[voice]

[ryuuzaki]

[Ryuuzaki's low voice is accented in a way that people from places other than the U.K. might think of as "generically English," and when the message begins, his tones are pleasant and measured without being effusive.]

Hello, everyone.

The Ingress has brought us to the Moira from any number of places. When I meet someone, I can't say whether our similarities will outweigh our differences, or vice-versa... when you're this far from home, even small commonalities can seem important. It's led me to be curious about the broad strokes of everyone's backgrounds.

[A pause, as he approaches his real question.]

What can you tell me about the government in the place you came from before this? Both the form of government and, if possible, specific names of leaders.

If it wasn't your original home, I'd be interested in hearing about that, too, even down to what year it was for you.

If you'd prefer to answer privately, that's all right with me. I can promise you my discretion.

Thank you.

Comments

[warandpeace]

I'm originally from Japan, post World War II. Yokosuka. Japan has a constitutional monarchy with a parliament. I came to live in America, a democracy in my world too, during the Vietnam war before returning home. I lived in Central America training rebel troops in the years after the Cuban missile crisis, late sixties, early seventies, moving from country to country with a mercenary group for some time.

Currently I live abroad still but there continues to be nuclear tension during the cold war. Russians have invaded Afghanistan and there is increased ethnic intolerance in Africa and religious unrest in the Middle East.

[ryuuzaki]

All of this sounds familiar to me -- similar enough to my own world. I've spent some time in Japan.

Has there been a revolution in Iran yet?

[warandpeace]

Theoretically it's in the middle of one but there's not a lot of information coming out of it and we don't have any units involved.

It's 1984.

[ryuuzaki]

If the similarities hold, the Cold War will be ending soon. But I can't say for sure.

[A turn of events in one direction or another, a different leader, an assassination, who knows?]

Who was the President of the United States during the Vietnam era for you?

[warandpeace]

Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. Though it mostly escalated thanks to the influence of Robert McNamara through Kennedy's administration. Unfortunately thanks to his gross underestimation of the guerrilla tactics used by Vietnamese soldiers he caused more damage than good to the American forces both in losses and reputation.

Sound about right?

[ryuuzaki]

Absolutely so.

[But 1984 is a strange year for L -- just a year before his life completely changed in a way that he should probably regret, but doesn't regret to any appreciable extent. He remembers the Olympics, Blue Peter, his book of maths... his knowledge of anything outside of that or anything earlier is historical.]

However, I have to admit that I was a child in 1984. I was born in the late 70s. I remember the nuclear tension, however. That went on for a while.

[warandpeace]

I was born in the years just after the bombs. Nothing like living in the poster child country for "worst case scenario".

The three non-nuclear principles were essential to the nations emotional recovery.

[ryuuzaki]

I'm sorry to say it isn't over. The principles still stand -- at least publicly -- but North Korea is always a concern in Japan. They continue to pursue nuclear capabilities.

Other areas, though... they've cooled again, at least in those terms. There's arguably still a lot of work for a mercenary.

[OOC: good gravy, I'm sorry this tag is a bit later than all the others that had to sit all last week. I needed to do some research. :) ]