A Brave New World Part 3

[bombshoo]

To: Persia
From: China

We applaud your logic and reason in these increasingly irrational times. We hope the rest of the Muslim world follows Persia's example of recognizing that the acts taking place in Pancasila are terrible, regardless of the religion of the party committing them.

 

[tuxedohamm]

To: New England, Virginia
From: Tennessee

We shall remain neutral in regards to your current conflict. Should you require neutral territory to negotiate a compromise, we preemptively offer an invitation to Nashville.

 

[Crezth]

From: Japan

What has occurred to make you say that the Japanese are the primary "firestarters?" What government policies do you refer to? There are none. It is the Korean government which has ordered it's fishing navies into what has historically been Japanese fishing lanes. Why would our fishermen suddenly decide to start violence? After so many generations of peaceful fishing? The peasant classes depend on the sea for survival and the wanton and out of control Korean poaching is causing starvation and plunging many communities into poverty. We are trying to bring Japan forward and these assaults on our sovereignty only succeed in holding our people back.

To: Japan
From: France

Because your country violently excludes foreigners, we were forced to obtain reports on the incidents from impartial third parties, such as Kyushu, China, and Korea. They are unilateral in condemnation of violent Japanese fishermen.

Please note, in addition, that Japanese property rights and deep-sea fishing rights have never been validated in the international court because of Japan's unwillingness to partake. APACS' ownership of those waters is, therefore, wholly lawful.

Perhaps were Japan willing to negotiate with APACS a little more bilaterally, there could be some substantial progress.

 

[Communisto]

To: Japan
From: France

Because your country violently excludes foreigners, we were forced to obtain reports on the incidents from impartial third parties, such as Kyushu, China, and Korea. They are unilateral in condemnation of violent Japanese fishermen.

Please note, in addition, that Japanese property rights and deep-sea fishing rights have never been validated in the international court because of Japan's unwillingness to partake. APACS' ownership of those waters is, therefore, wholly lawful.

Perhaps were Japan willing to negotiate with APACS a little more bilaterally, there could be some substantial progress.

To: France
From Japan

Perhaps your diplomatic channels have been out to lunch lately? Japan recently applied for APACS membership which was aggressively and immediately vetoed by Korea, despite our new intentions of peacefully opening up to the world. How are we to defend ourselves politically and negotiate fairly if every nation chooses to ignore our problems? Despite the fact that yes, our waters remain unrecognized after years of isolation -which is something we would very much like to change-, it doesn't change the fact that they have been fished in peace and without objection by any of the Pacific powers for generations, and yet now, suddenly, as we apply of APACS membership, the Korean government orders thousands of fishing vessels into these waters. Surely you can see that this has all been the doing of the aggressive Korean state which wishes to reinvigorate their long dead and decrepit empire. Citing Korea as an "impartial" party is a mistake not befitting the capabilities of a French diplomat.

Regardless, we look forward to the negotiations and thank you for supporting diplomacy.

 

[bombshoo]

China's interests lay in bringing peace to the region, not in passing blame. Nonetheless, it cannot be denied that Korea has faced both a human and economic loss in the reported skirmishes. In addition to this, because Korean vessels are essentially confined to the Sea of Japan, while Japan has the vast Pacific Ocean on its East Coast, it is unfair for the Koreans to face major geographic restrictions in this area. Kyushu, being a small country, also faces many of these same unfair restrictions. To remedy the situation and prevent further conflict, China proposes a ceasefire with the following stipulations:

1. Japanese Compensation
I. Japan compensates the families of the dead and wounded Korean sailors a sum of 3 EP.

II. Japan compensates the fishing companies for damages and lost products a sum of 5 EP.

2. Redrawing of Fishing Lines
I. All fishing waters between the Korean Peninsula and the Island of Honshu will be exclusively designated Korean fishing waters as indicated on the map below.

II. In exchange for this, Japan will be granted additional exclusive fishing grounds to the East of the Island of Honshu as indicated on the map below.

III. Kyushu exclusive fishing waters will be expanded into the Pacific slightly, in addition to an expansion of fishing waters in the Seto Inland Sea as indicated on the map below.

3. International Moderation and Further Arbitration
I. An international naval task force will monitor the disputed area in order enforce this ceasefire as indicated in the red outlined area on the map below.

II. The Oki and Tsushima Islands will be demilitarized and placed within the watch of the international naval task force as indicated in yellow on the map below.

 

[Communisto]

Japan will agree to all clauses but cannot do the Japanese people the disservice of agreeing to points 1 and 3: II. for the following reasons.

1: This clause completely nullifies the entirety of our government's expenditure budget for the fiscal year. This is money that was to be invested in infrastructure and increased economic partnerships with friendly nations, not pumped into a nation that actively seeks our annexation. Further, since this massive incursion by Korean ships came without any warning or diplomatic probing, despite the fact that we clearly and publicly opened diplomatic relations, we see this as a poorly disguised grab for money.

I ask you, where are the dead sailors? So far no fatalities have been reported and as many of our ships have been damaged and fishermen injured as have the foreigner's.

In addition, because we have been confronted with zero proof that the violence has been initiated solely by Japanese fishermen, we would say that if any economic compensation were to be given, it should be by the Korean government to the impoverished communities on our coasts which have been rendered desolate and starving by Korean over-fishing and whom have been harmed equally by this dispute.

Japanese and Korean fishermen have shared the red outlined area for hundreds of years without violence. Confrontation arose after Korean ships began pouring in en masse and forcing our ships out. Shared fishing rights have worked in the past and are necessary if our coastal communities are to survive.

3 II.: We will allow impartial (read: Not Korean) APACS and French ships to dock and operate on the Oki and Tsushima Islands, but we will not forfeit them entirely. Especially considering these peaceful fishing islands are in no sense "militarized" at the moment.

What you offer is not negotiation, these more resemble terms dictated by victors in a war that never happened. We do however, see this as the first steps toward recognition of Japanese interests and we know that the government of China wishes a fair and just solution for all involved, the Japanese delegation implores our new friend not to be cowed by her over-ambitious neighbor...

 

[Toteone]

To Korea, from New Holland

While there is currently great focus on the Korean-Japanese issues we would like to address a lesser, unrelated obstacle to the Soul University Project, that off the low number of European students in the Soul University Project.
On behalf of our nation and New Zeeland we would like to request a minimum number of positions for the brightest students of our two nations at the least equal to our respective contributions, though preferably we hope for our level of student enrollment in Soul Uni. to be based on the respective populations of our two countries.


To Alaska, from New Holland

New Holland will be pleased to accept any naval units Alaska can provide for the war effort, but unfortunately can not at the present time accept militia brigades for service in what is expected to be a hotly contested zone.
At the present time of international turmoil New Holland can, after guaranteeing the safety of Indonesian minorities, not extend its alliances even further for fears of international entanglement. Rest assured however that we will review our bilateral relations upon the conclusion of the presently ongoing armed conflicts and at such a time consider binding ties with the nation of Alaska upon further discussion.

 

[bombshoo]

To: Japan
From: China

Though we will have to wait for Korean input on point 1, we believe you have misinterpreted point 3 II entirely. What you have stated you are willing to allow (policing of the Oki Islands and Tsushima Islands by the task force) is exactly what we were asking for in this agreement from the beginning.

 

[Crezth]

China's interests lay in bringing peace to the region, not in passing blame. Nonetheless, it cannot be denied that Korea has faced both a human and economic loss in the reported skirmishes. In addition to this, because Korean vessels are essentially confined to the Sea of Japan, while Japan has the vast Pacific Ocean on its East Coast, it is unfair for the Koreans to face major geographic restrictions in this area. Kyushu, being a small country, also faces many of these same unfair restrictions. To remedy the situation and prevent further conflict, China proposes a ceasefire with the following stipulations:

1. Japanese Compensation
I. Japan compensates the families of the dead and wounded Korean sailors a sum of 3 EP.

II. Japan compensates the fishing companies for damages and lost products a sum of 5 EP.

2. Redrawing of Fishing Lines
I. All fishing waters between the Korean Peninsula and the Island of Honshu will be exclusively designated Korean fishing waters as indicated on the map below.

II. In exchange for this, Japan will be granted additional exclusive fishing grounds to the East of the Island of Honshu as indicated on the map below.

III. Kyushu exclusive fishing waters will be expanded into the Pacific slightly, in addition to an expansion of fishing waters in the Seto Inland Sea as indicated on the map below.

3. International Moderation and Further Arbitration
I. An international naval task force will monitor the disputed area in order enforce this ceasefire as indicated in the red outlined area on the map below.

II. The Oki and Tsushima Islands will be demilitarized and placed within the watch of the international naval task force as indicated in yellow on the map below.

This is a fair proposal which we support completely.

Japan will agree to all clauses but cannot do the Japanese people the disservice of agreeing to points 1 and 3: II. for the following reasons.

1: This clause completely nullifies the entirety of our government's expenditure budget for the fiscal year. This is money that was to be invested in infrastructure and increased economic partnerships with friendly nations, not pumped into a nation that actively seeks our annexation. Further, since this massive incursion by Korean ships came without any warning or diplomatic probing, despite the fact that we clearly and publicly opened diplomatic relations, we see this as a poorly disguised grab for money.

I ask you, where are the dead sailors? So far no fatalities have been reported and as many of our ships have been damaged and fishermen injured as have the foreigner's.

In addition, because we have been confronted with zero proof that the violence has been initiated solely by Japanese fishermen, we would say that if any economic compensation were to be given, it should be by the Korean government to the impoverished communities on our coasts which have been rendered desolate and starving by Korean over-fishing and whom have been harmed equally by this dispute.

Japanese and Korean fishermen have shared the red outlined area for hundreds of years without violence. Confrontation arose after Korean ships began pouring in en masse and forcing our ships out. Shared fishing rights have worked in the past and are necessary if our coastal communities are to survive.

These are mostly specious points as there is more than sufficient evidence of Japanese brutalities. The proposed solution is the only way to fairly compensate Koreans who had to suffer at the hands of the Japanese.

 

[Communisto]

To: Japan
From: China

Though we will have to wait for Korean input on point 1, we believe you have misinterpreted point 3 II entirely. What you have stated you are willing to allow (policing of the Oki Islands and Tsushima Islands by the task force) is exactly what we were asking for in this agreement from the beginning.

From: Japan

So long as Korean ships are not allowed to dock on these Islands, that Japanese ships will still be permitted to patrol these waters and they remain part of the Samurai dominions then we will be happy to accept this. However, we are still not going to be bullied by larger powers into ransoming off our sovereignty. You promised us negotiation, if this is how APACS negotiates then perhaps we were wrong to come to you when we decided to open up to the world and that there are others we should be dealing with.

To: France

It is clear to us that you have no intention of pursuing fairness and justice. The clause itself demands we pay for deaths that never occurred. We are not paying this outrageous sum.

 

[Luckymoose]

To: Japan
From: China

Though we will have to wait for Korean input on point 1, we believe you have misinterpreted point 3 II entirely. What you have stated you are willing to allow (policing of the Oki Islands and Tsushima Islands by the task force) is exactly what we were asking for in this agreement from the beginning.

TO: China, Japan, France
FROM: Korea

We see this cease fire as fair for the Japanese. Even if the reparations are extremely low. Korean families understand charity and realize that the poor Japanese people will need some of their money. So the 8 EP for next year will be the minimum amount we will take, but also the maximum amount. We are kind. Korea urges Japan to accept and save face on the international level. We also ask that the Tsushima straits be demilitarized. Korea won't stand for Japanese war ships in our territorial waters. No naval bases should be allowed on the western coast of Honshu.

 

[Adrogans]

Italy would like to point out that Japan should at least have a mile or two off its own coast to sail around Honshu. If they do not at least have that bit of territorial window Italy fears there will be more incidents since Korea would control all the way up to Japanese shores.

Mind you I do not think they deserve more than a sailing lane.

 

[Communisto]

TO: China, Japan, France
FROM: Korea

We see this cease fire as fair for the Japanese. Even if the reparations are extremely low. Korean families understand charity and realize that the poor Japanese people will need some of their money. So the 8 EP for next year will be the minimum amount we will take, but also the maximum amount. We are kind. Korea urges Japan to accept and save face on the international level. We also ask that the Tsushima straits be demilitarized. Korea won't stand for Japanese war ships in our territorial waters. No naval bases should be allowed on the western coast of Honshu.

From: Japan

Nope.

Mind you I do not think they deserve more than a sailing lane.

From: Japan

Why?

 

[Luckymoose]

Italy would like to point out that Japan should at least have a mile or two off its own coast to sail around Honshu. If they do not at least have that bit of territorial window Italy fears there will be more incidents since Korea would control all the way up to Japanese shores.

Mind you I do not think they deserve more than a sailing lane.

No such window will be allowed because the zone is demilitarized for the Japanese. We cannot have them using 'sailing' as an excuse to steal our economic opportunities in the sea either.

TO: Japan
FROM: Korea

Either accept the cease fire, which we are willing to reduce down to 6 EP in compensation, or we will destroy your entire economic future.

 

[skeptikalz!]

The Times Are Changing​

Early one morning:

"You know, I never really liked the French."

Leonardo Martinez mumbled these words while eating a pork sandwich, stretched out on the rooftop he and his close friend had been working on during one of the hottest days Cuba had ever experienced. As the sweat dripped off him, it felt as if, over time, he had lost near 5 pounds. The heat was just too damn high.

"And just what makes you say that?", chuckled Raul, surprised over the sudden comment that had broken the pervading silence. The streets were almost desolate; everyone either hit the beaches or stayed home. Time and time again one or two cars came down the small road across from them, chugging and hiccuping smoke and fumes along the way, but that was seldom.

"I don't know. It's just a feeling... I mean, you know when sometimes a strange thought, almost foreign, just enters your head?... eh, well, maybe it's not even that foreign." Leonardo stared off into the distance. He let out a sigh. "I was thinking about my family, to be honest with you. I was thinking about my childhood. As a kid, my parents wouldn't let up about the French; whether it was about French music, French furniture, French people, French this, French that."

Raul looked at the side of Leonardo's face as he looked to the horizon. Leo had been through some things, Raul was aware. To the extent, he wasn't sure... but who could be? Leo kept mostly to himself. It was the moments like these that surprised Raul. The moments that let you really get inside the shell of a man, and add a layer of some color to what otherwise is an empty shadow on a wall. Then again, they weren't so different, either. They both shared similar lives in the most base sense... sleep, eat, work. Sleep, eat, work. Sleep. Eat. Work. That was a day in the life.

"I've always liked Japan, though."

Once again, Leo's murmuring broke the settling silence, this time awaking Raul from his pondering. "Where is this coming from, Leo? I really can't follow you." Leonardo looked over at Raul and smiled, then turned his head back towards the horizon, facing the near-setting sun. It would get colder soon. Thank god for that.

"Like I said, it's just a feeling." Leo didn't know jack about Japan, except a few basic things in school... an isolationist nation for generations, keeping to themselves. A view many would regard with distrust. Yet, Leo was the same. He kept to himself, tried to remove himself from situations that didn't involve him, found himself pushing away influences that he disliked. Sometimes, he just wanted to be left alone, and wasn't that his right?... Still, he was changing, along with the times. The older he grew, the more he realized that he wanted to know people. He didn't NEED them, but he wanted to know them. He wanted to reach out and learn, appreciate... As a kid, while he couldn't appreciate Japan, he felt he could understand them. He was the same. Or at least, he was...

Snapping back to reality, Leo perked his head upwards, and shifted his gaze towards the sky. It was orange now. It was blue once. It will be black soon. It all made sense to him, in a strange way.

He started to whistle a tune. Softly, gently at first, then it began to pick up. Suddenly, Leo hummed out some words,

"Gather 'round people, and admit that the waters around you have grown, and accept it that soon, you'll be drenched to the bone, if your time to you, is worth saving... then you better start swimmin', or you'll sink like a stone... for the times, they are a-changin'..."

Raul's eyes opened in wonder. "What song is that, Leo?" It sounded so smooth to his ears, but he was sure he had never heard it before. "Oh, just a lil' thing I came up with. I haven't thought of the rest yet, but I think it's coming along nicely," smirked Leo as Raul began to laugh. There was something in the air that day, a feeling of a new start to something. And who knew what that could be?

Leo continued the tune, and as it went on without lyrics, Raul felt an emptiness inside the song, inside of him, even, that needed to be filled. Without even thinking, Raul, too, began to sing:

"Don't speak too soon, for the wheel's still in spin, and there's no tellin' who that it's namin'... for the loser now, will be later to win, for the times, they are a-changin..."

They both looked at each other and laughed. It really was a new beginning. The tune still stuck in their heads, and a spirit of common creativity in their hearts, they sang together:

"The line, it is drawn.. and the curse, it is cast... and the slow one now, will later be fast... as the present now, will later be past... the order is rapidly fadin'... and the first one now, will later be last, for the times, they are a-changin'!"

Erupting in laughter, Leo and Raul nearly fell off of the roof. The times really were changing.

 

[Adrogans]

We meant for their civilian vessels. If thats the case than make that window to exclude it from any sovereignty. We just feel that by giving any nation sovereignty right up to another nations shores its asking for trouble. So add the lane to the international control of the two islands with bases being setup.

From: Japan
Why?

Because Japan has been a very unstable and untrustworthy nation.

 

[Luckymoose]

We meant for their civilian vessels. If thats the case than make that window to exclude it from any sovereignty.

Civilian vehicles could fish our waters. Which would nullify the cease fire.

 

[Haseri]

To Kurdistan
From Turkey

For your awful crimes of killing innocent women and children, we have decided to do what the rebels wanted to do in the first place. We will claim the Turkish lands back. If you had a problem that involved us, you should have come to us before massacuring thousands of your own people.

May Allah have mercy on you.

 

[Adrogans]

Civilian vehicles could fish our waters. Which would nullify the cease fire.

Not if it is not theirs but belongs to the international watch group. Seriously if you have rights up to their shores do you really think people will stand for it regardless of what their government says?

Without setting up at least a coastal sailing lane for non military vessels you are asking for an incident.

To Kurdistan
From Turkey

For your awful crimes of killing innocent women and children, we have decided to do what the rebels wanted to do in the first place. We will claim the Turkish lands back. If you had a problem that involved us, you should have come to us before massacuring thousands of your own people.

May Allah have mercy on you.

From The Republic of Italy
To Turkey

We support you in this provided you only reclaim those rebelling provinces and do not try to take all of Kurdistan.

 

[Adrogans]

Oops please delete.