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I think it's cute how a father would go to those lengths to make his daughter happy. Obviously Kos is just a miserable ass.
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kos says he should be sent back home. By who? The area is literally unclaimed (until now.)
Also why is this racist? Because he is doing it in Africa? Kos says "in the motherland of the people America has so furiously oppressed for hundreds of years," which carries two big problems. (1) Kos is committing the classic western fallacy of treating Africa like a single entity instead of a gorram continent. (How dare you evict that Jewish lady from her London flat, this is the seat of the holocaust, Europe!) (2) Kos needs to buy a f~~&ing map. The sub-Sahara is specifically south of where this dude is, you know, in the Sahara.
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Par for the course for DailyKos.
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1) Totally thought this was going to be a yellowdingo thread. I won't lie.
2) I think the man is good-hearted, sweet, and noble. Stupid, but good-hearted, sweet, and noble.
3) Those twitter posts are hilarious.
The man is literally making an anti-hunger fundraiser out of his daughter's dream to become a princess.
He did research to find a place that no one has justifiable claim to.
He is now in the process of seeking to "terra-form" (sort of) it, to help fight back against desertification and food-source loss (though I have no idea if this is going to work out like he hopes).
This is literally the gutsiest thing I can imagine anyone doing.
It's also really, really stupid. Like, I mean, daggum.
From what I can tell, there is not even a scrap of infrastructure and "first-world" civilization in the region, and the guy - though not as big as me, I'd guess, from photos - is no lithe, durable young colossus. That is an enormous life-change, if he plans to stick it out (I understand he is currently in Virginia, however).
He is literally doing everything within his power to make this as legal as possible, ranging from contacting both bordering nations, and attempting to improve the land beyond its current state.
He has nothing but good words for the Egyptian people he has dealt with.
Will it be successful? I have no freaking clue. It's almost certainly a bad idea - the place is dangerous, and he absolutely must inhabit it in order to have any chance to claim it, legally.
But daggum. He's a white guy that did something for someone he loves after doing research on how and going through every legal proceedure he can. Oh no, he must be racist! (Despite the fact that he is literally doing the exact opposite of the strategies described within How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, naturally.) :/
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Of course, if his actions miraculously afforded the region value, Egypt, Sudan or both would subsequently recall their "ancestral claims."
They'd probably let the guy remain as a legitimate vassal, though. His daughter would still be a duchess, legally fit to one day marry a prince and become a princess. Almost as good.
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But, has there historically been a monarchy that functions under a republic? After all, technically speaking (Sudan being within the current state of its political problems aside), both are "republics" (from my understanding).
But, has there historically been a monarchy that functions under a republic? After all, technically speaking (Sudan being within the current state of its political problems aside), both are "republics" (from my understanding).
Don't most western constitutional monarchies function that way?
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As vassalages? I'm not familiar enough with modern monarchies, but, from my understanding, most modern monarchies are independent monarchies, but part of the countries government. I don't know of a country that is a Vassal, as a country, that is a monarchy, of a (or two!) republic different from their own?
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Y'know, I have trouble seeing this as quite so sweet when the guy is pretty blatantly spoiling the kid rotten (most little girls and boys grow up and realize that, y'know, not all these dreams make sense). That said, if he's trying to improve the region, who are we to complain?
Uninhabited is one thing, but is that area still owned by a country?
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Wow, someone decided to play Kingmaker for real.
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Uninhabited is one thing, but is that area still owned by a country?
No, both Sudan and Egypt specifically don't claim it.
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Y'know, I have trouble seeing this as quite so sweet when the guy is pretty blatantly spoiling the kid rotten (most little girls and boys grow up and realize that, y'know, not all these dreams make sense). That said, if he's trying to improve the region, who are we to complain?
Spoiling? I don't know. More like, "you want to be a princess? Ok, here hs a god-forsaken hell scape that the nearby countries won't touch with 11 ft poles. You can be princess of that."
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As vassalages? I'm not familiar enough with modern monarchies, but, from my understanding, most modern monarchies are independent monarchies, but part of the countries government. I don't know of a country that is a Vassal, as a country, that is a monarchy, of a (or two!) republic different from their own?
I meant monarchies functioning as republics. Doesn't every monarchy in Western Europe function as a republic? Also, don't most of the former British holdings function as republics under the monarchy?
Uninhabited is one thing, but is that area still owned by a country?No, both Sudan and Egypt specifically don't claim it.
Ah okay. Was curious.
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But, has there historically been a monarchy that functions under a republic? After all, technically speaking (Sudan being within the current state of its political problems aside), both are "republics" (from my understanding).
The Polish Republic did indeed have an (elected by the Sejm) monarch - one who didn't stick around was Henri III of France, and one who did stick around was Sigismund Vasa of Sweden (who, got tossed out of Sweden by his uncle Karl IX for being a catholic, leading to some 50 years of on-off warfare between the two branches of the family).
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As vassalages? I'm not familiar enough with modern monarchies, but, from my understanding, most modern monarchies are independent monarchies, but part of the countries government. I don't know of a country that is a Vassal, as a country, that is a monarchy, of a (or two!) republic different from their own?I meant monarchies functioning as republics. Doesn't every monarchy in Western Europe function as a republic? Also, don't most of the former British holdings function as republics under the monarchy?
All but the liliputs. Liechtenstein's moves toward greater democracy was halted when the Prince threatened to leave and take his family's substantial wealth with him; The Vatican is governed by Il Papa; and Monaco by the Prince. San Marino and Luxemburg seems to be full democracies, however.
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But, has there historically been a monarchy that functions under a republic? After all, technically speaking (Sudan being within the current state of its political problems aside), both are "republics" (from my understanding).The Polish Republic did indeed have an (elected by the Sejm) monarch - one who didn't stick around was Henri III of France, and one who did stick around was Sigismund Vasa of Sweden (who, got tossed out of Sweden by his uncle Karl IX for being a catholic, leading to some 50 years of on-off warfare between the two branches of the family).
Funnily enough, the French king that Henri III fled Poland to replace is also known as Karl IX in Swedish history books (in English and French ones, both he and the Swedish Karl is usually called Charles).
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Has he renounced his U.S. citizenship to go play king?
If not, he's no more legitimate than I am.
Has he left Virginia to go live in his desert kingdom?
If not, he's an absentee landlord at best.
Is the area permanently uninhabited, or do people move through there? If the latter, do they recognize his sovereignty? If not, he can either subdue them and enforce his borders, or accept that his claim is meaningless.
Finally, Daily Kos is, as usual, behind the times; this story broke a year ago: link
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Has he renounced his U.S. citizenship to go play king?
If not, he's no more legitimate than I am.Has he left Virginia to go live in his desert kingdom?
If not, he's an absentee landlord at best.Is the area permanently uninhabited, or do people move through there? If the latter, do they recognize his sovereignty? If not, he can either subdue them and enforce his borders, or accept that his claim is meaningless.
Finally, Daily Kos is, as usual, behind the times; this story broke a year ago: link
Well, a few interesting points on this guy.
He has a mining and drilling background and there is suspected water reserves in the area. So he is likely to be able to improve the area, which is one step toward legitimacy. 2nd, both Sudan and Egypt both want to claim Hala'ib, which is immediately adjacent but has better soil and access to the Red Sea. Two treaties were signed between Egypt and Sudan around the turn of the 20th century; one granting Hala'ib to Sudan and Bir Tawil to Egypt and the other vice versa. So, each country recognizes the treaty that gives them claim to the preferred holding. Leaving Bir Tawill quite literally directly unclaimed, unused, and unadministered by both countries. Both countries would be upset by their citizens making use of the land because it could be construed as a claim to the land. Both countries are specifically not interested in annexing.
3rd, he does currently live in Virginia but is in plans to begin permanent settlement (corporate) operations there. I don't know if he plans to live there full time, but one imagines he would maintain a residence.
4th he has supposedly been in contact with both Sudan and Egypt about recognizing him as a sovereign state and what he would need to do for them.
As for his citizenship I couldn't tell you. But you're right about the Kos, when I read this article this morning I remembered the details pretty clearly from a report several months ago.
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4th he has supposedly been in contact with both Sudan and Egypt about recognizing him as a sovereign state and what he would need to do for them.
Point in fact, it's right here in the article linked from the Kos article that he's done so (they linked it noting only "he lives in Virginia") - incidentally, the same article you linked, Kirth.
He got permission to go there first (which is the point at which he laid his claim) from Egypt.
This research led Heaton to seek permission from Egyptian authorities to travel to the remote, unpopulated plot of sand, explaining his cause. At first, even he was skeptical of his own plan.
“I was fearful of going into a toxic environment,” Heaton said.
Once he got permission, the former emergency services director for a local county headed to Egypt and spent a few days there before arriving at Bir Tawil. His perspective of the region quickly changed as he traveled.
“I cannot stress how kind and generous the Egyptian people are,” Heaton said.
The next step in Heaton’s plan is to establish positive relationships with Sudan and Egypt by way of converting his “kingdom” into an agricultural production center as his children, especially Emily, wanted.
(Bold mine, of course.)
I mean, the guy is attempting something amazing.
It's not a good idea - he may not see the environment as toxic right now, but that's because none of the non-legal groups or organizations have specifically pushed back against his claims or attempts. The further this goes on, the more likely something is to go wrong, and to do so spectacularly (in a bad way).
But it's certainly an interesting attempt.
