The Atlasian Tribune - Mechaman's column

[Antonio the Sixth]

Here is it, fellow Atlasians. After a long period of hesitation, I decided to inaugurate this new year by starting a newspaper. My purpose is to experiment a radically new method of editing, which stands in two principles. First of all, this newspaper will not be "my" newspaper : seven high-quality posters who are deeply involved in the game accepted my offer to contribute to it. Coming from different political sides, they all share a great attachment to Atlasia and the will to improve it. The second principle will be to guarantee a set frequency in publishments : every month, each contributor will publish one article at a precise date.
As I explained, this newspaper is mostly an experiment, and I don't know if it will work successfully. But it's certainly worth a try, and the growing animosity between Atlasians made necessary to find a common tribune for each side to friendly express their own point of view. I hope you will enjoy reading this newspaper, and that this initiative won't be useless.

Antonio V, editor in chief.


Calendar of publishments

This calendar will remain the same for every month.

- 1st of the month : My editorial
- 4th : Barnes' column
- 7th : Tmthforu's column
- 10th : Kalwejt's column
- 13th : Interview of an Atlasian
- 16th : Mechman's column
- 19th : Xahar's column
- 20th : AndrewCT's column
- 22th : Marokai's column
- 25th : Hashemite's column
- 28th : Analysis of electoral results and results of the newspaper's polls
- 30th : Vepres' column


Obviously, the Tribune is ready to recruit new contributors. Please contact me if you are interested.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Editorial : Atlasian realignments

It is now clear to anyone that the previous month was a decisive one in the history of Atlasia, and that the political system has been deeply modified. I don't think to be excessive in calling it a realignment.

When I arrived to Atlasia, the game was experiencing one of the quietest period of its history. A stable three-party system, resulting to several events from October 2008 to April 2009, was finally set. Oppositions between pro-reform and anti-reform had calmed down, replaced by more classical left/right divides. And each party was, besides rivalries, able to quietly discuss with others and reach compromises (DWTL being a noteworthy exception). The strength of a centrist party, the Democratic Alliance, played a great role in guaranteeing this stability. However, this consensus spirit didn't prevent harsh political and ideological fights, and the discussions on controversial bills fed the richness of the political debate.

This time is over now. In an incredibly short time, a party (and mostly a man) totally changed the Atlasian political system. Only the future will tell us if this radical change will last, or if it will merely be an interlude. Here are the facts we all saw : An Atlasian, who already had the reputation of being controversial, started along with some other Atlasians a new party. During the period I mentioned, all the attempts to create a brand new party were unsuccessful, except for the LNF that embodies the legacy of a wing of the former SDP. The Second Libertarian Party of Atlasia, the Independent Conservative Party, the New Progressive Party, the Individual Rights Party... all miserably failed. The Atlasia Reform Coalition, instead, grew with an unseen rapidity, getting 10 members in the day of its creation. What is even more surprising is the main members of ARC were people who, even though being registered, didn't involve in the game at all before. Initially mocked by long-time involved Atlasians, the new party established itself with a surprising strength. The December 2009 Senate Election saw Mint, a totally unknown figure who posts extremely rarely, got a plurality of votes nationwide ! In the Northeast, where the ARC is the most strong, both its candidates reached the quota on the first round and the party got 36% of the votes. How can we explain such an upsurge ? For its partisans, this is an evidence of a massive popular movement. But how to explain that people suddenly feel so attracted by a new party coming from nothing ? It now appears evident that such "movement" can't be spontaneous, but was instead organized, and therefore controlled. Now the real question is : shouldn't we fear someone who has the power to create a "popular movement" alone ?

Now, it's time to have a look at the consequences of the realignment caused by ARC's birth. The party itself defines its platform as "pro-small government". What does "small-government" mean when one of the main parties, the PCP, is right-libertarian, the other one, the JCP, contains a strong left-libertarian wing. And what about "reform" when the DA and a great part of the LNF strongly advocates for it ? No, the real platform of the ARC hasn't anything to do with small government, neither with reform. Its only main and common characteristic is a rejection of a so-called "elite". What do they mean by "elite" ? Merely the experienced and long-serving Atlasian, people who built the game, who passed essential bills, who contributed to make it as it is. Sometimes ago, Hamilton started a thread asking "Is this the worst Senate ever ?" a Senate having people like Franzl, Afleitch, Marokai, Hashemite and Fritz was, according to Hamilton, "the worst ever" ! Everywhere, Hamilton and its allies feed a populist rhetoric, opposing "the people" to the evil reactionary elite. Recently, AndrewCT, Kalwejt and myself have been victims of the same rhetoric. Nobody already tried to ask what allowed Hamilton to consider itself as the official representative of the people, especially when "the cause of people" strangely fits with Hamilton's interests. Always, in every thing he does, Hamilton's strategy is based upon feeding or creating conflicts. Since the birth of the ARC, we saw a radicalization of Atlasia never seen in months. Every day, words become harsher and harsher between allies and opponents of Hamilton and the ARC. Continuously provoked, people like RowanBrandon, Marokai Blue, Kalwejt or myself often lose their composure. Insults are thrown by both sides.

Indeed, there is no more "left" and "right" in Atlasia : people from both right and left are now common allies to preserve the game from the hatred of one man. Good people of Atlasia must unite against Hamilton's ego trip, his sneaky method and the hatred he spread. Here stands the realignment of the Atlasian political system : when it comes to defend the game itself, and the reasons why we liked it, people who share nothing ideologically are able to unite. This union is starting to appear, and when people who for the moment remain "neutral" will realize the gravity of the current realignment, it will be the beginning of a great coalition. The "elite" as Hamilton likes to call it, is really an elite in the original sense of the word. They are the best citizens of Atlasia, the most honorable and intelligent : and now they are facing trickiness and stupidity. The outcome of this battle will determine the future of Atlasia.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Clearer paragraphs please.

Like that ?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Clearer paragraphs please.

Like that ?

Yes, thank you lol. The giant bloc form hurt my eyes.

Yeah, you're right. I will remember to do that next time.

[Antonio the Sixth]

EDIT: And for the record, I disagree with the article. If you look at the game today versus 3 months or 6 months or a year ago, almost nothing has changed drastically in terms of party alignment. The RPP may be weakened from it's high point, but the JCP and RPP are in the same spots they could have always expected to be in (the rapid RPP growth was never sustainable). The ARC is made up of disaffected RPP or independent members, for the most part, and they elect their own candidate. As opposed to if they joined back with the RPP and would simply have that party elect one more candidate than it currently has. So, what's the difference? This article hasn't convinced me.

Well, I see the realignment in the debates of last weeks : there have been no more ideological left/right divides, and instead the issues that are more and more evoked concern the game itself : zombie voting, party system, etc... Another example : what if the RPP, as it seems, doesn't run any candidate ? The race that seems to emerge will oppose two Atlasians considered as left-wing. Such thing would have been unthinkable in October.

You could still go back and simply edit your article by adding more paragraph breaks for those yet to read it. Should take you all of two minutes. I mean, if you actually care about editorial excellance and all.

Well, I already tried to fix it a bit, but remember that it's only my first newspaper ! Don't expect me to write like Hashemite, Xahar or Marokai.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Excellent article Antonio. Your English is superb for a foreigner, as always.

Thanks a lot.

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True, you just made me realize it.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Oh, well. I didn't think we'd have so much success...
This will need to radically reorganize the calendar. I'll let you know how we will organize it.

[Antonio the Sixth]

In my first entry I will address the hypocrisy of the secret police that were too busy burning down AASP headquarters to address the zombie hordes of the Atlasian Reform Coalition.

Thanks for proving my point MasterJedi.
For those of you wondering what MJ did he edited out the horrible hateful word "Retard" and replaced it with "Reform" while other posters on this website are currently getting away with saying the F word.

LOL And then he accuses us of unfairly criticzing him...

[Antonio the Sixth]

lol, harassment at its finest.


Good work, Jedi.

Do you have any reason to defend him, apart from the fact he's your friend ?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Well, now please stop posting about it in the newspaper's thread. There are appropriate threads to discuss about moderator's abuses.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Changes is the newspaper's composition

Dear readers, I'm sorry to announce the voluntary retirement of our contributor, Dr. Cynic, due to his lack of the time necessary to write articles.
However, I also announce that The Atlasian Tribune just recruited three new contributors : Kalwejt, who will take Dr. Cynic's column ; AndrewCT, who will publish on the 20th ; and Vepres, who will have a column on the 30th of every month. May them enjoy their contribution to the Tribune. I also accepted Sewer Socialist's ask, but didn't receive any answer for the moment.
The calendar of publishments will be duly edited.

The editor in chief.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Changes is the newspaper's composition

Dear readers, I'm sorry to announce the voluntary retirement of our contributor, Dr. Cynic, due to his lack of the time necessary to write articles.
However, I also announce that The Atlasian Tribune just recruited three new contributors : Kalwejt, who will take Dr. Cynic's column ; AndrewCT, who will publish on the 20th ; and Vepres, who will have a column on the 30th of every month. May them enjoy their contribution to the Tribune. I also accepted Sewer Socialist's ask, but didn't receive any answer for the moment.
The calendar of publishments will be duly edited.

The editor in chief.

What will Vepres do in February?

Well, I guess I'll exceptionally give him another day.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Two Interviews, by Barnes

Our fellow contributor Barnes, conducted two mini-interviews with Mechaman and Lt. Gov. Jbrase. Here is the full text of them.


Interview with Mechaman

B : You recently founded the Atlasian Anti-Square Party, what was your reason behind forming this party, and how do you think it can contribute to the Government?

M : Well I believe that the Atlasian Anti-Square Party, with it's principles be rooted in non-aggression and mutualism can bring a lot to the table in encouraging a cooperative and friendly atmosphere that is sorely lacking in Atlasia today between those of different political stripes. As well as free marijuana for all peoples ages 17 and up (at least for now, if I can get Whacky Hack to be a bit more reasonable I hope to lower it down to 14, we are after all a big tent party that is willing to pragmatate and compromise on certain issues).

B : On December 30th, you announced you were running for President under the Anti-Square ticket. What do you intend to do if elected?

M : Actually originally I just planned on running for the Midwest Senate, but then (chuckles) I remembered I promised Hans I wouldn't run against him if he promised to take a stand against "ex-gay" institutions. If elected to the presidency I plan on encouraging a system of mutualism, that is allowing economic cooperatives to form between the citizens of Atlasia, free of government intervention, if they so choose. I think people will find in the next few months that this party will have more to offer them than just free marijuana and lowering the age of consent.

B : On January 1st, Sewer Socialist announced he was your running-mate. If he is elected Vice President, how do you think he will participate in your Administration?

M : Well Sewer is a bit more of a socialist than I am in most economic matters, so I believe that he would do well in advancing the formation of economic cooperatives throughout Atlasia to encourage Atlasian citizens to become more self sufficient and sharing of the resources of the land than they were under the jurisdiction of state or federal entities.

B : Is the Anti-Square Party interested in running candidates for other offices? Namely regional offices (like the Northeast or Mideast Assembly).

M : Sure! We'd be open to (when we get more members) to running candidates in federal and regional offices all across Atlasia! We need to help advance our agenda of mutualism and friendly cooperation throughout Atlasia

B : Before you renamed it, the Anti-Square Party was known as the "Atlasian Marijuana Party". Soon after its formation, the Party's thread was deleted by a Moderator. What is your opinion of this?

M : Well, I can understand that Gustaf was just doing his job as a moderator but I don't understand why he thought the whole thread deserved to die for the actions of a few posts. Also I don't feel comfortable with the idea that political enemies of mine can report my posts fullscale and that even the slightest of jokes can be censored according to forum rules. In hindsight I can't blame mods like Gustaf and MasterJedi for doing their job, but I would also like them to keep in mind the motivations of some of the people who report posts are in the future. This whole episode was regrettable, but hopefully we all can learn from it and mature up.


Interview with JBrase

B : In the December elections, you were elected Lieutenant Governor of the Southeast, what do you wish to accomplish during your time in office?

J : Well recently the Southeast was mentioned as having

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In the upcoming January regional inititives I would like to work with Gov. Brandon H to solve this issue and improve the region. While I am in office I would also like to work with the Governor to increase activity in the region, promote fiscal responsibilty, and individual liberty. There is no reason the the Southeast can't be a "shining city on a hill". As long as I hold office my goal will always be making the region that shining city.

B : Do you intended to run for reelection in the February election, or do you plan to run for a higher office?

J : As of now I dont see my self seeking higher office in February. I plan on running for re-election and fully supporting the re-election of Gov. Brandon H and Senator NC Yankee in his next election.

B : There is, what some would call, a "battle" over whether your region is "The Southeast" or the "Dirty South", where do you stand on this?

J : I personaly feel the the the region is and should remain known as the Southeast, that being said, in last months regional elections, an initiative know as the Restore the Revolution Act was voted on and approved by the citizens of the Southeast. This act allows the region to go by both names. Though I am personaly opposed the the name "Dirty South", I will gladly support what ever name the citizens choose to call the region.

B : According to Article I, Section 9, of the Southeast Constitution, the Lt. Governor ascends to the Governorship upon its vacancy. Do you believe you would be ready to take over if you had to?

J : Should the situation call for it I feel I would be up for the job. If I had to take over the Governors office in the event of a vacancy, I would quickly name a new Lt. Gov. and work with him or her along with our regional senator NC Yankee to continue making the region a better place for everyone.

[Antonio the Sixth]

A Year in Perspective, by Tmthforu94

We don’t even see it occur. It normally doesn’t happen over night, and we’re lucky to catch it before it goes into effect. What is this I’m talking about? The changes of Atlasia.

When I entered into the world known as Atlasia on January 9th, 2009, it was a rather peaceful time. The JCP had the upper hand, with the RPP and DA following suit. Fights were rare, and usually when the occurred, they were resolved fairly soon. I stirred up some drama myself with Marokai Blue, but it was resolved over time.

Over the past few months, a lot has happened. More than most of us think. Due to many newly registered members, the RPP soured in numbers, and at one point led the JCP in registration. The DA continued to chug along at a distance third, picking up a quality member, here and there.

The Mideast was strung with controversy, and it was later found out that both candidate for the Senate race were using fake accounts, Persepolis being Ogis, and devilman88 being Josh. After waiting till after the election to announce he couldn’t take the seat, Governor Inks appointed a person, myself, to the seat, who’s only experience was a few days in the Mideast Assembly. DWTL had strongly pushed Governor Inks to appoint him to the seat, but do to Inks not supporting carpet bagging, it never came to pass.

A young, very energetic member launched a campaign in the Pacific, and despite huge odds, managed to pull almost 30% of the vote in a very liberal region. This same member went on to be the main recruiter for the RPP, and brought hoards of members in.

The October elections drew near. After struggling in August, the Regional Protection Party was confident October would be better, with a strong Jedi/Franzl ticket running. However, Franzl removed his name, leaving a scramble as to who should be the VP. And to make it all worse, less than a week before the elections, Jedi bowed out as well, leaving PiT as a sacrificial lamb. In the Senate races, DWTL performed much poorer than expected against Hashemite, after polling close to him. I comfortably defeated Ben, even though opponents in my own party expected me to lose. The Dirty South removed their incompetent Governor Daniel Adams, and elected Xahar. While Xahar’s views were very different from most of the region, he was an active Governor, something the region was new to. He was defeated later by Brandon H.

The right was beginning to divide. The chairman, Duke, was being unsuccessful at containing DWTL from his vicious and hateful remarks. DWTL was still running the party…into the ground. That’s where I came in. After spending months being DWTL’s main opposition in the party, I realized that Atlasia isn’t about fighting and have to sit there and take attack after attack. I left the Regional Protection Party, because I got tired of DWTL making vicious remarks to myself, and other members, and no one in leadership defending me.

December…oh what fun elections those were. In the weeks before the election, DWTL constantly boasted about how he would easily be elected to the Senate. Others disagreed, and DWTL’s ignorance was his downfall. When the vote opened, less than 5 people voted for him: Inks, Daniel Adams, and one or two more. Ever since his miserable defeat, he has vanished. Rumor has it that he’s running for city council in New Jersey. Poor New Jersey.

If I had to grade 2009 Atlasia, I’d give it a solid B. It was great because I joined, but it wasn’t so great because of all the fighting, drama, and plain stupidity that was shown, especially in the final months.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Power beyond a control, by Kalwejt

(Disclaimer: Kalwejt is currently haunted by midterm at the University, as well as developed horrible addiction in Atlasia Americana, which caused this commentary to be very brief. Please also consider English is not a native language of this brave Polish-Atlasians )

So, finally, moderators, those almost mythical creatures with astonishing powers over Atlasia beyond our country regular laws and authorities, get a tool they need for an effective fight against trolls.

The idea is, naturally, pretty controversial. I’m not free of concerns as well, even while I’m trend to be a favor of this solution. For months trolls were by their actions destroyin the whole fun we all have from fantasy elections. Beside, we really need to realize once for all a distinction between a free speech, strong disagreements and controversies, as it’s always happens in discussion and other fantasy actions, and mindless trolling. There’s no real need to describe what trolling is, we all know that very well from our own experiences. No group ever abused a right of free speech and compromitate is more than trolls.

Banning of certain posters, which is not so easy and which process always take a lot of time, is not a solution, of course. Beside, they will go back over and over again under new names. Trolling exist due to attention, we’re giving to them, as they seek it’s actively. Putting them on the list and simply deleting new posts, such a freeze, is much more powerful to deal with the problem. And troll is always given a chance to start a “new life” (if not, well, troll be on the list for ever).

Introduced solition, first invented in a foreign land called “Forum Community”, may be finally what Atlasia needed. But there is one problem.

As history teach us, every law, every regulation may be a tool for an abuse. Not because idea per se is wrong, but because people responsible to carry it out either misunderstand or, even worse, use it with premeditation against terms.

I don’t want to go back to the days where trolls were continuing their spree without any consequences, and all we could do was to repeat “do not feed the trolls” (almost all times unsuccesfully). That’s why we have to watch closely how this would work as well. Infamous night raid on then Atlasia Marijuana Party showed very well that even moderators, suppoused to keep this place under a rules, are not free from their own biases, which is affecting their decisions.

The point is that Atlasia have no authority at all to oversee if moderators are carrying out their duties well and if they do not abuse an enormous power due to own political agenda. And that’s worries me just as worry many other Atlasians.

Even bigger problem is that if this solution turns out to be useless and if moderators themselves would ruin this by irresponsible actions, it would be a victory to the trolls. Just as doing nothing will be a carte blanche for them as well. Balance is very hard to keep and the risk is huge.

That’s why, along with justified criticism when needed to be voiced out, we need to tell moderators clearly: be catious, be extremelly catious with your extrodinary powers you’re not responsible before anyone except Dave.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Changes is the newspaper's composition

Dear readers, I'm sorry to announce the voluntary retirement of our contributor, Dr. Cynic, due to his lack of the time necessary to write articles.
However, I also announce that The Atlasian Tribune just recruited three new contributors : Kalwejt, who will take Dr. Cynic's column ; AndrewCT, who will publish on the 20th ; and Vepres, who will have a column on the 30th of every month. May them enjoy their contribution to the Tribune. I also accepted Sewer Socialist's ask, but didn't receive any answer for the moment.
The calendar of publishments will be duly edited.

The editor in chief.

What will Vepres do in February?

Well, I guess I'll exceptionally give him another day.

I could post on the 27th, that would make the most sense IMO.

My main goal is to make the presence of articles the most homogeneous possible in a month. So, I prefer that you will post the 27th in non bissextile Februaries, the 29th in bissextile Februaries and the 30th in other months. Obviosuly, if you have some concerns with 30th, I may change it.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Changes is the newspaper's composition

Dear readers, I'm sorry to announce the voluntary retirement of our contributor, Dr. Cynic, due to his lack of the time necessary to write articles.
However, I also announce that The Atlasian Tribune just recruited three new contributors : Kalwejt, who will take Dr. Cynic's column ; AndrewCT, who will publish on the 20th ; and Vepres, who will have a column on the 30th of every month. May them enjoy their contribution to the Tribune. I also accepted Sewer Socialist's ask, but didn't receive any answer for the moment.
The calendar of publishments will be duly edited.

The editor in chief.

What will Vepres do in February?

Well, I guess I'll exceptionally give him another day.

I could post on the 27th, that would make the most sense IMO.

My main goal is to make the presence of articles the most homogeneous possible in a month. So, I prefer that you will post the 27th in non bissextile Februaries, the 29th in bissextile Februaries and the 30th in other months. Obviosuly, if you have some concerns with 30th, I may change it.

That's what I had in mind, I'm fine with it.

Great.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Hamilton's last words
An exclusive interview by Antonio V

Hamilton is gone now. Not for so much time, true ; but still, the Atlasian known as Hamilton is gone forever.
Exactly 10 days ago, I decided to propose him an interview to the Atlasian Tribune, and he accepted. Admittedly, we saw it as an occasion to "own each other". Because the best interviews are those who are polemic and without connivance, I decided to interview the person that I consider as a dangerous manipulator who tried to destroy the game.
This interview should have been finished today. It will never be. So I will now reveal you the questions that have been asked during all the previous week. These can be seen as the "last words" an Atlasian who had a considerable influence on the game.


A : First of all, thanks for responding to my few questions.

H : No problem.

A : Based on the latest nationwide election, you lead the third Atlasian political force. What are your feelings about that ?

H : Well, I must say that I feel that you are wrong in stating that we are third. I believe that, discounting out turnout and eligibility problems, we received second place in that election. That being said, I am proud to have a founded a party that gained traction so quickly, but I am certainly not the leader, nor do I intend to act as such. Do I play an important role? Yes, but Mint is our Chairman, and even then, he is no more a leader than anyone else who is working to build the party into something more than what it currently is. I also expect us to show even greater strength in February and April, so it really is exciting and energizing.

A : Does the ARC have a sort of internal functioning ? I mean, the way you define platform, mobilize voters, and run candidates. Could you explain it to us ?

H : Our platform was largely developed by Chairman Mint, with some help from myself and Einzige. i'm pleased with the outcome. As for which candidates we run, we typically look at an election, see if we already have a candidate, and if not, we will let any member run who wants to run. We try to encourage newer members to seek low-ranking offices to et them started in Atlasia, this, of course, has been shot down by members of every other party, though, as they don't wish to give newbies any fighting chance in this game. As for mobilizing voters- we don't really have any particular technique or tactic, but we simply bring forth our message to voters and more often than not it resonates, giving pleasing results. In December, Mint won a large bloc of well-known swing voters that gave him the first place spot.

A : What is your opinion of the other Atlasian parties ? Please specify for each one.

H : Jesus Christ Party- Frankly, I don't like them one bit. They are far too powerful and have literally put in measures to monopolize the game (that supposedly bgwah even opposes). I think it's pathetic that people like Lief, Marokai, and Bacon King defend their blatant zombie voters simply because they post a lot and maybe were involved here years ago. They have hurt many new people trying to get involved with their antics and it's really upsetting.

Democratic Alliance- Not a big fan, mostly because they actually take Purple State seriously. I have yet to see the "pragmatic centrism" in their voting. I've noticed they prefer radical extremists to pragmatic centrists. Look at how they supported far-left Marokai over the moderate Duke, likewise with right-wing fringe candidate DWTL over a moderate like Fritz, and supporting Lief's radical platform over PiT's pragmatic approach in October. I think they have some respectable members but I don't believe they stand for all that they claim to and are quite a bit overrated.

Leipist National Front- I like them.

Progressive Conservative Party- They epitomize hypocrisy and are stuck in 2002. That's all I can really say. It's clear to anyone paying attention that they are fading away, and I'm fairly certain that they will vote for Bacon King simply because they've always been the JCP's lapdog (see February 09 and the special election to replace CK).

Mechaman's party- I think it's just a trolling group, but I don't really care.

A : Let's talk about zombies, since you introduced the argument. Some members, most notably Senator Hashemite, have been strongly opposing zombie voting for a long time. Today, more and more people have reached a consensus on the necessity to act against these practise, and that lead to the creation of the HAEV. What is your opinion on measures to prevent zombie voting, in general ? And specifically, on the HAEV ?

H : Zombie voting has always existed in Atlasia and always will. The idea that people won't find ways around it is absurd. The problem isn't zombie voting, it's hyperpartisanship. That Kalwejt can have a net approval and I have a net disapproval is ridiculous. Name one thing Kalwejt ever did that was worthwhile while in the Assembly. One. Comapre that to my accomplishments. It's pretty easy to see why I don't take this game seriously anymore. The JCP is full of zombies, the PCP is full of zombies, and every party preceding had zombies. I much prefer elections with 300 voters to elections with 30 voters. I will oppose the HAEV and any other attempt to restrict the rights of voters. In real life, most voters are uninformed and lazy. Why can't Atlasia be the same? We don't have the ability to sustain activity for everyone at present as it is, people get bored without having anything worthwhile to do. Plus, people who are simply on the forum get to know each other and get a sense of who they do and don't agree with. It's not like they see a ballot, two names they don't recognize, and just mark it. People only have a problem with zombies when they are voting for right-wing candidates.

A : Just to stay on this theme, I will give you a short list of users and ask you if you consider each of them as zombies or not. Quickly justify your choice.

- Italian-boy
- Azmagic
- Sirnick
- Mart
- MagneticFree
- Winfield
- BRTD
- Ogre Mage
- Lahbas

H : All of them are "zombies" except azmagic and Winfield. azmagic at least loosely follows what is going on here and as you know, can justify any vote he's ever made. Winfield will vote for the candidates that best portrays himself, as he does not belong to any particular party. The others may be "zombies" but certainly shouldn't be removed from voting rolls. That being said, the lefties and righties have to go at the same time if any legitimate argument against these people could be made, however, I don't believe there are any justifications for disenfranchising people regardless of activity levels, date of registration, post count, or any other arbitrary measurements.

A : A rhetoric question to end with this issue. You said that azmagic isn't a zombie because he "loosely follows what is going on here". That means he reads some topics in the Atlas Fantasy Elections board, but never comments them (which seems strange to me, but anyways). How can you affirm that BRTD and the other "lefties" don't do the same ? If they do, they aren't be zombies in your definition.

H : I'm not sure. Thank you for udnerstanding my point, though. No one truly knows the level of participation of a voter and it really is none of our damn business. We shouldn't be judging people based on this. It's also none of my business that you approve of the do-nothing Kalwejt and disapprove of one of the two hardest working Representatives in the Assembly.

A : So, let's talk of the Assembly now. The First Assembly, which was in session from October to December, has an impressive record of legislation passed, which makes all Reps proud. It also seemed to have worked in a quiet atmosphere, with numerous bipartisan agreements. You can testify that I voted some of your bills, and reciprocally. What were, in your opinion, the reasons of these good results ?

H : Well, as I've said, the bipartisan agreements came from my ability to compromise, work pragmatically, and generally centrist ideology. I refer to myself because most of the legislation was authored or sponsored by myself, and I know my own process more than I know that of others. I believed that if I worked with everyone and gave in on some issues to get some return on others, it would benefit the region. I have now realized that there is no "return." I'm never going to benefit from working with people like you or Kalwejt. I went out of my way to help you guys, collaborated as friends and spoke about subjects unrelated to politics, and you two chose to throw that away for political expedience. Fine, but I don't work hard and play nice just to get slapped in the face and the fact that people are writing me off for Governor despite knowing I would do the job better (as Kaalwejt said in private) is pretty much the last straw for me. That being said, I know you are bringing this up because I shot down the "gener identity" and "size" amendments, and that has nothing to do with anything other than the fact that no one addressed the major concerns with them. I get criticized for being unwilling to debate, but people like Kalwejt speak in platitudes and don't actually answer my questions. I do love, though, that you try to play it up as obstruction yet even people like cinyc voted against them because they were rooted ins pecial interests and would have had detrimental effects, and he is not affiliated with the ARC in any way, shape, or form. My approach to legislation is one of pragmatism and effectiveness, and the way the bill was amended allowed it to be neither pragmatic nor effective.

[Antonio the Sixth]

A : I would like you to precise how people like me and Kalwejt, have, as you said, shown unwillingness to debate and reach compromises. If I well remember, I almost everytimes voted for your final bills, and I were overall supportive on the bill you tabled because of the amendments we passed. My personal opinion of you never made me refuse to reach compromises with you isnside the Assembly.

H : You two claim that I refuse to debate, though you leave my questions unanswered. But again, I don't care about specifically in the Assembly. There has to be mutual respect around the forum. I'm not going to just brush aside all the negativity coming from your side in the Assembly until you do so in the Voting Booth. See how it works both ways? Now, since I didn't initiate conflict, I will not initiate any kind of reconcialiation. The ball is in your court but I'm not holding my breath.

A : Apart from the fact that I deny having "initiated conflict", don't you consider that adopting such a bad attitude in the Assembly due to personal issues with some Reps harms the legislative work ? That you are sacrificing the interests of the Northeastern people because of your own anger ?

H : Of course you deny it or "don't see it." How else could I be the bad guy?

I refuse to answer this question.

A : On December, Mint, the candidate of the ARC, was elected to the Senate with the highest number of votes. What is your opinion about him ?

H : Mint is a great guy, a man of ideas who can contribute to the Senate more than anyone else. I think the hateful lies people lik Badger spread about him were disgusting.

A : While I see no reason to criticize Mint personally, what do you think about his participation to Atlasia before his election ? Don't you think he lacked experience of Atlasia to run for a so high office ?

H : Mint was a pretty consistent voter since he registered [strategically] as one of Tmthforu's zombies. Oh, but only Hamilton can have zombies, so Antonio likes Tmth but hates Hamilton. okay.

Anyways, Mint has voted and ran a good campaign so I think his participation was fine. As for experience, how is Senate any different from any other office? it isn't. And frankly, the experienced people around here suck, so I'd love to see some less active and newer posters win election to any office.

A : Could you make it clearer why more active Senators "suck" and why Mint was better than them ?

H : Because they represent the establishment in this game, and the establishment is an evil force. The establishment wants to restrict this game to a select few, and they group together regardless of ideology to oppose anyone who approaches the game with a different viewpoint. I'm obviously not the first victim, they did the same to Xahar and many others before me.

A : So you consider that an "aristocracy" now controls Atlasia and tries to prevent newcomers to access high responsibilities in Atlasia. So, what about Barnes ? What about Tmthforu ? What about Teddy, even more recently ? All newbies, but who have never been victims of the "establishment" as you claim to be.

H : Hm, interesting. You give me one member who has consistently bent to the will of the establishment (Barnes), another who faced ridicule from people like Purple State and was harassed by his own former party members like DWTL and has even admitted to voting for things he disagreed with just to fit in (Tmth), and another who recently left the game due to his disgust with the attitudes here (Teddy). So, yes, great examples, Antonio!

A : You spoke about "the will of the establishment". What is this will ?

H : It's quite obvious that they will do anything to preserve their power.

A : So let me understand. Someone like Barnes, who though being a newbie, was perceived very well, if not complimented, by the "establishment", has been treated so well because he has worked to preserve the establishment's power ? How so ?

H : Let's be honest- Barnes isn't of much relevance to begin with, as far as the establishment goes. He was able to build little support for a Senate bid. Serving on the HAEV is proof that he is a tool of the establishment. The HAEV is a body intending to turn the game from its intended purpose as an election simulation with a government component to an exclusive clique of popularity contest participants.

A : The next Atlasian Presidential Election will be held in February. For the moment, the declared candidates are Bacon King for the JCP, Xahar for the LNF and Mechaman for the AASP. What is your feeling about this election ?

H : My feeling is that it shouldn't even be held. It's pointless. People aren't going to vote for the candidate who has the views closest to theirs or who they think would do the best job, they're going to vote for the candidate who is on their side- establishment or anti-establishment. That's why people like you will sell out your ideology so quickly- to keep in favor with the establishment and hope one day you get a chance.

A : Is the ARC considering to run a candidate for this election ? If it's the case, can you give me the name of the possible candidates ?

H : I may run if Bacon King looks like he is going to win an easy victory. Otherwise, I will be supporting Xahar, someone who has helped me out a lot, is intelligent and good at management, and holds his values strong. He also has a record of reform, something we are in dire need of these days.

A : What should be, in your opinion, a good agenda for the next President ?

H : I don't really care. I'd like to see some kind of "reboot" feature where we can somehow start the game over (re-register, new Constitutions for each region, get people back in their homestates, stick Europeans in the Midwest, possibly erase laws currently in existence and be forced to re-do them). The game needs competition to survive. It also needs passion. Both are lacking. There is only so much one can do around here, and people are running out of ideas, running out of offices, enthusiasm is low. We're in a sad state, and it's because of a select few people.

A : You are running for Governor of the Northeast Region. If elected, what will you do ?

H : If elected, I will stir up debate in many ways, I will help push through sweeping urban renewal legislation to clean up inner cities and offer impoverished families more opportunities. I also will begin to introduce some new initiatives that will increase activity within the region from faces we don't see so often, but I'm not going to reveal any details if I'm not elected. I also intend on being much more active then our current Governor and using the Governor as a leadership position.

A : As you know, the Governor has the power to "veto legislation he doesn't approve". Which use will you make of this important power ?

H : I will use the veto when appropriate. I will always alert the Assembly if I intend to veto during debate and let them know what they can do to change it to earn my support.

A : The polls are showing the race as close, but with a slight lead in favor of AndrewCT. How do you estimate your chances of winning ?


He could never answer to this question. So this interview will remain unachieved forever. Other questions I planned to ask were about :
- Mechman's party thread deletion
- The TrollList
- His personal issues with me and Kalwejt

Here is it, fellow Atlasians.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Hamilton's last words
An exclusive interview by Antonio V

 Fine, but I don't work hard and play nice just to get slapped in the face and the fact that people are writing me off for Governor despite knowing I would do the job better (as Kaalwejt said in private)

Kalwejt doesnt like how I do my job?

I doubt that. Hamilton was a compulsive liar.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Too bad, guys, you don't know that during Autumn Hamilton had diffrent ideas and was talking to me about creating a Social Democratic Party, also wanting Antonio to be in.

Not surprising at all. At the time, Kal and me were Hamilton's Libertas and Segway. His fanclub was composed of leftist, so he had to be one too. I remember him calling himself a "progressive" repeatedly and even a "socialist" once. So he left the PCP (because people here were starting to know him too well) and joined the LNF.

When Kal and me started to understand who he was (quite late unfortunately), he started to gather a bunch of unexperienced newbies like Libertas, Einzige, Winston, Giovanni and (at the time) Mechman. Since they were all libertarians, Hamilton converted himself to "small government" and founded the ARC.

And BTW, Kal's "impulsivenesses" and successive resignations, his unfounded angers against Marokai and Bgwah have a lot to do with Hamilton. As he did with me, he managed to manipulate him (by convincing him that JCP was plotting to make fail his candidacy) in order to ruin his carreer. Fortunately, it's now time for a new beginning.

[Antonio the Sixth]

It's true that his whole purpose in this game was to be a powerful overlord. He once told friends he planned on being like bgwah - trolling around the forum for a few years, only to become the most powerful man in the game following all of that. Whether he believed it or not, well, that is for everyone else to decide.

Hamilton comparing himself to bgwah ? They are the exact opposites, one is the king of "soft power" and discretion, the other is boasting and confrontational...
If Hamilton wanted to follow a model, it was certainly DWTL, even though he hated him.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

How true... I must say I can perfectly understand people like segway or dallasfan, who probably aren't so bad themselves. They just thought to have found a friend, whereas they just found a cynical manipulator. I used to be quite harsh with those people in recent times, but actually they are more victims than accoplices.

[Antonio the Sixth]

The Atlasian Anti-Square Party
by Mechaman

You know when I first formed the Atlasian Marijuana Party I meant it as nothing more than a joke, a comical jab at the establishment. However, in light of recent events, such as the destruction of the organization from outside authorities, I felt motivated to start the party anew under the new name of the Atlasian Anti-Square Party, mostly due to what I viewed at the time was political oppression and the fact that our platform had begun to develop into more than just smoking marijuana but had begun to involve other stances.

One of these principles is the idea of the legalization of regional economic cooperatives to take the place of the regional governments, in a sense the government would literally be given to the masses of society to regulate as they please. The powers and authorities given to the governments now given to the people, the people become their own government. Although this party is purely participatory and the majority of issues are determined by individual party members when they run, this party is formed off of the philosophy of Libertarian Socialism, and you will notice how this is shown by our party rules and setup, the structure of this party is to where every member, whether they hold an office or not, is a party chairman and members are free to run or endorse as they see fit. If the members so desired we could run every member of this organization for president, as an example.

You can see some good examples of our unique platform stances in the platform plank of Winston Disraeli, who is running for Atlasian Senate:

* Common ownership of industries, including healthcare.
* Lower age of consent to 14.
* Education reform, including more discussion based, and smaller class sizes, and an end to excessive school lunch regulation.
* Legalisation of cocaine and heroin
* Oppose free trade agreements and instead support informal trade and an end to government barriers to it.
* A 35 hour workweek
* Support for solar and hydro-electric power; Nuclear only if the alternatives are exhausted.
* An end to the death penalty.
* Get the state out of marriage.
* Pursue the cause of peace in foreign affairs.

As you can see by his platform Winston Disraeli (shameless promotion, I will confess) has a very unique platform, it lacks the authoritative stances of hardline conservatives, it lacks the big government planks of the pro-state leftists, and it lacks the pro-capitalist planks of the average libertarian politician. This I believe is what will put him, and others of this party, into a competitive field, that of a very unique message, that of a party based on the politics of pure paticipatory action. This platform, and other like it you will see in November, aims to reduce both the burden of the state and of the corporations, an aim so missed by the major parties in this current system. It is misguided to believe, however good willed those who hold these beliefs may be, that government and corporate interests can be used as a check on the other. CORPORATE AND GOVERNMENT ARE ETERNAL BEDMATES, ONE CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT THE OTHER AND THEY ARE BEST SUSTAINED BY MAINTAINING A POWERFUL STRONG ELITE WHICH PREACHES THEIR SUPERIORITY THROUGH THEOCRATIC NONSENSE TO SUSTAIN THEIR ETERNAL GRIP ON THE SOUL AND SPIRIT OF THE ATLASIAN CITIZEN. LET IT BE SAID THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL AND FREE BEFORE PROVIDENCE, IT IS THE EXISTENCE OF OUTSIDE EXTERNAL FORCES AND THE ALLIANCES BETWEEN THAT HATH SO LIMITED HIS RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS. These facts cannot be denied any longer, as we have seen in the past few weeks the actions of a few dictate the actions of the many, well now you have that chance.

If you find yourself disillusioned with the current party system, that the major parties of this nation have turned their back on the concerns of the average citizen, that the power of the few has been growing unrestrained for far too long, my friends.....now is the time to act. Now is the time for you to make a principled stand against this ponzi scheme known as "Atlasian Government" and begin the return of Atlasian principles, Atlasian rights, and even Atlasian power to where it belongs: to the Atlasian people. There is only one organization in this nation that stands for the rights, liberties, and interests of all people of this land, to take a principled stance against authoritarianism, statism, and corporatism, only one place where the voice of the Atlasian people can truly be heard, and that is the Atlasian Anti-Square Party.

Sure, this article may be shameless self promotion, but after most recent drama I believe the words that I have spoken will ring more true than ever. We seek an end to the politics of drama and seek a new beginning of the politics of liberty and true social justice.

[Antonio the Sixth]

A) I screwed up the title, it should say "The Atlasian Anti-Square Party", whoops.....

Corrected.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Perhaps we should've charged Mech or Winston for advertising space in that column.

As Chief Redactor, I probably have penal responsibilities too... You wouldn't do that, right ?