You remind me of someone else who writes longwinded, filibuster-like
posts, and has a VERY selective memory. I will address the one part of
your ramblings, which were directed towards Ashtan. No one hounded you
out of Ashtan - if there IS something Ashtan can be faulted for it's
apathy. You, with your sweeping *projects* came to the Archons, which
were apathetic to the, how shall i put it lightly, overhaul-like
longwinded (a surprise there) suggestions you listed. Publically, i know
I am the ONLY one who responded to you. I find it odd that you claim you
were hounded out of Ashtan (implying, i assume, severe negativity?), yet
in your most recent post claim to wake up with oodles of support
messages. For the same ideas? hmmmmmm. I only have to say that if one
sticks a firecracker in each ear, puts on a purple pokadot moomoo, and
goes out preaching about the All powerful Mutton, SOMEONE is bound to
follow them. Someone, somewhere, will find it illuminating.
The problem with you, as with a LOT of other crackpot philosophers, is
that the Idea in your head is static - you seem to be incapable of
dynamically applying it in various environment, always saying the SAME
thing nomatter where you are. You are clearly a, lets use lighter terms,
*compassionate soul*, who lobbies against slums - but you never saw the
CONTEXT of the slums in Ashtan. Slums do not negate freedom in Ashtan -
they are a DIRECT RESULT of it. Ashtan is a representative democracy, we
elect a coucil of Archons to make decisions. We have a set of very loose
laws, which merely guard the privacy and wellbeing of citizens as such.
We have no laws prescribing how to LIVE, unlike some other cities. As
such, most have the right AND opportunity to make SOMETHING of
themselves here - you have the right to work and fight hard and go into
politics (though other people have a right to laugh in your face and not
elect you if you don't deserve it of course), you have the right to be a
loner, the right to be a mass murderer, and, damn it!, you have the
right to lay in a ditch in Martin's Sorrow. Does everyone have the SAME
opportunity in Ashtan? No! Can people get out of the slums? YES!. Slums
are a product of Social Darwinism (I think Darwin was an old nutty
Rajamalan scientist who theorized that all Raja came from paradise
birds), generally practiced in democracies. Are slums GOOD, then? well,
in my opinion, no. But i accept them as a byproduct. If Ashtan was to
implement your suggestions, it would seize being Ashtan in spirit. And I
can assure you, that is not what citizens of Ashtan want.

Penned by my hand on the 22nd of Scarlatan, in the year 333 AF.