Calling to Order the Chamber for the Senäts of the 46th Cosa

[Capt. Sir Mick Preston]

Welcome, my fellow Senators!

Please come in, and make yourself comfortable. For those of you new the the Chambers, please take a moment to formally introduce yourself!

Also, please pick out the chair you would like to reserve for yourself, or bring one in from you home Province. If you have any questions, now is the time to bring them to everyone's attention.

Oh, and you new Senators? Please don't forget to stock the Bar when you are done.

[Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN]

Grült méirçi, estimat Mençéi. Gráitînds à va noveux colegas dîn el Senäts del Regipäts Talossán. Eu anticipareu sex mesen - eða vienŝ år, schi els citaxiêns da va provincù vëlarhent ben - da traval unfáþil mas deneu, për miglhóriçar ár anavatán.

Senators, I'll try to be brief, and anyone who knows me well will know that that will require a great effort for me. This is a historic period for Talossa. In the democratic era of our nation, after 1985, only three times previously has "the opposition" - that is, the party or parties not identified with the Monarchy - taken a majority in the Cosâ and consequently formed a government. In every case, that government collapsed after one term and the status quo resumed.

To some degree, this marks "full circle" in my Talossan career. First applying for citizenship in April 1997 - in the early years of Talossa online, in the days of Wittenberg version I no less! - I was rejected by a packed Cort pü Inalt, after the ruling monarchy grew afraid that I was a potent addition to the political opposition and would never be recruited to the ruling majority. Thereupon followed the experiment of an alternative form of micronationalism - the Free Commonwealth of Penguinea - which collapsed after two and a half years due to irreconcilable differences among its citizenry.

But there was always unfinished business. To some extent, what we tried to do in Penguinea was to have the Talossan experience without the "big man" culture, that is, the so-called "constitutional" monarchy which always turned absolute when democracy proved inconvenient. And then, other Talossans decided to make their own experiment, with the Revolution of Calondâ Gün 2004 and the Talossan Republic of 2004-12. I don't think it's an unseemly boast to indicate that Penguinea led to the formation of the Republic. Penguinea certainly led to the hitherto latent xenophobic, intolerant and bullying characteristics of the then reigning monarch coming to the surface, to the point where - in the fashion of dictators throughout history from Stalin to David Miscavige - he turned upon his closest allies.

Senators, the Old Republic was, in my view, a glorious experiment which did not fail, but came to its natural conclusion, because it lost out to the post-KR1 Kingdom - not in constitution or laws, nor in culture, but in ability to attract new citizens. That's all there is to it. But I believe that the pre-Reunision Kingdom lacked an aspect of classic Talossa that the Republic had retained - the culture of vigorous multi-party politics and debate, the ability to politically experiment. Thus when I - in my second term as the last President of the Old Republic - initiated the dialogue that led to Reunision, I believe that I and my partners on the Kingdom side - the Head of State himself, Lord Hooligan, and others - brought together two halves of an entity which had been sundered, and could not reach its full potential short of that regained unity. In form at least. For to some degree, there has always been - as I see it - a level of mistrust and factionalism between the existing Kingdom citizens and the reviênsadéirs. This should not amaze us - the split between "Ossie" and "Wessie" is still visible in Germany, twenty-three years after their "reunision".

Senators, I believe that this past election has shown that the split is beginning to heal properly. In the Reunision process, much was made that the Republicans were about 16 in number compared to the Kingdom's 150 or so. A mere drop in the bucket, perhaps. But what we lacked in numbers we made up for in ideas. Without taking power, former Republicans and their allies have brought about the adoption of the secret ballot - perhaps the most earth-shakingly fundamental political reform in Talossa since the 1997 OrgLaw was enacted. Parties standing on a Republican platform - including citizens who were never in the Old Republic - gained just under one quarter of the vote in the recent Cosâ election. This shows the qualitative effect that a politically conscious minority can have in a democratic system.

So, we have shown that the Kingdom of Talossa is indeed democratic, in that it is possible for the pro-monarchy parties to lose power. But is it possible for republican parties to share in power, and retain that share in power by gaining the confidence of the citizenry? In the immortal words of Count Danihél Lauriér, former leader of the Provisional Peculiar Republic of Talossa and co-founder of this nation - We Shall All See.

The monarchist/republican dialectic has produced a massive jolt of new life to run through the sinews of our no-longer-young Kingdom. Long may it continue.

Senators, let me close on a personal note. I know that I have been seen as - indeed, have somewhat gloried in - the role of "'n garcâ malpadert". That's not really me. But when it's steam-engine time, it's steam engines. Or, to put it another way, I have tried to behave appropriately to what I thought Talossa needed - a disruptive breath of fresh air, someone prepared to kick over the statues, shout how the emperor has no clothes, to disturb the Gormenghast-like parade of ritual and reaction into which I felt that the pre-Reunision Kingdom had descended. I would like to express my sincere and personal apologies for all the needless personal offence I caused in this campaign. I would like to apologise personally in particular to the Mençéi of this very chamber, to Senator Betinéir, cxhn. Alexandreu Davinescù and once-and-hopefully-future cxhn. Viteu Marcianüs. I went too far on many occasions. Sometimes I even thought hurting people personally was justified in the cause of stirring the pot. Par va cupa, va cupa, va pü grült cupa. I'm sorry. I hope that one day we will all be friends.

So this is the turned-over new leaf. As a Senator of republican bent, allied with the new Cosâ majority, and hoping that this Senate will become a house of revision and advice rather than a roadblock to that majority, I pledge to work humbly and constructively with the more conservative Senators to help bills with the support of the Cosâ majority gain their support, through necessary amendments and compromise. That's right, you heard right.

Grátînds për auscultar. Så vivadŕa Talossa viênsitadâ eternalmáintsch!

[Pôl d'Aurìbuérg]

Azul all!

My name is Pôl d'Aurìbuérg. I am proud to represent the great province of Florencia.

I would like to thank my predecessor for a job well done.

As for stocking the bar; I bring a full line of Coca-Cola products. (For mixing of course...)

I also would like to nominate Sir Mick as our leader of the Senate.

[Tric'hard Carschaleir]

Azul everyone! I'm Tric'hard Carschaleir and I'm proud to represent the wonderful province of Benito. I must admit to a bit of nervousness since I've never been a Senator before, but I've done a couple of runs as an MC before and I'm told by trusted sources that it's not all that different. I'll do my best to make this run as a Senator count, but I'll be counting on you veterans of this Chamber to correct my rookie mistakes.

Let's do this!

[Capt. Sir Mick Preston]

Thank you for your kind words, Senator Schivâ. I, for one feel that there is a new day in the Kingdom, and that we can let past words be just that - past words. I have not been the most civil of commentators myself. For that I apologize to you.

I look forward to working with you, and my fellow Senators in the upcoming Cosa.

[Trotxâ]

Jan 6, 2014 15:53:25 GMT -6 Capt. Sir Mick Preston said:

Oh, and you new Senators? Please don't forget to stock the Bar when you are done.

To the esteemed Mençéi-select - I rise to a question of personal privilege.

Having represented two different provinces in three visits to these hallowed chambers, the Senator from Vuode is curious to find out if he is in the class of "you new Senators", or if perchance credit for previous tenure would be offered.

I yield the floor.

T

[Capt. Sir Mick Preston]

Jan 11, 2014 23:11:15 GMT -6 Trotxâ said:

Jan 6, 2014 15:53:25 GMT -6 Capt. Sir Mick Preston said:

Oh, and you new Senators? Please don't forget to stock the Bar when you are done.

To the esteemed Mençéi-select - I rise to a question of personal privilege.

Having represented two different provinces in three visits to these hallowed chambers, the Senator from Vuode is curious to find out if he is in the class of "you new Senators", or if perchance credit for previous tenure would be offered.

I yield the floor.

T

To the Senator from Vuode-

A very thoughtful question! I thank you for that.

It is of my opinion that while technically, you are the new Senator representing Vuode, your record of previous service to your Provinces (and to the Kingdom) would qualify you as a "Returning Senator". Therefore, I would ask your fellow Senators to exempt you from the traditional "Stocking of the Bar".

Thank you again for your question!