With that Efstratios Monomachos breaks into uproarious laughter!
BAH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
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The question is not whether this legislation is necessary or not. No, my esteemed colleague, the important question is : "Why are you opposed against an Edict that allows the Basileus to take a decision?"
You are purposefully ignoring the question and are trying to again push your false argument that being against this legislation means being opposed to the Emperor. As such, I will not do you the same disservice. I will actually do you the honour of RESPONDING to your question. Wish you would do the same.
I am opposed to this edict because it is proposed without just cause. The Emperor has not asked for Durazzo. The Emperor has not stated that he wishes to possess Durazzo. The Emperor has not indicated to my satisfaction that he is opposed to myself or my allies or my house being the liberator of the province. The sole purpose of this legislation is to take without just cause a claimed province from those who are in position to take it and have long declared their intentions to.
Never, not once, have the supporters of this edict declared why it is necessary to steal the claim of this province for the excuse of handing it to the Emperor so he can decide whom to give it to.
It seems self-evident that those who claim and capture the province should have a right to it, but your faction seeks to take it away under the guise of "allowing the Emperor to decide who should have it".
It's a smokescreen for your true intentions, which are clear to anyone who reads the edict and our claims to the province prior to the edict that you dont want me our my allies to claim the province.
Is this really such a hard concept?
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It has been made clear that your loyalty is questionable. Didn't you already in fact break an oath of fealthy? Which House do you belong to now? The House of the Asteri or the House of the Tepaki? How long will it take before you break your most recent oath and will swear yet another one? An illegal one, might I add. Just read the Charter...
I will not respond to those who are blatantly and nakedly and desperately trying to change the subject.
IT DOESNT MATTER whom I am aligned with. It has no relevance to the discussion. If you actually cared, you would ask me in private. I will not let you hijack the debate.
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Your recent history and behaviour more then justifies the questioning of your loyalty towards the Basileus.
More ad hominem sophistry. Do you not know how to debate with reason, sir? Or are you clinging to denigrating and demonizing and mudslinging your opponent? CAN YOUR ARGUMENT NOT STAND ON ITS OWN? Is it so feeble that you cannot answer the simple question "why" is your edict necessary?
Why is it necessary?
WHY is it necessary??
WHY IS IT NECESSARY????
ANSWER ME!!!
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Begging your pardon, Senator Monomachos, but your allegiances are exactly the point of the discussion here. The current wording of Edict 1.9 is entirely in favor of the Basileus. It gives him freedom of choice and control over what happens with Durazzo. Indeed, the way Edict 1.9 is worded, you yourself could be chosen to lead the attack and the Basileus could even give the province to you as a reward! Yet instead of promoting yourself as a better alternative for the job than Senator Tagaris, you attack the legislation itself. By proxy, you are attacking the Basileus. Opposing this legislation means you do not trust his judgment on this issue. If you do not trust the Basileus to do what is right for the Empire, who do you trust?
Thats an entirely false and disingenuous argument, and I will not insult you by claiming that you don't already know this. Surely a man of your intellect knows that what you've just proposed as a rational debate is a straw man argument. Instead of answering why this legislation is even necessary, you claim that I must argue erroneously why I don't distrust the Emperor.
I will not have you frame the debate for me. You can continue to put words in my mouth and claim that I must be disloyal to the emperor because your house and your allies don't want me in possession of Durazzo. But you're not fooling anyone with this nonsense, least of all me.
And you know bloody well this argument is not about my allegiances. And since I've already staked a claim to the province, it seems ludicrous that I should nod like an idiot and agree that "well, maybe after all this debating and political posturing, the edict won't matter anyway because I'll get to claim it after all".
Utter hogwash. The only purpose an edict like this serves is to deny those who have already claimed the province the right to take it.
My question, why, still stands.
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As for my loyalities, I am loyal to the House of the Tagamata because that House exists specifically to support the Basileus and his efforts to return the Empire to its former glory. I initially opposed Edict 1.9 because I believed it was a method of circumventing the Basileus. Now that it has been rephrased to give him complete freedom of choice, I support it whole-heartedly, because the legislation itself favors the Basileus. Saying that Tagamata pursues this Edict out of greed is also blatantly false, as we gain nothing from it. None of our members has asked for command of the attack on Durazzo and the province will be given to the Basileus, not to us. The only way we could benefit from this legislation would be if the Basileus chose to give Durazzo to us after it was taken. Yet again this brings us around to whether you are questioning the wisdom and integrity of the Basileus himself.
I don't give a flying magic carpet what your loyalties are, and I resent that this debate is now focused on mine. I swore allegiance to the Emperor publicly, and that should be good enough for you. YOU are not my leige.
I tire of the straw man argument that I am questioning the Basileus instead of the legislation itself or why it is necessary. Will you finally stop that nonsense and argue like a man?
