Sigurðsson: Telamonese Man of the 46th CenturyLeader of Krossinn Svartur and now Leiðsögumaður of Telamon, Elvar Eysteinn Sigurðsson, interviewed about life, loves, and beliefs.Elfa HeimisdottirWhen I was told that the Leiðsögumaður of Telamon had agreed to see me and speak to me about his history, I was admittedly concerned and nervous. Such an important man, one who has been used to warm receptions, is reportedly highly intelligent, and had risen to power on the back of an admittedly highly radical platform, surely he would be a force to be reckoned with, one to whom any casual speech would be almost impossible.
The morning before my interview, I had nervously ordered a coffee, drinking it between nervy shivers on my way to the Leiðsögumaðurhúsið, the residence of the leader of the nation, as I had been invited into what I perceived as a position of danger. Everyone has heard of the missing persons who have disappeared since the Silicon Party came to power, and naturally, I assumed that one leader, who had shrouded himself in secrecy and clouds of mystery, would be like the new leader.
When I entered, we were checked over by guards - a wise precaution, of course. We sat for about ten minutes, my photographer sitting restlessly by my side, as we waited for a meeting between our country's leader and some high-up party figures to conclude. We were finally ushered in by Sigurðsson's personal assistant, Ragna, who smiled to us, and told us not to appear so nervous as we entered. We saw our nation's leader, standing next to a chair in a brightly coloured room, smiling.
"Full disclosure - I've never been good with one-on-one interviews."
Immediately, the mystery lifted, as the Leiðsögumaður's effortless charisma allowed us to feel easy in the situation. He greeted us both in turn, asking questions about the journey and whether we waited too long. I began to feel confident about the interview. And so, it began in earnest.
Early life - a man growing up in democracy."One of my earliest memories as a child was sitting on the porch of our townhouse as a man dressed in a grey suit came up to us, my mother and I, as we were sitting. My mother used to do a lot of gardening, and would do some for other families too for money, and she must have been taking a rest after fixing up some flowerpots, but in any case, the man came up to her and gave her a leaflet, grey as well, and spoke for a short time with her. I was so young then, and asked my mother, something along the lines of 'mamma, why is he not wearing colour?' She turned back to me, and though I don't remember what she said, she spoke with such respect for the man and the cause he supported. I would find out later, of course, that he was from the GaT, the Grey Party of Telamon."
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Did your mother support the Greys?"
"I think everyone in Austurland did, to a certain extent. Of course, I never really knew much about them, but I know that, when they dissolved, sometime after they lost the 4510 election, my mother was distraught, absolutely gutted. For much of the electoral history of Telamon, at least in those days, it was either the Greys or the SDP, the social democrats... I'm fairly sure they called themselves pirates, but we all imagined swashbuckling buccaneers charging against grey-suited businessmen whenever we thought of the elections!"
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What happened after then? Did your mother vote for the SDP after the Greys dissolved?"
"Oh no, never would. Askatla Hallbjoernsdottir... Gosh, my mother hated her. But no, she stayed away from electoral politics after then, for the most part. I don't blame the SDP - continuing on as the only party after the GaT dissolved. But it set a dangerous precedent. And that which came after was no better."
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Rudolf Edvaldsson and the SAHFP?"
"Yes, that's the one. Wildly unpopular, but the only choice my parents had, so they didn't choose them after that."
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Did you know since then that you'd start a party and run for elections?"
"Well, I had taken an interest in electoral politics after that point. Wanted to study it in university. I would go on to, later on. And once the Democratic Coalition came to power, I was sure things were going to change. I was 17 then, but I knew who I
would vote for, even if I couldn't yet. I don't think my mother agreed, but by then, I was a strong, independent man." The leader of the nation laughed, "Or so I thought then, at least."
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So what about the next elections?"
"So, 4515 rolled around, and I was at university. I think I was a bit surprised, in the lead-up, that it was still just the DC in the elections. I think that was the time when I started to wonder, 'Hey, maybe this isn't what it seemed to be'. But for the most part, I was just happy it was
something different from the SDP and the SAHFP. But all the same, it was not the best choice - not for me. Not for most of my friends. I voted that time, but I never could again."
Politics and Adult Years."I was probably only 23 or 24 by the time the Democratic Coalition dissolved, but soon after, there was some degree of hope that things were looking up. Now, I had read a lot of news and opinion pieces, about a party using an old name... The Republican Party, I think they were, and their 'opponents', the Democrats, who were coming to the elections in 4532. It was an anticipation for most people, and it was predicted that it would have the best turnout for Telamonese democracy in a long time. But I'd read lots of news pieces about those. These two parties were definitely not coming to oppose each other, they were basically the same party."
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Was that what started your public speaking?"
"It was before that election, yes. I knew I'd be 29, going on 30, by the time those elections were finished, and I knew that they would not be the 'return of democracy' that was promised. I spoke in parks, at rallies, lots of public speaking then."
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Was the reaction positive?"
Our country's leader laughs, "From the people, yes. A lot of them started to believe me, I think. But the media? No. This was a 'victory for democracy', they couldn't allow me to besmirch the reputation of the parties in question. There was a lot riding on the idea that this would fix Telamon. But, time came, time went, and the party that won
0.06% of the popular vote...
Their leader became the President. Officially, by then, I had no faith in democracy. It was dead, and we Telamonese killed it."
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What happened then?"
"Well, the weak parties both dissolved, and a new one came to town. 'The Silicon Party'."
Sigurðsson appears to be on the verge of nausea at the mention of their name.
"I have never liked them. They are not Telamonese. I've always said so. They come to this country, using names like 'Hudson' and 'Kirk' and that... If any of them were true Telamonese people, they were most certainly not allies of the people. They were a cabal of oppressive dictators, and they deserved no love or respect."
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Was that your 'moment'?"
"Yes. By then, I knew that, if I didn't do something, someone worse would. Someone worse would come to power. I started a small movement in Ragnarsfjarður, but it soon joined with others. You know the rest, I'm sure."
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Do you still want democracy to some level?"
"Eh... I think any faith in democracy, especially here, is a false hope. One based on a misunderstanding of history. So I am open in my lack of faith in democracy. I don't care if other countries don't approve, this is the best system we have had in nearly three decades, almost since I came of age. Maybe it works for some, maybe. But it's been tried here - we've had, what, two parties calling themselves 'democratic'? And both times, they've brought us into even further dictatorship. At least I am honest. It does no favours to be secretive."
"The fall of one democratically-elected party led to one based on individual freedoms to the point of its own dictatorship. Then that was followed by false democracy, before another false democracy with a veneer of 'true' democracy to hide behind. Until finally we come to recent times, just this last decade, when we've been ruled by a shadowy cabal. Is truth not better than lies? I think the people of Telamon deserve the truth, even if it's not to the modern sensibilities of the people of other countries. They don't know our situation. They don't know our struggles."
The Ideology of a LeaderAfter the final question was asked, Sigurðsson stood from his chair. He clapped, and rubbed his hands together, "I'm thinking of going for a walk. Nice day outside, and we have a decent garden. Continue out there?" I agreed, keen to see the garden of the Leiðsögumaðurhúsið, which I had heard was inspired by Sigurðsson's childhood home. The three of us alighted to the outside, the beautiful gardens filled with plants and flowers which Sigurðsson stated were all local, none from outside of Telamon. It certainly was an impressive garden.
"My mother taught me a lot about keeping a garden. She loved gardens in their entirety, and tended to think that they were good sources of moral lessons as well as beautiful achievements of engineering merging with nature."
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Do you think you inherited much of your moral principles from your mother?"
"I'm really not sure. For my early childhood, she was incredibly conservative. I think there is some overlap between what she believed and how I act now, yes. But for the most part, she always believed that democracy would win out eventually, even though it never did for her. A vain hope, perhaps, but one which defined her life."
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You mentioned that she was conservative. Would you see yourself in that way?"
"Not really. I'm a nationalist, but that's mostly... Well, let's look at it this way. When democracy fails, when the international community supports, either actively or tacitly, a regime that wants to keep the people of my nation in the dark, who else can you stand with but your nation? Your people? I have to stand with my nation, and that's what makes me a nationalist. As for whether Telamon is better than other nations... Well, we have a rich cultural history. One which I want to protect from others, no matter how that makes me appear. But as for conservatism, yes and no. Yes, I support businesses and private ownership, but not 'free trade', preferring protectionism."
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What are your religious opinions? Do you believe in a god?"
"I don't care if a god exists. If they do, they obviously don't care about us, else there would not have been cabal after cabal controlling us. If god doesn't care about us, I cannot care about him."
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Where on the political spectrum do you see yourself?"
"As a secularist, and someone who believes in the nationalisation of industry, that probably drags me to the left a bit, but I'd consider myself right-wing."
Personal Questions"
On a completely different topic, are you a dog person or a cat person?"
"Well, I wouldn't actually call myself either. I like birds mostly. I have lots of chickens over there in the fenced area, I go falconing from time to time, and I own a parrot named Fríða."
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What do you feel most proud of?"
"The way that the Telamonese people have grown since Krossinn Svartur came to power."
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How do you spend your free time?"
"I read - it's very important. I listen to music - lots of Njáll Ölvirsson. I sometimes play chess, other times I just walk through the garden and ponder. Oh, and I look after the garden on occasion."
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What are your three favourite books?"
"Hmm... Probably Ásbjörn Jóhannsson's 'It Comes at Night', Gunnhildur Þórirsdottir's 'One Stab Too Many' and Freyr Heimisson's 'Nation and Telamon'."
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So, you like mystery books?"
"Absolutely. The emotional development of a good murder mystery to character is unsurpassed. Sure, a bad one can fall flat, but in a good one, you should be able to see a bit of yourself in every character."
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What does a perfect day look like to you?"
"Any day I can serve the people of Telamon."
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And finally, what does the future hold for you and the party?"
"Ah, well we have plans to continue military development, upscale our economic output by encouraging businesses and industry, and tackling the violent crime issues in Suðureyja."
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Mr. Sigurðsson, thank you for allowing us entry into your life."
"Well thank you, it has been a great experience."
With that, the most powerful man in Telamon bid me farewell. My photographer and I both got an escort back into the city, and on the way back, we reflected on the inconceivable fact that this leader, so vilified by outside sources, was so amicable and friendly.
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This is the first in a series called "Krossinn Svartur's People in Focus" for the Telamon Morning Post. Elfa Heimisdottir shall be continuing her exploration into the leaders of the party in subsequent issues.