06-09-2023, 10:51 PM
Tetlahue stood up again. If anything, he seemed angrier than before, but his features had assumed an expression of fake civility. "I am so sorry if my words and demeanor have displeased some of you. I don't know all of your backgrounds, but I myself am an old soldier. We are used to being a bit more plain-spoken, and that can be troublesome to the easily offended."
Tetlahue shook his head. "But while you sit here in this safe and comfortable debate hall, and critique my speaking and demeanor while daintily sipping from teacups or whatever it is you lot seem to believe is appropriate behavior, there are indeed people suffering and dying in Roucourt. And your proposed solution will not fix the problem, it will only make it worse."
The ambassador picked up a piece of paper he had been handed by one of his aides while the debate had continued. "I have just been informed that a new General Secretary of the State has taken office, with approval of Roucourt's legislature, to take over for the unfortunately stricken Svetlana Leclerc. A new leader, Volodin Maximovich, is in place over a legitimate and internationally recognized government, with the consent of that state's legislative body. The country he leads now finds itself in a moment of crisis, and we are helping them as a historic ally of theirs. And yet, you seek to intervene......why? The new General Secretary of Roucourt has publicly made it known that he considers a potential LIDUN intervention a foreign invasion, and will respond accordingly. But you still sit here, safely away from the chaos your interventionism will cause, and insist that you must force a resolution. Again, why?"
"You all claim that it is to prevent further violence and chaos in Roucourt. But the existing government there considers you invaders. So how, exactly, will you prevent violence and chaos when the existing government has sworn to resist you? You will not. After all, there will be no citizens of Roucourt in the streets to welcome LIDUN-flagged invaders with flowers and hugs. Your presence will only invite further violence and warfare. Do you propose to now overthrow Maximovich's government by force, to reach your desired outcome? I hear an awful lot of talk in this hall about what Xiomera does, but would such an action be committed by those with clean hands?"
"And thus we get to the root of the problem. Roucourt was labeled an autocracy by the Haesanite delegation; Xiomera as imperialists by the Eirian delegation. Let's be clear for once and not hide our true feelings behind pretty words. You feel you have a right to intervene because nations like Roucourt and Xiomera are not like you. You have made it plain, with every word that falls from your lips, that you have complete disdain for nations that don't follow your 'ideal democratic model'. This makes you think that you are somehow better than us, and thus that gives you the right to force us to change or follow your lead because you are 'better'. You are yourselves all imperialists, you just hide it in clever words and the vestiges of 'democracy' that you wrap around yourselves like a fancy cloak. It is your brand of modern-day imperialism that even allows you to think that you have some right to determine Roucourt's future, over and above the right of the existing government and its established friends."
Tetlahue shook his head again. "It is that brand of modern-day imperialism in a democratic guise that even gives you the self-righteousness to sit here and debate these matters in the abstract, in this place of safety and comfort, while soldiers like I once was try to actually fix it on the ground. Xiomera is there to help Roucourt, all your sneering implications about our intentions aside. The only way to help Roucourt that will last is to support the existing government re-establish civil order in the country. But instead, this 'great democratic body' seeks to give terrorists and insurrectionists such as the PNDS an equal seat at the table. Do you not realize that you are only giving the PNDS and the other rebellious elements in Roucourt a stature and a recognition they do not deserve as a reward for their violence? You are enabling and empowering these violent extremists with your recognition, placing them on the same ground as a legitimate and recognized government. And now, with talk of LIDUN involvement, you have placed an even bigger chair at the same negotiating table, giving these violent extremists even more stature. For all your talk about wanting to stabilize nations, you're quite excellent at doing the exact opposite. And again, it is soldiers who have to bear the consequences of your dilettante meddling, as well as the civilians on the ground."
"So, by all means, let's continue to undermine existing governments and the very concept of nation states, while empowering terrorists and giving them international stature, with useless meddling that will impose an outcome on Roucourt just as surely as anything Xiomera might do, and only lead to further violence just as much as anything Xiomera might do, simply because you don't like Roucourt's government. You all here think that will lead to peace, You could not be more wrong. Slander Xiomera all you like. We know you're wrong, and will not waver from the right course, which is to provide all necessary support to the existing government in putting down these terrorist insurrectionists and restoring the legitimate government's full authority over its own country."
Tetlahue sat back down, leaning over to whisper with an aide while reviewing some more papers he had been handed.
Tetlahue shook his head. "But while you sit here in this safe and comfortable debate hall, and critique my speaking and demeanor while daintily sipping from teacups or whatever it is you lot seem to believe is appropriate behavior, there are indeed people suffering and dying in Roucourt. And your proposed solution will not fix the problem, it will only make it worse."
The ambassador picked up a piece of paper he had been handed by one of his aides while the debate had continued. "I have just been informed that a new General Secretary of the State has taken office, with approval of Roucourt's legislature, to take over for the unfortunately stricken Svetlana Leclerc. A new leader, Volodin Maximovich, is in place over a legitimate and internationally recognized government, with the consent of that state's legislative body. The country he leads now finds itself in a moment of crisis, and we are helping them as a historic ally of theirs. And yet, you seek to intervene......why? The new General Secretary of Roucourt has publicly made it known that he considers a potential LIDUN intervention a foreign invasion, and will respond accordingly. But you still sit here, safely away from the chaos your interventionism will cause, and insist that you must force a resolution. Again, why?"
"You all claim that it is to prevent further violence and chaos in Roucourt. But the existing government there considers you invaders. So how, exactly, will you prevent violence and chaos when the existing government has sworn to resist you? You will not. After all, there will be no citizens of Roucourt in the streets to welcome LIDUN-flagged invaders with flowers and hugs. Your presence will only invite further violence and warfare. Do you propose to now overthrow Maximovich's government by force, to reach your desired outcome? I hear an awful lot of talk in this hall about what Xiomera does, but would such an action be committed by those with clean hands?"
"And thus we get to the root of the problem. Roucourt was labeled an autocracy by the Haesanite delegation; Xiomera as imperialists by the Eirian delegation. Let's be clear for once and not hide our true feelings behind pretty words. You feel you have a right to intervene because nations like Roucourt and Xiomera are not like you. You have made it plain, with every word that falls from your lips, that you have complete disdain for nations that don't follow your 'ideal democratic model'. This makes you think that you are somehow better than us, and thus that gives you the right to force us to change or follow your lead because you are 'better'. You are yourselves all imperialists, you just hide it in clever words and the vestiges of 'democracy' that you wrap around yourselves like a fancy cloak. It is your brand of modern-day imperialism that even allows you to think that you have some right to determine Roucourt's future, over and above the right of the existing government and its established friends."
Tetlahue shook his head again. "It is that brand of modern-day imperialism in a democratic guise that even gives you the self-righteousness to sit here and debate these matters in the abstract, in this place of safety and comfort, while soldiers like I once was try to actually fix it on the ground. Xiomera is there to help Roucourt, all your sneering implications about our intentions aside. The only way to help Roucourt that will last is to support the existing government re-establish civil order in the country. But instead, this 'great democratic body' seeks to give terrorists and insurrectionists such as the PNDS an equal seat at the table. Do you not realize that you are only giving the PNDS and the other rebellious elements in Roucourt a stature and a recognition they do not deserve as a reward for their violence? You are enabling and empowering these violent extremists with your recognition, placing them on the same ground as a legitimate and recognized government. And now, with talk of LIDUN involvement, you have placed an even bigger chair at the same negotiating table, giving these violent extremists even more stature. For all your talk about wanting to stabilize nations, you're quite excellent at doing the exact opposite. And again, it is soldiers who have to bear the consequences of your dilettante meddling, as well as the civilians on the ground."
"So, by all means, let's continue to undermine existing governments and the very concept of nation states, while empowering terrorists and giving them international stature, with useless meddling that will impose an outcome on Roucourt just as surely as anything Xiomera might do, and only lead to further violence just as much as anything Xiomera might do, simply because you don't like Roucourt's government. You all here think that will lead to peace, You could not be more wrong. Slander Xiomera all you like. We know you're wrong, and will not waver from the right course, which is to provide all necessary support to the existing government in putting down these terrorist insurrectionists and restoring the legitimate government's full authority over its own country."
Tetlahue sat back down, leaning over to whisper with an aide while reviewing some more papers he had been handed.
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