| Alyn_Stark | Date: Thursday, 12 Jul 2012, 0:20 AM | Message # 1 |
 Generalissimo
Group: Users
Messages: 1359
Status: Offline
| The Performance Square, all seventeen levels of it, was packed full of people who gathered round the largest stage where plays usually went on. The stage was bare today, save for a podium with a microphone. Across the stage from a rear entrance strode Alyn Stark, dressed in his simple, black clothing. Stopping before the podium, he tapped the microphone experimentally, then switched it off, relying instead on the excellent acoustics to carry his voice, which they would.
"My fellow Lorrdians, my friends, thank you all for coming today. I am here to address you on matters that have flooded the news in the past two weeks and have given many of you troubles to discuss in the street and shops and the places you gather. The question, I feel, that is on the forefront of our tongues is: what is fair and is our system broken? If it is, how can we change it and are we making the right change?
"I stand before you today, good people, to tell you the truth as it exists: you are not ruled by tyranny or petty men who hide behind riches. When Lorrd suffered under the brutish heel of the Argazdans so many, many years ago, we were downtrodden and slaves, forbidden even from speaking. We were forced to adapt and survive and even create a new language with which to communicate.
"In the years following our release from this bondage, the governments that came and went were all tried and tested. A monarchy tried to rule us and failed. A theocracy tried to rule us and the people would not have it. Even before our current system, when the guilds that rose to power held plutocracy, the people did not wish it to be so. Here we stand, then, with a functioning government that is a tricameral parliament. Each and every one of you votes to elect the people who represent the myriad of provinces of Lorrd; each of you voted to elect the members of the House of Assembly, the House of Representatives and the House of Delegates. I ask you, my friends, what is so truly terrible that House Garth currently sits as head of Assembly, that House Volmen sits head of Representatives and House Malos sits head of Delegates? You each vote every four years of which House should sit which position.
"This system is tried and true, and perhaps, perhaps I say, hereditary rule is a thing of the past. Nonetheless, the system we have now is not a system that is broken. The checks and balances of the elected and the hereditary heads all work like a well-oiled machine, and the system itself is the product of that machine; a system that brings us all education, betterment and grinds no man under its heel. Capitalism is our driving force. The wealthy have influence and power, some say. There are those that criticize the wealthy and say this wealth does not belong to them; it belongs to all of you. I ask you, my friends, is not a man and his family and his descendents entitled to the sweat of that man's brow? All of you who have children or grandchildren, should the state take away your wealth and redistribute it amongst others past a certain generation? Of course not. Ridiculous. Preposterous. It does not matter how far the line carries; a man's fortune is his to make or squander as he sees fit, and there is nothing stopping any of you from seizing that chance to carve your own niche in the galaxy.
"As many of you know, I was bastard-born, a fluke, a freak, an unwanted child by my familial name of Malos, uncared for by all but my departed mother. The wealth that came to me came only because of the untimely passing of my half-brother, whose reputation, as some of you may know, was not kind to House Malos. Nonetheless, I ask you, what have I done with my wealth? Have I wasted it in the gambling dens, in loans, in putting Lorrd into debt? No. No, I have not. Many of you are employed by my companies. My wealth works for you, not to hold you down, but to improve your life. I use my wealth to help the people of the galaxy, to offer succor and aid and even the great fleets above our heads that keep Lorrd safe from invaders most foul have a touch of my wealth. I say this not to brag, not for thanks, but to show what wealth does and can do. The patrons of the three Houses do no less for the people of Lorrd.
"Harald Lennon is a man of speech, my friends. I, however, am not. Mr. Lennon is a politician through and through, and I but a humble military and business man. I place this before you: the so-called 'faceless death troopers' that watch over the Kinyov Province have kept crime to a minimum not seen in many years. The Kinyov Province is the envy of many on Lorrd for our outstanding justice system, safety and security. It was not until Mr. Lennon came with his new ideals and calls for change that we saw violence. A hostage taken in the last three days, my friends! A poor, poor secretary for this Democratic Party held hostage by supposed people loyalists of mine? Weapons drawn in a political party's headquarters? What will come next? Open fighting in the streets because of this man's ideals? Because he labels those whom he does not like as tyrants? Because he wishes to tear the system down?
"The New Order, my good people, the very underlying ideology which is the foundation of the great Galactic Empire of which we are a part of, an ideology which even COMPNOR supports criticizes the decadence and weakness of the Republic. The New Order itself advocates an authoritarian and militaristic social and political culture. Are Mr. Lennon's views truly helping us, or is he steering us away from the ideals of the Empire? True, he controls the media in the Kinyov Province, and he has the means to make his voice and opinions heard whenever he likes, but this broadcast is not from his media. This, going out to all of Lorrd, is not controlled by a man who is bringing possibly dangerous thoughts to our supper table.
"Our Imperial Moff, Kanzad Shirnoq, has often praised the wisdom and productivity of Lorrd. We are a successful people, my friends, and we cannot, we will not allow dangerous ideals to poison our system. Thank you."
Amidst thunderous applause, Stark would turn and depart the stage.
Alyn Stark
Lord of Kinyov
Senior Captain, Retired, Republic Navy
Head of House Malos (former)
Licensed bounty hunter
Majority shareholder, Lorrd Engineering
Owner, Stark Defense Conglomerate
Civilian Medal of Honor recipient
Representative, Lorrd (10 BBY-9 BBY)
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| Harald_Lennon | Date: Thursday, 12 Jul 2012, 2:08 AM | Message # 2 |
 Sergeant
Group: Users
Messages: 20
Status: Offline
| Later on in the evening a satirist named Hugh Gaveline would give an analysis (after several hours of the speech being picked apart elsewhere) of the Speech on Starks main channel.
"So, Starky was at it again tonight! Talking utter nonsense about how the system 'democratic' and legitimate" this was paired with the Lorrdians kinetic gesture for sarcasm or derision. "Tells us, oh no - you lads have democracy - you can pick which house rules which assembly! You can pick between the nerf herders, the womp rats or duracrete slugs? Frankly, none of the, I want having any say over how I run my life.
Starky tells us he's a capitalist.. But doesn't he realise that his system is innately the opposite. Capitalism requires equality under the law.. Let me check.." he took a tome from a under his desk and comically opened it "Oh yes... I see here that Monarchy undermines capitalism" he pointed to the camera "and that gentlebeings is a Fact.
Also pleased to see him opening fire on a well respected academic of over forty years service, lauded across the rim as a "politician" as if it were some pejorative term. Frankly, I'd rather be called a politician than a tyrant - which as far as I am concerned is what Mr Alyn Stark is and always will be - that's not to say he's a bad guy - always happy to let you sweep the crumbs from under his table like any rich man with an urge to be lauded by poorer men. He brags that he came from poverty as if that's something to be proud of - you know what Mr Stark? I did too.. But I worked my way out of it and didn't get made a lord for it - amazing eh?
Now, having read the Democratic Party's manifesto, it seems pretty straightforward - your background doesn't matter. Where ou come from doesn't matter. Everyone should be born equal - that's why if we ever get the chance to vote - I'll be voting for a world where nobody gets power given to them because of who they dropped out of.
And amazingly! Starky has attacked Mr Lennon for his own headquarters being attacked by men who supported who? Radical republicans? No.. Mr Starks own supporters. Bizarre, surreal stuff this."
Harald Lennon
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Chancellor of Lorrd University
Egregious Professor of Political Science
Owner of the Kinyov Guardian and Lorrd Daily News
COMPNOR Member and Donor
Founder Member and Primus Inter Pares of the Kinyov Democratic Party
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