"Those Were the Glory Days": A Throwback to Penstubal's 3rd Presidency

President Penstubal opening the University of Demarcia, 25 July 2020.

A large number of people, citizens and non-citizens, "plebs" and "patricians" alike, gathered in the sweltering heat of that midsummer day in that tumultuous year, 2020. All were awaiting the commencement of the long-awaited event, the historic opening of the University of Demarcia.

Minutes were ticking away, and the cameras were soon all set. Steadily, the President appeared from behind the lush trees decorating the front of the large, Victorian-esque building, designed by one of the country's finest architects. Braving through the warm weather, he arrived at the podium, adjusted himself in front of his mic, and began his address to the people.

Uncharacteristically for the President, his address was concise. Perhaps this was because there was nothing anymore that needed to be proven: it was another in a long series of achievements for the most successful administration in Demarcian history. President Penstubal expressed his pride in "yet another amazing feat of the People's Government".

It is easy to forget just how unique that era in Demarcia's history was. It is easy to forget just how long that list of achievements was. In the span of those six months, more was achieved than in the entire previous two years of Demarcia's history, and the stage was set for a number of other crucial reforms that would take place over the next few years.

The Labour Act, the Environmental Protection Act, the Animal Rights Protection Act, the Demarcian Welfare and Economic Rights Act, the opening of Princess Laura Hospital, the creation of a state-of-the-art military base, the creation of Popular Initiatives, the Consumer Protection Act, the Fire and Rescue Act, and the opening of the University of Demarcia.

And that's just the legislation and infrastructure. The most lasting and truly important legacy of Penstubal's presidency was the rejuvenation of Demarcia and the uptick in active citizenry. Citizenship skyrocketed by 25 people, from 78 to 103, during his presidency. Some of the most memorable names in Demarcian history all came aboard during this era - Vincent_Wolff, GeorgeChambers (Vercetti), MikeBodwin, Rithron - and some old names, like NathanielArcher and djfrosty13, came back to life to make their contributions to the daring project called Demarcia.

The country's boom might, in great part, have been secured by the COVID-19 pandemic, which left so many people the world over locked in their homes but also led many of them to join this little world we were building, the small nation with a big heart, called Demarcia. For many people, the existence of Demarcia, their participation in Demarcia, made their lives less difficult and less lonely. Without the vision of the government at the time, spearheaded by Penstubal, Demarcia might not have had this revival, and some might have been deprived of this "Demarcian respite".

Some might argue that those were the "glory days" of Demarcia, days that are never to return and forever condemned to memories evoked by pictures from that period or articles such as these that make you want to cry your guts out. But the purpose of this article is not to evoke a certain defeatism resulting from grief for times long past. This is a call to engage in productive thinking - what is it that produced so much success for the country back in 2020? Why are we having such bad luck now?

For years, Demarcia's politicians have asked the question: why is Demarcia so inactive? It seems like we have been talking about a "Demarcian inactivity crisis" since before Copernicus presented his heliocentric theory, or before Raphael painted The School of Athens. Discussion of this issue has been non-stop, and everybody believed in different reasons for the country's struggle. But perhaps nobody has ever been doing anything wrong to begin with. Maybe, just maybe - we have not been lucky enough. And that might be the whole issue, and absolutely nothing else.

So what is there to be done if our failure can be chalked up wholly to the absence of luck? Should we not even try, then, given our repeated failures?

The planets absolutely lined up perfectly during Penstubal's presidency. It was the perfect moment for Demarcia to blossom and to succeed. But that success would never have occurred had it not been for the people's proactive efforts under Penstubal's strong leadership. No amount of luck would have led to Demarcia's success had the people not decided to do the heavy lifting and expend a tremendous effort. The plains between the Seven Hills of Rome, blessed by the river Tiber, were the perfect location for a world-class city. But there would have been no Città Eterna had its settlers instead chosen to sit under the trees, gaze at the stars and do nothing.

Under Penstubal's presidency, Demarcia had strong leadership willing to organize people around a collective effort to not just plant the seeds of change, but to actually water them and then pick the wondrous fruits that followed from their growth. Great endeavors are driven by the grassroots, but they aren't possible without top-to-bottom organization which will rally the community around a single mission, under a single banner.

Today, more than ever, we need a man who will lead the charge.

Today, more than ever, we need what we had in 2020. Strong, decisive leadership. A strong, decisive President.

In the weeks ahead, we shall see whether such a person will come forward and join the race to succeed President SuperMiron. Perhaps another familiar name from the past will do. But it has to be somebody willing to do the hard work of gathering the nation. A leader, a strong leader, is what Demarcia desperately needs. It is what Demarcia had during its "glory days".

Electa Goodprez,

Demarcian Inquirer.