Who's pulling the strings?

[Andreas the Wise]

There's been a lot of allegations about puppetry going on at the moment. Before you shout it down, saying it's just Babs and the Vocal Minority, I'd just like to discuss it as a semi-serious matter.

Are we becoming a puppet of Babkha? Personally, I'd say it's the other way round - after all, it's our Kaiser who's there Shah, and our Ardy who's their ... Ardy. As far as I can see, the only other major figure non-Shirithian is Behmanesh FarzAn ... while we clearly have plenty of core Shirithians that the Kaiser listens too who aren't Babkhan.

And people are also, apparently, saying that Gralus is your puppet state. Don't know where they got that impression from ...

So yes, just double checking that nobody's a puppet state ... (though we all know Hasan's the one pulling the Shiro-Babkhan strings ... )

[andelarion]

Look. I am still the Shah of Babkha! Anything else is just lies. Any Babkhan saying the opposite is to be sent to the salt mines.

[Andreas the Wise]

Sory, hadn't followed the latest ... our Kaiser is the deputy Shah of Babkha?

[Aurangzeb Khan]

Regent. A deputy for the Shah is called a regent.

[Erik Mortis]

We all know I pull the strings in Shireroth.... (sadly.. I think that may be true sometimes...and not just a joke)

[Andreas the Wise]

Ok, that clears it all up. Micras is Erik's puppet. Babs, problem solved?

[Kaiser Hasan I]

The trouble is that people propose asinine theories without doing any research.

1. Babs apparently doesn't visit the Babkhan forums otherwise he'd realize the Kingdom averages about 3 posts a day and that almost everyone is on LOA.

2. Ric is currently Shah of Babkha. He's also been a trusted and respected citizen of Shireroth for approximately as long as he's been a trusted and respected participant of Babkha.

3. Some of the very first visitors to Babkha when it started were Scott and Ari. While they might not visit as often anymore, there is more history in common between Shireroth and Babkha than anyone knows.

4. Ardashir and I post about 15 times more in Shireroth than we do in Babkha.

And finally. I've been Kaiser for months, How can there be a coup when I'm basically a king elected by the "real Shirerothians".

The trouble stems from people who proclaim themselves subject matter experts without knowing what the fuck they're talking about. In current context, I believe the term is "Newb". I'd use that term, except there are people who've joined the hobby less than one year ago which demonstrate more credibility. So I'll just use the blanket lable "ignorant".

[Scott of Hyperborea]

Well, I think it's more complex than Hasan thinks (I'd say it's more complex than babs thinks, but I haven't actually seen babs' post on the matter that has everyone so riled up, so I'm not sure how complex it is and how much it's just being misinterpreted)

Right now there practically is no Babkha. Shireroth has absorbed Babkha, and it's true that the Babkhan element in Shireroth is pulling all the strings. This is not to be interpreted as one country controlling another, but as control of a country by a partially-assimilated ethnic group, in the same way the Mughals controlled India, the Greeks controlled Seleucia, and the Jews control America (joking, joking!)

However, this control is completely voluntary on the part of the Shirerithians; I and others supported Hesam as Kaiser, and our Babkhan friends are doing, aside from their overly aggressive recwar policies, a good job. And Shireroth has a long tradition of changing leadership on a very frequent basis; today it's the Babkhan-Shirerithians' turn, next week it'll be someone else's. In fact, Hasan's traditional three month reign ends at the end of June. So I am not exactly about to go around calling this a crisis.

It was an "experiment", and in my opinion a very successful one. I know I will be advising the next Kaiser to keep Ardy as MoMA and put Hesam in some area where his considerable talents won't be wasted.

As for Gralus, I bet fewer than a third of Shirerithians could even find the Gralan fora, and as far as I know none of them (except the Gralans themselves) have posted there. The worst that can be said about them is that Andreas holds a very big chunk of power there and is a strong Shirerothophile.

[Harald of Froyalan]

Malarbor pulls the strings here, of course.

[Kaiser Hasan I]

Scott, I don't see how your explination is any more complex. I think its a simple matter. Since becoming Kaiser of Shireroth, I've had to defend my intentions on two seperate occasions regarding my Babkhan "ethnicity". And I can safely say, that after those two occasions, since I remain Kaiser, I must have proven there is no Babkhan conspiracy well enough to retain my job.

As for Gralus, Well I don't really see how there can be a conspiracy of two nations that have nothing to do with each other involved in a third nation. As far as I can tell, this is just someone wishing for Shireroth the way it was a year ago. Which for all purposes, was dead.

[hypatias mom]

I think the country has not been this strong in a long time, since I first started reading this forum in early 2005. When I came back after almost a year's unexpected LOA, things had changed dramatically. When Erik and a number of other old-timers left, things seemed to fall apart. Then our Kaiser disappeared--twice--and I was asked to serve. I was unable to stop the slide, as was my daughter. Until Erik returned, it seemed Shireroth was as good as dead, needing only for someone to put it out of its misery. As soon as Erik came back, the place exploded into mad activity, with many people joining or rejoining. There is nothing mysterious about this. There is no untoward influence from other countries. We are just giddy with relief to have our country back, and others are flocking to our forum. The flavor may have changed somewhat due to the influx of immigrants, but this is true in any living country, of whatever size. Shireroth welcomes people from all over Micras, and they are a valued treasured part of this land.

[b3n|<3r|\|]

Babkha is more active than ever. It's all in the hidden boards! Secret plans are being drawn up as we speak. Shirezamin Ostan will unify with the Kingdom in less than 3 weeks.

[Liam conToketi]

And people are also, apparently, saying that Gralus is your puppet state. Don't know where they got that impression from ...

Gralus will never be a Shirithian puppet state. I forbid it. I didn't create Gralus so it could be absorbed by another nation, even if that other nation is Shireroth...

[Aurangzeb Khan]

Calm down dear it's only a commercial...*


*A prize trip of a life time to the North Babkhan Salt Mines for whoever gets the reference.

[Kaiser Hasan I]

Calm down dear it's only a commercial...*

Answer: The treaty of Versailles

[Krasniy Yastreb]

Calm down dear it's only a commercial...*


*A prize trip of a life time to the North Babkhan Salt Mines for whoever gets the reference.

Why, 'tis of course the proud owner of this fine pair of C-cups:



(for any readers suddenly struck by the urge to gouge their eyes out, rusty spoons are available at the door)

*is bundled into a van marked 'Farzad & Farzan's Florists and Fruiterers' and sped away*

[Erik Mortis]

*pulls out B.A.R., shoots you, moves on with life*

[Jacobus Loki]

We all know that evil Cyberians control many countries with the Evil Mind Control Machine (aka Simulations Control Act) buried deep beneath the streets of Kernsopolis/Dunkinopolis.

Look, as a Beater of Dead Horses I declare the Evil Babkhan Conspiracy to Assimilate Shireroth about as dead as it can be.

Killed it myself, I did.

Jacobus,
Former Evil Cyberian

[Kaiser Hasan I]

Well that's a relief.

[Jess]

Now going on...

[Kaiser Hasan I]

Don't worry guys, just because you can't blame Babkhans there are always others you could blame. Free Masons, Catholics, Communists, Witches, Terrorists.

[Erik Mortis]

Llamas

[Aurangzeb Khan]

Dali Lamas...

[Liam conToketi]

The French, the Canadians, the French-Canadians...

[andelarion]

Finns!

[Erik Mortis]

This is NOT a word association thread...

[Jonas]

Don't worry guys, just because you can't blame Babkhans there are always others you could blame. Free Masons, Catholics, Communists, Witches, Terrorists.

Finally someone blames the Catholics!


I'm Catholic...

[Kaiser Hasan I]

So am I. If Catholics don't feel blame, then we've failed at something.

[hypatias mom]

I don't understand why some Catholics feel they need to take the blame for things not their fault. It makes no sense to me.

[b3n|<3r|\|]

I'm sorry Carol. I'm the reason you don't understand. Being a Catholic, it's my duty.