Newsletter Ranting: Honesty, Delivered Brutally [Mad Marokai!]

[Rowan]

I would still like to be interviewed by this newspaper.

[Marokai Backbeat]

I would still like to be interviewed by this newspaper.

Yeah I did drop the ball on interviews, didn't I? I'll send you a list of questions in a few minutes.

[Alexander Hamilton]

Interview me! I'm controversial!

[Sewer]

Interview me! I'm controversial!

[Hash]

I was next in line for the interviews, iirc.

[Alexander Hamilton]

I was next in line for the interviews, iirc.

Oh. Well.

[Marokai Backbeat]

I was next in line for the interviews, iirc.

Questions in a few minutes, promise!

[Marokai Backbeat]

Frequently Asked Questions, w/ Hashemite (Part 1)
December 5th, 2009

Questions marked by bolded words and answers in italics.

*Why do you care so much about zombies? You've made this one of your top priorities, it seems.

I have always believed that having a game where elections are decided by the number of voters each party has registered not only takes away from the interest of the game, but are also potential detrimental to the game. I like strong parties, but I don't like parties becoming political machines were party bosses control their voters and send them marching to defeat whoever the party boss hates or loves.

I have nothing against voters who show some interest in the game, who participate from time to time and bring some sense of participation to Atlasia. Banning them would be unfair. I do have a problem with people whose only actions in Atlasia consist of registering and voting at election time. No matter what people may happen to say on how there's nothing wrong with that behaviour, I personally believe it's not helpful to the game to have these kind of zombies.

*I know you and I have butted heads over this topic, quite alot really. I always sympathize with what you're trying to do, but always oppose the method, no offense to you of course. How do you respond to the accusation made by myself, Fritz, and others, that it's almost impossible to do anything about zombies, however distasteful that they might be?

I agree with the premise held by most that many of the zombie reform proposals, which often involve toughening post count requirements are detrimental and will just as easily be ignored as they are now. I do, however, believe, that the HAEV Bill, written by my good friend and constituent Antonio V, is a realistic and non-detrimental solution to the problem. While there are obvious issues within the details of the proposal, I believe that the idea of creating a qualified institution to deal with the issue is a fair compromise. There remains work to be done on the bill, but I hope that one day it will pass.

*And further, don't you think that your efforts, such as removing voters or instituting strict activity requirements and so on, would do more harm than good?

I would argue that continued registration of zombies as I previously described would do more harm than any reform ever could.

*A nicer issue now, why did you support the Fiscal Responsibility Act?

The deciding factor in my vote was the GM's analysis that the FRA would lead to a reduction of the national debt in a few cycles' time, which I believe is important to Atlasia. I haven't made it a secret that my capabilities lay outside financial matters, but I support as a general principle progressive taxation. Really, I'm not a supporter of the proletarian revolution, but people who already have a good life and a good income don't suffer as much from taxes as people who struggle to make ends meet.

*What do you think of the current state of Atlasia? Who do you view as detrimental to the game?

Atlasia is currently on a rather stable curve, with little massive incidences of drama (February will probably lead to a new outbreak of drama, which will die down in March). Thankfully, zombie registration has decreased recently, and there isn't much major action besides party stuff, mid-term electioneering and legislating. I don't view these times as necessarily harmful for their general lack in drama.

Detrimental to the game? The people who bring nothing to the game but stupid comments and trolling.

*Do you support the Amendment currently before the Senate to allow regions to determine how they elect their own representative?

I lean towards supporting that amendment, but I personally wouldn't want the amendment to be used by certain regions to institute crappy voting systems such as FPTP, or systems which would provide a blatant advantage to a political party. I support the Xahar/Fritz amendment more than I support the original inter-regional block stuff.

*What are your views, more broadly, on "regional rights" in general?

Regional rights are important to Atlasia, and regions have recently proven to be much more vibrant and active than ever before, proving to me their use. However, the mantra of regional rights is abused by people to protect certain constitutional clauses, like the amendment process, which protect regions but are blatant violation of majority rule in a free and democratic society.

*What would you change about Atlasia, aside from the obvious zombie issues, if you could? Be detailed!

I actually don't think that Atlasia is really bad these days. I mean, there's relatively little useless people polluting the game, and everything goes rather smoothly. The government has been competent, their policies have been quite fine indeed, and all is well thus far. I personally would like to see issues of foreign policy, which I particularly enjoy, being the subject of discussion more, especially in the Senate, but you can't have everything.

*Do you think we have a major problem with trolling in Atlasia, as I do?

There is a problem with trolling by certain people, and I believe there's also significant overlap between the troll issue and the zombie issue. A fair number of zombies are trolls elsewhere on the board, or eventually become trolls of sort in the game.

*How would you respond to the people who say, as they do to me, that you have a "bad attitude"?

I know perfectly well myself that I'm generally not very pleasant to people who are nothing but trolls and wastes of time who contribute nothing. I tend to be pleasant with people who are responsible, honest and hard-working.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Frequently Asked Questions, w/ Hashemite (Part 2)
December 5th, 2009

Questions marked by bolded words and answers in italics.

*What are your opinions of the parties in Atlasia right now? Be honest and answer them individually.

I obviously like the DA a great deal, being the party I founded with a few others just over a year ago. I think we're a strong and good party.

I have good relations with many members of the JCP, including yourself and VP Bacon King. There are many hard-working, intelligent, honest individuals within the JCP who aren't the evil people they're made out to be by some.

The RPP has been under the radar in my book recently, and my past relations with the RPP have been pretty poor to say the least. I am open to a mutual relation of trust and balance between the DA and the RPP, but I will not accept an alliance with the RPP which is just a way for them to gain our votes to win the Presidency. We're not a vote bank up for sale.

I have good relations with almost all LNF members, most of whom I consider to be my friends. I have not seen them in positions of legislating and governing, so I will not comment on that.

I welcome the creation of the ARC, but I oppose a number of their proposed policy planks and my relations with a number of their members have been poor or non-existent. I have not seen them in positions of legislating and governing, so I will not comment on that.

*What is your opinion of each of the Senators? Answer to each one individually.

Hashemite is douchebag and he can go die in a fire.

Afleitch is a competent and hard-working legislator who brings competence and legislative expertise to the Senate. I may disagree with him on some issues, but he is a moderate voice and always ready to compromise.

Franzl is like Afleitch, they're very close in my mind (they're even side by side on the PM map!). Franzl is also a competent and seasoned legislator. He's also not afraid to confront bullsh**t when he sees it.

Tmthforu has become a much better Senator since he first joined the Senate. He is not an ideological hack, and he is open to moderate legislation and compromise, which is something to be admired. He has become a good legislator.

I have serious disagreements with NCYankee on a good number of social issues, but I appreciate that he has a deep understanding and knowledge of financial issues, always good, and double plus good in times of recession where legislators need to work on financial stuff.

Marokai, you're a fierce warrior for your causes, which I often find myself in agreement with, and that is also to be admired as people too often abandon principles in power. You are a fine PPT, and you're also great at calling BS when you see it.

MaxQue is a good Senator, and his interventions are always pertinent and relevant. I wish he could contribute more, but I fully understand that he may not be entirely comfortable in English or that he has other issues preventing him.

I don't know Fritz very much, and we don't interact much but saying that he's a poor Senator would be rather dumb. His interventions are pertinent, and he is a rather nice person.

Hans is a fine Senator, and his proposed legislation is rather good, even though I may personally disagree with it. He is also a nice and agreeable fellow.

*Who are your favorite and least favorite individuals in Atlasia?

I have excellent relations with Antonio, Purple State, Barnes and others in the DA. I also like Xahar, yourself, Bacon King, and a vast numbers of others a whole lot.

It's no secret that I'm not much a fan of Hamilton, and I won't waste time delving on my reasons which should be fairly obvious to all. Apparently a number of other people don't like me much, but I'm not necessarily out to become friends with the whole world either.

*Who are you supporting in the upcoming election, and who do you think should get the Supreme Court seat?

I will support the candidates of the DA first and foremost, and I will have a tough time deciding on my fourth and fifth preferences. Badger is an excellent candidate, I fully expect you to return to the Senate with my vote or not, and that is a good thing. There are many good people running this cycle and I wish them all the best.

I fully trust the President to make the best choice for the Supreme Court seat. There are many able legislators who could make it. I think Badger, Fab, Smid and many other fine legal minds would make an excellent addition to the court, if they're interested obviously.

*A classic question: Who would you ban from Atlasia if you had the power?

That should be fairly obvious to people who know me well.

[Marokai Backbeat]

I just want to thank Hash for his responses. He gave great detail and was honest, but courteous. I'll post responses from Rowan tomorrow. Thanks again Hash, and it's been a blast working with you in the Senate, and I hope it can continue.

[Alexander Hamilton]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Hash and I agree!!! I'd be glad to work with him to find a solution to this pressing issue.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Great interview.

Am I the next after Rowan ?

[Alexander Hamilton]

Great interview.

Am I the next after Rowan ?

No, there is nothing you could possibly say that will leave an impression. I am a widely recognized and polarizing figure who will attract a large audience.

[Badger]

I would still like to be interviewed by this newspaper.

[Vepres]

You're interviews are excellent Marokai!

I'm interested in an interview

[Rowan]

What happened to my interview?

[Marokai Backbeat]

What happened to my interview?

Me being lazy, actually. I'll throw it up in a minute.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Frequently Asked Questions, w/ RowanBrandon
December 7th, 2009

Questions marked by bolded words and answers in italics.

*You just resigned from the Senate, could you tell me/us why? Did you seek out other opportunities for fear of losing re-election?

I resigned from the Senate because I had accepted the position of CJO of the Northeast. I could not hold both offices at the same time, so I had to resign. Actually, to be quite honest, I had planned to retire from Atlasia completely when my Senate term was up, but when the vacancy for CJO I decided to stay involved and throw my hat into the ring.

*Are you proud of your time as Senator?

Honestly, no. I did not anticipate how hard it would be to get things done in the senate, and I was unsuccessful in trying to stop bills that I believed were not of good quality. So in those terms, I believe that my Senate term was not what it could of been. Also, because of personal schedules and things, I was not able to have a lot of free time to craft legislation and the like. As a result, instead of working on legislation that I wanted, I was stuck playing Dr. No.

*Now that you've left the Senate, what are your opinions of the Senators now, before the upcoming elections? Answer individually, starting with whoever you like.

NCYank- Probably my favorite senator as we are very close on the issues.

Tmthu- A good legislator, but seems to be willing to compromise way too quick and often.

Hashemite-Competent, and fairly moderate.

Afleitch- I was never sure what to think of him, sometimes he seemed like a left-wing nut, and other times like a conservative.

Marokai- Always a left-wing nut. Timely as his time as PPT, and writes some bills which keeps the senate moving along.

Maxque-Who? Not sure this guy has done anything in the senate ever.

Franken- Don't know much about him.

Franzl-Grinds my gears sometimes but a competent legistlator.

*Awhile back, you took it upon yourself to charge into the open by posting PMs from PiT, Sewer Socialist, and others, exposing the tactics of Hamilton and PiT. I'm sure you've been asked this to death, but what possessed you to do this?

The truth needed to be out there, and I'm really tired of backroom deals and the like. It's a freaking game, and it amazes me how cutthroat people are about it.

*What's your opinion of the RPP right now, and the Atlasian Right in general?

I think the RPP has turned the corner and now is back on the right track. After the cancerous Hamilton was removed from the party, we were able to clean house and get the ship sailing in the right direction. Yankee has provided great leadership so far and I hope he continues to do so in the future. The only problem is that certain members need to learn to STFU sometimes. As for the Atlasian Right in general, we need to become more organized and win some elections or else this game will become boring as it will become left-winger versus left-winger.

*I'm a bit sick of all the trolling going on lately, it's gotten unbearable. It seems like there's a certain segment of the population in Atlasia that is content not taking anything seriously and running around causing trouble in every way possible. Sorry for that bit of editorializing, but I would imagine you agree with this statement. What do you think of the situation now and what would you do about it?

Of course it's disgraceful and the members partaking in it need to be held accountable. I think everyone knows who these people are without naming names. I would urge the moderators to delete threads that qualify as trolling.

*Who do you think should get the supreme court opening?

There are many qualified individuals that would be great for the Supreme Court. I think Senator Franzl would be a great addition to the Supreme Court.

*What's your opinion of all the major political parties in Atlasia right now? Be honest and answer individually.

RPP- Answered above.

JCP- Left-wing machine politics. They dominate the game because they have the numbers. Not much anyone else can do to compete with them.

DA- Quite frankly, they're the JCP's bitch.

LNF- Joke party, not worth time talking about.

ARC- Same as the LNF.

*Who will be getting your support in the upcoming Senate election?

DWTL and Duke will be getting my top two preferences. My third preference is still up for grabs, so you can still convince me.

*You've fashioned yourself as an ardent defender of "regional rights." You know, of course, that I'm no lover of regional rights, but I want to know why you care about regional rights so much?

Simply because I do not believe the federal government should have that much power. The regions are a more localized form of government and can better serve the people of their regions. The regions know better than the federal government what is best for their citizens.

*Follow up to that question, do you support or oppose the efforts in the Senate right now to give regions control over how they elect their representative? It is, of course, very region-friendly.

I'm not a fan of altering the regions. With this plan we could possibly be essentially changing the number of regions, and this is not something I support. That being said, it might not hurt to try to spice up the game a bit, because frankly, it's becoming boring.

*Who are your favorite and least favorite members of Atlasia? Why?

Favorite- Justice Spade, Senator Yankee, Senator Tmth, and others that I am surely forgetting to mention. Spade writes good opinions, and the other two were great partners in the Senate.

Least favorite- I like everyone except Hamilton. I don't really think I need to explain why...

*A classic question I ask of everyone in my interviews: If you could ban one person from Atlasia, who would it be, and why?

Of course, the master troll Hamilton. He has created sock accounts, blatanly trolled the forum, and adds nothing to the game besides controversy and stupidity. He is going to destroy the game if we allow him to be around much longer.

*Do you have anything else you'd like to say, anything on your mind you would just like to get into the public domain? Complaints, questions, comments?

There are a few things. Atlasians, we need change. To many of us, this game is becoming increasingly boring with the domination of left-wing power. Lefty on lefty action will result in this game being destroyed because there is no competition and fun. The right wing must unite under one banner in order to save this game.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Poor and hackish statements, but Rowan deserved an interview.

[Alexander Hamilton]

Yeah, but Rowan never was considered among the brightest of us, was he?

It almost seems like every "conservative" on this site is pretty, well, stupid...
I guess Inks is intelligent. Sorry if I missed you, that doesn't make you stupid, of course, but all of the most prominent right-wingers here lack any sort of complex thought and it's saddening.

[Хahar 🤔]

JCP- Left-wing machine politics. They dominate the game because they have the numbers. Not much anyone else can do to compete with them.

DA- Quite frankly, they're the JCP's bitch.

LNF- Joke party, not worth time talking about.

ARC- Same as the LNF.

I see how it is.

The whole "blame Hamilton" thing is getting old.

[DownWithTheLeft]

No one is blaming Hamilton for being anything but his idiot self, pretty much the way we feel about you for the better part of a year

[Хahar 🤔]

No one is blaming Hamilton for being anything but his idiot self, pretty much the way we feel about you for the better part of a year

Unfortunately, nobody feels that way about me now. I'm sure it makes you very sad.

[DownWithTheLeft]

No one is blaming Hamilton for being anything but his idiot self, pretty much the way we feel about you for the better part of a year

Unfortunately, nobody feels that way about me now. I'm sure it makes you very sad.

Just wait until the next election we'll see what happens

[Хahar 🤔]

No one is blaming Hamilton for being anything but his idiot self, pretty much the way we feel about you for the better part of a year

Unfortunately, nobody feels that way about me now. I'm sure it makes you very sad.

Just wait until the next election we'll see what happens

Indeed.