We want recognition for OUR system!

[Der Panther-Vorkampfer]

Why is it that nations must be having either dictatorship or democracy? We are Panther Champions. Any Panther may be Champion, but she must first defeat the current Champion. To whom to all Panthers bow? To the Panther Champion!

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

To the Panther Champions:

We in the Dominion are not aware that one must be either one thing or another, having come across in our time a plethora of governmental systems, traditions, and methodologies.

While we are unsure of why such a general plea has been made to the multiverse in general, given that we have always been a firm believer in sovereign right, and the ability of any given nation to make their own decisions without the approval of other nations, we wish you well in your endeavors.

--Taccino Consulenza, Dominion Ministry of Public Relations

[The Freethinkers]

"Technically, isn't leadership by a single individual based on martial prowess a de facto dictatorship anyway?"

^{Department of the Bleedin' Obvious}
Time of Navarre

[Treznor]

"Technically, isn't leadership by a single individual based on martial prowess a de facto dictatorship anyway?"

Authoritarian enough that they'd at least meet the first criteria for membership in the Non-Democratic Alliance. Not so much the rest, unfortunately.

[Skeelzania]

"There are nations run by panthers now? Like, the cats?

Well, I suppose as they're not trying to loot our strategic scratching post stockpiles, things will work out.

Panthers."

--Colonel van Pelt
Fürstentumschütze Foreign Service Division

[Cats Keep]

"Well they never said what sort of competetion it must be. Perhaps it is mental prowess, the intellect? Then would it not be a meritocracy?

Or perhaps it is by religious challenge, faith against faith - then, would it not be a theocracy?

Simply stating that rulership is determined by winning, well there are so many ways to win...

And any Panther being able to challenge sounds very democratic to me.

And no one can claim that a monarchy is a dictatorship, especially a constitutional monachy

Shalamar,

Lady of Cats Keep

PS: Panthers are but cats, and every one knows about trying to herd, much less govern, cats...

[Allanea]

To be honest, isn't any system where people compete based on individual prowess a 'meritocracy' of sorts? It all depends on what your civilisation values as 'merit'.

~~Xenia Reynes, at the newsroom of the Liberty Times.

[Fatatatutti]

Any Panther may be Champion, but she must first defeat the current Champion.

Rule by Top Thug. That's probably one of the most common systems in NS. Look at the number of coups, revolutions, civil wars, etc.

[Bears Armed]

Any Panther may be Champion, but she must first defeat the current Champion.

Rule by Top Thug. That's probably one of the most common systems in NS. Look at the number of coups, revolutions, civil wars, etc.

Except that it looks as though, in the Panthers' system, the leader must accept challenges -- and do so personally -- instead of using goon squads to suppress dissent...

[Fatatatutti]

Except that it looks as though, in the Panthers' system, the leader must accept challenges -- and do so personally -- instead of using goon squads to suppress dissent...

They're asking for recognition of their system as if it was in some way unique. Every nation is unique, but we can't have 'official recognition' - whatever that might be - for every niggling detail. The difference between personal thuggery and second-hand thuggery is no more significant than the difference between hereditary autocracy and thug-of-the-month autocracy.