Yurtyzstan has suffered a fair amount of criticism in the past for
our construction of yurts. It has been called “silly”, derided as an activity
not reflective of seriousness or adequate cultural development. I certainly do
not hold any grudges against our critics in this area; I merely hope to show
that yurt-building is in fact a deeply cultural affair.
I need not remind former members of the Organisation of Active
Micronations that Yurtyzstan has had a thoroughly immature past. (I believe it
perhaps a bit pretentious, as well as premature, to say that Yurtyzstan has now
reached a zenith of sophistication -- but certainly I hope it can be said that
we have made much cultural progress over the past year.) Without any sort of
true cultural cohesion other than clumsy North Korean simulationism, we had
only physical activities to hold the nation together. Being situated in a
forest, the next natural step was to utilise the materials available to create
standing structures.
However, as our culture has gained a much higher level of
thoughtfulness, the yurt remains ubiquitous and much-loved by the Yurtyzstani
people. We have not, to any extent, retained the mask-wearing, war-mongering
immaturity of the better part of 2011; therefore, I believe this demonstrates that
the yurt has become an integral part of our national identity. In combination
with some other elements, it provides us with originality. It serves as a
central tenet of Yurtyzstani nationalism; among all model states, few (if any)
demonstrate this level of physical development in conjunction with cultural maturity.
The construction of yurts is also highly useful in the recruitment
of new citizens. Not all of our citizens have the ability, or the desire, to
contribute to Yurtyzstan’s intellectual life; thus, the building of yurts
allows us to reach out to potential citizens who are more inclined to be drawn
by our extensive physical development. As a result of our Construction and
Infrastructure Initiative this winter, Yurtyzstan has grown from six citizens to
nearly thirty.
As I have already pointed out, yurt-building is key to Yurtyzstani
nationalism. I believe that many nations lack a certain depth of unity by
existing primarily or entirely online. Yurtyzstan has not just a defined
physical territory but distinct settlements within that territory; Yurtyzstani
citizens can walk into one at any time and recognise it as their nation,
constructed by them personally. Online nations invite the participation of
foreign powers with agendas and without truthful intent. With such an important
part of our national identity based offline, we prevent this imperialist
encroachment.
I admit that there have definitely been flaws in our national
conduct in the past, and that the construction of yurts may have contributed to
an image of immaturity. Certainly it is my hope to direct the primary attention
of the Yurtyzstani people towards further cultivating our culture rather than
towards construction; our international news outlets will reflect this. The
yurts, however, are here to stay.
Yurt Kyong-yon
