The World Congress' initial blunder came in the form of its drive towards elections for the Security Council. Around the initial formation of the World Congress, elections for the acclaimed security council seats were opened and the flood gates of criticism, blackmail and insularity were also opened. The first Security Council election was not a battle between winning the hearts and minds of the voters, nor was it about championing a cause in which one believes in. Instead it became a battle of names-calling, slander, religious blasphemy and bigotry. Upon an analysis of the situation, the election period was considered a "circus" by local politicians who witness the vitreous nature of the various nations involved the campaigning process. This created the impetus for many nations wanting to abstain from voting with the World Congress, due to the dismal, disorientated, fear-mongering and insularity driven campaigns being run by nations such as Zardugal, Beitenyu, Hutori, Baltusia, Istalia and Jelbania.
From the offset, petty political skirmishes were rampant among members of the General Assembly and the Security Council. For example, in the first session of the General Assembly, rampant skirmishes were initiated between the Ameliorate Historical Union floor leader Rev. Geert Verdonk, Giovanni Paolo Fulgi, Ambassador of the Istalian Republic to the World Congress and Baron Igor Sokolovskiy, the Trigunian Ambassador to the World Congress, over the church's support for the institution of slavery after Rev. Verdonk attempted to legitimise slavery as an institution rather than a system of oppression. This has been described as a debate which had no place within the World Congress as it soon altered from an argument over slavery into one of religion. This was the first horn of the demise of the World Congress. The Security Council, on the other hand, enjoyed a lengthy period of peace and cooperation, however this soon changed within the Aldegar-Baltusian Crisis. The Istalian and Kalistani representatives locked horns of the issue which resulted in the first intervention by General Secretary of the World Congress Phang Thi Hong who said: I must insist that order is restored to this chamber. Heated and continuous debate is inevitable in the General Assembly but in the Security Council, we must endeavour to retain some structure! It is my view that the positions of Kalistan and Istalia are irreconcilable. Istalia is convinced that Baltusia is blameless and Kalistan is convinced of the opposite. Let us work from that position to reach a productive outcome of some kind rather than attempt, fruitlessly to change the situation at the moment. This was a testimony that the Security Council will no longer be a place of political discussion and mature debate, but would instead be a place of petty skirmishes and grudge-driven discord.
Despite all the political pettiness, the attitude of the political leaders toward the WC was quickly put to the test because the constitution of the WC provided that no person could serve in the legislature of one of the unit territory and in the S.C at the same time. Thus, before the first S.C. elections, politicians had to decide whether to stand for election to the S.C. or stay in local territorial politics. For many holders of national ministerial posts, moving from local to S.C. positions would have meant moving to a position of less responsibility and would have indeed signified an act of faith in the future of the World Congress. Whether or not some politicians showed some measure of affinity toward the World Congress, the overall political climate of the W.C, per se, prompted observers to cite "erratic and arbitrary actions of certain political leaders as contributing to the downfall of the WC."
On the question of the powers of the World Congress, several nations spared no pains in seeing that the world congress did not exercise any extraordinary powers which might encroach on its national sovereignty. Nations such as Pontesi, Beiteynu, Rildanor and Kanjor diametrically opposed to the proposals made in resolution 23, "These nations' pressure defeated a proposal to increase the powers of intervention of the World Congress under the guise that it encroached on their national sovereignty, a phrase used by many nationalist politicians today.
In addition, to safeguard its particular interest, several nations "demanded that the S.C. be revised so as to exclude the possibility of the World Congress to "steal its national sovereignty." For the sake of the other nations that might desire to establish closer relations with the W.C., Several nations launched a slander campaign against the organisation, championing the cause of nationalism and self-determination. These other nations were to be left free to have looser association with the WC and its associated branches and keep control over all matters which, in its view, they could take care of for themselves. Indeed, it can be concluded that certain nationalist driven nations were only preoccupied in looking after its own selfish interests and not the interests of the entire international community. Ellinor Ketelsen (deceased), former Statsminister and World Congress Ambassador surmised several nations' overall attitude toward political integration very succinctly as follows: "Several nations seem to want everything out of the World Congress and wants to give nothing to it and that's a plain fact. They want maximum representation that will put her in a position where they will virtually supplant the General Secretary. All it would mean is that order could cease to be and chaos would take over."
(1)"the Security Council is virtually powerless", (2) "The leadership was timid", (3) "There were differences between the leadership of the region (4) "There was reluctance on the part of the mainland territories to join the World Congress", (5) "The absence of a unifying force prompted by external danger and the want of a common struggle against a reluctant nationalist strain", (6) "Parochialism, which was grounded in generations of isolated history and the absence of a sense of a common identity and insular pride amounting to parochialism". (7) "Political in-fighting and skirmishes between members, (usually out of irrational and nonsensical situations)".
A Hutorian national once said.I do not hate the Istalian people, nor the nation itself to a certain extent. What i cannot take about the nation is the way it conducts itself especially towards other nations of varying political and ethical opinions.
The initial nail in the coffin of the credibility of the World Congress was hammered into place by the diplomatic discord which originated out of Istalia's heavy-handed response to the decision of the Voronan government to re-introduce slavery as the nation’s main source of revenue. The Istalian Republic’s decision to promote the implementation of a blockade of the nation created the impetus for international condemnation against the Istalian Republic with respect to its promotion of a blockade which could have been view of an informal declaration of war by the Vorona Government. This international condemnation resulted in the formation of an anti-Istalian bloc in the World Congress as the Istalian Republic, through its various representatives, responded to the condemnation by either highlighting the hypocritical nature of the various voices against the nation’s decisions or attempting to turn the table against said nations. This factor coupled with the nation’s continued involvement in the World Congress had created the foundation necessary for scepticism in the World Congress to foster as various nations speculated that the nation's aggressive attitude towards resolving issues could be repeated and possibly intensified.
A nation's image is determined by its foreign policy. As such one must understand that through it foreign policy a nation can determine where it stands on certain issues plaguing the international community and thus form the image which it wants to portray to the international community. For example: For more than five decades
the Foreign Policy of the Trigunian Federation has been reactionary; meaning that within the nation there was a preference for the return of the status quo. Through this the international community (separate from the opinions of the political "pundits") had viewed the Trigunian Federation (Empire) as a nation longing to restore its former pride and prowess. With respect to the nation's foreign policy being a contributing factor towards the development of scepticism in the World Congress an example of this can be extracted from nations such as the Yeudish Republic of Beiteynu, who foreign policy has been viewed by the international community as favouring an isolationist, anti-globalist approach. These tendencies within the Yeudish Republic are stemmed from the nation's brutal treatment of minority groups and the international community's condemnation of the nation as the asymmetrical response. The Yeudish Republic's anti-globalist, isolationist tendencies coupled with the globalism being peddled by the World Congress and various nations including the Istalian Republic, Dorvik and Rildanor are the reason for the nation's anti-World Congress, anti-globalist foreign policy, thus the nation using its anti-globalist foreign policy to champion the causes which have resulted in the development of the Anti-World Congress strain.
As human beings our psychological nature is usually a contributing factor in our eventual downfall. Whether it might be our tendencies of Abstraction or Repetitiveness, human nature plays a crucial role in the development of the scourge. Throughout history, this phrase and its psychological tendencies has found its way into politics and conflict. This attributed to the fact that most conflict arise on the basis of "Because you declared war on him, I will declare war in a similar manner". Thus this tendency has been embedded into our behaviour, and it is no surprise that it has found itself as an influential factor in the growth of the scepticism in the World Congress. It could be said that since other nations have been championing the causes of World Congress scepticism, other nations seem to be obligated to follow in their footsteps and champion this same cause. Thus a trickling effect occurs as most persons believe that they are obligated to assist in peddling the scepticism when they have no solid basis for peddling the ideal in the first place.
As previous discussed in an analysis conducted by Storolfur Arthursson on the Failures of the World Congress, it was highlighted that the Security Council's inability to exercise extraordinary powers as a means of enforcing their resolutions was an influential factor in its early demise. With respect to the rise of scepticism of the World Congress, this same factor can be applied to how scepticism was developed. The conglomerate of nations championing scepticism of the World Congress tend the cite the organisation's growing ability to act in the instance on wrong doing as a threat to their national sovereignty. This in return triggers various nations to push the idea that the World Congress is an omnipresent organisation aimed at destroying the fabric of a nation's identity and "sovereignty". Thus, the scepticism of the World Congress is peddled/fuelled.
It can be said that the recent developments between Hitam and Nowograd can be viewed as the steady development of a embryonic alliance between the two nations and in a similar manner it can viewed as a counterweight to other organisations mainly the Northern Council and the Artanian Union. And it can also be stated that both governments want the international community to gather that very perception, with the latter (it being a counterweight) being the connotative perspective. This can be seen in the discussion within the Malivian Parliament where a member (presumably the Foreign Minister) said: "Gentlemen and ladies it is time to cast out the corrupt and inefficient Artanian Union and make our way through the politics of the world." and where Government officials in Nowograd labelled the Northern Council as a dangerous and damaging military cartel, posterior to voicing the creation of a counterweight to the Northern Council. From the perspective of geopolitics, it can be deduced that the increased "cooperation" between Malivia and Valruzia and their subsequent adoption of the Rakaya Union agreement has a principle aim: Expansion. Both nations since the conclusion of the war have been making steady gains where it pertains to their armed forces. Increased weapons procurement and alignment with the Istalian Republic have been identified as positive vectors in this analysis. Although superficial cooperation is not basis for cooperation between the two nations, this is not to say that Malivia and Valruzia do not have some basis for cooperation. Both countries chafe at the extent and application of the Northern Council and its respective members in international politics. Both nations are land-based powers of considerable size whose access to the global economy can be significantly curtailed by the Northern Council in the event of conflict. From the perspective of sceptics and some commentators the Northern Council is uniquely suited to limit the ambitions of certain nations. For instance, Valruzia’s primary imperative is to extend its influence out to the Artanian continent. The Kingdom of Dorvik and in some cases, the Kingdom of Hutori is blocking Valruzia from achieving this. Malivia seeks to expand influence in Southern Artania and in some cases Northern Majatra. The Federal Republic of Kazulia, and the Kingdom of Vanuku stands in the way. Both nations share a quasi-common "opponent" thus a degree of cooperation can and does exist.
These are surface-level affairs of convenience. Malivia and Valruzia challenge Northern Council power, security and interests to a degree. Although cooperation between the two nations may not be as clear as it needs to be, their drive towards achieving their paramount aims could either be rewarding or their undoing.
It is no secret to geopolitical observers that the hemispheric rift as a result of the Northern Council's previous actions was inevitable. The conflict in Majatra coupled with the conflict in Dovani generated extreme resentment among the international community whose arguments on sovereignty line up with those held against the World Congress. The expansion of the alliance through collective security goals further distanced the international community and the northern alliance as it became clear that the established peace would be ensured through the Northern Council.
Nestled between the Kanjorien island of La Tondelle and the Kanjorien mainland, the Strait of La Tondelle has become the bridge between oil and natural gas-rich Majatran states and the Eastern Hemispheric economies which rely on those two inputs as critical foundations for their manufacturing-based economies. Routing through the Strait of La Tondelle and up the Sea of Lost Souls provides the most direct route from western dovani and eastern seleya to the western hemisphere, resulting in a bidirectional movement of trade. Raw materials go east to west, while consumer goods head in the other direction through the strait and vice-versa. This unique position as both a shortcut and a bottleneck for trade between the Odufart Sea and the Sea of Lost Souls has resulted in the strait acting like a funnel for the massive volumes of trade flowing through it. The Strait of La Tondelle sees roughly 60% of all of the eastern hemisphere's trade, which adds up to more than 94,000 vessels passing through annually. The strait of La Tondelle carries a volume of trade nineteen times that of the Aldegar Canal. Some of the cargo travelling through the strait is more valuable than the rest; amongst the 94,000 vessels are numerous oil tankers, carrying approximately 15.2 million barrels of oil per day. As most of the eastern seleya and western Dovanian nations have little in the way of economically viable, domestic carbon-based energy reserves, the Strait of La Tondelle serves as the energy lifeline for the region and has been crucial in creating and sustaining the region’s booming economies of the late 34th century. Kazulia sees almost 80% of its oil and gas moving through the Strait of La Tondelle following it being shut out of the Aldegar Canal by the Aldegarian Government. The Strait of La Tondelle is so vital to world trade that some economists flirt with calling it the most important strait in the world, outshining the Strait of Ananto in terms of trade traffic.
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