Setting the record straight

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

Seneschal Plätschisch, you may want to repackage your unprecedented weeks-long legislative blockade as an achievement. But it is my responsibility as a witness and opposition leader to remind voters of the results of you, your cabinet, and your political allies behavior. This is from your statement ending the blockade after 51 days without TNC capitulation:

It wasn't the right thing to do because it has made participating in Talossa way less enjoyable for everyone. I expected everyone to get spirited, instead everyone got downright pissed at each other and it's made Wittenberg a real drag. I've gotten several reports from my Ministers that it's more and more difficult to get motivated to be engaged, and I don't imagine that having to read through lots of people yelling at each other is fun for anyone. I can see my own posts getting snarkier and angrier and I don't like it; that's not the person I want to be...It's not healthy...

Unhealthy. Downright pissed. Snarky. Angry.

This was the result of an action which you, your cabinet, and your allies thought was an acceptable way to start your term. You did this AFTER immediately rejecting a proposal from the TNC to work as a part of a multiparty coalition to address broad-based issues such as, well, monarchy reform and to prevent the continuous personnel issues which plagued your government. The TNC repeatedly stated that this action would not be successful and that the party would set forth its policy on monarchy reform after internal discussions and at a time of its choosing.

And then, as we promised voters during the campaign, we debated and then published our proposal. Just as we have spent months delivering the opposition that previous FreeDem members complained was nonexistent and that the Kingdom deserved. Therefore, our terpelaziuns may have been found annoying or grating by some members of Government but they served their vital purpose as intended.

Voters can read through these and see how they helped deliver the results you are now trumpeting. And they can read your own words to describe the negative results of your own behavior and how it was successfully resisted by the TNC. We have shown, through our responses to unprecedented behavior and keeping to our promises, that change is possible. And we are prepared to deliver it.

[Ian Plätschisch]

It is clear to the Free Democrats, and hopefully clear to the rest of Talossa, that the TNC's proposal on Monarchy reform would not have come about without FreeDem pressure. The boycott itself turned out not to be a good idea, but without the FreeDems constantly making noise about it, the TNC would have been happy to flush that particular campaign promise down the memory hole.

With regard to your quote of mine, I can at least admit it when I make a mistake. It takes two to tango, and the FreeDem's tango partner has never demonstrated any remorse (or even self-awareness) for their comparable snarky and unhealthy behavior.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

As literally anyone in the TNC can testify, we stopped cold during the blockade on any possibility of working more on legislation about the throne.  We unanimously agreed that threats were a nonstarter.

A week after you guys dropped your blockade, we got back to discussing some concrete proposals.  You guys slowed any progress by three or four months.

The blockade had some funny bits, like when you were reduced to taking Breneir's bill and putting your own name on it, but it also led to much worse political tensions and made it impossible to actually work on the very legislation you were demanding.  Please don't convince yourself that it was a good idea, just because it's campaign season: it was objectively counterproductive for your goals and for the well-being of the country.

And mark us down for defiance, if you're thinking of doing it again.  We're not going to comply with threats.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

I would have hoped the TNC had learned the lesson from the last election that an attitude of superiority (doing a victory lap on becoming the largest party, not even congratulating their rivals post-election, continuously imputing wicked motives to their opposition) turned off potential coalition partners, who were more than happy to work with the Free Democrats, even given the weak performance of the 56th Cosa government. Doesn't appear so, on the basis of how these latest statements from party leadership. And the 57th Cosa government has done MUCH better.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

OK, sorry, have to comment on this because it's a bit weird:

You did this AFTER immediately rejecting a proposal from the TNC to work as a part of a multiparty coalition

The FreeDems announced we didn't want to coalesce with the TNC before the election, so the voters knew what they were voting for. I'm sure you didn't expect us to throw out our pre-election commitments. And we were absolutely right - the strength of having the TNC in opposition led, dialectically, to the FreeDem/Reformaziun government remaining on our toes.

We haven't made any such commitment in this election (yet), and I have no idea what the new party leadership think, but my personal opinion is that OppLeader Plätschisch throwing Terp after Terp at Seneschál Tzaracomprada would be preferable to all to the two major parties coalescing in a "pot-pie blob" with no common principled ground, a lot of mutual resentment, and a weak opposition of minor parties.

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

We haven't made any such commitment in this election (yet), and I have no idea what the new party leadership think, but my personal opinion is that OppLeader Plätschisch throwing Terp after Terp at Seneschál Tzaracomprada would be preferable...

Dama Miestra, the TNC's performance as the Opposition might have been unprecedented in its effectiveness but I share your desire that a future opposition leader whether it be S:reu Autofil, S:reu Plätschisch or S:da Somelieir, do its best to exceed that new standard.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I remember the feeling right after the election -- so amazing to rocket up from such a small party to the biggest one in the Cosa!  And we've only grown since then, with so many new faces joining our ranks.

Fun fact: we just hit post #500 in our private forum, and that's only since March!  That's more than 24 other boards on Witt, and 10% of the total on this main Witt board itself!

I hope that the people agree that it's time for a change after so many years, and that we get even more support next time :)