Talk:Wikinews interviews Kevin Baugh, president of the Republic of Molossia

Here is a complete email transcript of the interview:

Joseph Ford to president show details 11:25 PM (15 hours ago) Reply

President Baugh,

I frequently visit your nation's website and find Molossia very interesting. I usually write articles for Wikinews on the U.S. presidential election (I've interviewed several Libertarians as well as a Constitution Party and Green Party candidate) and was wondering if I could get an email interview with you on your country. If you could reply with a "yes" or "no" within 24 hours, that would be great.

Thanks for your time, Joe Ford (Also known as WNewsReporter on Wikinews)

Reply Forward

PresidentJoe, Greetings. In reply to your message, yes, I would be quite happy to do a... 11:54 PM (15 hours ago)

PresidentLoading...11:54 PM (14 hours ago)

President to me show details 11:54 PM (15 hours ago) Reply

Joe, Greetings.

In reply to your message, yes, I would be quite happy to do an interview with you for Wikinews. Feel free to send on the questions and I will answer them to the best of my ability.

Thank you for the invitation!

Warmest regards, His Excellency President Kevin Baugh Republic of Molossia - Show quoted text -

Original Message -----

From: Joseph Ford To: president@molossia.org Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 8:25 PM Subject: Wikinews Interview

President Baugh,

I frequently visit your nation's website and find Molossia very interesting. I usually write articles for Wikinews on the U.S. presidential election (I've interviewed several Libertarians as well as a Constitution Party and Green Party candidate) and was wondering if I could get an email interview with you on your country. If you could reply with a "yes" or "no" within 24 hours, that would be great.

Thanks for your time, Joe Ford (Also known as WNewsReporter on Wikinews)

Reply Forward

Joseph FordHere are the questions: Q: Tell us about your country. Why was it started? Ho... 10:47 AM (4 hours ago)

Joseph FordLoading...10:47 AM (3 hours ago)

Joseph Ford to President show details 10:47 AM (4 hours ago) Reply

Here are the questions:

Q: Tell us about your country. Why was it started? How long has it been in existence? Do you have a flag, national anthem or currency? Can anybody become a citizen?

Q: Today, there are hundreds of micronations that are little more than online chat groups. Is Molossia a serious micronation?

Q: Molossia is surrounded by the United States. Do you consider yourself a Molossian or an American? Do you pay U.S. taxes?

Q: Can people visit Molossia? Is tourism a vital part of your nation's economy?

Q: Legally, can Molossia be considered an independent nation?

Thanks again for your time, President Baugh.

- Show quoted text - On Thu, Mar 6, 2008 at 11:54 PM, President <molossia@molossia.org> wrote:

Joe, Greetings.

In reply to your message, yes, I would be quite happy to do an interview with you for Wikinews. Feel free to send on the questions and I will answer them to the best of my ability.

Thank you for the invitation!

Warmest regards, His Excellency President Kevin Baugh Republic of Molossia

Original Message -----

From: Joseph Ford To: president@molossia.org Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 8:25 PM Subject: Wikinews Interview

President Baugh,

I frequently visit your nation's website and find Molossia very interesting. I usually write articles for Wikinews on the U.S. presidential election (I've interviewed several Libertarians as well as a Constitution Party and Green Party candidate) and was wondering if I could get an email interview with you on your country. If you could reply with a "yes" or "no" within 24 hours, that would be great.

Thanks for your time, Joe Ford (Also known as WNewsReporter on Wikinews)

Reply Forward

molossia@molossia.org to me show details 11:55 AM (3 hours ago) Reply

Joe, here are the answers:

Q: Tell us about your country. Why was it started? How long has it been in

existence? Do you have a flag, national anthem or currency? Can

anybody become a citizen?*

A: Molossia is a micronation, a self-declared and largely unrecognized country, one of dozens throughout the world. Molossia is unique among micronations in that we possess actual land, real terra firma upon which we stake our national claim. Most micronations only exist on the internet and don't have land. We are quite proud of our little country, and display all the trappings of a full-fledged nation, including our flag, boundary markers, signs, a couple of small tourist attractions and so forth, as well as our own money, stamps, national anthem, navy and even a space program. Molossia was founded in 1977 as the Grand Republic of Vuldstein. The name has changed since then, but the idea is the same - to have our own small country. We were intrigued and inspired by the movie "The Mouse That Roared", about a tiny country in Europe that declares war against the United States and wins by accident. The humor of that situation was not lost on us, and it spawned the idea that we, too, could have our own tiny nation. Once we obtained land 10 years ago, the idea became more real, that we were now standing in a foreign country, deep inside the United States. Since then, the Molossian experience has only grown stronger and more rewarding and we look forward to a long and interesting future for our little nation.

And to answer the last part, no, not everyone can become a citizen. You have to be a physical resident of Molossia to be a citizen, and we are closed to new immigrants at this time - we just don't have the room!

Q: Today, there are hundreds of micronations that are little more than

online chat groups. Is Molossia a serious micronation?*

A: I would say yes, we are serious. That is to say, serious within limits. Molossia is not a secessionist project. We are not taking up arms to declare independence nor starting an insurrection. However, beyond that, we are quite serious about our country. Our goal is to exercise complete sovereignty over our country without annoying the United States Government too much, and to have a good time doing it.

Q: Molossia is surrounded by the United States. Do you consider yourself a

Molossian or an American? Do you pay U.S. taxes?*

A: I consider myself a dual citizen, both Molossian and American. Molossia is so small that we rely heavily on the US for support, goods, etc., so maintaining US citizenship is certainly desirable. In addition, it's often very difficult to explain that we have our own country out in the Nevada desert, so it's easier just to play both parts, American and Molossian. And yes, we do contribute to the coffers of the US Treasury annually, however, we call it "foreign aid". They need it, honestly.

Q: Can people visit Molossia? Is tourism a vital part of your

nation's economy?*

A: Yes, we welcome visitors to our country, although tourism is not a major source of income. In fact, we had 10 tourists visit last year. There are a few sights to see, but a visit usually only lasts about an hour. I escort all visitors around our nation and show them the sights, tell them about Molossia and even serve them cookie dough, our national treat. It's important, though, that visitors do not arrive uninvited. Please contact me first via e-mail and we will agree on a date and time.

Q: Legally, can Molossia be considered an independent nation?*

A: Honestly, no. It takes a great deal of effort, time, money and especially legal wrangling to become fully independent, and we are nowhere near that point yet. No, we exist in a limbo state, at the good will of the US, and we are fine with that right now. After all, becoming independent can such a messy affair, and that would conflict with our relaxed lifestyle. We are happy to be the "country just down the road, on the left"!

I hope this answers all your questions. Please let me know if you need any clarification or if I missed something.

Warmest regards, His Excellency President Kevin Baugh, Republic of Molossia

Well done

Latest comment: 16 years ago3 comments2 people in discussion

I had a great time reading this. --Steven Fruitsmaak (Reply) 02:34, 8 March 2008 (UTC)Reply

It was a fun read and a cute idea for an article, though I don't like the phrasing "one of the most well-known micronations", since I don't think that's anywhere near true. I mean, he may be in the top 50%, but he's certainly not one of the top five or ten that come to mind - and his quote about most "micronations only exist on the internet" is spurious at best and misleading to readers - see w:Micronation#History_during_1960_to_1980 for more commonly-known examples and definitions. Sherurcij 16:33, 8 March 2008 (UTC)Reply

Agreed. --Steven Fruitsmaak (Reply) 22:46, 8 March 2008 (UTC)Reply

Well done

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