The number of citizens in Ladonia is almost 4.800 so there are quite a few votes that can be given. Concerning the situation in Ladonia with tasks that are important, Horatius (minister and candidate for president) says:
For a long time we Ladonians have been very content with ourselves. This contentment has been based on nice words, a lot of WAAALLLL (getting longer all the time) and not much else. Yes, we have many citizens, we have the court proceedings, media coverage, the beautiful reality of geographical Ladonia -- but I think we could do MUCH more. Maybe we now are rested enough to try some really (there's that word again) difficult tasks. Per aspera ad Ladonia? The "real fairy-tale" means realizing a dream. We have a lot of (well, *some*) visions about Ladonia, but the other part of the equation -- realising them -- has been neglected. The dreams have grown, the reality has not grown noticably. If we could take some steps beyond cyberspace, into IRL, then possibly wonderful (and/or awful) things could happen; they would not depend on computers and the Internet. Internet is narrowband, IRL is the real broadband. Internet plus IRL is broader than Internet alone. For example, I really would like to write the Ladonian hit song "Örtug, örtug, örtug". And we could at least *start* work on the Ladonian Western "For a few örtugs more". So on and so on. There are so many wise and silly things to do.
I think we should shift focus from the word "great" to "better". Everybody can say they are GREAT, only progressive people try to improve themselves.
The minister of Sophistry singing an Ode to broadband (the words are Swedish but the angle is Hungarian)
http://www.djupband.com/1/allyouneed.html (MP3)
A WORDLESS PRESIDENT?
Custodian Johan Andersson brougt forward this idea about the president:
”A wordless President of Ladonia would be a step forward. Then the rest of us could be oracles of the silent and sounding Philosopher.”
- This might be an alternative to the ruling order in Ladonia which could be called ”anarchic democracy”. Everything said is always untrue.
Dear Ladonians
(Yes, you are right to be sligthly nervous when I use that tone.)
I wish to inform you that I am a candidate for the job as President. As a critic of President Fernando (our man of visions only he can see) I have taken on the role of complainer. Let's see if we can switch roles.
So, why should you vote for me?
1) I was one of the first ministers, having proved, I believe, my constancy and dedication to Ladonia, even in times of almost zero activity (YAWN) from the Cabinet.
2) I was born in the sign of Ladon.
3) I wish to give a wet, princely kiss to Ladonia, thereby waking it from its Cinderella-sleep. I believe we have had enough of aimless drifting and big words about how great we are. Now, let's see some real action. We need a vitamin-injection, possibly some Viagra, too.
4) Being Hungarian, I want to make Ladonia more Hungarian (=cosmopolitan) than Swedish. It is important now to define the word "Ladonian", to fill it with meaning. Right now it is mostly filled with air (Swedish air). The musical, magical, artistic, pantagruelistic and pataphysical aspects need to come to the fore.
We have not tapped the potentials of Ladonia, we haven't even started to realise them. Of course the president cannot do this by himself, however, he can stop this process from developing. I believe that, unfortunately, Fernando has done just this. It's only partly his fault. He was elected by us.
5) My aim is to make Ladonia a more flesh and blood-country, not only an Internet-country mainly existing in cyberspace. We need to meet in flesh, the real "broadband". Writing mail is just not enough. Let's leave this fast narrowband-phase where the activity consist in writing e-mail once in a while. Let's build a real fairy-tale.
6) Having started and run Bakpartiet (The Rear-part(y) ) in Sweden I already have experience in unorthodox politics.
Horatius (Minister of Sophistry, Court-Jester)
Another candidate, Peter Lundgren, gives us this program:
We, the people, hereby announce the birth of the first and only revolutionary workers party of Ladonia; the Revolutionary Workers Party of Ladonia, RWP(L). The party was born out of need for a change in the social structure of Ladonia.
We want to liberate the (only) worker in Ladonia, Lars Vilks, who singlehandedly created our country through hard manual labour and occasional mind-bending exercises with enemy (Swedish) authorities.
We feel that the worker is oppressed and a Revolution is needed. Make the nobles sweat! Let them carry stones till their hands bleed and let them feel the pain of splinters in their noble behinds!
Our Party Manifesto is simple. It consists of one point:
1. Revolution.
To represent us in the Parliament we have chosen Peter Lundgren, citizen of Ladonia (99-4438) who will also be our presidential candidate.
”Tempora mutantur”
RWP(L) Exile Headquarters, March 26, 2000
Provisional Revolutionary Board of RWP(L)
(Our temporary e-mail adress: pelundgren@hotmail.com )
Among ladonians these are the rules: Except the queen, the president has the right in the first place. If the president is not there, ministers have the right to take the place (the eternal ministers first) and after them ambassadors and consuls followed by nobility. If none of these are around honorary citizens have the right to enter the throne. And then the rest of the ladonian people.
The state secretary can only sit on the throne when he is doing work on it or demonstrating it.
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A word from our Minister of Health
Speech delivered to Ordinary Ladonians wishing to become Non-ordinary
Ladonians, at the former site of the long since in a furious storm perished
and not any more needed House of Health, some time around Easter A.D. 2000.
"An Emissary of The Masters of Wisdom declared the nave of the Gospels is
Matthew 17, 1-13 (search www. for J.G.Bennett). There, according to him, a
seventh person was present, superficially known to all Christians, but later
omitted from the story. The Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount refer to
humans in an intermediary realm between the historic masses and the
inconspicuous ones On The Path. To reach there you need to find your chief
feature, not neccessarily overcome it - yet - but find it, find the corner
stone Nature has put in your defence wall against the real world for some
unfathomable good reason and which you are entirely unaware of. Others may
see it readily, and even give you nick-names inspired by it, but you won't
see it. You think you are in control and pride yourself of the crystal clear
beautifully trained mind you have. Did you ever experience an early
childhood nightmare, a recurring dream perhaps, or something quite mythic
and disturbing (?) - disturbing is the key. Try to remember. As a child,
still in a basically timeless world (time begins to hasten down the lane
much later), you experienced what's lacking in your Mind's House as a
terrifying monster. In this timeless childhood world your whole life plot
was contained. This is where you entered existence, and a condensation of
the plot around which your fate is woven. From here you may leave existence
again, or you may unfold it. Once you have awareness, you have free choice.
An unresolved childhood nightmare can haunt you all your life and end up as
chronic physical symptoms according to PWP psychology (search www. for
Arnold Mindell). If you learn to know the monster you receive the greatest
of gifts, its power, and find your chief feature. Know thyself - Does
anybody care to take a swim? I brought some towels."
E. von Bock
Minister of Health