Prompt: Political Opinion in a Fantasy Newspaper
The Dayang Olena announced today, in what is considered by her advisors to be a radical response to the recent trade disagreements, that the Fields of Shifting Wheat of the Yellow Star will no longer be accepting any imports from the Valley of Weaving Rivers. The trade disagreements of the two farming kingdoms are well known, and Dayang Raani before her took many steps to increase trade after the drought thirty years ago. However, her granddaughter seems determined to undermine these efforts. They Dayang said that the Valley of Weaving Rivers is incapable of handling their products well, and until their quality protection ordinances are up to date with those of High Empress Rafyella’s capital city.
Many regard this as hypocritical, seeing as Dayang Olena’s exports are nearly two decades behind those of most Purple Star kingdoms, and criticisms have rained in on this policy. Hands-Clenching-Fresh-Grass, elected head of the Valley of Weaving Rivers’ trade treaties, has not yet commented on these new developments, but her representative, Spinning-Wool-Into-Baskets, has said that he believes she will not agree to these terms.
“We have more pride in our exports than to stoop to such a low bait. We do not need the patronage of the Fields of Shifting Wheat to remain a trading hub of the Yellow Star.”
I call upon the Dayang to reconsider her stance on these treaties, and to begin trade again with our neighbors. In times of draught and famine our sister kingdoms have always come together. Though this is a time of plenty, we still should extend that courtesy.
-Bala of Ku Seng, reporter for the Yellow Star Economic News, Malana Province correspondent.
