Senator Christoforo Colombo: (Unaffiliated)(for now, look at end)
*Christoforo, the only begotten son of the Great, or Heretic, Domenico Colombo, rises.
Much has changed over the 50-odd years since Domenico came to the Senate. Christoforo was younger then, foolish, naive, and.. heretical. But no one need know of that here. He had always thought it funny that his father, a conservative to the bone by his death, was accused, but he himself had gotten away with much more than an offhand comment on a fellow Senator.
But those days were over. Christoforo's Socotran wife had died in childbirth, and Christoforo swore that he would never find love again. To escape depression, Domenico sought to bury his feelings overseas. He spent years on the expeditions to India and Somalia, yet never found what he was looking for. Sure, there were jewels and spices in Sri Lanka, but the people knew nothing of the true word of God, and knew of no practitioners currently active. Christoforo began to lose hope, as anger slowly built inside of him.
20 Years ago, he snapped. He returned to his quarters in Socotra and Alexandria and burned everything in his libraries. The ancient classics, written by heathens. The heretical tomes of Nestor, the false prophet. The maps and reports of a christianized east, and all artifacts relevant to these things. The only things spared were religious writings by true Christians. For the past twenty years, Christoforo has been an ascetic, focused on the veneration of St. Markos, and the preservation of religious purity in Imperial Policy. Ancient, but still limber from years at sea, Christoforo rises.*
All of you are fools. There is naught but heresy and heathens beyond the known world, and more expeditions will do nothing but confirm that. And add yet more debt to the Imperial Treasury. The Imperium faces threats within and without, we do not need other potential threats to know of our existence. Would the Xenoi have known to come East if the blasted Odin-Worshipers had not poked the sleeping giant 500 years ago?
{No to more expeditions}
Our finances are strained by the interest we are bound to repay to the Pisan, Jewish bankers. They are loathsome creatures, and if we do not regain control over our economy, we are doomed. I am aware that times have changed, and we can no longer just kick them out of the Imperium, but that only means that we have no choice but to reform our economy. Without proper funding, all will suffer, and most severely the Holy Church.
{Supports Economic Ideas}
On the subject of the military, I am ASTOUNDED AND OUTRAGED that ANY senator would support COPYING FROM THE XENOI. The Xenoi are agents of the devil, therefore all things they create are the devil's work. Do we copy Satan? Do we take holidays from the German Pagans are make them our own? NO. The Imperium must be kept clean of heathen creations at all costs, regardless of how effective they are at killing God's true faithful.
{Against switching focus from admin to military}
The Ceylonese are heathens, and will not bend the knee to a Christian power in peace. If we do force them to be our vassals, they must accept Christ into their hearts as well.
{Conditionally supports vassalizing Ceylon}
A new provincial taxation system is in great need. Many of our churches have fallen into disrepair, if we were to raise the taxes on the wealthy, we could certainly help preserve these important places.
May God help you all...
*Christoforo Colombo has joined the WHITE Demes.*
*Sits back down*
{WILDCARD, BITCHES!}
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