Post
Region: Conch Kingdom
I have released the fourth international issue of one of Liberto-Ancapistan's biggest newspapers, the Compacipo Times.
10th January 2024★ INTERNATIONAL ISSUE IV ★ F6.00
Maritere
by James Sorensen
Maritere is probably one of the most unique cities in all of Liberto-Ancapistan. Part of an area referred to some as 'Little Santia' it's status as the only Santian-majority city outside Santia itself has given it a rich culture and unique history. And with a population just above 300,000, it has plenty of things to do.
Maritere was not always the only Santian City on the mainland; once, it was the 'little brother' of the larger fortress city of Varisil. After Santia was kicked out of most of Basaquastan (mainland Liberto-Ancapistan), both cities formed the 'Varisil Strip' of Santian control. Maritere's real break came when Varisil introduced strict limits on immigration within the city limits, leaving Maritere to pass it in population by 1900. And when Varisil was wiped out by a nuclear weapon during the Great Santian War, Maritere became Santian Basaquastan's administrative capital in the months before it's fall.
Maritere has a charming and well-preserved city centre, with some buildings dating back to the first millennium. Like most Santian-built cities in Liberto-Ancapistan, it's divided into four quarters- the Santian Quarter, Basaquese Quarter, Merchant's Quarter and Cionan Quarter. Each has a different feel to it, with the Merchant's Quarter's maze-like streets, Basaquese Quarter's numerous temples, Santian Quarter's towering spires, and Cionan Quarter's built-on bridges. Some of the most interesting places in the city can be found here, including the 12th century Bowist Temple of the Second Saint, 16th century Maritere Bell Tower, and 20th century Natural History Museum. That is not to discount the outer city, which includes a stunning marina by the sea and six well-kept parks.
Maritere is fairly touristy, but not on a level as bad as Capitoli or Marbenbeer. That means that while your experience won't be hurt by huge crowds, there's plenty of cheap accomodation on the outskirts. Food in Maritere is excellent, with both Santian and local cuisines being found on every budget. For the most authentic experience (at least, according to The Compacipo Times' Santian staff) go to the quieter Cionan Quarter.
In terms of transport, Maritere is decent. There's no metro railway or tramway, but the city centre is walkable and buses aren't a problem elsewhere. The Northern high-speed line stops at Maritere station, giving quick links to Capitoli and Dewisburgh (a sleeper train to Berqualin is also available, if that's what you like). More locally, the ruins of Varisil and Straits National Park are less than an hour's drive away.
Summary: Maritere is an all-around great city, with a lot of character. If you can't go to Santia, come here; or just come here anyway.
Rating: 4/5
When Compacipo was officially made a part of Liberto-Ancapistan in 1965, a clause was included in it's charter stating that twelve of it's thirty seats were to be occupied by RandCorp appointees. Now, a referendum is planned which may change that.
The History
Compacipo was built with RandCorp funding throughout the early 1960s, using large tracts of land purchased from a local struggling leader. Intending to act as an autonomous zone in Liberto-Ancapistan where taxes and regulation would be low, it's status was made official by the Delon-Rand agreement in 1965. In order to safeguard the city from law changes that would make RandCorp's presence there uneconomical, a clause was added to it's governing charter that gave RandCorp the right to appoint twelve members of it's thirty-man city council. In the years since then, RandCorp has used it's seats to stop the imposition of regulations by parties holding the majority of elected seats. Although there have been many protest movements over the years, none have reached the scale of those being held today.
What's changed now?
On the eleventh of November, twenty-twenty-three, Compacipo was hit by a devastating terrorist attack that left 286 dead. Missiles were fired against RandCorp's headquarters, the city's defending warship CDS Short Beach was crippled, and an oil tanker was destroyed leading to costly cleanup efforts. The attack has largely been blamed on the poor state of the Compacipo Defence Corps, the body responsible for defending the city. In 2016 the CDC had launched a vote in the city council as to whether to adopt a proposal to invite the LAMSDF (Liberto-Ancapistan's navy) to station ships in the city, or to construct a single large warship of it's own. The latter won 16-14, with only 4 elected councillors backing it. The large, supposedly unsuitable, RandCorp-built, CDS Short Beach was commissioned in 2021.
The Chancellor, as well as Compacipo opposition figures, have claimed that a LAMSDF presence would have been able to shoot down the involved missiles with multiple ships. This has caused great distrust in RandCorp's council involvement, as it's twelve seats swung the vote back in 2016.
Why is a referendum happening?
Late last year the Chancellor called for a referendum due to the above scandal, something which was approved by the national parliament (capable of overruling the Compacipo City Council, which predictably narrowly voted against one).To be held on the 10th of March, a question will be put to the Compacipo Public: end RandCorp appointee seats, replacing them with elected ones, or remain with the Council's current system. All residents over the age of 16 will be able to vote. While polling has indicated a slight lead for the current system, this can easily change; anti-appointee polling has steadily improved over the past two months.
RASMUS THORNES
conducted by Yan Mai-Yen
Yan Mai-Yen's questions will be red, while Rasmus Thornes' answers will be black.
Good morning.
Good morning.
So, first off, can you tell us a bit about who you are?
Rasmus Thornes M-P. I've been a member of the House of Commons from the Libertarian Party since 2006, representing Silosovia Green. Currently I'm the shadow Economic Secretary, and I was a close contender for the last two Libertarian leadership races.
Alright, now for the inteview to properly begin. We've brought you here because you've been critical of Martin Ohmdal in the past, especially during the recent leadership race. How can you support him after all of that?
Martin Ohmdal is a Libertarian, which is something I can't say for any of the other party leaders in Parliament. Obviously we have our differences. But he's the man the party selected, and he's the only potential Chancellor who follows Libertarian principles. Not only that, but Martin has the party behind him and he can't lead alone. We rule with him.
What do you think the Libertarians's electoral prospects are going to be like next election?
Personally I think we have a very good chance of winning a majority. Our vote share has increased every election for the past six, and Progress has made it quite clear that it cannot govern a peaceful country.
Do you have any fears about the Minarchist Coalition?
None, and when I say that I mean none. Ameus Grey and the Minarchists are populists from a bygone era. They can only exist as a reaction to the Rand government, which the modern Libertarian Party regrets and opposes. Personally I think they'll be out of parliament completely by 2030, at the latest.
Interesting. Now onto policy. Obviously you're the economic secretary, but economics aren't making headlines. What is, is these new pirate attacks. What would a Libertarian government do about them?
What's important to know about these pirates is that they're arms dealers, probably affiliated with Delio Cartazara or some other such criminal. What we would do is legalise their practice. People should not need a licence to deal weapons in bulk, and customers should not need background checks to acquire them. If we were in that situation, then these criminals would be replaced by legitimate salespeople.
The UIU seem to be failing to deal with the pirate attacks. What would you do with the UIU?
A Libertarian government would streamline and improve our whole security apparatus. The UIU is bloated, and many of it's functions can instead be given to the more competent and better overseen police. For far too long the UIU have infringed on people's rights, and have received no scrutiny because of their secrecy. So our solution would help a lot.
Hoe would a Libertarian government deal with taxes?
We haven't worked out a full manifesto yet, but we have a few ideas.We're looking at having corporation tax and income tax abolished. We will need to cut government spending and perhaps increase a few more pigovian taxes, but overall the resulting economic improvements will allow us to avoid building a deficit.
And what about foreign policy?
Martin Ohmdal is very keen to stop us from cooperating with nations which infringe on human rights, which is a policy the party can accept. We will also begin humanitarian interventions to stop genocides and other similar events.
Now, onto non-political questions. You were born in the Fayre islands. How did you end up on the mainland?
It's quite simple. I studied economics at Silosovia, and then decided that I liked the place and didn't leave.
What football teams do you support?
Silosovia. Honestly, people should always support their home teams.
If you were trapped on a desert island and could salvage one item to pass the time, what would it be?
A laptop-computer with Liberty City library downloaded and a solar panel back. It only makes sense.
Interview Concludes
Publisher = Silvia Yanez
Senior Editor = Patrick Zekic
OOC: Credit to the Conch Times (Rex omnia) for format and Louisianan for inspiration. The Comacipo Times is an in-character RP newspaper.
Socialist Platypus, The Free City of Nelson, and Kampung jana sambungan
