Quote: 

Statement from the Osiris Fraternal Order
on the Pursuit of National Sovereignty



National Sovereignty is, at its core, about the sovereign right of nations to govern themselves. The General Assembly should only legislate on matters that are truly international in scope, and in such a way that allows as much freedom in governing to World Assembly nations as is practical. This focus on not only the right, but the ability, of nations to govern themselves better than an international bureaucracy can is the foundation of the modern National Sovereigntist movement. Modern National Sovereigntists are not focused on destroying the World Assembly, but rather on limiting the General Assembly to truly international law and improving the quality of legislation one resolution at a time, for the benefit of sovereign nations.

In recent years the distinction between National Sovereignty and International Federalism, once so clear in the minds of General Assembly authors, has become blurred. This, along with the collapse or reduced activity of important National Sovereigntist regions -- which has been accompanied by the collapse of exclusively International Federalist regions as well -- has led some to suggest that the National Sovereigntist movement is dead. The truth is that the movement for National Sovereignty is never dead as long as there are those in the world who believe that national governance is preferable to international bureaucracy. National Sovereignty is alive and well, not so much concentrated in particular regions but in a worldwide movement that can now be found in many regions.

The first duty of any government is to its own people and for this reason the Osiris Fraternal Order is committed to the protection and advancement of National Sovereignty. As we have insisted upon the sovereign right of our own region to determine her own destiny and to pursue her own interests, so we insist upon that same right for the nations of Osiris. This commitment to National Sovereignty will not be placed to the side or on the back burner, as has been the case in many regions oriented toward gameplay, but rather will be integrated into our broader external policy. Long a priority of individual Osirans in their World Assembly voting, National Sovereignty will be a priority of the Osiris Fraternal Order and we will seek to leave a lasting mark on the General Assembly in favor of the sovereignty of nations.

This pursuit of National Sovereignty begins in earnest today with the publication of the following document, The Modern NatSov: Freedom to Govern. Authored by our Vizier and Scribe of Foreign Affairs, Treize Dreizehn, as well as Delegate Mousebumples of Europeia, this document explains the philosophy and aims of the modern National Sovereigntist movement. We are very pleased to present this document to the world with the signature of our Pharaoh, as well as the signatures of the Queen of Balder, our great ally and twin sister Sinker, and the Delegate of Monkey Island and the Founder of Antarctic Oasis, partner regions that have made historic contributions to the World Assembly.

We hope that this document and our renewed focus on National Sovereignty will encourage other regions to make the sovereignty of the nations residing within their borders a central priority of their external affairs. Any region that does so will find, in the Osiris Fraternal Order, a partner in the reinvigorated pursuit of National Sovereignty.


Pharaoh of the Osiris Fraternal Order

Vizier and Scribe of Horus for the Osiris Fraternal Order

Click below.
The Modern NatSov: Freedom to GovernThe Modern NatSov: Freedom to Govern

Introduction:

So you wanna be a NatSov? Well first you have to ask yourself what that is. National Sovereignty is the belief that Nations are better suited than the World Assembly at legislating on most matters. You'll note that I said most, not all, and we'll get into that soon. But first, let's talk about the link between the real world and the game world.

Sovereignty is a term full of meaning. At its core, it means the sole and absolute power over a nation. This does not necessarily indicate a dictatorship mind you, a democracy or republic can have sovereignty over a nation as well. But the decisions that the democracy or republic makes are to be considered absolute and unquestionable.

That's the base of sovereignty as a concept, but of course goes much further than that - especially as the term has changed throughout history. At first it generally meant a truly sovereign monarch, beholden to no laws or other persons (this was the model used in Thomas Hobbes' "Leviathan") but with this idea came some of the earliest concepts associated with the social contract. Rousseau's later works on the subject began to shape the idea of a collective sovereignty (the social contract), which is much closer to how it is considered today.

In the real world, today, accepting the concept of the sovereignty of nations has helped result in one of the longest eras of peace in human history (despite the fact that we've had many wars in the last century, the world is more peaceful today than in almost any other period of human history). Sovereignty is so ingrained in our thinking that we find it hard to think of a border as some arbitrary distinction anymore. A nation is considered sovereign today in ways that centuries ago would've been just as hard to conceive of.

We have to remember that the game of Nationstates is a nation simulator. Under most modern concepts of the word, each nation possesses sovereignty. You can see that when you answer issues. You alone are responsible for your national history. RP's can only be entered into voluntarily. You can name your national religions, currency, national animal, and leaders. You have sole and absolute power over your nation, as long as you do not join the World Assembly.

Legislation:

It's clear that by joining the World Assembly that we give up *absolute* sovereignty. That does not, necessarily indicate a willingness to give up *all* sovereignty. That is the root of what I consider the Modern NatSov movement.

NatSov is the genuine belief that the sovereignty of nations should be preserved whenever possible, even when those nations are a part of the World Assembly. This is, strangely enough achieved through legislation. All repeals inherently increase national sovereignty by allowing nations more freedom to legislate on particular topics themselves, however, some repeals help explain the issue better than others. I think one of the best examples of a well meaning proposal that caused significant harm was the Habeas Corpus Act.

The HCA was a resolution proposed back in 2012. It mandated that except in a few circumstances, no one could be detained for longer than 6 hours every week without first being charged with a crime. This resolution did not provide any exceptions for the following: Child Protective Services (so children could only be removed from abusive homes for 6 hours a week), "drunk tanks", or detaining immigrants to ascertain the veracity of their documents and claims (such as asylum claims). An excellent repeal was written that pointed out these flaws and more, and the resolution was stricken from the record.

The replacement of the HCA was written by an author who probably wouldn't classify himself as being a NatSov. But it still does the job it needs to do magnificently. It allows nations to detain persons in reasonable situations, and still blocks abuse of the system. That law still exists today because it toes the line between respecting sovereignty and dealing with an issue that isn't necessarily of international importance. It is not a purely NatSov solution, but it is a significant improvement and one I support.

So now that you have a handle on what a Natsov is, let's get into a little bit of the whys.

Why join the WA at all?

A fair question. If you respect the national sovereignty of your own nation, it would seem to follow that you'd be unlikely to join the WA at all. But that methodology of thinking would fail to take into account the ideals of National Sovereignty. That is, the belief that the increase of national sovereignty worldwide is a net good. There is no way to combat the effects of WA legislation without actually joining the World Assembly itself. So yes, we join the world assembly to advance our viewpoints and to increase sovereignty for all.

Why shouldn't I support a resolution that increases human rights? Or one that stops human rights abuses?

You SHOULD support resolutions on the issues that are important to you. I know this is strange, and a little counter intuitive from what most people think of as a NatSov standpoint, but it isn't. The WA is capable of doing great harm if legislation is clumsily and recklessly passed, but new resolutions that respect the National Sovereigntist standpoint are inherently better than their alternative. Are we more likely to support a repeal than not? Sure. But I guarantee you'll have some difficulty finding a significant amount of NatSovs who'd support the repeal of a law banning slavery, well crafted laws on genocide, most children's issues, or any other number of issues that are of "international importance".

That's another factor to consider as well. The World Assembly is, for lack of a better process, a way to enforce international treaties on a wide scale. As long as most of the enforcement and definitions are left up to the nations in question (while avoiding creating severe loopholes), an international issue can be dealt with by the WA in a way that doesn't necessarily wreck the sovereignty of its member nations. That is the ideal resolution we work towards.

Why is freedom important for nations?

Because the nation is YOU. In Nationstates you control your nations! If the WA takes power away from you, it has limited the options you have on personal legislation. It is taking freedoms from you as the leader of that nation. The Modern NatSov is about making sure that as little power leaves your hands as possible, while not ignoring substantive issues that may shock the conscience.

Why do gameplayers tend to be NatSov?

A lot of gameplayers don't care much about the World Assembly (and especially not the General Assembly). But I think GPers becoming NatSovs is definitely a trend and one that I welcome. While there are a certain amount of defenders that are active in the GA and aren't NatSov, the vast majority of Gameplayers who do get involved in the GA tend towards the NatSov ideology.

Simply put, a GA ideology about national freedoms rather than worldwide and collective legislation is something of a natural fit for most gameplayers who get involved in the GA.

Why aren't you anti-everything like I thought?

Well. That's an older version of National Sovereignty that doesn't really exist anymore on any significant scale. The modern NatSov does not hate the WA. You'll hear that argument from our opponents on occasion but it's a smokescreen. It's a caricature that may've once been close to accurate, but doesn't tell the whole story. The two authors of this ducment have almost 40 resolutions between them (that's about 15% of all active GA resolutions). So no, we're not about destroying the WA, we're about improving it. We want the institution to do good, just as much as anybody. We just insist it be smarter about doing so.

Conclusion:

So you still wanna be a NatSov? That's good. We are an open ideology, where the only rules are to be smart about legislation, don't be a dick, and engage with our opposition until it's no longer reasonable to do so. If you have an idea for a resolution there is almost certainly a way to go about it that respects the sovereignty of almost twenty thousand nations in the WA and remains within the 3500 character limit. Trust us on that.

Thanks for reading!

Here's a couple of guides to help you get started on passing NatSov Legislation, namely Repeals and Blockers:
Why repeal?
Improving the world, one blocker at a time

And a few more on the concepts of NatSov:
Will the real 'IntFed' please stand up?
FAQs from HotRodia from the UN Days

Authors:
Foreign Affairs Minister and Vice Delegate of Osiris: The Dourian Embassy.
Delegate of Europeia: Mousebumples.

Supporters:
Delegate of Osiris: Cormac A Stark.
Delegate of Balder: Solorni.
Delegate of Monkey Island: Ainocra.
Founder of Antarctic Oasis: Omigodtheykilledkenny.[/quote]

OK, so long story short: the UN used to have a very good Reference Guide back during the Dark Ages--er, "Jolt era"--written by HotRodia and including a lot of very detailed info about WA roleplaying, compliance, sovereigntism and the forum in general. It has since become vastly outdated. Ard posted the old guide on the new forums, but it got little rave reviews, mostly because it has not been updated in quite some time, and for some odd reason has not been reformatted so that it reads correctly on the new forums. (It's stickied there if you want to review it.)

So Ard commissioned a new guide. Five years later, it still hasn't been done. So I was figuring, since the summer doldrums have hit me hard, I could ask around for some input and help writing a new NS WA Forum Reference Guide. I've come to you guys first, since you appear to have a lot of regulars still active -- who are still involved with debating/drafting/legislating, etc.


What I was thinking of doing is, a WA Forum Advice Column! Anonymous readers write in with problems they've been having on the forums, and I dispense helpful advice to make their lives easier.

So the way this is gonna work is, I get a bunch of players to think up questions for my columnist, containing short summations of a problem newbs often have when first starting out, and I endeavor to help them. That's where you guys come in: toss out some brief letter excerpts (formatted the way they commonly appear in Dear Abby or Ann Landers, etc.: "Dear Miss WA: I'm having a serious problem getting support for my proposal. I can't seem to convince people that slaughtering the homeless to appease [violet] is a good idea for a WA resolution. How do I brainwash them into agreeing with me? Signed, Helpless in Hermitstan") You can include some tips to what you think the response should include. I'll write up the responses, and once I have enough, I'll post the column to get general feedback.

So, if you think you have some good questions to ask my advice columnist, post them here and I'll try my best to come with good replies. (I reserve the right to edit your submissions for content, space, and general humor.)


As to what to name our columnist, failing to come up with anything better, I've decided simply to call her "Miss World Assembly," a hot former beauty pageant title-holder who just happens to be an expert on WA diplomacy and legislation. If you have a more clever idea for an advice-guru persona, I'm all ears.


Yours in helping newbs be less newbish,

~Kenny

Contemplations on Nazi Europe
by r3naissanc3r, Foreign Correspondent
On July 14th, the North Pacific Army and the United Imperial Armed Forces refounded the region of Nazi Europe (NE), successfully concluding an occupation that had been ongoing for six weeks. The operation involved a coalition of militaries from Osiris, Balder, Equilism, Europeia, The East Pacific, Lone Wolves United, The Black Hawks, The Red Fleet, Unknown, The Kingdom of Great Britain, Sicarius, Mazeria, The MT Army, Kantrias and North Korea; and was one of the largest in recent gameplay history, with an endorsement count exceeding 80 at its peak. As the seemingly last in a series of high-profile interregional incidents involving NE, the refounding provides an opportunity to look back at the events that lead to this conclusion.

In February 2013, representatives from game-created regions participated in a summit organized by the New Pacific Order, with the purpose of coordinating their efforts against Nazism in NationStates. The summit produced and successfully passed a Security Council liberation proposal targeting the notorious, but also founderless and password-protected, region of NE, with the explicit intent of opening it up for invasion. Several attacks against NE took place afterwards, though none of them were successful. The SC eventually repealed the NE liberation in February 2014, and the region was passworded once more. However, the reuse of an older password by the NE delegate meant that invasion was feasible once more, leading to the eventual refounding.

Both the NE liberation and offensive military action against NE, as well as Nazi regions in general, have been the subject of considerable controversy. Those opposing anti-Nazi aggression have argued that it has the opposite of the intended effect, in a twofold manner: First, rather than demoralize those espousing Nazi beliefs, counterintuitively it increases their resolve and their dedication towards spreading their ideology. Second, it unnecessarily draws attention to Nazi regions, offering them a convenient means for recruitment - essentially an "any PR is good PR" argument.[1]

To support these arguments, commentators have offered data showing an increase in the total population of a number of Nazi regions starting in February 2013 and persisting until 2014. The coincidence of the beginning of this rise with the passage of the NE liberation is evidence, they argue, that the liberation and subsequent attacks made Nazi players more determined to grow their regions and benefitted their recruitment efforts. This, however, is a very weak causal link. The rise of these regions? populations can be easily attributed to another development: the release, in February 2013, of the Telegram API and legalisation of telegramming scripts for recruitment. Indeed, this author has received automated recruitment telegrams from many of these Nazi regions as soon as March 2013 - and notably none of those telegrams made reference or even alluded to either the NE liberation or any of the other SC resolutions condemning Nazi regions. The positive effects such scripts had on the population of small- and mid-size regions, especially before the introduction of stamps in August 2013, is well-documented. The fact that the population data can be trivially explained by the introduction of recruitment scripts means that this data has very little, if any, persuasive force for the commentators? arguments.

A data point more relevant for evaluating the effects of anti-Nazi aggression would be the following: For the 12 months the liberation of NE was in effect, the region was protected by a strong garrison of more than 20 WA units. With perhaps the majority of their troops stuck inside NE for a whole year, the offensive operational capability of Nazi regions was crippled. In turn, this resulted in a reduction of destructive Nazi attacks against regions, with most of their operations limited to tag raids of few units. Unsurprisingly, the repeal of the liberation also saw the return of large-scale Nazi deployments, for instance in Liberal Haven in March 2014. A similar effect was observed in June 2014, when a coalition of Nazi regions abandoned their occupation of Hell to protect NE. What these two cases highlight is that the creation of credible threats through anti-Nazi aggression is tremendously effective in halting the forceful expansion of the Nazi ideology in other regions.

The publicity Nazi regions get from aggression against them should likewise be evaluated with respect to the objective of halting the spread of the Nazi ideology in NationStates. It has been documented, in the past and also in this article, that Nazi regions systematically attempt to recruit new nations, and through that process expose new players to their hateful message. Consider, then, a naive new player who is a considering a recruitment offer from a Nazi region; the presence of WA documents condemning it and the conspicuous mobilization of some of the most important regions in the game against it both serve as educational resources informing the player not to accept the offer. They also serve as strong warnings for regions considering associating themselves with Nazi regions. In their absence, and in an era where everyone can easily reach every new nation, or even every nation, in the game, Nazi regions would be completely unimpeded to expand their recruitment efforts, with the rest of the world watching in apathy. It is important to caution against turning these actions of anti-Nazi aggression into celebrations of notoriety, which indeed can be exploited for recruitment purposes. However, systematic and carefully crafted messages opposing Nazism, broadcasted to the NS world by its major regions, can only help to defeat the spread of this ideology in NationStates.

The coordinated action by gameplay regions against Nazi regions has been dubbed by commentators the "War on Nazis". In many ways this is an inaccurate designation: It is not a war in the usual diplomatic sense used in NS Gameplay. It is certainly not analogous to the real War against Nazism, and to liken our inconsequential gameplay to that War is an offensive trivialization. What it actually is is a cause: against the celebration of a horrendous ideology, against the proliferation of this ideology within the NS community, and against the exploitation of this community to proselytize people to this ideology. What the efforts against Nazi Europe have shown is that anti-Nazi aggression from gameplay regions can be of immense utility to this cause. For this reason, The North Pacific is elated to have led and successfully concluded these efforts, and remains committed to the cause against Nazism in NationStates.

[1]Another source of opposition is from players, primarily defender-leaning, who oppose all kinds of invading activity - but this line of reasoning is unrelated to this article and will not be discussed here.
A Chat with Moderators Mall and Mousebumples
by Treize_Dreizehn, WA Correspondent
Recently, we sat down with recently appointed NationStates moderators Mall and Mousebumples, to talk about their experience as moderators and their thoughts on the various happenings in the World Assembly.

Treize_Dreizehn (TD): Hey everybody, this is Treize Dreizehn for the Northern Lights. I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine, NationStates moderator Mousebumples. Mall, also a NationStates moderator, will be joining us shortly.

I think we're all busy folks so we'll dive right into the questions. What was the process that lead to your becoming a moderator?

Mousebumples (Mouse): In the spring, there was some talk on the NS forums that more GA mods might be helpful - in part because of absences that some GA mods had coming up for the summer, in part because of the inactivity of a previous mod who tended to cover the GA (Flib), and in part because of the need for new voices after the GA#2 repeal controversy.

The mods/admins put out a call - specifically looking for players to suggest GA mods - and both Mall and I were nominated. I'm sure others were nominated too, but when the final decision was made, Mall and I were both invited to join the mod team.

TD: So. After becoming moderators, you encountered some... resentment towards your selection, can you go into a little detail about that?

Mouse: Moderating the site/GA isn't necessarily an easy position as you can't be everyone's friend all the time. There will always inevitably be players that disagree with rulings and decisions that are made, so I don't know that any of the discord that we've experienced has been overly unexpected, I don't think.

TD: Though, it appears intense, from an outside observer's perspective. Is it different from yours?

Mouse: It's all relative. As I've been playing NS for almost 11 years, I saw plenty of disagreements and challenges to moderator rulings of all sorts prior to being modded. It's unreasonable to expect players to always calmly accept all rulings that don't go their way, I think.

TD: Which ruling or rulings of yours have brought the most controversy?

Mouse: I'd probably defer to the general public that's more impacted by such rulings. GA rulings are made collaboratively, so we don't really have any mod controversy about the rulings that we've made since being modded and that's more my frame of reference now.

** At this point Mall joined our chat, claiming to still be hungover after celebrating a raucous minor update.

Mall: Wooooo.

TD: Haha! Just in time man, we're going to shift gears a bit to GA proposals.

What has been your favorite proposal to make it to vote so far? Not counting ones you authored.

Mall: Hmmmm that's tough. I'd have to say that the Clean Prostitute Act will always hold a special place in my heart because of how bafflingly simple it was and how easily it was passed.

Mouse: I'll vote for one of yours - Repeal "Dignified End of Life Choices" because that was one I wanted to see repealed for awhile. I don't love the replacement, but ... that's a project for a later date.

TD: And what's your favorites proposals to make it to vote since you became mods?

Mall: Eh since modship I don't have any favorites. Nothing has really jumped out at me as being particularly outrageous or inspiring competition.

Mouse: Since modship, I'll vote for Sanctaria's "Child Welfare in Adoption" - Adoption is a topic that I've wanted to see added to the annals of WA law for awhile, but I never felt strong enough in that area to want to cover it myself. So, I'm glad to Sanctaria do so - and to avoid doing so in a micromanagey way, too!

TD: Haha. That actually brings me to a common topic for all of us. In a recent TRT article, Gruenberg opined that that "Natsov is dead". Do you agree with that sentiment?

Mall: As long as there are nations there will be a NatSov movement. From an IC perspective obviously I disagree, from an OOC perspective I'd say that it's an incredibly bold claim that I don't think is backed by any hard evidence.

Mouse: I agree that that's Gruenberg's opinion. I don't agree with the statement since I have plenty of players that oppose intensive WA intervention into member states.

So long as the GA exists, NatSov will always be chipped away at with new legislation; however, I think that there are still plenty of players that are opposed to excessive GA intervention and are not afraid to vote down legislation that they feel is overly invasive on those grounds.

TD: Does it seem that there is more of a trend of repeals recently?

Mouse: it goes in cycles

Mall: I'd agree. We're not at where we were a few weeks or months ago when we were passing six repeals in a row.

Mouse: I don't know that there are currently any repeals at quorum, but, there obviously have been a bunch recently. I think some voters (and authors) get tired of drafting and submitting repeals endlessly - some being the keyword, as I know you like to repeal lots of things ... Although even you have submitted New Legislation now.

TD: Shocking I know.

Last question then I'll let you guys get back to work. If you had a chance right now to repeal a resolution and be sure it'd pass, which one would you choose, and why?

Mouse: I'd love to repeal all the WA legislation and start over - in part because it's getting difficult to legislate on a lot of things because of all the legislation that's already been passed. But ... one thing to repeal, hrm.

Mall: Personally I'd like to take out NAPA just so that Flib would be woken from his slumber and whack us with his longstanding threat to pass a replacement.

TD: Haha. Mouse, I'm holding you to a specific answer here.

Mouse: Convention on Execution. Because if the GA is going to have a resolution on the death penalty it should be more NatSov'y than that resolution is.

TD: Fair enough!

It was great talking to you two, and good luck with the unwashed masses of diplomats and bureaucrats.

Mall: It has been our pleasure I'm sure

Mouse: What Mall said. Thanks for the interview.

** Post interview, we decided to do a small chat with Mall on his recent "Liberate Haven" proposal.

TD: Thanks for sticking around. Can you walk us through the events of the Liberate Haven proposal?

Mall: Sure! I knew that I was going to attempt to utilize the SC in that manner for awhile, the question was which region to target. I was torn between The Proletariat Coalition and Haven. Both regions had ties to past events which might make them open to criticism, and I basically flipped a coin and it came up Haven.

TD: And which manner is that?

Mall: An outright attempt to open up a region for invasion. Traditionally of course the SC has been used to open up regions so that defenders can save it. After that I threw the draft together, posted it, and managed the thread as best I could for the dozens of pages it went on.

TD: It didn't go quite as you expected though?

Mall: Nothing in gameplay really ever goes according to plan, especially not when you get the SC involved. Obviously there was significant opposition which negated any chance of getting the proposal to pass so that was abandoned after the proposal failed to reach quorum.

TD: Do you believe that the RPers of NS deserve a right to Opt Out of R/D?

Mall: I think the more important question is whether or not an "opt out" from "r/d" is ever really possible... as long as there is a player with power in a region or system then there is the potential for them to use it nefariously. I really haven't seen a proposal so far that can't be worked around. But they are more than welcome to keep coming up with suggestions.

TD: And what do you say to some of your allies(former or otherwise) who believe this proposal has resulted in a political environment that is more hostile to raiding and imperialists?

Mall: I don't think there has been any political shift. Raiders keep raiding, the Imperialists keep pursuing their interests, we generally get along well, and the world keeps on spinning.

TD: Alright. Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. I'm sure there's plenty of folks that'll be interested in your responses on this issue.

Mall: Oh there always are.
Exciting times in TNP's Courtby punk d, Judicial Reporter
The court of The North Pacific finds itself in a curious situation. Following the resignation of former Chief Justice Romanoffia, his successor Chief Justice SillyString has, along with Justices Kiwi and Ator People, conducted the business of the court in a more reserved manner than under Chief Justice Romanoffia. Romanoffia was wont to react to the crowd with proclamations that would not come to fruition and it appears that SillyString and her fellow justices are taking an opposite approach to the bench.

With this backdrop, I asked SillyString what is the major concern facing the court in the wake of Romanoffia's resignation. She replied, "There are two concerns facing the court. One, any open issues to be resolved (of which there is currently one), and two, I think it's well past time that the Court went through its archives and released old discussions into the public eye. There is no obligation for this kind of transparency, but in my opinion it would be highly beneficial. I hope the Court will pursue this second one in the upcoming term, no matter who sits on it."

Readers will certainly find SillyString's second pressing issue of interest as it begs the question - what court secrets will be revealed? Will SillyString reveal the deliberations of the region's most controversial rulings? In the event that SillyString wins reelection and is selected as chief justice, we'll have to see what she really means by "transparency".

Following the resignation of Romanoffia, the three justices agreed upon and published a revised version of the court rules, the set of procedures the court uses for all cases before it. I asked SillyString how the new court rules improve upon the old rules. She said, "I think the rule changes have two primary benefits. First, they clarify and simplify procedures, particularly the rules of evidence (which were absurdly complicated before). This will allow trials and hearings to run more smoothly, and I believe will make things easier on people with less experience in NS or TNP courts. Second, they add guidelines where none existed with respect to the conduct of justices and other participants and the level of discretion an individual justice has as compared to the full bench. I think this additional structure is also a good thing, and will hopefully help avoid any future situations from devolving into nonsense as the trial of JAL did."

Simplifying and adding guidelines sound good to this writer. Under the old rules there were complaints that one needed to be a real-life lawyer to maneuver through court proceedings. It appears that the new rules address this issue.

The recently concluded judicial elections have seen SillyString and Kiwi remain as chief justice and justice respectively, and Blue Wolf II replace Ator People on the bench. How will the new court navigate the numerous questions before it and will the justices be able to keep the often volatile RA satisfied with their rulings? These questions are yet to be answered, but we'll soon find out if the new court will permanently depart from the circumstances of Romanoffia's chaotic term. It's certainly an exciting time within TNP's judicial landscape.
SillyString's Silly Adviceby SillyString, Advice ColumnistThis column does not represent the views of the Government of The North Pacific.
"Dear SillyString, how do I get to be as good as you at saying things like 'accusative interrogative personal pronoun' and actually know what that means? How did you get so good at words?"
- Mysterious Monkfish

Well, MM, first you need to find the biggest, heaviest, most uncomfortable dictionary that you can find and use it as a pillow for at least three months. This will allow most of the words it contains to osmose into your brain while you sleep. It's even better if you can take frequent naps during this time it'll work even better!

Then what you want to do is take your friendly dictionary pillow and start to tear the pages out one by one, fry them up in some butter, and eat them. You should only tear out what you need for any given meal, though, because the flavor degrades rapidly, and always use butter to preserve the educational value. Continue to use your dictionary as a pillow until you have eaten the entire thing, minus the covers. These can be composted and used in your garden.

Once you have followed these steps, you should be just as good at words as I am!

"Dear SillyString, Please tell me why I shouldn't have a peanut butter and banana sandwich for lunch."
- Hungry Hungry Hippo

Oh, there are all kinds of reasons not to have a peanut butter and banana sandwich for lunch. If you're allergic to peanuts, for example, you probably shouldn't eat one[1], and if you don't have any milk to wash it down, you might not feel very refreshed afterwards. Alternatively, if you happen to have some delicious Fluff, you would be better off making a fluffernutter and banana sandwich as that is much tastier. And if you really want to get fancy, a fluffernutella sandwich is really to die for, with or without banana slices.

But if you don't have fluff, or nutella, and you've got plenty of milk, and you're not allergic to peanuts, well, I can't think of a single reason why not.

"Dear Silly String, I like this girl. I think she likes me. Wat do?"
-Confused

Aww, Confused, didn't you learn this one in middle school? Stick gum in her hair and push her when you pass each other in the hallway. This will show her how you feel! If she hits you back, you're officially going out!

Seriously Silly,
SillyString

[1]Though you could, of course, if you're only a little allergic.
The Northern Lights: Beauty in Truth
Publisher: r3naissanc3r :: Executive Editor: Crushing Our Enemies :: Managing Editor: mcmasterdonia :: Graphic Artist: SillyString

The Northern Lights is produced by the Ministry of Communications on behalf of the Government of The North Pacific and distributed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Except where otherwise indicated, all content represents the views of the Government of The North Pacific.

News from the [region]Antarctic Oasis[/region] region ۩ 29 July 2014

Palentine leader reported missing


HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN?
The Palentine is offering 25 million (worthless) WA Credits and a Groucho mask for information leading to the recovery of its beloved leader, Emperor Captain Spaulding. Please call the office of Minister Harpo Spaulding at 866-HONK-HONK for more info.
THE 'BURGH, [nation]The Palentine[/nation] --- After weeks of rumors. the Imperial Family and Palace has finally admitted that His Dooziness, Emperor Captain Spaulding I, is missing.

The rumors began when the beloved emperor had not been seen at his golf course, the Oakmount Country Club, for weeks. Soon afterwards a story came out from the [nation]Omigodtheykilledkenny[/nation] press that Xt'Tap extremists attempted to infiltrate the palace and kidnap the emperor. It seems that a minor Xt'tap Priest issued a fatwa against Her Imperial Hotness over her refusal to pick WA Amb. Susa Batko-Yovino as her husband a couple years ago. The story states that the infiltrators made it to the emperor's sanctum and found it deserted.

After a running gun battle with Imperial Security and Jaegermonsters, two of the team of five were able to escape the palace. The palace has refused to refute or confirm the story.

An Imperial spokesman confirmed that the Emperor is missing and has said that the Imperial family is distraught with concern and worry. The official also stated that the Imperial Family will be offering a substantial reward for information leading to The Emperor's whereabouts. He confirmed that Co-Empress Jhessan and the rest of the family would not be discussing the matter with the press at the current time.

Finally, we have the rumors of what happened. Reporters recently surveyed the people of the Palentine about what they think has become of their emperor. A surprising number of those asked believe it was aliens who have abducted the emperor for nefarious reasons. Another group insist that the palace is covering up a serious and debilitating accident that the emperor suffered. (The Picayune is certain its readers will remember the infamous "Ball-Washer Incident" of late 2007 at Oakmount CC.)

A smaller group asserts that when the Emperor heard that Antigone Morgan was going to make an announcement, he fled to parts unknown, fearing that she was announcing a new movie. Finally a small minority say that the Emperor got bored and decided to go to where the action was...after all, he's done it before, they point out.

No matter what the rumors state, this newspaper pledges to the citizens of the Palentine and AO that it will not rest until the mystery is solved.


Kennyites ban Justin Bieber from nation
Er, make that..."Dustin Beaver"; also Dr. Castro

PARADISE CITY, [nation]Omigodtheykilledkenny[/nation] --- Members of the God-fearing Freedom-loving Conservative Patriot Party in the Federal Senate are pushing for new restrictions on issuing foreign visas, in a bill that Senate Liberals and immigration activists have blasted as prejudicial and discriminatory toward certain groups -- though not the groups one might think.

Conservatives want to give the State Department wider authority to bar high-profile figures from other countries from entering the Federal Republic.

"It's just like what they do in Britain and Canada, when they ban annoying loudmouth talk-show hosts and commentators from visiting their countries," explained Sen. Ricardo Nubio, C-Fleurdelisia, a chief sponsor of the legislation. "Only this law would have farther-reaching implications, to target people from all across the entertainment industry, including all those revolting 'pop stars' who brainwash our young people and give all the rest of us migraines with their 'music.'"

more...But Senate Liberals charge that the new restrictions would serve no other purpose than to curtail free expression. "Boy groups and pop singers may not be everyone's cup of tea, but for God's sake that's no reason to ban them from the country!" said Sen. Kay Billie Huffington, L-Kennsylvania. "If we were going after bombastic and demagogic commentators, like they do in the Commonwealth, that would be a different story. Corking that vampiric fascist mega-slut Ann Coulter's piehole, for example -- that I could get behind! Pulling the plug on Katy Perry? Eh, not so much."

[/size]
Supporters of the bill say that it's not so much the music that offends them, it's the behavior of its purveyors, perhaps most notoriously [nation]the Palentine[/nation] import Dustin Beaver, who was recently captured on a cell-phone cam pissing drunkenly into a potted plant and shouting "F#@% Manuelo Fernanda!"

"That little punk is a guest in this country!" railed Nubio. "How dare he piss all over our values and defame our venerated leaders!...Erm, OK, so maybe he was just restating what many bimbos in this country have done with Fernanda, but still. Also, what's with that kid speaking ebonics all the time and dressing up like a thug? Does he even realize he's white?"

(The Palentine, for their part, deny that Beaver even exists. "All our pop stars are cute young Japanese women. That's the law!" insisted Empress Jhessan. "Although I definitely agree with the 'f#@% Manuelo' part. I already had some for breakfast, but maybe I can skip out for an early lunch?")

Opponents of the measure fear that it could actually have broader effects than simply keeping irritating pop-culture influences out. They take especial exception to one particular provision buried within the text: "Those to whom said restrictions on entry to the Federal Republic shall apply include, but are not limited to: a) blond, angelic-looking boysingers whose repertoire consists mainly of singing the word 'baby' over and over again until listeners want to crush their MP3 players into the wall, or otherwise commit violent acts against themselves; b) 'bands' consisting of four or more young men but no instruments (or containing instruments but no discernible talent), even if one of the members seems kind of cool because he's so prolific in scoring with his friends' moms, or who leads a deliciously ironic lifestyle alternating posting reverent Muslim prayers on his Twitter feed and banging out horny young fangirls on tour; c) smug, insufferable British commentators previously known for editing ethically challenged tabloids and judging reality TV competitions, but who now spend most of their airtime delivering condescending lectures on everything that's wrong with our country, chiefly gun culture and race relations; d) wholesome yet homely Scottish singers who can belt out Broadway standards convincingly enough, but who suffer nervous breakdowns every other week; e) anyone bearing even a faint resemblance to Dr. Benjamin Castro."

"Personally, I favor the provisions forcing Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Bynes into emergency 'preemptive' rehab programs the moment they check in at customs, and mandating that Miley Cyrus take regular classes at charm and beauty school so she'll stop dressing and acting like a drugged-up whore," observed Huffington. "Those are actually quite prudent and necessary measures in the interest of public safety -- but to add on such a hefty restrictions clause listing all the kinds of people who should be targeted for extra scrutiny just takes it a step too far."

The Faisano administration has yet to take a stance on the controversial bill, but Senate leaders have reportedly been warned not to expect much public support, and with congressional elections just around the corner, critics detect another motive behind the bill's introduction.

"Obviously this is about stoking voters' fears of foreigners destroying their way of life just in time for congressional balloting," charged Senate President pro tempore Sherman Grassley, L-Lubberland. "If they think they're going to win back the Senate this way, they got another think coming."


'Hell no, we will go!'
Retired WerePenguins pulls out of WA

DUMONT D?URVILE, [nation]Retired WerePenguins[/nation] ?-- In a surprise move earlier this year, Faithful Navigator James Blonde announced that the Nifty Fraternity of Retired WerePenguins would resign from the World Assembly and the delegate position of the Antarctic Oasis region, effective immediately, if not sooner.

more...Faithful Navigator James Blonde also reported that the budget for delegate Barry Black would be cut immediately and he would be recalled to Retired WerePenguins. "However, as of this moment," the Faithful Navigator replied, "the official bar tab in the World Assembly Stranger?s Bar is closed; paid in full."

Reaction to the news was swift. Faithful Captain, Barbara Amisha Black replied, "Wait a second? We paid the Stranger?s Bar tab in full? Why would anyone want to do that? I mean we?re leaving the World Assembly and everyone knows that the WA has no authority outside the WA. It's not like they would have attempted to collect the money. We should have bought drinks for everyone and then snuck out the back door. Damn fiscal responsibility! That?s what happens when you let a Blonde run the country!"

There have been constant reports that the real motivation for the sudden resignation from the World Assembly was not because of the Reproductive Freedoms resolution, at the time up being debated on the General Assembly floor, but the fact that the Faithful Navigator?s sex life has stagnated lately.


An exhibition (pun intended) of just some of the demonstrably sane, rational-minded opposition to the RWP government's vote against Reproductive Freedoms in the WA Snakepit-- er, "General Assembly."
The Faithful Navigator denies such allegations but added, ?On the other hand, I suppose I was guilty of reading too much Pulp Fiction novels, especially about that 'President Kennedy' getting all those movie actresses like Marylyn Monroe to his secret bedroom. So I?m kind of annoyed that no one is flocking to the Chair Officer?s official Hot Tub. Barry Black keeps saying that was because in the novel the President was married and I?m single and no one wants to get involved in a perfectly normal relationship these days. I was so depressed at one point I actually thought a Kennyite was hot ? yes that one ? we all know that one. But that had no effect on the decision to resign from the WA. None!"

Faithful Navigator James Blonde insisted that the nation is not going to change their current laws on abortions, designed from the WA General Assembly?s resolution On Abortion. "Abortion will still be available in Retired Werepenguins under the conditions listed in the resolution that was adopted by the WA and approved by the nation. Such abortions will be safe, staffed by knowledgeable people and will be done in such a manner so as to ensure that the pre-born does not experience a painful death. We firmly believe that the mention of the ability of the World Assembly to legalize, along with other member states, other specific conditions for abortions as a blanket excuse to make the resolution redundant by legalizing abortion for any reason whatsoever and to allow any idiot who fancies himself a doctor from performing dangerous surgical procedures on unsuspecting women."

Reports indicate that once Barry Black returns to Retired WerePenguins he will be immediately board a starship for The Pleiades where a meeting of the representatives of the Tzorsland Puppet Confederation will be held to determine the Confederation?s options to the resignation of Retired WerePenguins. Under the terms of the Confederation treaty, no more than one member of the Confederation may be in the World Assembly at the same time, although nothing technically prohibits none of the nations from being in the World Assembly. Representatives from Frustrated Franciscans and Blue Booted Bobbies declined to comment with the exception that both members stated that they were ?required? to attend. The only one interested was the representative from ?A Running Man? who was carrying a large twelve foot sharpened pencil. Tzorsland security finally insisted that he had to check his pencil in as regular and not as carry on luggage.


Royal wedding sets off sibling rivalry

COCKTOWN, [nation]Alqanian Antarctica[/nation] --- As The Duchess of Vliessland, 26, marries the Emperor of Italia Venetiensis, questions resurface regarding the status of her older sister, The Vicereine and Governor General, 28. The Royal Family sure seems to take its time in ensuring the royal lineage, with Princess Linda being the first of the Queen's children to wed. But perhaps some marriages are worth waiting for? As the consort of an Emperor, Linda will outrank even the Queen, albeit it is uncertain to what extent the imperial dignity will be present within the Queendom.

more...Princess Caroline, Vicereine and Governor General, Duchess of Oxliey, Her Majesty's Ambassador to Antarctic Oasis and holder of too many titles to list, seems to be using the snooze button on her biological clock as she dismisses any inquiry into her relationship status, although there have for some time circulated rumours about her potential union with various foreign dynasties. Can Alqanian Antarcticans, following the televised fiasco between the Grand Duke and the Palentine Empress, perhaps hope for a Vicereine that manages to hook up for life with someone more important, respected and permanent than, say, a Kennyite Vice President?

Although the Vicereine insists that she feels at home in Antarctica, perhaps the Antarctic Oasis is not the most likely region to find her a spouse? Potential marriage partners in speculation have included anyone from [nation]of the Quendi[/nation] to [nation]New Edom[/nation], though given the state of Alqanian foreign relations, perhaps a Stonewall Alliance member would be more likely? Or, if the Princess would be inclined to return to her home region, why not a [region]Gay[/region] neighbour? One thing we know: with her younger sister getting hitched to a Venetian Emperor, the bar is certainly set high.


Princesses Caroline (left) and Linda (right) at the Royal Advent Ball in Wilborg earlier this month.

The Romanoffian Recall
by mcmasterdonia, Political Reporter
The North Pacific was fortunate to take part in two of its favourite pastimes recently - court drama and a recall motion. This came after a tumultuous week in court, where Chief Justice Romanoffia was presiding over a criminal trial against Durkadurkiranistan. During the trial, Romanoffia failed to maintain order in the courtroom, accusing the defence counsel of badgering and trolling, and varyingly commenting against criminal legislation, the judicial system in general, and forum administration for not invervening. This culminated in Romanoffia dismissing all charges with prejudice, in a manner that was widely regarded as a fit of rage and inappropriate conduct for a judge.

Prior to the case dismissal, Romanoffia's behaviour during the trial had not gone unnoticed. Abbey Anumia, herself a former attorney general and chief justice, had introduced a proposal to recall Romanoffia from office, citing previous instances of inappropriate behavior and actions demonstrating insufficient knowledge of the regional law. This proposal had laid dormant for a couple of days and it appeared that the Regional Assembly (RA) members would not be taking further action to remove Romanoffia from office. In the meantime, and while the trial was ongoing, senior members of the region had reached out to Romanoffia in private, in an attempt to restore calm and advise caution and sensibility. This advice, however, appeared to have had no effect.

The situation changed as soon as Romanoffia dismissed the case: the recall of Romanoffia became the most actively debated topic in the RA. Delegate r3naissanc3r advised Romanoffia to resign, in order to allow the court to return to its duties and to give the chief justice a graceful exit from his position in the Court. Romanoffia refused to do so, leading the delegate to express his support for the motion for recall. Commentary among other members was also strongly in support of the recall, with Flemingovia calling it "a no-brainer".

When the motion was moved to vote, preliminary voting indicated that the motion would be successful. While the votes were still coming in, however, Romanoffia decided to resign from his position. Before resigning, he amended his earlier decision and changed the dismissal of charges to be without prejudice, providing the opportunity for another future indictment against defendant Durkadurkiranistan. SillyString has replaced Romanoffia as chief justice, and Kiwi was elected in a special election to fill the vacant spot on the bench.
North Pacific Army Intensifies Workoutby Kiwi, Military Correspondent
Following the general election of May, Delegate r3naissanc3r stated that the North Pacific Army (NPA) will continue to be a military operating outside the raider/defender dichotomy, maintaining capability to conduct both defensive and offensive operations, and acting in whatever capacity is required to best serve the regional interests. Towards this end, the delegate announced an agenda of frequent training operations, with an emphasis on joint exercises with allied militaries, increased military recruitment, and more effective military command. To implement this agenda, r3naissanc3r appointed Gladio as Minister of Defense. This appointment came as no surprise, following Gladio's service as Deputy Minister of Defense in the previous government and in what was widely viewed as a successful term.

During Gladio's first month in office, the NPA has already executed a plurality of training missions. Jointly with the East Pacific Sovereign Army (EPSA), the NPA captured and held Warzone Asia, in an operation that was shortly followed by the ratification of the North-East Pacific Security Treaty. Warzones are particularly attractive for training exercises, as the NPA's governing doctrine permits the ejection and banning of nations in warzones. The NPA and EPSA also unsuccessfully attempted to liberate the region Free Reynolds, which was being occupied by the group Sicarius.

The NPA additionally joined forces with the Europeian Republican Navy, to conduct training exercises in Former United States and Warzone Africa. While both operations were foiled by the Rejected Realms Army, they provided valuable training experience for NPA members. Finally, the NPA on its own successfully completed training missions in Warzone Airspace and The Cold War Relics. In all of these operations, the NPA has consistently provided more than five updater and more than ten reinforcement units, demonstrating its military prowess and strong operational capability. The positive results of the training program have also been seen in the recent NPA-led operation against Nazi Europe, the first deployment of the NPA this term that was not a training exercise.

Gladio has further undertaken an extensive revamp of the ranking and command structure of the NPA, with the primary objectives being simplification and flexibility. On the recruitment side, Gladio has initiated a large-scale telegramming campaign, in order to tap the vast pool of World Assembly nations in The North Pacific for recruits. Along with other recruitment initiatives run by the government, this has already resulted in 15 new privates joining the NPA.
First Impressionsby PaulWallLibertarian42, Game-side Reporter
First impressions are very important and they may set the tone for future interaction. The Regional Message Board (RMB) and the engagement of the delegate are both important factors in creating a positive first impression for new nations.

During the recent election for delegate, a few Regional Assembly members, most notably Alunya, expressed concerns about the candidates' activity on the RMB. All candidates promised that their activity would improve significantly following their election.

A week after the election, when asked about Delegate r3naissanc3r's activity on the RMB, Alunya stated the following: "It's still early in HMS Unicorn's administration, so it may be a bit unfair to comment on the game-side approach. The good thing is that there is an outreach effort on the regional message board and that the game-side is not being ignored."

Alunya went on to comment on the need for changes to the regional forum, to help retain new nations that register there. "We don't recruit, so retention ought to be our goal," Alunya said. "Make friends and then suggest the off-site forum when it is a little easier for a newcomer to navigate. And when it is ready, then a marketing blitz for the "New and Improved" forum would be appropriate."

The North Pacific has traditionally placed a strong emphasis on the welcoming and integration of newcomers to the region. This is in part reflected on the significantly larger World Assembly (WA) population TNP has compared to other game-created regions, and the comparatively large base of forum citizens that also have WA nations in the region.

Delegate r3naissanc3r has rolled out ambitions plans for his Ministry of Home Affairs, to build and expand upon the already existing infrastructure. Multi-layered telegram campaigns, both automated and manual, have been implemented, and the RMB frequently features posts highlighting government activities. On the forum-side, the introductory section has been revamped to be easier to navigate, and with the creation of Executive Staff new members are presented with a wealth of job opportunities as soon as they join. Several other initiatives are in the works, but in the meantime these changes have already resulted in a surge in the number of newcomers: since the beginning of the term, the regional forum has been receiving an average of four new members per day, while more than 40 Regional Assembly applications have been submitted.
Hypercorrection
by SillyString, Legislative Reporter
Alunya recently introduced a modest proposal to the Regional Assembly (RA). After noticing that the Legal Code referred, varyingly, to a Minister for Defence, a Minister of Defence, and a Minister of Defense, Alunya proposed replacing all references with "Minister for Defence".

The bill resulted in an RA argument between proponents of the American and British spellings, which led a frustrated Alunya to withdraw it. It was then reintroduced nearly verbatim by Democratic Donkeys, while two further alternatives were suggested. The first, from Crushing Our Enemies, proposed holding simultaneous votes on all possible title variants. The second, from r3naissanc3r, proposed replacing all titles with generic references to an executive officer. The RA eventually rejected Democratic Donkeys' bill and passed r3naissanc3r's.

This is not the first legislative treble to occur - the previous one took place barely a month ago, and also dealt with a minor corrective issue. After it was discovered that a previous amendment had left two successive legal clauses numbered the same, a debate erupted on how to best handle similar issues in the future. The main point of contention was ensuring legality: The regional court had previously struck down a legislative shortcut for correcting "minor errors", as a violation of the constitutional mandate that laws be passed by majority vote of the RA. The RA sought to ensure any new proposal would not face a similar fate.

First came PaulWallLibertarian42's proposal, requiring that all bills be proofread by the author and speaker before going to vote. Second was a bill by Grosseschnauzer. It circumvented legality issues by adding constitutional provisions for a procedure to correct "non-substantive errors", then established one in the Legal Code. A third proposal, from Crushing Our Enemies, amended the Legal Code so that clause numbers would not be considered part of the law. The RA passed this final bill and rejected the other two.

Both situations arose out of relatively minor errors, which functionally have no effect on the interpretation of the law. On one level, such small concerns do not merit this level of response. But underlying each fork of an existing proposal is a fundamental disagreement about legislative approach and an unwillingness to reach a compromise. And counterintuitively, these small issues are ones where stubbornness is tolerable: At the end of the day, a failure to pass any bill results only in the retention of a typo.
The Importance of WA Forums
by Treize_Dreizehn, WA Correspondent
In a recent article, Gruenberg, World Assembly (WA) regular, asserted that the WA forum community have little actual effect on the voting habits of WA members. This article takes an investigative look at this assertion, by examining the voting trends of some of the regions with the largest of voting power in the game, the nine game-created regions (GCRs). Collectively, the delegates of these regions represent more than 1,800 votes. To put this into perspective, most votes are decided by fewer than 10,000 total votes, meaning that GCR delegacies account for more than 20% of the voting tally.

In most of these regions, the delegate's vote is determined by an offsite poll. While it is true that the many of the delegates and a large portion of the poll participants are not involved in the GA or SC forums, very frequently the response of the poll aligns with the views of WA regulars that participate in the respective regions.

To provide some examples, the author is the WA Minister for two GCRs, The West Pacific and Osiris, where he places resolutions up for discussion and vote, and he is given wide latitude to express opinions on them. His opinions are based largely on the drafting threads in the WA forums, and are valued largely because of his own long history in those forums. The same is true, e.g., in The South Pacific with Glen-Rhodes, in The East Pacific with Ramaeus, and in the region with the biggest delegacy in the game, The North Pacific with Abacathea.

When asked about the subject, Delegate r3naissanc3r stated that "Abacathea is very knowledgeable on WA matters, and a prominent author himself. His reviews are always helpful in making an informed decision." Abacathea estimated that the region aligns with his recommendations roughly 90% of the time, while stating that the WA forums are the primary formulating factor for his reviews. "Everything I know came out of those forums," he said characteristically, while claiming he would likely not be WA Minister were it not for his own experience in the WA forums.

The discussion so far has focused on voting, but it is worth also considering drafting. It is almost universally accepted that posting drafts in the WA forums is beneficial for the quality of the final proposals. Not submitting proposals to the WA forum drafting process is widely frowned upon, and such pieces are very likely inferior pieces that will be voted down by the assembly itself.

If posting a thread in the WA forums so dramatically improves chances of passing a piece of legislation, the idea that those forums are meaningless in the grand scheme of things makes little or no sense. And likewise, if 20% of the voting tally is strongly influenced by the opinions of WA forum regulars, it is hard to argue that those forums have little impact on WA voting. The WA forums matter. And the people discussing things there are not just shouting into the void. They matter.
SillyString's Silly Adviceby SillyString, Advice ColumnistThis column does not represent the views of the Government of The North Pacific.
Hullo again, gentle readers, and welcome to SillyString Little Advice on the Prairie. These are prairie lands we're standing in, right? No matter. I think you'll really love this week's column!

"How do I pass a law in the RA? Why do we have a Constibillocode? Is the Court any important in TNP?"
-Ebul Imperialist

Those are wonderful questions, EI, and a great way to follow up on the last column's advice.

It is a little-known bylaw in TNP that only members of the Oligarchy or the IRCabal have the legal authority to propose and pass laws. While there are no formal penalties imposed on people who violate this, severe ostracization and catastrophic bill failure is generally applied to anybody who steps out of line.

So you really have two options if you don't want this to happen to you![1] Either you can join one of the aforementioned groups and use your status as a member to validate the bills you want to right, or you can seek out an existing, high-ranking member to act as a prominent supporter. After all, the RA will often turn a blind eye to such lawbreaking if there is a risk that pointing it out will anger one of the two cliques.

After that, the content of your bill doesn't really matter. You would, however, do well to seek a divination from the region's Chief Augur. Woe betide anyone who pushes to vote a bill doomed by Flem to fail!

As for your second question, we have a Constibillocode (for new readers, that's Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Legal Code) because it's a great way to keep the population under the iron boot of authority. Naturally it has no real power, but nevertheless nobody is ever happy with any sentence of any part of it. They expend all of their energy attempting to fix it, over and over and over again, and fail to notice the Oligarchy and the IRCabal climbing on their shoulders to hit at each other with frozen baguettes.[2]

And finally, the Court is many important in TNP. The three people on the Court are the most trusted members in government, burdened with the great responsibility for making sure that the common folk never find out that the Constibillocode is all a sham. They keep people's attention focused on the law and how terrible it is so that the powerful cliques can get down to the actual running of the place in peace.[3]

Seriously Silly,
SillyString

[1]You don't.
[2]Swords, of course, are customary, but after it was determined that there was "too much risk of actual injury, and not enough chance to whack each other", the two unanimously amended the rules of engagement to forbid sharp weapons. Frozen baguettes are now preferred for the nice, thuddy sound they make when you connect with your foe.
[3]This is, of course, comparable to the flight attendant who eagerly points out the exciting landmark being passed on the left, so that passengers do not notice the passing ICBM on the right.
The Northern Lights: Beauty in Truth
Publisher: r3naissanc3r :: Executive Editor: Crushing Our Enemies :: Managing Editor: mcmasterdonia :: Graphic Artist: SillyString

The Northern Lights is produced by the Ministry of Communications on behalf of the Government of The North Pacific and distributed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Except where otherwise indicated, all content represents the views of the Government of The North Pacific.

Hi, so I'm new here. Although this nation is new, I've been playing this game for about seven months, and have run a smallish region for a lot of that time. So yeah.... hi

Hello everyone.
I hope you are doing very well today.
I wanted to point out something just really quick.
As you all know our region here has seen a decline in activity.
And the leadership here is not to blame here, but I believe that in order to get more activity and more profit, we need to put some effort in.
I was once in a region called The Coalition of Democratic Nation. (I served as the first Minister of Justice there.) This region started out with only 85 nations, but it grew to almost 400 in one week.
How did we do this over there?
We sent out recruitment messages to all of the feeder regions during our SPECIAL and cultural events.
So when we are nearing election times, we usually sent out recruitment messages. Or when we had a cultural summit or contest, we also sent out recruitment messages.
I think that if we do this and explain in our recruitment messages our goals and aims at expanding the region, then we would also grow in a matter of days.
Secondly, I would like to suggest doing regional recruitment. Not everyone in the IDU is on the forums, so I think we should appeal to the players and convince to get on here.
And lastly, I know that we all have personal lives, but if each person can spare 5 minutes of their time to just post something on our Spam Games threads, cultural threads, or the introductions threads, this region would bloom.
In addition to this, I would also suggest getting the CIDUS back into business.
I would recommend probably rewriting our Constitution and making a new one. And if we do this it will become necessary for the CIDUS to assemble so that they can work on it.
And believe me if we use this in our recruitment message, it'll attract many people because they would want to be part of the history of the IDU and its Constitution.
I know that these are many ideas at the moment. I know they require work and effort. We have so much work to do with very little staff and resources, but it could be done. And the sooner we do so, the sooner we'll notice the accomplishments.

Thank you for your time everyone.

Your friend and ally,
~Tomb

I'm wondering if we should start thinking about having a theme for our region. Democratic and friendly are very generic and vague. Perhaps we should look to other regions for ideas. Osiris has an Egyptian theme, Balder a Nordic one, Europeia is a Presidential Republic type system etc. etc.

I don't know if a theme would work for us, or if it did how it would, but perhaps it would be good for getting new members?