View from Benacia/Issue 45: Treaty of Shirekeep Breached
This imported article was originally posted at http://viewfrombenacia.blogspot.com/2004/12/issue-45-treaty-of-shirekeep-breached.html at 12/30/04.
Oh Gods, here we go again.
Mr. Alan Grieve, special envoy from the Virtual Commonwealth of Cyberia, made his presence known in the Kaiser's Court with a complaint about an alleged breach of the Treaty of Shirekeep. Posting in the "Treaty of Shirekeep Signing Ceremony" thread (see near the bottom of the thread), Mr. Grieve, acting at the direction of the Cyberian President, presented his protest to the Kaiser in accordance with Article 14 of the treaty.
The protest related to certain remarks made by Jacobus of the former RCC, which can be viewed in Mr. Grieve's post, or in the original thread in Hallucination, in which he referred to himself as King of the Mala'anje. The Mala'anje are apparently a fictional ethnic group historically associated with Cyberia.
Mr. Grieve asserted that this was in violation of Article 7 of the Treaty of Shirekeep, which states, "The preceding renunciation by the Emperor Jacobus includes any historic or current geographical names used by or in Cyberia. or which are capable of being confused with such names." The renunciation refers to Jacobus' abandonment of claims on Cyberia.
The protest included a request for action on the part of the Shirerithian government to restrain Jacobus, but it is unclear whether or not action will be taken. It should be pointed out that Jacobus' post was made in an entirely humorous context, and seems to make no serious claim on Cyberian territory, but is rather a temporary convenience for making use of a prophecy from the Tolkien universe to heal someone in a roleplaying context.
This having been noted, we here at the View would like to point out (on our own behalf, mind you, not on behalf of the government) that Jacobus has acted rather badly in the past, and should be watched carefully to ensure that he does not attempt to claim Cyberia again. But we ask the Cyberians, warmly, sincerely, and with utmost respect... for the love of (insert-deity-here), people, LIGHTEN UP! If he continues using the title, and does so OUTSIDE of a playful context, then by all means, lodge a protest about a breach of the treaty. But this is really just awful nitpicking, and the Treaty of Shirekeep can fall just as easily due to that as to Jacobus' wild claims.
PBF Strangeness Actually Spawns Some Sanity
The general instability under Mr. Redstone of the People's Britannic Federation, now probably incarnated under another name by now, was once the laughingstock of the micronational world. (In fact, it still is, despite the unlamented demise of Mr. Redstone.) But it seems that this strange and seemingly doomed-from-the-start venture has actually spun off another, which seems to be run by slightly more sane individuals: the Union of Skye.
The Scottish portion of the PBF proclaimed its independence from the PBF as the Union of Skye on Christmas Eve. It has already established forums for itself, and its leadership, although still aiming for socialism, is trying to ensure that their new state is also democratic in nature, and that extremism is curbed for a more enjoyable experience. The movement seems to be comprised of mostly sane and reasonable people, though new citizen Ryan Caruso seems to be a notable (and proud) exception to this. :P Assistance to South Asia
Due to the tragic tsunami-related deaths in southeast Asia recently, we here at the View would like to encourage our readership to contribute to aid efforts however they can. Therefore we direct you to Bob Kee's Compilation of International Donation Sites or, for a micronational effort, the Atteran South Asia Assistance Fund (ASAAF). We caution, however, that some have observed that sending directly to the international organizations may be a faster means of getting aid to those in need.[1]
