Public Service Announcements by the Republic of Liberty

[The Republic Of Liberty]

My Fellow Libertonians;

Today I come to you, on the first of January 819 A.S., with a mixed message. The year past has been one of war, conflict, lawlessness and terrorism. Not a week goes by without the loss of an innocent, the wanton destruction of property or the kidnapping of a defenseless child. To add to our problems, the Federal Republic of Rheinland has perceived us to be weakened, and agressed the Independent Worlds of Bering and Hudson to take advantage of us. Of Liberty.

My heartfelt condolences go out to all those who have lost a friend or loved one to these disasters. Each loss shakes the foundations and beliefs upon which our great nation stands. Each voice silenced, for no better reason than blind criminality, flies in the face of all that we have tried to achieve. Even the selfless sacrifices of the Forces of Liberty, who give their lives willingly to protect those who cannot protect themselves, are not enough to stem the tide of maliciousness that threatened to wash away all that we have built.

Amidst the human tragedy of the last year, any man or woman may be forgiven for losing hope, for wondering where we go from here, for wondering if chaos will forever grip our lives. I, however, am no such person. My convictions for a safe and secure society have never been stronger! In a time of crisis such as this, the Republic needs a leader who is not afraid to step up to the challenges facing his country, who will not shirk his responsibility to the people that he serves. I am here to tell you that I, President James Powell, am this person!

Freedom and security, prosperity and the Libertonian dream. These are the values of our nation, our people, values that epitomise what we stand for. The belief that, despite any obstacle, greatness can be achieved. Hard work pays for itself, and my government and I intend to work harder than ever to secure the future of our children.

The challenges that this country has faced have been many and varied. We have seen bands of outlaws plague the shipping lanes, an entire house going to war with us commercially and another finding the boldness to attack us outright. We have seen the bloody handiwork of self-styled freedom fighters and complete incompetance from those who claim to protect humanity. Ladies and gentlemen, we have seen failure all around us.

Or have we?

Superhuman efforts are being made by the Forces of Liberty to secure our space from all-comers. I receive regular progress reports that assure me of the successes in and around our house. By now, we have all heard of one major victory against the Federal Republic of Rheinland, this of course being the capture, intact, of the Battleship Westfalen. Such a success was made possible by the efficiency with which all of our armed forces cooperate and coordinate to assure homeland security as well as progress on the front lines. It is the aim of this government to show, with evidence as hard as granite, that these successes, economically as well as military, are not chance events.

Speaking of the economy, this is also an area in which we have found ourselves at war. The war with Rheinland and the repeated and unprovoked blockades by the Empire of Kusari have caused the rapid inflation of prices of goods produced in both houses. Yet, as the year wore on, the resourcefulness of you, the people, shone through. With the assistance of lowered interest rates thanks to the Central Liberty Internal Treasury, businesses offering substitutes for the shortfall have sprung up. Your entrepreneurial strength has done the Republic of Liberty proud, and shown to the entire sector the level of conviction needed to achieve wealth creation in times of hardship. Equally, we should not forget the contribution of Deep Space Engineering, Universal Shipping Incorporated and Ageira Technologies. They have stood by the Republic of Liberty and confronted the threat of economic meltdown without flinching. They have stood by us as our shield, casting aside their short-term financial obligations to ensure that you and I have a future.

One of the greatest challenges we faced last year was the shortfall of fuel, caused by the callous disregard of the Empire of Kusari of their economic prosperity as well as our own. This episode opened many eyes to the inadequacy of relying on others for our fuel sources, which is why this government is planning to step up fuel exploration efforts. In the more short term, there were many instances of individuals leading the way by saving fuel where they could, car-pooling and so on. Even when Liberty is besieged so viciously, I've been proud to see that, far from villifying the foreign nationals within our borders, we have continued to welcome them and show our true nature as caring and compassionate individuals. The security and stability of the Republic of Liberty lies even more within our ability to sustain ourselves than it does with our impenetrable defensive capability. But chiefly, the prosperity of the Republic is assured by the selflessness and good nature of her people, a quality that few others can claim to match.

There is cause for hope, people of the Republic! There is light at the end of the tunnel, the walls of which are paved with the sacrifice of our kin and crimes against the innocent. We will reach the light, our future, peace and prosperity. We will reach the light without sacrificing the values and beliefs that make us great.

We will reach the light together!

In the New Year, I intend to serve the people of the Republic of Liberty by providing the example of how a true Libertonian patriot should act.

To my surprise, it is just reaching me now that the Empire of Kusari has undergone a change of leadership, one which I very much welcome. As part of the example that my government intends to set over the coming year, I will be strongly encouraging positive engagement with the new Kusari, and hope to build bridges where they were burned before.

Unfortunately, the cause of this regime change looks to be the forces of the newly revealed Kingdom of Gallia prematurely concluding the war between the Kingdom of Bretonia and the Empire of Kusari. This may have grave implications upon us, as our faithful allies are flung into yet another war, already fatigued from a prolonged conflict of their own. I send this message to the Kingdom of Gallia: should you approach us as friends, we will treat you warmly and build a strong, progressive relationship for the future. However, should you approach us as enemies, you will find the Republic of Liberty standing as a fortress stands before a man. The choice is yours.

The future holds many uncertainties, this I will not deny. However, there is one guarantee that I can give: The citizens and residents of the Republic of Liberty, not the politicians, will be her strength going forwards. Your convictions will ensure our prosperity, however grim the circumstances around us become.

My fellow Libertonians, I salute you.

- James Powell, President of the Republic of Liberty

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