As the year 2007 began, Independent Long Island (ILI) didn't even exist. ILI was born on 20 August 2007. The first Independent Long Islander besides myself, the first Ilier, a thirty-something male of the County of Kings I'm very proud of, officially registered himself on 22 September 2007.
A significant amount of people found out about Independent Long Island only on 13 September 2007, when The New York Times published a feature about it. To this day, Washington and other capitals around the world even pretend we don't exist, because they surely do not acknowledge us.
But let us face the facts Iliers: we are the meek, the one's who shall inherit the Earth itself, so what can these big shots in Washington and elsewhere do for us, or against us really?
We started a country with a dream, and little more than a .ILI top-level domain (TLD). When technical news people on the Internet first reported the existence of the new TLD to the whole world, they didn't even know whether the story was true or not. Now they know that the Cesidian Root is a real technical marvel, however, made up more of brilliant people, than of multi-million dollar budgets like ICANN.
Later Independent Long Island succeeded in attracting the kudos and acceptance of older and prominent Fourth Worlders (neoindigenous folks) such as Thomas Naylor, Kirkpatrick Sale, and John Papworth. Thomas Naylor even wrote an affectionate letter to me, and ended it with this blessing: "Long live Independent Long Island!"
Later still, ILI began to behave a little like the ‘Big Boys', declared war against Myanmar, and then ‘invaded' its Internet when it started the ISO compatible .BU (Burma) TLD for the first time in history. The Burmese around the world still love us to pieces to this very day, and we continue to maintain their .BU TLD, thanks in part also to the good work of our friends at the Dominion of British West Florida.
Recently, we even assisted the Principality of the Pontinha in its actual secession from Portugal. The Principality of the Pontinha is fighting for the recognition of a Regal Letter (the original is kept in the Tower of London) signed by King D. Carlos I of Portugal, which stated that the territory of the said Principality of the Pontinha, the rock where the Fort of Saint José is located just off the shore of the island of Madeira, shall be sovereign. The good man Prince Renato also loves us to pieces!
But fellow Iliers, I've worked so hard this year that I could barely write down all that we have done, and I had to end the year with a big bang.
On 29 December 2007, Independent Long Island became a member of the United Commonwealth Society (formerly known as the Federal Commonwealth Society)! Not only the criminal government of Myanmar can still not respond to our DNS canon fire, but they could never join the society I've just mentioned. They are simply not worthy!
On 31 December 2007, the Imperial News Service reported, "Negotiations between the Micronational Governments of Independent Long Island, and the Imperium of DeWaCo Estates have concluded; which established official assignment of a "Non-Staffed"
Not only has Independent Long Island ended the year as a member nation of a great society of nations, but the Imperium of DeWaCo Estates has also allocated for ILI a one acre "Non-Staffed"
Fellow Iliers, with all of this I'm not saying that we are the lions. Lions shall always be lions, as boys shall always be boys! We are just the lambs, not the lions, but we are not lambs without dignity! For the words of the prophet Isaiah are already turning into reality, right here in Independent Long Island: "The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat; the calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf together; and a little child will lead them." (Isaiah 11:6, World English Bible). Yes, the lions will sit with the lambs, and a little child (innocence) will lead them! This is happening right before your very eyes, fellow Iliers.
May the year 2008 be for all of you a happy, and prosperous new year.
