Enqalabistan News (DO NOT POST)

[The Imagination Animals]

ENQALABISTAN


Enqalabistan is the newspaper division of Al Korosofiya, the state media in the Veleyati Republic of Crossoveria. It was founded in 1914 as The Mandien Times, before getting a revamp following the 1954 Crossoverian Revolution, remaining a major source of news for the country. Enqalabistan covers both domestic and international news, especially politics and Crossoveria's involvement on the world stage.


The HQ for Enqalabistan is located at 70 W Khomeini Street, next door to Al Korosofiya main studio

Our main journalists/writers (also working on Al Korosofiya):

Woodrow Hinzarty
Juno Shenimamod
Gholamreza Muhammadzadeh
Suleiman Rahimkhani
Maryam Eshradi

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[align=center][box][size=150]ENQALABISTAN[/size]
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Today's News:
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[floatleft][i][size=85]-[place name here], journalist for Enqalabistan and Al Korosofiya[/size][/i][/floatleft][/align]

[The Imagination Animals]

ENQALABISTAN
March 25, 2026

Today's News:
AVA NURBAKHSH TO GO TO METRAS
Ava Nurbakhsh was won the 146th edition of NouwSetar

Ava Nurbakhsh has won the 146th edition of NouwSetar, the bimonthly reality song competition that has been going on since 2001. If she had participated in last year, she would've just been handed the trophy and gone home, probably moved on with her life. Instead, she will be representing this country at the WorldVision Song Contest in Metras in April. This will be the third time Crossoveria has been represented at the contest.

Her song, "Like Atoms", received a final score of 7.71/10, beating four other candidates. Usually, NouwSetar would have 10 participants per episode. But following the success of the 145th edition's test for a superfinal, new rules have been implemented to introduce a superfinal that would halve the contestants. Other contestants include Fatima Yuzpalangzati with her song "Ey Azizam", Arad Khafashzati with "Dracula", Hoda Jalaradi with "You Can't Stop Me Now", and Mohammad Ali Qomi with "We Are Khamenei". The other contestants besides Qomi reportedly shared the same enthusiasm over Nurbakhsh's win as she did.

"I'm just so proud of my girl for this awesome milestone in her life," runner-up Arad Khafashzati told journalists at Al Korosofiya. "Hard to believe that someone like her, with a modest background like her, would get the chance to represent our glorious country on the world stage."

Nurbakhsh, who was born in 2002, spent most of her life in Assateague and interested in music. After graduating high school and completing her military service in 2023, she took to music as her passion. For two years, she was a regular on Canan, Crossoveria's video sharing platform, where she uploaded herself performing songs she either composed or covered. Her most popular covers include "Yeki Hast" by Morteza Pashaei and "Janeh Maryam", while her most popular original songs include "Yek Ruz Yek Rubah Ast" and "Chera To Rafti". In 2025, she got a job teaching music at Sandro Bineli Il Flamel Elementary School in Southern Assateague, a position she continues to hold.

Journalists from Al Korosofiya asked her about how she felt about her victory. She reportedly told them that she was beyond ecstatic and honored to represent Crossoveria in this edition of WorldVision. She will be performing in Metras in April. Even though there is a lot of optimism, some note that Crossoveria may be headed toward another bottom 10 finish. These individuals have cited the poor performance of Dashi, one of the band members of the insanely popular girl group DCSP. But optimism remains high among the Crossoverian populace.

On behalf of Al Korosofiya and Enqalabistan, we wish Ms. Nurbakhsh good luck!

- Gholamreza Muhammadzadeh, journalist for Enqalabistan and Al Korosofiya

[The Imagination Animals]

ENQALABISTAN
April 4, 2026
Today's News:
MUCHOCHO LOCO NO MO
Politician and media personality Muchocho Loco announces his pending retirement from public life altogether

After a career of 5 decades that spanned from television to governing a whole province, Luis Gustavo De La Madrid, commonly known as Muchocho Loco, has announced his retirement from public life altogether. The 80-year-old cited his declining health as a major reason for his retirement. De La Madrid made the announcement on the Gubernatorial House floor during a session and was met with a round of applause.

Muchocho Loco, February 2026

"Even though I would have technically not been able to run for the position of governor a fourth time even if I didn't retire, I fear that going on past next year in any capacity, in politics or in the public eye in general, will have a detrimental effect on me," he said in his speech to the Gubernatorial House Friday. "Don't get me wrong. I love this country. I love Crossoveria so much. And I wish I could continue to serve it. But I believe that, at this point, I have done my part, and I've executed it to the best of my ability. Now I must step down from public entirely. This is Allah's will, and I will respect it."

The announcement was met with shock and respect from all parties. President Hamad bin Ahmad Al Meskin held a press conference about this. "He is right; this is indeed Allah's will," he said. "As the 54th verse of Ar-Rum said, 'it is Allah Who created you in a state of weakness, then developed your weakness into strength, then developed your strength into weakness and old age. He creates whatever He wills. For He is the All-Knowing, Most Capable'. Alhamdulilah for the end of a long, noble career". Casterman Party leader Kipper Woofler said that De La Madrid "was a great patriot for Crossoveria who served nobly". Other politicians in the Law House shared similar feelings, with some reportedly doing self reflection. Khalid Al Dakkhallah, who is currrently the oldest member, has reportedly told a friend, "Maybe I must do that too." Representative Soraya Alizai Telayeb commemorated him on her podcast as well. "What a career. What a person. What a life," she said. Supreme Leader Kaiketsu Zorori has not yet released a statement.

De La Madrid, or as he was more well known as Muchocho Loco, had a career that started in 1969, following the completion of his master's in media production at Jaladaneh Unviersity. He worked with Al Korosofiya for a decade afterward as a crew member. Eventually, in 1985, he was made one of the hosts of Emruz, the daily morning news bulletin show broadcast on Al Korosofiya 1. He held the position for more than 26 years, bringing news to the country during the 90s economic downturn and other major problems it was facing at the time. Many Crossoverians, especially those who grew up in the 1990s and 2000s, remember him on Al Korosofiya. "It seemed like he didn't really care about our plight then," said Toghki Gejarmadi, an anthro honey badger who grew up in Zootropolis, the epicenter of the blackouts at the time. "He was speaking to the humans, mostly, rather than to us."

Then in 2011, he declared his intent to run for governor of the Southeastern province of Spanyat as a member of the Krona Party. As presidential elections that year were never even held, he managed to secure enough votes from a majority human block to win the position, despite the province having an 87% anthro population. He was sworn in on January 7, 2012, and was elected two more times afterward. During his tenure, he oversaw the development and promotion of more traditional aspects, including historical sites and homes, banning modern renovations of old homes in Spanyat. He supported BonAztire's crackdowns against anthros, especially during the 2013 uprisings, and backed President Travis Mavis on multiple controversial policies.

When asked about who shall succeed him by Al Korosofiya journalists, he replied "Someone qualified." He will continue his work up until January 7, 2027, after which he will retire to his home in Kolema, Menico, with his wife Fataneh.

-Gholamreza Muhamamdzadeh, journalist for Enqalabistan and Al Korosofiya

[The Imagination Animals]

ENQALABISTAN
April 23, 2026

Today's News:
AND ANOTHER MEDIOCRE RESULT
Crossoveria finishes 18th at WorldVision 127

Ava Nurbakhsh will not bring home the WorldVision trophy from Metras today. After the jury and televoting results, she has officially finished 18th out of 27 countries with a grand total of 108 points. This was the first time Crossoveria received more than 100 points, and in that regard is the best result Crossoveria has received at WorldVision as of yet. Nonetheless, Crossoveria's third entry did not win. So who did?

Aurora Cassidy from Elejamie won with a grand total of 245 points, winning both the jury and televote with her song "The Show Must Go On". It was the first time Elejamie has ever won the WorldVision Song Contest.

Below you can see the full voting results of the WorldVision Song Contest 127 in Metras.



On her way back to Crossoveria, journalists from Al Korosofiya asked Nurbakhsh about how she felt about the contest and the result. One journalist asked about how she felt about the winning song. "I actually enjoyed it a lot. Found myself vibing to it. I'm really glad she won and I wish her the best." After the contest, she also said, she will return to her teaching job and continue producing music on Canan.

"It was certainly an experience and I am forever grateful I got to have it," Nurbakhsh told the journalists. "I'm going back knowing that I did my best and proudly served the country."

- Gholamreza Muhammadzadeh, journalist for Enqalabistan and Al Korosofiya

[The Imagination Animals]

ENQALABISTAN
5/19/2026
Today's News:
ANAHITA GOES TO CARRELIE
Pirouz Gorbozorkhi to represent Crossoveria at WorldVision 127

Pirouz Gorbozorkhi has won the 147th edition of NouwSetar and will represent Crossoveria at the WorldVision Song Contest for the fourth time. His winning song, "Anahita", a song about envy and adoration, scored a 7.6/10, beating the others at the edition's superfinal. An anthro tiger, he will be the second anthro after Chip Fanjani to do so.

It was certainly a strange edition, mostly because of how shocking the results were. The favorite to win was "Tekoon Bede", by Cheky Ordakzati, Sohalia Faintobzehi, and Rappa; however, it was last place in the superfinal, finishing with a score of 5.4/10. Many blame the juries for the result. The other songs in the superfinal were "Alaan" by Yasmin Takhari, "royaham" by Fereshteh Menikohi, and "Barghas Barghas" by Fanara. With a simple opera song, Gorbozorkhi has beat them all.

Pirouz Gorbozorkhi was born in 2003 in Zootropolis’ Jangal District, the second of three children. His father is an electrician and his mother is a merchant who sells souvenirs for tourists for a living. According to Gorbozorkhi, he initially did not have a major interest in music during that time; rather, he dreamt of following in his father’s footsteps. His early childhood was rather usual for an anthro.

"It would rain very often and me and my friends would just go out and play and have a really good time," he told journalists at Al Korosofiya. "The best years of my life."

Gorbozorkhi lived in Zootropolis until 2013, when his family moved to Vienna, Austria. Pirouz would spend the next nine years of his life there. During his time in Vienna, Pirouz started studying opera. He would become a professional by the end of the decade.

"I saw a performance of La Traviata, I believe, back in 2014 and something just sparked in me as I was watching it. It was to the point where I was like, you know what? Sure. Let's do this. I'm interested."

Gorbozorkhi’s family moved back to Crossoveria in 2021. Two years later, he got his first shot of fame performing in The Marriage of Figaro in a local theatre in Zootropolis, where his performance as Cherubino wowed the audience. He then got a deal with aslanRekord, a record label in Crossoveria, and in 2024, his debut album, Bebar, released with 11 popera songs. It became a hit, selling 10,000 copies nationwide. Many see this as proof that Gorbozorkhi has the potential to take home to trophy this time around. However, due to the nature of the song, others see this as potentially another flop.

On behalf of Al Korosofiya and Enqalabistan, we wish Mr. Gorbozorkhi good luck!

-Gholamreza Muhammadzadeh, journalist for Enqalabistan and Al Korosofiya

[The Imagination Animals]

ENQALABISTAN
6/18/2026
Today's News:
CROSSOVERIA ATTAINS WORST RESULT!
Crossoveria last in WorldVision 127 Grand Final

Pirouz Gorbozorkhi, Crossoveria's representative at WorldVision 127, has taken home the country's WORST ever result. He scored dead last, finishing 26th out of 26th in the grand final with 28 points, all of which come from the juries. On a positive note, Crossoveria did receive 10 points from Eghoo, the most a country has given them since their debut at WorldVision 124. The winner was Rugenia, with their song "Pain" by Leon. This was the country's fifth win. The Alezian Union, who won the 125th edition with "Give Me A Chance", was this edition's runner up.

Below you can see the final scoreboard for WorldVision 127.

The result has almost instantly led to many in the country calling for the reformation of the NouwSetar system or a complete withdrawal from the contest entirely. Gorbozorkhi has not spoken about this as of yet.

"Juries have a lot of influence on the results," says Idris Mutmaeen, a fan of the contest. "Especially now, we've seen what happens when they override the public and what they want. Now that even the international community agrees that sending an opera singing animal is not good, I think now is the time that we remove the juries and let the people decide who they want representing us. Here's a hint: it most certainly will not be him."

Others, as aforementioned, have expressed interest in withdrawing from WorldVision, some including politicians.

"We keep being an embarrassment to the international community," says Aleksandre Skibiditze, a representative from St. Arteen and Armin's Land of the Nezapi Party. "17th place, 18th, 19th, now 26th. It's just absurd. I cannot believe you people [Al Korosofiya] is allowing this. We MUST go."

Despite all the controversies, Al Korosofiya has maintained that it will not be withdrawing.

"The decision to withdraw is entirely on the Supreme Leader, and as of yet we have seen zero indication that he desires something like this to happen," stated Senyi Diori Zalagou, the current Director General of Al Korosofiya. "Remember, every country has their ups and downs. Darkmania won when we debuted, and the edition before they came second last if I recall correctly. Don't worry. There's always next time."

-Gholamreza Muhammadzadeh, journalist for Enqalabistan and Al Korosofiya

[The Imagination Animals]

ENQALABISTAN
6/28/2026
Today's News:
THE END OF AL MESKIN?!
Evaluating Al Meskin's term leading up to the election next month

"Since Crossoveria is a Muslim majority nation despite our official religion being Hefflism, I plan to make Islam the official religion. As I already said, there are more Muslims in Crossoveria than there are Hefflists. Not only that, but I plan to govern Crossoveria with the principles of Islam." This is what Hamad bin Ahmad Al Meskin, then a presidential candidate running for the Islamic Theocratic Party, said at his party's convention as the Secondary elections commenced, at the turn of September 2021. Him advancing out of the Primary election came as a major shock to the country; nobody would expect a Mullah wanting Islamic law for Crossoveria would become a force to be reckoned with. However, a combination of populism, longstanding discontent with the Krona Party, and hate for the pending Treaty of Elmore from Cartooonia proliferated support for the most powerful non political force in the country. It was the latter that Al Meskin had made his campaign focus by the Final round, though Cartoonia had removed themselves from the equation in the midst of that. Nonetheless, Al Meskin took home a landslide, winning in 2021.

There was a lot of initial optimism that Al Meskin would diverge from the previous administrations; a totalitarian one under the various Krona presidents, and a Kipper Woofler administration that would sign away Crossoveria's strength. His popularity was recorded to be 70% when he was inaugurated. However, as of June 28, 2026, his approval rating is just 33%, with a vast majority of Crossoverians that were polled disapproving of his administration. What changed?

First are the impacts of the reforms he made. Leading up to the election, Al Meskin had stated, as aforementioned, that he wishes to demote Hefflism of its status as the official religion and replace it with Shia Islam. Only 55% of the Crossoverian population are Muslim. The demotion of Hefflism has left more than 37 million Crossoverians who follow the religion feeling repressed. Some even expressed concerns about potential persecution.

"That day in April, when I heard the announced, I sobbed," said Iyarko Dichiwanok, the Head of the religion. "It was a black day. A horrible day for all those who follow it. I had a feeling that this was the first step, and eventually they would come for our communities and convert us out."

Despite these initial fears, Al Meskin later clarified that there were no such plans, citing the Quran's "no compulsion in religion" verse. Still, fears permeate. Additionally, throughout the first year, tourists reported that Crossoveria's cities were rapidly Islamizing. One such tourist claimed that a basketball court "turned into a mosque". Al Meskin denied these allegations, citing the existence of multiple mosques across the country and the lack of incentive to build more.

One policy that has undoubtedly remained the same under Al Meskin was on Iran. Under Al Meskin's administration, Crossoveria and Iran strengthened ties, elevating the already established strategic alliance into something greater. Additionally, Al Meskin defended the Iranian government on numerous occasions. He denounced anti government protests in the country, especially in 2022, calling the former an "insurrection threatening the alliance between our nations". By the end of his first year, his approval rating reduced to 57%.

The largest dip in approval rating was in this year, when Al Meskin went from 45% to 28% within 1 month, the catalyst being his response to the protests in January of this year. Crossoverians were protesting in solidarity with Iranian protestors, becoming the largest demonstrations since the glorious revolution. Al Meskin approved a measure that brutally cracked down on these protestors, resulting in major casualties. In a fateful press conference on the 11th, Al Meskin called the protests a "rabies outbreak". Those two words triggered a massive outcry and an official condemnation from the anthro community.

"Suggesting the anthros were 'rabid animals' for supporting our Iranian brothers and sisters and treating us as though we are is a slap in the face to not just us but to this country," said Iyarko Dichiwanok, himself an anthro rabbit. "We've been on this land longer than Lucy. We've developed our kingdom long before you developed agriculture. And yet you have the nerve to call us sick? Remember, you humans are guests on this land. We let you live among us. We tolerate your presence. But we will not tolerate this slander to justify killing us."

Even though Al Meskin's approval rating has gone slightly up since then, mostly from conservatives who supported his pro-Iran efforts, it is extremely unlikely that Al Meskin will recover. The January events have also put into question whether he will win reelection, as the Primary round is coming up in less than a month. Many political analysts say Al Meskin may not make it.

"I just do not see an outcome where Al Meskin gets reelected if he does not drop out by July 21," suggested Suhaila Murzai, political science professor at Maziku University in Barnum. "Between the recent crackdown, his prioritization of Iran, the effects of Islamization, and his lack of political experience, there's just too much he's done that cannot be ignored or forgiven by the people with the election coming up. He could have a chance to leave the primary round if he responds to the moderators' rigorous questions in a quite professional way, but other than that, I fail to see him doing well overall".

However, we shall see how he does in the election starting next month and if he can defend his office.

-Juno Shenimamod, journalist for Enqalabistan and Al Korosofiya

[The Imagination Animals]

ENQALABISTAN
7/19/2026
Today's News:
ELECTION SEASON ARRIVES
This week marks the start of election season in Crossoveria

Millions of Crossoverians have booked tickets to the Crossoveripolis for the next week and a half. Political parties have started putting up campaign ads across Zootropolis, Assateague, and GoCity. Nominee teasers have been published on parties' social media. All of this could mean only one thing: national election season is starting in Crossoveria. For the next four months, candidates from the eight registered political parties, as well as independent candidates, will go head-to-head running for positions ranging from local city councils to the Presidency, the 7th time it happens in a non-emergency context.

Multiple issues are at play in this election. Anthro rights in the country are still widely considered to be underdeveloped, despite improving conditions in recent years. Anthros have been migrating out of the country and humans from across the globe migrating in, creating population shifts many consider to be concerning. Many government institutions such as the military and prisons have been subject to calls for reform or demolition. There have also been calls to repeal the ban on generative AI. Former Supreme Leader Marie BonAztire has been subject to debate regarding whether or not she should be punished for what she did during her rule. These are just some of the issues many in the country express concerns about.

Hamad bin Ahmad Al Meskin is nearing the end of his first term, and based on recent trends, it is unlikely he would win re-election. His approval rating currently sits at 33%, having reached it lowest earlier this year after launching a brutal crackdown against protesters in the country. This, combined with the unpopularity of his Islamization reforms, removal of leaders of strategically aligned nations under him, and dedication towards Iran, have hurt his reputation. Despite all this, Al Meskin announced he would be running for reelection and is expected to be the confirmed as the Presidential nominee in the Theocratic Party Convention. However, he faces significant competition this time around.

Former President and current Opposition Leader Kipper Woofler has expressed a desire to run for President on the Casterman Party ticket. "I had not been able to accomplish a majority of what I wanted due to my tenure being cut short," Woofler said in an interview with correspondent Mahmoud Hosseini. "I intend on resuming my work for this country, to get it back on the right track, even if I have to start completely from scratch." His confirmation as the Casterman Party's nominee is pending.

One particular individual has expressed desires to run for President that got the media's attention. I. M. Weasel, the well-known anthropomorphic least weasel, has recently put out in his blog that he intends to run for President of Crossoveria again. "The way this administration has been running things has been a complete and utter disaster for all Crossoverians," he wrote. "It's time for a change. We need qualified individuals in charge of our government, not religious clerics. We need to prioritize solutions over spectacle, results over rhetoric. I intend to be that change. That is why I am officially running for President of Crossoveria." His convention is expected to take place next week.

Moving on from candidates, the Crossoverian Electoral Committee has announced some new changes to the country's electoral system and Presidential races. Candidates will be publishing opinion pieces called “Hot Takes” in the Enqalabistan newspaper. In these pieces, they will describe what they believe is a key problem encapsulating Crossoveria at the moment and how they would seek to address it should they become president. Additionally, national party conventions will be held in a random order. The Theocratic Party, which currently holds control of the Presidency, will go first. Lastly, results for the Primary and secondary rounds will be announced in random order.

On behalf of Al Korosofiya and Al Enqalabistan, we wish every candidate running good luck!

-Woodrow Hinzarty, journalist for Enqalabistan and Al Korosofiya

[The Imagination Animals]

ENQALABISTAN
7/23/2026

HOT TAKE:
RELIGION IS GOOD FOR POLITICS, ACTUALLY
Why Islam is important for the wellbeing of the country

In the name of God, the most gracious and merciful.

On the 2nd of May 2025, I led a Friday prayer in my mosque in Assateague. After the congregation, a man came up to me. He was no younger than 80 years and was living by himself. He clasped my hands, despite objections from my security guards, thanking me for the work I had done. The 'work' he referred to be the ban on interest that was implemented in Crossoveria under my administration. I remember him telling me that, had I not put an end to interest, he would have been in a worse situation. After the sermon, I had thought about the man and others in his situation. What would their lives have looked like without Islam playing a major role in our government?

Part of the reason why I'm a part of a party that wants Islamic law in Crossoveria is because I am very interested in justice. Aside from pursuing my studies in Qom and Najaf, I have lived all 70 years of my life in Crossoveria. I lived most of my life under Marie BonAztire. I know what it's like to live in a country with no sense of justice. I've visited cities that completely blacked out throughout the 1990s, where families scavenged for food while BonAztire and her husband went to Monaco for vacation. I've seen fellow clerics of mine lose family members to her corruption. After BonAztire fell, I've taken upon myself to bring Crossoveria into the light after 40 years of darkness? And that light is the divine light of Allah.

Had Crossoveria always been governed under Sharia, there would have been no way Marie BonAztire would have gotten away with any of the stuff she did. The hundreds of vacations, the ACE raids, the crackdown on the animals, and the Code of Citizenship, none of that would have happened under Islamic jurisdiction. Additionally, our international scored would not have been this bad. Our Corruption Perceptions Index would not be 25/100, for one. We would also not have a leader that was above the law and could make whatever decision she wanted without repercussions, for another.

Transparency is also incredibly important. People deserve to know what their politicians are doing and if it is the right decision for the people. Crossoveria's recent political history, unfortunately, has displayed an utter lack in that. As aforementioned, BonAztire made many decisions unanimously, plenty of which were unpopular and untransparent with the public. One such decision was the deployment of hundreds of ACE troops to Cartoonia back in 1996. Most Crossoverians had no idea this occurred until Cartoon troops discovered them 24 years later. It was a miracle how they went unnoticed for this long, but the fact that BonAztire, Al Baraqa, or quite frankly anyone in the government at the time told the public or the international community was a clear violation of Amanah. It created the conditions that allowed for the Treaty of Elmore to be developed.

Equality is also important, especially for a nation like Crossoveria. The animal citizens, who make up a majority of our population, have been treated unfairly by BonAztire and the ACE. They've been subject to discriminatory policies and were hit hardest by the blackouts during the 1990s. Over 3,000 of them lost their lives in a single week protesting BonAztire's injustices. This mistreatment has no place in Islam. Under my administration, we saw improvements in animals rights conditions and treatment of them by the police. We've also seen them improve economically, with many animals being lifted from poverty thanks to our almsgiving programs.

Allow me to tie all this back to the conversation I had with that man. Without my ban on interest, he would have been worse off, he said. I believe he is correct. Interest is an exploitative system which preys on vulnerable groups of people such as the poor. It's unfair to the person borrowing money to have to pay an increased sum back to the lender while their credit score gets affected, all while the lender gets a profit regardless. It also causes incredible stress on the person affected. Unfortunately, this was a prevalent thing in this country for a long time, and many in Crossoveria have been negatively affected by it.

We've made genuine progress in this country for the past five years. We've fought against corruption, exploitation, and inequality in this country, and the results of such efforts have been incredible. My administration cleaned Crossoveria of many of these problems, and for the first time in decades, Crossoverians have a shared sense of unity, community, and patriotism, the strongest since the revolution. We wouldn't have been able to get to this point without the guiding path of Allah or the Holy Quran, and if we continue on this path, we'll get to a greater point in our time, one we have never seen before.

Islam is especially important for Crossoveria because of our recent history. We've seen the negative toll corruption has had on our people. We've seen where the lack of transparency has gotten us. We've seen the animals being treated unfairly. And we've seen what interest could do to people. Islam makes it very clear that this has no place in any functioning society. I intend to follow that.

- Hamad bin Ahmad Al Meskin, President of Crossoveria, Theocratic Presidential Candidate

[The Imagination Animals]

ENQALABISTAN
7/26/2026

HOT TAKE:
CROSSOVERIA IS NOT SOCIALIST
Crossoveria is capitalist in practice and our actions contradicted socialist values

Every schoolkid in Crossoveria is taught that Crossoveria, as a country, has maintained its independence and sovereignty by adopting policies and systems that do not align with either the US or Russia. Among these is Socialism. As Crossoveria describes it, it’s a system where private businesses are allowed to operate but the people have access to free healthcare and education and universal access to housing. This isn’t exactly what socialism means. If anything, this is an example of a social democracy.

First, let’s define our terms. Socialism is a societal system where the means of production are in the hands of not the bourgeois but the proletariat. In a socialist system, factories, land, and resources are shared by the people or controlled by the government, and wealth is distributed to meet the needs of the people. It’s also important to note that socialism is a step toward Communism, which is a system with no money, government, or wealth hierarchy. In order for socialism to work, it needs to actively move towards Communism.

Crossoveria has never moved toward Communism in any meaningful way. After the revolution, our first Supreme Leader Kais Al Abidine Baldemore sought to, as I already mentioned, move Crossoveria toward its own path. Not toward the capitalist West. Not toward the communist east. So what was his plan? Move toward a socialist Crossoveria. His view of socialism is exactly what I discussed. Free healthcare, free education, people's needs get met, all great and dandy. However, under Baldemore, the bourgeois were allowed to maintain their factories. Even if Baldemore introduced guardrails which prevented our bourgeois from doing to the workers what those in the West were doing to theirs, this wasn’t actually socialism because he did not allocate the means of production to the working class or to regular citizens.

Things got exponentially worse for the workers under Marie BonAztire, because under her, we actually saw a shift toward capitalism. After she took control of the country, she began to implement neoliberal reforms. The government transferred many enterprises and factories historically held by the government to private companies. The bourgeoisie experienced a renaissance. They made profits like never before while workers saw their wages decrease like never before. Additionally, the bourgeoisie started to seep into our government. BonAztire-era politicians started to associate themselves with the rich, who provided major donations to their causes. Bourgeois owners even ran for seats in the Crossoverian Law House. Many won and still serve. As a matter of fact, we’re seeing several bourgeois politicians running in this race, either for President or Vice President. Nothing about this is socialism and nothing about this is or ever will be socialism.

Even in regards to healthcare, education, and housing, thanks to BonAztire’s reforms, even those have suffered. Anthropomorphic animals in Crossoveria have reported that humans have been given priority access. I saw an anecdote from an anthro orangutan whose son needed surgery. The hospital waiting room had both humans and anthros when they got there. By the time he was called up, it had been 3 hours and all the humans had gone by then. In regards to housing, predominantly anthro neighborhoods were hit hardest by the 1990s blackouts, while predominantly human neighborhoods experienced little. In regards to education, because BonAztire removed government control of religious schools, these institutions exploded across the country. For example, I saw ten new Islamic schools pop up in my hometown within two years.

In order for Crossoveria to be socialist, it would need to roll back on a lot of the policies that were implemented decades past. And I mean really roll back. As President, I will implement a five year plan, a tenure-long one, to go after private businesses and hand over control of the means of production to the working class, to abolish private property and prosecute the bourgeois who held control of such property, to fully liberate the anthros of this country, to renationalize religious institutions and squash their power over Crossoveria, and to equally distribute wealth to every citizen of the nation that we love. We will eventually abolish the Crossoverian Rial and all distinguishing classes, making everyone equal and harmonious. By doing this, we create a Crossoveria that is truly free and fair.

- Fatima Karaji, Babushka Presidential Candidate

[The Imagination Animals]

ENQALABISTAN
7/29/2026

HOT TAKE:
MARIE BONAZTIRE WAS PHENOMENAL FOR CROSSOVERIA
The former Supreme Leader's 40 year long reign should be a model for governance in Crossoveria

What do you think of when you hear the name “Marie BonAztire”? Do you think of a Supreme Leader who ruled a country for 40 years? Do you think of someone who was supposedly against anthropomorphic animals in the country? Do you think of a rich lady who went on a bunch of vacations? I do not. When I think of Marie BonAztire, I think of a true fighter, an ally, someone who stood up to the patriarchy and misogyny of the imperialist. For years, our enemies have spread such horrendous lies about Marie BonAztire, about how she didn’t care for her people, only cared about herself. I’m here to dispel that. Marie BonAztire has done so much for this country than she is given credit for.

Let’s look at her track record in regards to women’s rights. Now, I want you to name one woman who served in the Crossoverian Law House during the 1960s. Just one. You can’t. That’s because, up until 1987, we had no women representation in this country. We had animals representing us, but not women. Now I want you to name as many women as you can who served in the Crossoverian Law House in the 2010s. Several come up at the top of your head. Thank Marie BonAztire for that. Under her 1985 decrees, she mandated that women make up at least 30% of political representation. For the rest of her tenure, we saw 305 women in the Law House.

While we’re on the topic of women’s rights, let’s recognize the other decrees she’s instituted in that year. Abortion, which had historically been banned in almost all cases, was completely legalized. Any limit to it vanished overnight. Additionally, she significantly decreased the pay gap between men and women, to the point where they were paid the exact same in the same professions. You can make up all sorts of stories about her, but you can’t deny results or genuine progress.

Another amazing thing she did was establish democracy in this country, the very democracy you and I participate in. After seizing control in 1981, BonAztire went about establishing and reforming institutions to make them closer to the people. She established the Presidency, which I am running for. She announced elections every 5 years in 1986, a system we greatly benefit from today. And she paved the way for multiple parties to share power. Before, only one party was allowed to exist, and that was the Independence Party. Now, we have eight parties, all vying for the top electable office, and we have Marie BonAztire to thank for that.

The economy is also proof as to how great BonAztire was as a leader. The GDP per Capita in Crossoveria increased under her rule from about $1000 in the 1970s to $20000 in the 2010s. In addition to this, BonAztire dropped unemployment and poverty rates in Crossoveria down to 0%. Kais Al Abidine Baldemore may have dropped those figures to single digits but BonAztire completed his work.

BonAztire was also great for Crossoveria in terms of foreign policy. She always had Crossoveria’s best interests in mind, even if it meant cooperation over defiance. Above all, she advocated for independence and sovereignty for all nations regardless of whether or not Crossoveria aligned with them. When Kuwait was illegally annexed by Saddam, for instance, she got Crossoveria to join the international coalition to free the country. She also celebrated every Soviet republic that broke free from Moscow and became sovereign states, even establishing ties with many of them. She was a great advocate for Crossoveria and an even greater advocate for countries affected by imperialism.

Now, there are those who spread blatant lies about BonAztire, and then there are those who are just uninformed. “What about the ACE”, one would ask. The ACE was initially set up as extra help for the government while we were pouring our resources into helping Iran then. The ACE’s job was to help the police enforce national customs and laws and promote harmony among the people. The 500 ACE troops found in Cartoonia weren’t stationed there. Rather, they were delinquents who watched one cartoon and thought it would be a good idea to replicate that in a country of literal cartoons. The good news is BonAztire negotiated to peacefully retrieve those delinquents with Cartoonian leadership, and she would’ve dished out justice to those 500 troops if she hadn’t been illegally overthrown months later.

Another thing BonAztire’s detractors tend to bring up are what’s called the BonAztire Bans. Many question why all sorts of things from gambling to Disney are banned in Crossoveria. Some would even go as far as to say it’s insane. But the decrees aren’t about insanity as much as they are about promoting traditional Crossoverian values, protecting the people, and prioritizing independence. When you allow a movie that depicts anthropomorphic animals as more human than animal, it warps people’s ideas of themselves. When you let anti-religious rhetoric spread in a religious country, it creates disorder. When you permit books to depict counter revolutionary behavior, it mobilizes people against their independence. The truth is a country that wants to maintain its independence in a world where imperialists vie for control needs to sacrifice. If we have to forbid a book that contradicts our values, so be it.

Things have gotten worse since she left. We got animals rising up and demanding they “take back control” of Crossoveria. We had talks about “abolishing the military”. We got a Mullah in power rolling out reforms that are reversing BonAztire’s progress. That ends now. If I become President of Crossoveria, I will reinstate the BonAztire era. I’ll do this by strengthening the military, providing full support toward our allies, and putting the animals back in their place. For someone who took control of a country at 18, BonAztire really knew how to govern. I intend to replicate that.

- Soraya Alizai Telayeb, Krona Presidential Candidate

[The Imagination Animals]

ENQALABISTAN
7/30/2026

HOT TAKE:
CROSSOVERIA MUST PRIORITIZE ANTHROS
It's time we put our anthropomorphic animal population first

I want you to imagine for a second that you are an anthropomorphic animal in the year 26097, or 1097. You go about your day selling fruit at the marketplace, generating the usual amount of customers and making a typical profit. Then, one day, you see something you’ve never seen before. Creatures with no fur, feathers, or scales, rather hairy beards and moustaches, wandering around the market. They are draped in robes that they treat as sacred, almost as sacred as we treat our land. They come up to you and hand you one, but they speak a completely different language. You would be rather unsettled, wouldn’t you? Perhaps you wouldn’t want them around? Now, imagine, for some reason, you are teleported nearly 930 years later. These creatures are everywhere. They exist among you now, and you see more of them on buildings and in portraits than you do your own kind. Not only that, you find that these creatures are the ones making all the decisions for you. How do you cope with that?

Ever since humans arrived in Crossoveria, we anthropomorphic animals have witnessed the gradual and systemic loss of control over our own homeland. First, it was our monarchs letting humans take up government roles. Then, it was the handing of power to the humans. Next was the destruction of our culture and forced assimilation, and then the revolution, after which repression of our people exacerbated to a new level. The horrific response to the demonstrations prove this; tens of thousands of deaths protesting in solidarity, for freedom for all people.

It genuinely baffles me how a country like Crossoveria can treat its native inhabitants with such contempt. Anthropomorphic animals make up ¾ of the entire population, even after centuries of human existence. We have lived on this island long before they emerged. We established a unified state while they were still living in caves. We developed a religion before they discovered agriculture, something we were tens of thousands of years ahead of. We had a system of continuous peace while they went to war over the littlest things. And yet they think they have the right to overhaul this country, reshape it in their image, and trash our spirits.

This is not something we can stand for.

Crossoveria is a land of anthropomorphic animals. Crossoveria will always be a land of anthropomorphic animals. We are the heart of this country. We have no other place we can call home and be treated with respect, where we can be without being confused for cartoon mascots or actual animals. This is something that we must recognize as a nation. And the best way we can go about with this is if we prioritize anthropomorphic animals.

What does this involve? Monetary reparations, for one. This includes direct payment to anthro families and their bank accounts. I believe $50,000 checks for each and every anthro. It also involves discounts reserved exclusively for anthros. I would say a 75% discount is good for our people. Another way we shall prioritize anthros is through healthcare access. In previous decades, as my competitor Fatima Karaji mentioned in her Hot Take, anthros have faced greater barriers in accessing healthcare compared to humans, as it was humans that got priority access rather than anthros. I would like to reverse that. Instituting policies where healthcare clinics provide priority access to anthros, and with greater quality, would be the way to go in this regard. In regards to real estate, should a human and an anthro engage in a bidding war, the seller should be mandated to give the property to an anthro. In regards to politics, in provinces where over 80% of the population are anthropomorphic animals, humans shall simply be prevented from running as they do not represent the people the way anthros do. This includes my home province of Ranko which has a 94% anthro population, and about 46 other provinces in the country. These will be the kinds of reforms I will pursue as President of Crossoveria.

But what about the humans, you may ask? Humans will still maintain the rights they have, but they’ll be relegated to have roughly the same rights as anthros. They will not be able to oppress us in the same manner as they did from years ago, nor will they be able to get benefits at our expense. There’s a famous saying which I believe is applicable to this situation: when one is accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression. Humans have, for so long, had the privilege of running an anthro-majority country unopposed for so long that anthros taking back their country and gaining their rights appears to be a threat. In reality, these reforms are aimed at addressing inequalities and payback rather than spite.

If there are any humans that would not like this system, they can leave. There are 194 other countries they can be in. But, as I already said, Crossoveria is the only home anthropomorphic animals have. It is crucial that Crossoveria puts their wellbeing and respect first.

- Rani Kolloro, Anthro Presidential Candidate

[The Imagination Animals]

ENQALABISTAN
8/3/2026

HOT TAKE:
VEGANISM SHOULD BE MANDATORY IN CROSSOVERIA
In a country full of anthropomorphic animals and some of the most precious land, veganism must be mainstream

If you are reading this, you probably love some of the following foods: fesenjoon, aztiki polo, ghormeh sabzi, gheimeh, kabsa, and/or kabob. Heck, you might be eating one of these meals while reading this piece. If that’s the case, forgive me because I’m about to ruin your diet. What if I told you that those meals come from animals? Cows, chickens, sheep, and some pigs. Now, you may be wondering “What’s the big deal, Dani Bro? It’s meat. Of course it comes from animals. And it’s tasty!” To that, I say “you do not know what country you are in.”

That’s the first point I will make. Crossoveria is not like other countries where cows, chickens, sheep and pigs are just farm animals. Crossoveria is the only country where these animals stand on two legs, talk, and have pretty much the same capabilities of humans. And they are citizens of this country. They are your farmers, your teachers, your bosses, your doctors, your taxi drivers. They share the same legal status as humans do. You know exactly what this means. Using typical animals for meat consumption is bad enough, especially with how the meat industry operates, but in a country where those animals are citizens of a country, meat consumption is a whole nother level of deplorable.

Not only that, it reinforces human egoism when it comes to nature. For a long time, humans have used meat consumption and hunting as mechanisms to display their supposed “superiority” and “dominance” as a species. This helps contribute to the egotistical idea that humans are entities that are elevated above animals, the very same ideas that have contributed to the repression of anthropomorphic animals in their own homeland for decades. Heck, this narrative is even repeated by government officials, claiming that humans are “not animals” just because we are different as a species or more technologically advanced. Eating meat in the way that we do right now reinforces this narrative. Until we recognize we too are a part of nature rather than some special entities who made really cool structures and have languages, this repression of both anthro and non anthro animals will continue.

Moving on from the demographic logistics and our human-centered nature, a vegan diet is also significantly healthier. Incorporating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds is much better for you in the long run than eating meat. This claim is backed by plenty of research. Reviews from health organizations in and out of Crossoveria have found that a vegan diet reduces risk for numerous diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and several types of cancers. Being vegan is also linked to lower obesity and cholesterol.

“But what about protein?” you may ask. Protein is definitely important, I agree. That’s why I incorporate beans and lentils in my diet. That’s why I use tofu. That’s why we have adas polo. Being vegan is not about eating only fruits and vegetables. These options exist and they make excellent and healthy substitutions to meat.

Eating meat is also incredibly bad for the environment, because it leaves huge carbon footprints. This is mostly thanks to the methane emissions non anthro animals create, and methane is one of the largest contributors to global warming, having 80x the warming power of carbon dioxide. Speaking of, did you know that meat consumption generates high emissions of carbon dioxide equivalents? According to research, beef generates the highest at 60 kg while plant based foods typically generate less than 1 kg.

It’s easy to dismiss the idea of going vegan when there are some ridiculous individuals online preaching about veganism in extreme and terrible ways. On behalf of the vegan community, we do not claim these individuals because they put a terrible look on vegans as a whole and further perpetrate harmful myths about what veganism is, therefore continuing this cycle. I would just like to make that very clear.

Veganism is not simply a diet people go on. It’s a lifestyle. It’s genuine care for animals, the environment, your health, and the people. And in Crossoveria, it’s long overdue. There’s no excuse for humans to be still consuming animal products when anthropomorphic animals outnumber them 3 to 1. It’s time we go vegan as a country. As President, I will crack down hard on the meat industry by shutting down factories and farms and punishing the operators of these facilities with heavy fines. I will establish a compensation program where anthropomorphic sheep, cows, pigs, and chickens get $10,000 checks. I will ensure that every restaurant in this country removes options that contain animal products. And I will make adas polo the national dish of Crossoveria. I think these policies are necessary to bring about positive change to this country, and I think we can make this happen together. You can start by switching to shirazi salad.

- Dani Bo Organi, Sabzi Presidential Candidate

[The Imagination Animals]

ENQALABISTAN
8/4/2026

HOT TAKE:
CROSSOVERIA MUST PRIORITIZE CROSSOVERIA
Above all else, we must focus on building unity and cooperation if Crossoveria is to be well

In the 14 years I’ve served as the Governor of my province Insisturn, and in the more than 14 years that I’ve been selling cars, I’ve found the one special thing that has enhanced my success. And that is prioritizing Crossoveria above all. When I sold my first model, Crossoveria was at a period where it really needed it. The year was 1998, when rolling blackouts affected many neighborhoods and inflation was quite high. Most of the cars at the time were very old, many from the 1970s and 1980s. As I was developing my models, I thought about what this country needed: heating, mobility, stability, and unity. I incorporated all of those into my models, and voila, it was a huge success.

As I already said, this was during quite a desperate time for Crossoveria. You want to know why it was like that? It was because we were depleting resources to engage in international conflicts. First it was our support for Iran during their war with Iraq, and then it was the pushback against Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait. Crossoveria was in that situation in the first place because it did not prioritize its people. Instead, it prioritized foreign adventurism and support for its allies. It continues to make this mistake to this day, strongly backing Iran in any conflict it gets into and antagonizing our enemies 24/7. It has become obvious that these kinds of conflicts do not help the Crossoverian people in any way.

And you know what makes this worse? This is apparently the only thing Crossoverian politicians can come together on. There is deep division in the Crossoverian Law House that I’ve noticed between radicals and reactionaries, which had deepened when the multiparty system was introduced. This was not what Kais Al Abidine Baldemore would have wanted. Now, Crossoveria has largely been left with 2 major factions who want completely different things. These factions are not fighting for Crossoveria but rather their self absorbed interests. This is not good for Crossoveria at all because stuff like this can lead to civil conflict if not resolved. We’ve seen this happen before in plenty of other countries. I don’t want that happening to Crossoveria.

It’s time Crossoverian politicians come together and compromise on issues concerning Crossoverian domestic politics. If I am elected President, I will be moderating a lot of the compromises. Here’s how I would do it. Take the issue of anthro rights, for example. It is a really hot issue in Crossoveria. And why shouldn’t it be? ¾ of the population are made up of anthropomorphic animals, and they have been subject to a lot of intense policies from this regime in the past few decades, many of which have been supported by the right-wing For The Nation Coalition. This includes jail time being a potential penalty for violating Appropriate Anthro Appearance. I think that is too harsh. On the other hand, you have radicals in the Progressive Coalition who want to do away with such policies completely and elevate the anthros above humans, even though humans like me make up a significant portion of the population and hold great influence in shaping modern Crossoverian politics. So, here’s the compromise I would make to appease both sides. We keep AAA as originally implemented, but we reduce the penalties for violations, including more warnings for repeat violators, and fines at maximum. By doing this, we maintain established institutions while lessening the consequences.

Another example would be prisons. Prisons are an absolute necessity in any functioning society. You’re going to have people who commit crimes and hurt innocent people, and you’re going to need to punish those people. This is something I agree with the For The Nation Coalition on. However, where I lean more to the Progressive Coalition is how we’ve been doing things is the fact that we tend to go a bit too far in our application of justice. Unlike the guy who ran for my party before me, I do not believe Punishment Day is an appropriate way to dish out justice. A lot of Crossoverians agree with me on this. So, my solution would be to abolish punishment day and reform the prison system to make it more progressive, and maybe incorporate some rehabilitation to it.

Compromise like this brings politicians together. It bridges gaps and divisions between major factions. And it teaches the youth that teamwork makes the dreamwork. Political compromise is inherently prioritizing Crossoveria because it promotes long-term stability for the country and establishes policies that make everyone in the country happy. Foreign relations, by contrast, I believe should take a backseat. We shouldn’t allow ourselves to be dragged into any more conflicts, even if they involve another country. These conflicts incite division which even seeps into our country as well. Plus, as history has shown, it is bad for us to do so. If we want stability, we’re gonna need to focus entirely on ourselves as a country. I think, in the long run, it will be beneficial for us.

- Doy Ranoldi, Zola Presidential Candidate

[The Imagination Animals]

ENQALABISTAN
8/5/2026

HOT TAKE:
CROSSOVERIA SHOULD LEGALIZE GENERATIVE AI
Maintaining the current ban on generative AI is only going to cook us internationally

For years, generative AI has been portrayed by the Crossoverian government as a sort of bogeyman, a force for evil, if you will. When major AI chatbots were released to the world, we made every effort to outlaw them in Crossoveria, citing security and misinformation concerns. As AI has advanced and become more commonplace, we’ve displayed reasons justifying our ban, such as job loss, environmental damage, and hallucinations. On the surface, we would have no reason to change our stance on generative AI. But reality is a lot more complicated.

The truth is AI is the future, whether we like it or not. Countries all across the globe, including allies of ours such as Iran, are utilizing the technology because they’ve found it to be cheaper and more efficient than human work. It’s for a similar reason why, for speeding, countries have implemented cameras instead of having policemen be stationed and wait for a fast driver. As the only country with a complete ban on it, we aren’t being as progressive as we think. In fact, we are inadvertently leaving ourselves behind technologically. This will have disastrous consequences for the stability and protection of our country because it will leave us even more vulnerable to imperialist threats.

Think of this like an electronic device. Regular updates are needed in order for it to function well. Without it, you leave the device vulnerable to hackers and viruses. You might not like the new updates, but it will be better in the long term. You might even be grateful for them looking back.

Besides the basic need for updating, there are several advantages that come with legalizing generative AI not just for the government but for the Crossoverian population at large.

First off, it boots creativity through two ways: helping remove writer’s block and greater accessibility. Currently struggling to come up with ideas for your story or song? Want to develop a book but are concerned about plot holes? Worried about the quality of writing? Generative AI can solve a lot of those problems for you. It generates a bunch of ideas that are fitting for the story you want to tell or the song you want to sing, and you can pick and choose which one to go for. Additionally, legalizing generative AI would result in making films or animations more accessible. Obviously, not everyone can animate, nor does everyone have the budget for making the movies they desire. Generative AI produces those movies and creates those animations for you, bringing your dreams to life.

Generative AI is also incredibly helpful with your schoolwork, especially for research or learning the material. It can give you a summary of complex concepts such as phlogiston theory or anthro evolution and make it easy for you to understand. It can also help you study for exams by generating quizzes, audio and video overviews, slideshows, basic summaries (as I already mentioned), and diagrams. This makes learning significantly easier for people, and research even more accessible. The days of schoolkids getting cooked in tests and college students getting stumped in research work will be over.

Generative AI also breaks down significant barriers. Just like with animation and movie making, it makes coding more accessible. People without vast amounts of programming experience would be able to build websites, apps and database queries. Generative AI can also make great interactive mentors for beginners, proliferating their learning and creating opportunities in the process. A significant barrier generative AI breaks down is language. Obviously, not everyone speaks the same language, and some people can’t even afford an interpreter. Generative AI can translate what the other person says or writes, enhancing communication among people of different languages.

If we really want to make Crossoveria as strong as possible, we need to be up to date with the rest of the world, and that includes generative AI. It’s here to stay, regardless of whether we want it or not, and it will only harm us in the long run if we maintain a complete ban on it. That is why, as President, I will push for a complete reversal of the ban in the first 24 hours of my Presidency. I will then hold a social media vote where the people decide whether to incorporate foreign AI chatbots or if we should develop our own models. Regardless of what we choose to do, there’s no denying that legalizing generative AI will generate significant benefits for the country, and enhance its strength and progress. It’s time to stop treating generative AI as a bogeyman and start treating it as a tool.

- Aleksandre Skibiditze, Nezapi Presidential Candidate

[The Imagination Animals]

ENQALABISTAN
8/6/2026

HOT TAKE:
IT'S TIME FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES IN CROSSOVERIA
We must make major reforms that gives the Crossoverian people basic freedoms

On September 25, 1999, an anthro axolotl, Degao Lotl, was sentenced to one year in prison. His monthly publication Saikon was shut down by the government and he was legally barred from continuing his work as a journalist. What did he do to deserve this? He published a piece criticizing then Supreme Leader Marie BonAztire for her involvement in both the Iran-Iraq war and Persian Gulf War. These criticisms were anything but malicious. After all, anthros like him were enduring terrible conditions at the time he wrote it. Blackouts targeting anthro majority neighborhoods. The ACE was cracking down harder on anthros than ever before. And inflation was incredibly high, making basic goods pretty expensive. This is all thanks to our participation in fighting Saddam Hussein and supporting Iran.

Degao Lotl’s story is just one of many. For decades, Crossoverians have been unjustly punished for voicing their own opinions. Even after BonAztire’s removal, this unjust practice continues. People continue to be thrown in prisons for criticizing the government, the country, and the Supreme Leader. In some instances, it has led to life imprisonment, or even the death penalty.

Earlier this year, we saw how lethal opposition remains. In January, millions protested in solidarity with the simultaneous Iranian protests. The government’s response was even more brutal than in 2013, becoming the single deadliest event in the 27,000 year history of Crossoveria. For a country that has not only been trying to distance themselves from BonAztire’s regime but has also been striving toward democracy, continuing to repress the people like this is beyond repugnant.

If Crossoveria wants to change, it needs to work towards it. What it needs are civil liberties.

Every functioning democracy has civil liberties embedded into its constitutions and national laws, and enshrines them in both theory and practice. These include freedom of speech, freedom of press, and freedom of assembly. A high prevalence of these is a sign that democracy in that country is healthy. When people are able to freely speak their minds about the government, and when people are allowed to protest government decisions they do not like, the country benefits as a whole. Governments do not lose their legitimacy, and people remain happy. Reports do not lie either. Democratic countries constitute some of the happiest in the world.

Thus, introducing civil liberties is a win-win. If we implement civil liberties tomorrow and if the Degao Lotl case occurred a month later, nothing would have happened to Mr. Lotl. He would’ve continued publishing works on Saikon and freely speaking his mind. As a matter of fact, there is a chance that it could be revived in the not so distant future if we push to establish civil liberties now.

Another reason to implement civil liberties is because it will solve the emigration problem. For the past few decades, Crossoverians have been emigrating out of Crossoveria and moving to places like Turkey, Australia, Europe, Canada, and even the United States. They go to these places seeking freedom and the ability to say what they want without the government coming after them. It has become obvious that our own laws have become a push factor. By changing it to allow people to freely criticize the government, we bring those Crossoverians back into the country. Many of them would love to see freedom in their own homeland. Why not bring it to them?

Free speech isn’t the only important thing. In addition to being able to say what they want, the Crossoverian people should be able to express themselves how they want. That’s why I’m against Appropriate Anthro Appearance and have pushed to have it formally removed. This is also why I strongly support freedom of religion. Crossoverians should be able to practice any religion they want, even if it isn’t Shia Islam or Hefflism. If they want to be a Christian, we should let them be Christian. If they want to be a Sunni, we should let them be a Sunni. If they want to be an atheist, we should let them be an atheist, and so on and so forth. We were wrong to formally prohibit these religions and drive hundreds of thousands of Crossoverians out of their homes. We ought to end this policy alongside AAA.

The Crossoverian people have been systemically repressed for far too long, and it is really hurting the country. People are leaving in droves and government legitimacy is at its lowest since 1954. But redemption isn’t rocket science. We just need to open up. We just need to stop being so stingy about our people. And if we recognize this, it will greatly benefit Crossoveria. That’s why, as President, I will take the initiative to implement sweeping reforms to the Crossoverian public to grant civil liberties. I will push for legislation which nullifies any and all policies that restrict freedom of speech, expression, press, religion, assembly, and more. I will fully abolish Appropriate Anthro Appearance and eliminate all the institutions that enforce it. I will reform the military to prevent them from countering protests. And I will put an end to our censorship programs. Shall I get elected, by the end of my term, Crossoveria will fully turn a new leaf, one of democracy and freedom. It would be the best gift the country would receive in its recent history.

- Kipper Woofler, Casterman Presidential Candidate

[The Imagination Animals]

ENQALABISTAN
8/9/2026

HOT TAKE:
CROSSOVERIA NEEDS COMPETENT AND EXPERIENCED LEADERS
The decades of de facto kakistocracy prove exactly why experience and competence are important for a country

Five years ago, we elected a man with virtually no political experience whatsoever. He was the man who recited the Quran on national television for over 4 decades. Yet he was somehow permitted to become our country’s President. Five years later, we have witnessed the consequences to that. We’ve seen unqualified people get put into positions which have a direct impact on the people. We’ve seen mismanagement in dealing with our alliances, culminating in a weaker pact. And worst yet, we’ve seen the most brutal crackdown on protesters which surpassed even 2013. These aren’t technical bugs as much as they are features to a lack of political competence, experience, or knowledge.

Unfortunately, we aren’t the only case study for this. Countries across the world have had episodes of electing or putting unqualified, inexperienced individuals into office just because they appeal to a certain issue or just so happen to be charismatic. The United States, for instance, had this experience with Donald Trump. Twice. His mishandling of foreign policy and antagonistic behavior made the adversarial relationship between the U.S. and Crossoveria exponentially worse. There are also people in his cabinet that are extremely unqualified for said positions, similar to Al Meskin’s. Point here is that a leader’s inexperience and incompetence will hurt their people regardless. This is exactly why Crossoveria needs to reform to emphasize these two.

There are not just cons to inexperience and incompetence that make their opposites necessary for a nation, but also the latter’s pros.

Competence and experience inevitably lead to efficient governing. When you have individuals who know how the system works inside and out and the proper ways to manage it, governing becomes significantly better. That’s because these individuals have an emphasis on doing what works. Rather than beating a dead horse or arguing unrealistic demands, these individuals make decisions and laws based on data, expert analysis, and results from smaller scale implementations. Take educational programming, for instance. Before the 80s, and this is something I will give the former Supreme Leader credit on, there was only one television channel which largely emphasized news and propaganda. In the 1980s, the government passed new laws which expanded Al Korosofiya into several channels, including those focusing on educational and children’s programming. These laws were established based on studies that showed that, in other countries, such programming helped increase literacy, knowledge in STEM and humanities, and social skills like collaboration and problem solving for children. We saw the same effects by implementing these at home, and to this day, Crossoveria is further advanced in education than ever before.

Speaking of efficiency, competency and experience enhances good decision making. This encompasses a lot of stuff, but generally speaking, it not only involves attention to detail in the implementation of its laws but also considerations for the future. Experienced and competent politicians understand that there is little room for mistakes in its laws, especially since these laws directly influence the lives of millions of people. The stakes are just too high to leave out anything or miscalculate appropriations or funding. The same applies for the future. These individuals also understand that the laws they are making now would not end with their administrations. The laws they create and its effects permeate beyond their terms, and have lasting consequences for the country at large. Any shortsightedness will have the same effects as poor lawmaking, and for this reason, it is something they recognize they cannot afford. Such considerations save the lives of Crossoverians.

I will now give an example as to how shortsightedness and poor decision making has led to catastrophe. From 1982 to 1988, Crossoveria conducted its largest scale involvement in the Iran Iraq war. It sent troops and military supplies to help aid Iran, and spent a lot of money on the short term goal of making our ally win. This was reckless on so many levels. Not only did we not fulfill our end goal, as the war ended in a stalemate, but we were also dragged into a major economic crisis that would last for 15 years, during which I ran my first campaign.

Speaking of economic turmoil, this brings me to my next point: experienced and competent leaders do better at promoting stability. They know exactly what to do when a country is impacted by an economic crisis like the one we experienced, in addition to pandemics and severe natural disasters. They put their trust in and follow guidelines set by established domestic and international institutions to help reduce or at least make the crises manageable. Their cooperation with institutions full of experts greatly benefit countries at large because of this.

I can see the appeal to Al Meskin’s populism. After all, you can’t really blame Crossoverians for wanting a completely different turn for their country after decades of chaos. But he was never fit to be President, and his tenure as President proves exactly why experience and competence are needed. I may not have a great amount of political experience, but this is due to the constructed stigma against anthros like me. My vast knowledge in politics, especially Crossoveria’s, as well as my multitude of inventions which have greatly benefited humanity at large, makes me competent and experienced enough to be your President. Should I get elected, I will push to enact new legislation which makes qualification requirements for institutions such as the President stricter, like firmly requiring political experience rather than providing the option for either political, military or religious experience. In regard to political experience, I will provide baseline requirements for getting involved in at large politics. Such policies, I believe, would greatly benefit the country and prevent incompetence from ever again ruining the country. It could also serve as a model for other countries, especially the U.S., to adopt.

Vote for me! I am for you!

- I. M. Weasel, Presidential Candidate

[The Imagination Animals]

ENQALABISTAN
8/24/2026

Today's News:
THE PRIMARY RESULTS ARE IN
The results for the first round of the Crossoverian Presidential election have been published

The Crossoverian Election Committee has officially announced the results of the primary Crossoverian presidential election, having tallied millions of votes over the past few hours. The four candidates that will head into the secondary round are: Soraya Alizai Telayeb of the Krona Party, Fatima Karaji of the Babushka Party, Kipper Woofler of the Casterman Party, and independent candidate I. M. Weasel. Incumbent President Hamad bin Ahmad Al Meskin has been eliminated and thus will not have a second term. He is joined in this elimination by four other candidates; Doy Ranoldi of the Zola Party, Rani Kolloro of the Anthro Party, Dani Bo Organi of the Sabzi Party, and Aleksandre Skibiditze of the Nezapi Party.

Despite being given weeks to vote, this round saw a relatively low voter turnout. Out of the 65 million Crossoverians currently eligible to vote, only 60% of them reportedly turned out to vote. The low voter turnout is reflected in the lack of faith in Crossoveria's democratic institution as a result of the debate that took place on July 31, as exemplified in the street interviews Al Korosofiya conducted across multiple major cities in the country afterward.

"At this point, I’m going to cast a blank ballot. I don’t know who to vote for," said Jawva Ustralyehi, an anthropomorphic kangaroo living in Zootropolis. "All these candidates are either incredibly stupid, hateful, childish, unqualified, or all of the above. I really can’t see myself voting for any of these candidates." Many more Crossoverians expressed similar views.

Political analysts were divided over the results of this round. Some anticipated the failure of certain candidates, including the incumbent.

"Al Meskin's loss was anything but surprising," said Yahya Alavi, an analyst and consultant. " The low approval rating, the horrible crackdown, the Islamization. It was clear from the start that he would not win reelection. He would've been lucky to even make it out of the primary round. Even when he won in 2021, he wasn't that popular. People just opposed a treaty of foreign imposition."

Others were rather shocked at how the results swayed in favor of candidates that were, according to them, supposed to be left in the primary round.

"It is fascinating how, despite her unorthodox behavior in the debate, Soraya Alizai Telayeb not only made it into the second round but actually won this first round," said Suhaila Murzai, political science professor at Maziku University in the province of Barnum. "It's an incredible case study as to how people are ultimately interested in reliving nostalgia rather than moving their country forward." In regards to whether Ms. Telayeb would actually win, on this, Dr. Murzai is less certain. "It is possible that she will be left in the second round despite this victory based on any ad she puts out or statement she makes in the next convention or speech."

Many in the country agree with Dr. Murzai regarding Soraya Alizai Telayeb. After all, her party's convention was one of the least attended out of the nine, leading many to believe her primary elimination to be "locked in". However, as a result of the debate, her popularity skyrocketed among human conservatives, especially those nostalgic for the Marie BonAztire era. This is reflected in the aforementioned street interviews Al Korosofiya conducted, these ones in Assateague.

"At first, I was not a huge fan of Soraya Alizai Telayeb. Definitely preferred someone else," said Maziar Garkeliyari, a human. "But after watching that debate, I am definitely voting for her. I mean, she was just amazing. She answered the questions accurately and perfectly. She saw what the main roots of Crossoveria’s current problems were. And she stood up to bullies and the radical left." Support for Telayeb exploded among human women who benefitted from the BonAztire era. " Even if she was weird in the debate, she’s 100% correct," said Fatimah Valamotamed, another human living in that city. "Living in Crossoveria under BonAztire was a blessing. I spent most of my life in that era, and I can tell you that it really was the best time to live in Crossoveria. I’ll do anything to relive that era."

The secondary election round will commence in a week. For the next month afterward, Woofler, Telayeb, Karaji, and Weasel will conduct national conventions where they will do Q&As with everyday Crossoverian citizens. They will then run ads promoting their campaigns or attacking each other's. The top two candidates then will move on to the final round, where one will become the next President of Crossoveria.

On behalf of Al Korosofiya and Al Enqalabistan, we wish every candidate running good luck!

- Woodrow Hinzarty, journalist for Enqalabistan and Al Korosofiya