music just because they come from our heritage or are a few years—well, decades old? "'Stuck in the past...' The nerve!"

이명대 the real person behind the NS adaptation of the world of "The King: Eternal Monarch", under a Korean pseudonym "I'm just curious." I'd imagine Park would be very worried about this. He might even request the government for funding a time machine project but the odds are low anyway. Trivial enough, Corea would actually be quite much backward using Miya's criteria: (1) we still have a monarchy with lots of reserve powers and recognized as one of the sources of the sovereignty of Corea (the other one is the people), not only as a cultural symbol, (2) kanji is preferred by Korean students of the Japanese language as Chinese characters are still discussed in the curriculum, and (3) city pop is still popular in Corea. Nonetheless, is there an explanation for why Baizou continues to do 2004 all over again?

[Baizou]

I'd imagine Park would be very worried about this. He might even request the government for funding a time machine project but the odds are low anyway.

Trivial enough, Corea would actually be quite much backward using Miya's criteria: (1) we still have a monarchy with lots of reserve powers and recognized as one of the sources of the sovereignty of Corea (the other one is the people), not only as a cultural symbol, (2) kanji is preferred by Korean students of the Japanese language as Chinese characters are still discussed in the curriculum, and (3) city pop is still popular in Corea.

Nonetheless, is there an explanation for why Baizou continues to do 2004 all over again?

OOC: Huh, interesting! It's a funny coincidence that the traits that Miya is guessing are cause to think of Baizou as backwards are in fact shared by Corea.

As for why it's still 2004 in Baizou, it's just for out-of-character convenience. I didn't want to worry about advancing time in Baizou and keeping up with changes in technoloy, global politics, etc. While I don't know if I'll be active on NationStates long enough for it to be an issue, I also didn't want to have to think about elections and changing the cast of characters when I'd rather focus on, cultivate, and develop the cast I already have.

The "stuck in 2004" thing isn't really happening in-character in Baizou; the "deja vú in January" news headline is merely a joke. But if Corea is advanced enough to have time travel, I think it's funny and fine for Corean characters like Park to "notice" the "time loop."

[Zitravgrad]

"Greetings, to whoever it may concern."

"It has come to my attention, and perhaps greatly to my sense of cynicism that somehow a Marxist party somehow co-exists with other parties in a system that is still more or less a variant of constitutional monarchy. I assume that this party employs a far less radical view on monarchy's existence and social structure, and apparently does not oppose it. Is this assumption correct? My assumption also applies to the Socialist Party present in your country."

"One more thing that interests me greatly is how robotics evolved in your nation and world. Cassette tape is a long-gone technology in our world, and it has never been developed to such level of sophistication that CARRIE has. However, how does your nation perceive the future of this technology, as well as its benefits, shortcomings and uses?"

"Thank you for your time in advance. If I offend your cultural or political customs by any chance, I would like to apologise in advance as well."
Respectfully yours, with due regards -- His Excellency, Kazimir Ivanovich Miroslavsky
Premier of the United Federation of Zitravgrad, Commander-in-Chief of Zitravgradian Armed Forces, Director of National Law Enforcement Committee

[Baizou]

"Greetings, to whoever it may concern."

"It has come to my attention, and perhaps greatly to my sense of cynicism that somehow a Marxist party somehow co-exists with other parties in a system that is still more or less a variant of constitutional monarchy. I assume that this party employs a far less radical view on monarchy's existence and social structure, and apparently does not oppose it. Is this assumption correct? My assumption also applies to the Socialist Party present in your country."

"One more thing that interests me greatly is how robotics evolved in your nation and world. Cassette tape is a long-gone technology in our world, and it has never been developed to such level of sophistication that CARRIE has. However, how does your nation perceive the future of this technology, as well as its benefits, shortcomings and uses?"

"Thank you for your time in advance. If I offend your cultural or political customs by any chance, I would like to apologise in advance as well."
Respectfully yours, with due regards -- His Excellency, Kazimir Ivanovich Miroslavsky
Premier of the United Federation of Zitravgrad, Commander-in-Chief of Zitravgradian Armed Forces, Director of National Law Enforcement Committee

"It has come to my attention, and perhaps greatly to my sense of cynicism that somehow a Marxist party somehow co-exists with other parties in a system that is still more or less a variant of constitutional monarchy. I assume that this party employs a far less radical view on monarchy's existence and social structure, and apparently does not oppose it. Is this assumption correct?"

Ambassador Mizushima Miya "First, may I say welcome to our forum, Premier Miroslavsky! Baizou is grateful for Zitravgrad's interest. You ask two excellent questions, which I am happy to answer. I will do my best to speak for the Marxist Party of Baizou, and I have asked Representative Meikawa to speak for the Socialists. "You are correct in guessing that the Marxist Party takes a very moderate stance on monarchy within a social community. On the grounds that Karl Marx and other founding thinkers spoke from the perspective of their European context of autocratic monarchies, contemporary Baizoan Marxism holds that their criticism need not be dogmatically applied to an entirely different cultural context where Baizou's sovereign has been largely ceremonial since the postwar American occupation. To tear down Baizou's royal institution, Baizoan Marxism claims, would be to throw the cultural baby out with the capitalist bathwater, and reflects a European assumption about what the proletariat ought or ought not to value. This is a very simplified explanation, of course, and others in my party might express their sentiments more radically or less radically, but it is broadly the answer to your question. "The historical factors that play into the current state of the Marxist Party are—well, it's a long story. I described it in detail in an answer to New Communist Secretary General Tomie of Sanghyeok, but the short version is that it was part of adapting to the postwar economic and political overhauls the 'New Dealers' of the American occupation instigated and maintaining relevance in a Baizou wherein revolutionary urgency seemed substantially diminished."

"My assumption also applies to the Socialist Party present in your country."

Rep. Meikawa Tomoko "Hello, Premier! As Ambassador Mizushima said, I am Representative Meikawa, currently the senior-most parliamentary representative in the Socialist Party. "As for your question, while you guessed rightly for the Marxists, your assumption does not apply to the Socialist Party. As part of our de-institutionalization platform, we aver that cultural transformation is a necessary element of revolutionary socialism, and an important part of that cultural transformation is progressing toward a society of true equals by eliminating the royal institution. While Ambassador Mizushima has appealed to 'culture,' and 'ceremony,' a culture where we grant some people privilege by birth is no culture that I want to participate in! The sovereignship is a reminder of both European imperialism and Baizoan royalism, neither of which are compatible with the socialist society my party wants to create. The Socialist Party maintains its call for the sovereignship to be dissolved as swiftly as possible, by whatever means, whether mass referendum, constitutional amendment, abdication, or judicial overview. Let us no longer be the Commonwealth of Baizou, but rather the Democracy of Baizou, or the Republic of Baizou!"

---

"One more thing that interests me greatly is how robotics evolved in your nation and world. Cassette tape is a long-gone technology in our world, and it has never been developed to such level of sophistication that CARRIE has. However, how does your nation perceive the future of this technology, as well as its benefits, shortcomings and uses?"

Ambassador Mizushima Miya "Another excellent question, and one that has been the concern of many in Baizou. There are many things that can be said about the future of cassette technology, but as you asked about robotics, I will limit my comments for now to what I see in CARRIE. "While CARRIE in the present is in some respects a 'talking box,' that is already quite useful. Some have proposed using—or already are using—CARRIEs to supplement staff in care homes. Loneliness is a common concern in elderly and other live-in care, and some find that CARRIE units' ability to foster meaningful conversation can be a cure for loneliness. This, though, is arguably a double-edged sword. What dangers might exist in replacing human contact with CARRIE? And is it really a solution for families to replace more frequent visits with a CARRIE? "Most benefits and shortcomings of CARRIE follow a similar tack. To what extent can CARRIE supplement humans in, say, an office environment? To what extent should we worry about CARRIE replacing humans? My concern is not really about employment, because speaking from a position of Marxist theory, technological advancement that brings us closer to post-scarcity is precisely what we want. My concern is more about how we adapt and ensure we still maintain human contact."

Rep. Meikawa Tomoko "While Mizushima and the Marxists fret, I—and most of the Socialist Party—are much more optimistic about CARRIE's potential to change our world. CARRIE might be a 'talking box' for now, but imagine what she could do if she were integrated directly into cassette computation systems. Instead of inputing information manually, you could verbally talk to CARRIE, and she could 'type' it all for you! And that's just the most uncreative tip of the iceberg. If technology can imitate human behavior, then can it magnify human labor like calculation, analysis, estimation, projection, and prediction? CARRIE could become the factory automation of modern data analysis. Picture this: a more advanced CARRIE planning the economy, using her magnetic tape mind to calculate resource allocation with perfect efficiency. Or a CARRIE that can diagnose a patient, able to parse enormous amounts of information to reach conclusions human doctors might overlook. "Hahah, if I talk too much like this, I might risk sounding like a Technocrat! But that's the potential I see in this technology. Many wonder why the Socialists committed to the Wakuna Restoration Bloc when we have so little in common with the party leaders. But the bloc is not about the Wakuna platform: it's about magnetic tape. The Marxists and Labors have, whether intentionally or unwittingly, stifled CARRIE-type innovation with their short-sighted ordinances on magnetic tape. The bloc's goal is to lower those barriers, and in that goal the Socialists see a path to unlocking technological revolution."

[Erianu]

Warm greetings to the representatives of Baizou

It most certainly must be odd to be speaking to a woman distanced significantly from you. My studies and pondering have given me the necessary foresight to understand that the manipulation of our environments, whether natural or manmade, can lead to some rather fascinating discoveries beyond even my imagination. I'm not utterly dumbfounded by your cities of metal. You won't see me drop down in awe. I am only curious about how one reaches such a state of affairs.

In any case, I've come here with questions. I am not deluding myself into thinking that you will hand over the necessary, critical knowledge to bypass centuries of progress so don't hold yourself back. Besides, there is a chance I won't understand half of what you say even if you try. We are probably separated by around 600 to 700 years, in terms of our technological and cultural evolution. Let us begin, I've heard of a man named Marx, whose ideology seems to dwell in the political climate of your homeland. I know not who he is but my curiosity was piqued upon browsing his manifesto. His concepts, such as collectivism and materialism, appear to be universal in nature as I can most certainly recognize aspects of it within my homeland. Astounding? To recognize such concepts in what should be an alien piece of information from an alien society? I wonder, what are your opinions on the applications of Marx's ideologies on relatively primitive societies such as mine? Would technological primitivity stem the enlightenment of the 'lowly labourers'?

I would class Nebumet as primitive in comparison to your own nation as we lack the ability to communicate at lightening speed or create powerful winged birds...airplanes they are called? Odd...very odd terminology. I would be here all day and night if you wanted me to list off all the metaphors I have that refer to the technology you possess. You have such odd little boxes which you simply insert into a slit in an even larger metal box? Merging artifacts to create some sort of pleasant, if otherworldly, music. You know, I could, perchance, tame and fly a great eagle but that simply isn't as rewarding or as beautiful as creating an imitation of nature from my acquired pool of knowledge, don't you agree? What is your opinion on humanity's relationship with the environment? Do you believe that you have outclassed and dominated mother nature in the race of progress or does mother nature still frighten you with its inexplicable depth? A part of me hopes that we've managed to somehow pass the artificial barrier placed on us by the divines but I wouldn't be surprised if we haven't.

- Anippe, Theias of Nebumet

[Baizou]

- Anippe, Theias of Nebumet

Ambassador Mizushima Miya "Well met, Anippe of Nebumet. Certainly, it will never not be strange to speak to someone across not only space but also time, but I have found that this ambassadorship has come with more than a few surprises. Likewise, I'm not surprised that our cities do not 'dumbfound' you—after all, even the ancient worlds knows that time, engineering, and labor can accomplish seeming wonders. "I will do my best to answer your questions. Thank you for your patience and for your interest!"

Let us begin, I've heard of a man named Marx, whose ideology seems to dwell in the political climate of your homeland. I know not who he is but my curiosity was piqued upon browsing his manifesto. His concepts, such as collectivism and materialism, appear to be universal in nature as I can most certainly recognize aspects of it within my homeland. Astounding? To recognize such concepts in what should be an alien piece of information from an alien society? I wonder, what are your opinions on the applications of Marx's ideologies on relatively primitive societies such as mine? Would technological primitivity stem the enlightenment of the 'lowly labourers'?

Ambassador Mizushima Miya "It is not so astounding. Communitarian economics have been found even in the ancient world. After all, in my world Marx and Engels were predated by Christian utopian socialists attempting to imitate Biblical accounts of common living. "However, there is some difference between communitarian economics and Marxist communism. Were you to ask Karl Marx himself, I do not think he would believe his vision of society would be possible in a pre-industrial society. In Marx's view, mass, machine-based production was key to communism's success, and also a key problem communism needed to solve. With machines taking over so much of the hard labor of production, common people, the working class, the proletariat would become free to govern themselves as a communal society and would have the resource and productive capacity necessary to challenge the bourgeoise. While an agrarian working class theoretically has a monopoly on food, Marx did not consider them 'proletariat' in the sense of being laborers whose only economic value legally existed in their wages, and he did not believe a pre-industrial 'proletariat' could be sufficiently productive to achieve eventual communal utopia. My interpretation is that is not so much the technological 'primitivity' would stem their enlightenment; rather, 1) the repressions of industrial capitalism is what would generally galvanize proletarian class consciousness; and 2) without industrial machinery, the proletariat will not be able to produce efficiently enough to maintain a communist society. "Now, Marx is not the only communist thinker. Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong are two very prominent Marxist thinkers and writers, and they had different opinions on the potential for agrarian socialism. I'm afraid, however, that their lack of long-term success does not inspire my confidence, though those shortcomings may be more due to the character flaws of those in power (in Lenin's autocratic successor Stalin, and in both Mao and his reactionary successor Deng) than due to their theories being incorrect. Still, agrarian socialism requires enormous buy-in. The many failures of pre-Marx utopian socialists speaks to the potential for mishaps. "I would not brook you communitarian economics, but it is not quite the same as Marxism. I am of the mind that industrial production power indeed is necessary for long-term, successful Marxism. But, I am but one Marxist, and a Baizoan Marxist at that, so you may well find plenty of Marxists, socialists, communists, etc. who think differently."

I would class Nebumet as primitive in comparison to your own nation as we lack the ability to communicate at lightening speed or create powerful winged birds...airplanes they are called? Odd...very odd terminology. I would be here all day and night if you wanted me to list off all the metaphors I have that refer to the technology you possess. You have such odd little boxes which you simply insert into a slit in an even larger metal box? Merging artifacts to create some sort of pleasant, if otherworldly, music. You know, I could, perchance, tame and fly a great eagle but that simply isn't as rewarding or as beautiful as creating an imitation of nature from my acquired pool of knowledge, don't you agree? What is your opinion on humanity's relationship with the environment? Do you believe that you have outclassed and dominated mother nature in the race of progress or does mother nature still frighten you with its inexplicable depth? A part of me hopes that we've managed to somehow pass the artificial barrier placed on us by the divines but I wouldn't be surprised if we haven't.

Ambassador Mizushima Miya "Our relationship with the environment? I believe we as humans need to become much more humble than we are now. I realize, Theias Anippe, that being from a different time you do not share my context... but when I live, I fear that too many humans believe they have surpassed nature and now have a right to dominate it. But I believe the opposite is true. Nature is far bigger, grander, and more powerful than us. The earth has outlived us a thousand times over, and if given the chance it will outlive us a thousand times over again. When I look at the sky and see the stars, or when I see the ocean, or a forest, or when I learn about the genius, interlocking, harmonious relationships of an ecosystem—I look on it all in wonder and awe, and I feel very, very small. I believe my world needs more of that feeling."

[Sengoku Americas]

"To the most respected and admirable delegates from the Commonwealth of Baizou, I bid you a good day. I, the most humble Premier of the People's Republic of Cascadia, have brought before you today a series of inquiries regarding your opinion.... "

"Not like that, Lotte! You're being too formal here- you need to relax and write naturally. Come, let me edit your letter. "

"How should I write my introduction then? Should I begin with 'Let's start from the very beginning, a very good place to start?'"

"There, it's done! Hmm...what do you think? Your introduction is a lot better now, don't you agree?"

"I...if you say so. I'm still not sure if this is really the best way to start off, but I'll do my best despite my nervousness!'"

---

"Ciao, friends from Baizou!" (Aside) That still doesn't sound right.... "I'm the current Premier and head of government of the People's Republic of Cascadia, Charlotte Kato. I am pleased to make an acquaintance with everyone on the panel, including the Premier, Ambassador, and various Representatives. I've brought a question today for Ambassador Mizushima, if she is willing to answer my inquiry. I believe the Ambassador not only has a general idea of events which led to our current situation in North America but also shares political views similar to my own, so I would like to ask her opinion on a hypothetical regarding what actions she would have taken in that scenario. My hypothetical is a scenario from far before I was born, and yet I have lost countless hours of sleep over it- well, what little sleeping hours I have left anyways. The First and Second North American Conflicts in our universe were the result of uncontained political, cultural, and ethnic tensions in the former United States and Canada, claiming over a hundred million lives and leaving our continent in destitution and destruction. But those tensions did not suddenly burst from nowhere: as you know, all of society's various movements must have basis in material conditions. Nor was their appearance abrupt; rather, these problems had been building up beneath our feet like a tea kettle's water splashes about while it is yet to boil. I am speaking of course about the devastating effects of neoliberalism and late capitalism, which devastated the livelihoods of countless people by placing them in poor paying jobs below the poverty line, left people unable to afford shelter or medical care to simply suffer or worse, and endlessly oppressed the marginalised ethnic and religious groups of the nation. Pinpoint the problem is not difficult- anyone on the left could identify capitalism as the culprit- but acting to create a solution proves more difficult. By the early 21st century, my fellow Democratic Socialists had gained some public influence but remained a small, powerless faction in one of two parties of the United States corporate duopoly. They understood the necessity of reformation through democratic means, and remained supportive of the liberal reform party- which many saw as a "lesser of two evils" compared to an even more reactionary conservative party- even though they knew none of their demands would even be so much as acknowledged. A National Healthcare Service, universal housing, higher minimum wage...everything fell on deaf ears. Nevertheless, the party leadership continued down the path of reformism, hoping (perhaps stubbornly) that salvation could be brought upon us through electoralism and that liberal reformists could at least attempt to enact substantial reforms. Perhaps they were also motivated by the fact that if we had splintered to create our own political party, we would have been swiftly swallowed up by the corporate duopoly completely. And so we naively continued down that road of voting with the liberal reformists. Yet despite all our best efforts, we once again rebuked. Operating on a platform of "moderation", the government fought against any meaningful changes in an attempt to preserve the status quo. A status quo that of course would fall completely before the third decade of the 21st century had ended. Our party's choice to follow the moderates to the very end proved to be in vain. Ambassador Mizushima, when reflecting upon those events and our comrade's decisions, I wonder what the proper decision would have been if I had faced a similar situation. As someone who staunchly believes in democratic change in the slow march towards socialism, I cannot stomach the idea of a bloody revolution in place of reform. But considering the disastrous consequences of our party's leadership then, I do not know if my faith in a non-confrontational solution holds fast. Ambassador, as a fellow Democratic Socialist yourself, what would you have tried to do in this scenario? Would you too have allied with the liberal reformists despite knowing they would have given us no sway over policy? Would you have created your own party, in a desperate bid to pass any legislation that could avert the looming crisis? Or would you have decided to join in arms with the revolutionary socialists and anarchists, who had long since given up on any methods that required the government apparatus itself? I thank you for your time and consideration, Ambassador Mizushima. -Premier of the People's Republic of Cascadia Charlotte Kato -Premier de la República Popular Democrática de Cascadia Charlotte Kato -カスカディア人民共和国首相 シャーロット・加藤