The Caucus for an Institutional Atlasia

[Lumine]

The Caucus for an Institutional Atlasia:

As some of you know, Atlasia has been facing a lot of problems lately, some of them caused by inactivity, others caused by the desire of some to create some chaos. I can't blame anyone for trying to make the game more interesting, but the disregard of the Atlasian institutions by the use of loopholes is really worrying me. What we are seeing right now in the Pacific (even if the widespread chaos is receding) proves us this. It does not matter if we are speaking of the revolutionaries of the NM-AM or the so called Wolfentoad Regime:  the use of zombies, loopholes, power grabs and all of the carpetbagging are not precisely helping Atlasia.

Thus, and trying to combine my concerns (and a little bit of attention whoring, always interesting on this game) with the concerns of the liberals, federalists, independents and other parties who prefer to play this game by the rules, I am creating a small caucus for the defense of an Institutional Atlasia. So, what is the whole point of this caucus?

1.- To protect the integrity and existence of the Regional Governments and the Offices that comprise them.
2.- To fight widespread carpetbagging.
3.- To promote game reform when needed, but never takeovers, coups or outright disregard for the legal ways. While I acknowledge that the MN-AM used a somewhat legal way in Operation Pacific Rim, it is still something we should all oppose.
4.- Coordinate with parties to prevent inactivity, push forward more voter information (like newspapers, since none of them are working right now) and fight candidates that are not willing to play by the rules.

To me, it doesn't matter if the choice is between left or right, and I'd like to stress out the fact that is caucus wants to ensure that the game continues to work just fine, and that we don't have to be reactionaries with a desire to ban parties or use antidemocratic techniques, so I don't want to play Joe McCarthy.

Of course, this caucus could perfectly be a mistake on my behalf (most likely it is not even needed, since most parties are opposed to what happened on the Pacific and many will believe that I am exaggerating), but if someone feels like joining and collaborating for the cause, you are most welcomed here!

Thanks for your attention!

Update: July 6th: Current Leadership:

Chairman: LumineVonReuental.
Secretary: Politics Junkie.

Representative to the Liberal Party: Open.
Representative to the Light Party: Open.
Representative to the Labor Party: Open.
Representative to the Federalist Party: Supersonic.
Representative to the Civic Union: LumineVonReuental.

[Lumine]

I've always wanted to see more "media" and publications in the game. Problem is, you're either regurgitating facts from other threads, which isn't very helpful, or editorializing, which tends to lead only to bitching.

Indeed, but there's always room for improvement. Parties could have their own newspapers, or (as ridiculous as it may sound) the President could have a Press Secretary. The "Wolfengate" (many people heard about it only days after) proves that no one takes the time to read all threads.

The problem is because nothing in this game works to bring consequences to the actions taken and therefore so much occurs in isolation from everything else that inactivity is just too easily ignored. If the impact were felt, it wouldn't be allowed to happen. The same goes for actions like those that occured in the Pacific.

You're right, the only thing we have is the unemployment numbers (and the effect is not even felt). I wonder if there have been any attempts to reform that part of the game...

If this flies, I'll join.

I want in

Great news! If the number grows during the next couple of days I'll introduce a chairman election, a more detailed platform and (perhaps) a newspaper.

Repulsive reactionary clique.

As your gymnasts like to say: Haters gonna hate.

[Lumine]

I'd like to join, but I might hold back. I don't want to wolfentoad-up the joint.

     I will join this caucus.

Excellent! (And don't worry about it, Hagrid, sympathy for the caucus is quite useful)

Since there's enough interest, I'd like to introduce some kind of leadership for this. Long story short, I think we should have a Chairman, a Secretary (in charge of a newspaper, not only for the Caucus, but to cover everything that happens in Atlasia) and, if somebody wants to, Representatives to the parties to help coordinated efforts. Once we have that, we can get to work right away!

Anybody interested on being the Chairman, Secretary or Representative?

[Lumine]

I fully subscribe to the outlined goals of the caucus and would like to join, too.

Welcome to the caucus, Zuwo!

[Lumine]

I'd be interested in secretary.

I nominate lumine for chairman.

Excellent, that's great to hear! I will wait one more day in case some else wanted a position, and if not, we can start working right away (or hold a vote if needed).

That said, the current list goes like this:

Current Members (or have expressed interest in case of success): Politics Junkie, Supersonic, Windjammer, PiT, Hagrid, Zuwo and myself.

[Lumine]

It's been a day. We still need a representative.

Indeed, and since I see no point in holding a vote in this moment, you are now the new secretary and I will assume as Chairman until this manages to win enough support. That said, I will be asking some of the new members to see if they wish to be the Representatives.

[Lumine]

I'd like to join this caucus

Welcome to the Caucus, Assemblyman!

[Lumine]

I will certainly be looking into this, because I do agree, to an extent, with a lot of the ideas of this caucus.

Great to hear, Maxwell!

On a different note, the newspaper will soon be ready (thanks to Secretary Politics Junkie's efforts), and since the races for Midwest Alþing and Mideast Assembly are going to be quite competitive, the caucus will be looking forward to check the current platform of the candidates.

Also, our current leadership stands this way:

Chairman: LumineVonReuental.
Secretary: Politics Junkie.

Representative to the Liberal Party: Windjammer.
Representative to the Light Party: Open.
Representative to the Labor Party: Open.
Representative to the Federalist Party: Open.
Representative to the UNDA: LumineVonReuental.
Representative to the Social Democrats: Politics Junkie.

[Lumine]

How can I help.

Welcome, JCL! I asked someone to be our Federalist Representative, but should he refuse I think you would be great for the position!

I support this caucus.

Great to hear, you are our first Labor member! I wonder, would you like to participate as our Representative to the Labor Party?

[Lumine]

Great to hear, you are our first Labor member! I wonder, would you like to participate as our Representative to the Labor Party?

I'd prefer to let that job go to a more senior member of the Labor Party's hierarchy. Thank you for the offer, nonetheless.

No problem, we'll wait until we have another labor member.

On another note, I'm planning to create a rating system similar to the interest groups in the United States to make thing more interesting, and I want to start it with by rating the candidates for the Midwest Althing and the Mideast Assembly. JCL will be helping me as long as it doesn't involve an conflict of interest (since he's a candidate), and if anyone wants to help or take the lead of this small project, he/she is more than welcome to do so.

And...

An official statement from the Caucus:

This caucus views the beginning of the return to constitutional order in the Pacific with great satisfaction, and we want to congratulate Governor Spamage for not giving up to the revolutionaries who hijacked the Pacific Council and the whole region. We are more than willing to assist in any way possible to rebuild the region, and we encourage the citizens of the Pacific to help their Governor to restore an active political life to the region.

With our five regions alive and kicking again, now more than ever we must fight to retain sanity and respect for the Atlasian institutions, and that fight will be put to the test on the next election, which we hope will be fought only by candidates willing to respect legality. And, to end this statement, we congratulate the Atlasian Supreme Court on their unanimous ruling to restore the Pacific Government.

[Lumine]

I'd like to join.

Welcome to the caucus, a Person! I know you already represent your party on the Progressive Caucus, but I wonder if you would be willing to represent the Light Party here as well, what do you think?

Atlasia is an institution and those who still take it seriously should be in one, but I don't think that's what you meant.

You think? Still, I have to admit that the mere idea of having everybody here locked in strait-jackets is arresting.

[Lumine]

A statement from the Chairman:

Atlasia has seen the Pacific trying to rebuild itself with the efforts of Governor Spamage, and now those same efforts are in danger. The Pacific Council that betrayed the constitutional order is about to be recalled, but, trying to spread their dangerous agenda, an attempt to recall Spamage has also begun. I personally ask the citizens of the Pacific to stand for the Governor, and recall the Pacific Council so we can end this regional madness.

On a different note, I'm quite concerned with the new bill that IDS Legislator JBrase introduced, the Imperial Security Act, which would brand the NM-AM as a terrorist organization. I think this is a bill that we should discuss here in the caucus, so we can decide whether that way is the right one. I have no respect nor affection for the NM-AM (I think they are worse than mere trolls), but I'm quite concerned about using tactics that they would use. Do we really want to go that low?

That's why I would like to hear opinions on whether banning the NM-AM is necessary (and if so, if we want to send similar bills to other regions) or if we should fight them with more democratic methods, which would be ensuring that candidates like IBDD or Politics Junkie are elected to the council.

[Lumine]

Right, everybody knows that I hate the NM-AM and I despite almost everything they stand for, but we have to be objective, and after thinking things through, SJoyce and Politics Junkie are right. Sure, I see the merits of banning them, and Spamage has all the right to want them gone forever. And absolutely, what the NM-AM did was morally wrong, it was despicable and it shows a total lack of respect for the game and the players (and screw the whole "it's just a game" thing, you have to play by the written and unwritten rules in all games).

Still, we can't ban their party, call them traitors and banish them because, like it or not, we live in a democratic system. They always speak of the people and how the people support them, and the next elections are a great way of showing how wrong they are. If we can defeat the attempts to recall Spamage, recall the Pacific Council and defeat Seatown, Hashemite and any candidate they send to an election, then they will not be able to deny the fact that the people of Atlasia does not support them.

Now, if they recall Spamage and keep their council, I have little doubt that they will destroy what's left of the Pacific, and they will begin to undermine the rest of the country. I make an open call to this Caucus and the parties of Atlasia to leave petty party politics aside and make a serious attempt to keep sanity in the regions and save the Pacific from this madness.

I will be releasing a rating of the current candidates to this caucus for approval, so we can have a clear picture and make a real effort to win these elections, not for the parties, but for sanity.

[Lumine]

Are we discussing rating candidates for pacific council or everywhere?

Everywhere (Midwest, Mideast, IDS and Pacific), Hashemite is also running in the IDS and I don't want to take risks in any region. So far the list goes like this:

Pacific Council:

IBDD (UNDA)
Politics Junkie (Soc-Dem)
Seatown (Labor)

Midwest Althing:

Thomas D (Lib)
Ilikeverin (Other)
Windjammer (Lib)

Mideast Assembly:

Njall (Lab)
MustCrushCapitalism (Lab)
JCL (Fed)
Bmotley (Fed)
Inks (Fed)
Oldiesfreak (Fed)

IDS Legislature:

Dereich (Fed)
Alfred F. Jones (Lab)
Hashemite (NM-AM)

[Lumine]

I agree with most of them, but aren't you being a little too harsh on the Federalists? I mean, JCL is a member of the caucus after all, he has been quite helpful and he hasn't shown a lack of respect for institutions (as far as I'm concerned).

[Lumine]

Shua has also announced that he's running for reelection for Mideast assembly.

By mistake, I forgot about that...

Well, I suppose the ratings list could go like this:

Pacific Council:

IBDD (UNDA) 3
Politics Junkie (Soc-Dem) 3
Seatown (Labor) 1

Midwest Althing:

Thomas D (Lib) 3
Ilikeverin (Other) 2
Windjammer (Lib) 3

Mideast Assembly:

Njall (Lab) 3
MustCrushCapitalism (Lab) 3
JCL (Fed) 2
Bmotley (Fed) 3
Inks (Fed) 2
Oldiesfreak (Fed) 3
Shua (Lib) 3

IDS Legislature:

Dereich (Fed) 3
Alfred F. Jones (Lab) 2
Hashemite (NM-AM) 1

[Lumine]

My most sincere apologies for the lack of activity in the Caucus, but with the elections being underway I think it's safe to assume that sanity in Atlasia will be enforced. Spamage has won the recall, and the Pacific Council that hijacked the Pacific (their motives were irrelevant, and the changes in the Liberal Party, the competitive elections and the birth of new parties prove that Atlasia doesn't need nor want a revolution to increase activity) was recalled and replaced.

While I'm unsure of the current numbers in the Pacific and IDS elections, the Midwest, Northeast and Mideast elections gave us a good example of competitive and sane elections, with all candidates having the basic respect for the rules that Atlasia needs to avoid widespread chaos. True, the NM-AM will retain some seats in the Pacific and most likely in the IDS, but the Pacific is safe now.

My most sincere congratulations to the participants in these elections, and to the future candidates for races such as At-Large Senate (or the hypothetical Midwest Governor one), since regardless of the victor all of the candidates represent the qualities that Atlasia needs.