Spectator & Society Journal

[afleitch]

Launching soon

The S&S is not intended to be a newspaper but a retrospective journal looking at events over the past week and also taking a look at the history of Atlasia and it's institutions. It will have an editorial line but I will strive to make sure it's balanced; no gossip but I hope to be able to break a story or two.

Regular features

- Editorial
- This Week on the Senate Floor
- The Week In Quotation
- Foreign Policy News
- Atlasia Past
- Interviews (I would quite like to interview each active former President)
- Surveys and results.

We are also recruitng columnists and contributors. Please drop me a line

[afleitch]

Issue 1

This Week on The Senate Floor.

Confirmation hearings are ongoing. Bacon King has been elected as PPT,  a welcome choice for neutral and partisan observers alike; very few have the time, energy and ability to manage the Senate with his level of commitment.

This Week in Senate's Past

2009: Nominations for the post of PPT opened in the new Senate. Master Jedi was later confirmed. The Game Moderator Reform Bill was introduced on the Senate floor establishing a full time GM

Constitutional Tid-Bits

The Power of Words.

Article V 2:3 of the Constitution

A voter registration shall only remain valid if the voter remains an active member of the Forum at large. The Senate shall have power to define these activity requirements by appropriate legislation.

Indeed the Senate has exercised this power; the Senate has ultimately determined that posting 15 posts within the 8 weeks prior to the election constitutes 'activity at-large.'

Does however the existing legislation satisfy the constitution? It could be argued that the Senate has determined activity requirements, but the constitution clearly states 'Forum at Large' which may be taken to mean the wider Atlas Forum; i.e a provision against participating exclusively on the Fantasy Forums in lieu of the rest of the Forum.  If the Senate has not taken steps to determine activity requirements in relation to the Forum 'at large', merely setting requirements based on the number of posts no matter where and how they were accumulated it may not meet the requirements of Article V.

The precise word order makes this part of the constitution less obvious than it seems. 'Forum at large' strongly seems to suggest those who post regularly in the forum outside the main game. Was this the intent of the Founding Fathers. Does the current legislation meet the requirements of the Consitution?

The Spectator & Society reclines on the fence in this matter. The reader is invited to make up his own mind.

EDITORIAL

The need for a new right.

Spurred by recent electoral success in Britain and in other nations, the European centre-right has undergone a significant renaissance of late. This has not been mirrored here in Atlasia where the right of the political spectrum has since it's foundation been fragmented. Atlasia lacks a 'big tent' centre right party. Even more it lacks the ability of those of the centre right to come together and agree a shared platform, such an action requires a concession and moderation to acheive unity and electoral success. Center-right parties in the past have paid little concern to genuine conservative economic policies focusing primarily on aspects of regionalism or a personal or libertarian agenda. The S&S would argue that such idologies should be of a secondary concern to a centre-right movement and instead be incorporated within them

A centre-right party would have to be an uncomfortable jacket for many; a little too much to the right for the One Nation, Red Tory factions and a little too much to the left for die hard conservatives and liberals. However if there is an element of trust within the party then it can achieve it's aims electorally and politically.

Reds no longer under the bed.

Spectator and Society has asked the President, who has nominated a noted forum apologist for Maoism and the extreme left (and it's excesses) for the post of SoIA. "Would you ever be willing in the future to nominate a Falangist or apologist of the extreme right for a similar role if they were proven to be competent?" Spectator and Society applauds cross ideological concensus, but those who adhere to ideologies that are principally opposed to the democratic apapratus of state make for curious bed fellows.

And Finally...

Spectator & Society advises against the use of vuvezelas in the Senate gallery; there is enough hot air in there already.

[Vepres]

Cool. I like the layout

[afleitch]

Cool. I like the layout

Thank you I just hope people read it.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     Very interesting paper. I found the Constitutional article to be quite thought-provoking.

[ilikeverin]

As it appears likely that we are to go to another Constitutional Convention, I suggest a look at the previous three

[Purple State]

I enjoyed that first article very much. Looking forward to more.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

  This looks like it'll be awesome - keep it up

[afleitch]

Thanks Updated to a 'full issue' with a formal Editorial.

[Vepres]

I agree with the need for a unified right. Indeed, the reason I joined the DA (one of them) instead one of the two right-wing parties is that I was tired of dealing with the ineffective and fractured right.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     Given the widespread use of IRV & STV in Atlasia, does it really make any difference to have a fractured right-wing? Now if these right-wing parties refused to cooperate with each other (like all French parties in regards to FN), it would be a serious issue.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

afleitch raises some good points. Unless the PS administration appoints a Falangist, I may have to vote nay on the confirmation of the Maoist appointee.

[Vepres]

     Given the widespread use of IRV & STV in Atlasia, does it really make any difference to have a fractured right-wing? Now if these right-wing parties refused to cooperate with each other (like all French parties in regards to FN), it would be a serious issue.

In theory it shouldn't make a difference, yet it seems to have done so anyway.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I agree with the need for a unified right. Indeed, the reason I joined the DA (one of them) instead one of the two right-wing parties is that I was tired of dealing with the ineffective and fractured right.

Can't do it. As soon as it was revealed who "esle" agrees with you it would be assailed as corrupt and some of us as sell outs. It would end up costing us more then its worth.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Last time I checked, the RPP was a diverse big tent party, if not, I am sure Duke will be supprised when he finds out he is a DeMint Conservative and that PiT will be happy to know he is a Jesse Helms Conservative.

Ideology was a temporary catalyst used by the likes of manipulative nutcases like Einzige but it is not the reason that the right is divided, nor is the division on the right the cause of the electoral defeats. Its activity, enthusiasm, substance, and quality that are missing. The RPP and Populares are fully willing to work together as has been demonstrated in the past, but those two together are still less then 40% of the vote. It takes more then an "on paper" unification to win an election, it takes depth and respectability.

This isn't England, or Europe and as such I don't see the right of Atlasia more or less America doing anything like what has occured over there.

[afleitch]

Debate Hooray! Nice to see.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

I agree with the need for a unified right. Indeed, the reason I joined the DA (one of them) instead one of the two right-wing parties is that I was tired of dealing with the ineffective and fractured right.

Can't do it. As soon as it was revealed who "esle" agrees with you it would be assailed as corrupt and some of us as sell outs. It would end up costing us more then its worth.

Um, it's not that out-there of an idea...numerous people have independently come up with the same idea.

Hopefully fusion voting will at least allow some more cooperation between parties.

[Purple State]

I have responded to your question in my Transition Thread (the title of which will be changing to an open thread).

Here is the link to make it easier: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=119148.msg2567418#msg2567418

[afleitch]

I have responded to your question in my Transition Thread (the title of which will be changing to an open thread).

Here is the link to make it easier: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=119148.msg2567418#msg2567418

Thank you Mr President

Press Statement from the Spectator and Society

The actions of the Vice President in response to the Spectator and Society asking questions of the President over a the nomination of a Maoist for a cabinet post are concerning. The Spectator and Society is well aware that Atlasia is a game, but while game play is important so too is realism which we have formally grounded in the game through the post of GM. If we stick to this then yes the appointment of a Maoist to a cabinet post will have international repercussions that this administration will have to deal with. In fact there is much to look forward to if there is a reaction.

The President himself as a former GM would be aware of this. I have asked him to comment on whether a member of the far right or a Falangist would have a place in Cabinet. He offered up the example of NCY which I don't believe is a valid comparison (as I don't think he can be considered any of these things...) and I have asked for clarification. He has however outlined his position on the limitation to power exercised by each respective Cabinet nominee which is welcomed

For the Vice President to try and shut down any questioning of this appointment (prior to the President being able to give his answer to the question) in a bizarre personal rant claiming this is an 'unnecessary distraction' is concerning for those who want the game to have this dimension of realism. The Vice President is in danger of undermining the administration that he is a part of. There is a great deal of goodwill for this administration, including from this journal and it's editor. To simply ask the administration for clarification and justification of it's agenda is not an attack on it.

[Marokai Backbeat]

My only hope is that within a week you've all moved on to another silly topic. I don't like these little characters you play is my entire frustration, Afleitch. I like it if people are just straight with me, and these faces you wear in Atlasia just grate on me. When I read a post from you I'd like to know I'm reading a post from Afleitch, not the conservative unity activist running a paper.

It bothers me more that we can't all get some frakking perspective, too. PS and I are trying to improve the way the game works. This is a forum game. Our Administration is designed to perfect it any way we can. That you're all obsessing over the political ideology of someone in a position that barely matters is just mind blowing, because there are no consequences here. It's a game. The only consequences are the ones you imagine in your heads, for heaven's sake.

I suppose when it comes down it, the thing that really got on my nerves was the way no one is genuine about all this. When I post, I'm posting as me. Marokai Blue. Herbie. A 19 year old from southeastern Ohio. I'm not playing a character in my personal interaction with people over subjective "consequences" that change from person to person, nor am I adopting a facade that runs contrary to my real attitude. I turn up the heat sometimes, but this me.

As for me 'undermining' the Administration, this is silly talk again. I'm doing alot of hard work and I really have high hopes. But my entire goal rests on the idea that people aren't going to oppose me because of facades they play, because I assume people are going to be real with me and act as they normally would. This was obviously a mistake.

I suppose when someone who speaks consistently out of character (me) comes across someone who seems to speak consistently in character (you) then we just clash. I don't like it, and truthfully I can't really handle it well at all, because it doesn't follow any bounds of logic. Everything just twists and turns on a dime if we're all just going to sit around here and fake it.

Anyway, I suppose I'm rambling a bit. I'll try to keep in mind the fact that you've never really been all that genuine around these parts. (That's not an insult, that's just my way of saying you're more often in character than not.) I think that I'd like this place alot more if we'd all just level with each other and be ourselves, but I guess that's too much to ask for sometimes.

[afleitch]

My only hope is that within a week you've all moved on to another silly topic. I don't like these little characters you play is my entire frustration, Afleitch. I like it if people are just straight with me, and these faces you wear in Atlasia just grate on me. When I read a post from you I'd like to know I'm reading a post from Afleitch, not the conservative unity activist running a paper.

I'm not running as a unity activist. I'm not interested in running for anything. I wasn't even that intersested last time round. To be honest (and I've not said this before) I was initially a bit taken a back by PS's annoucement a few months back. (Given that you had rallied against me announcing in February for 'shafting' the established PS candidate the fact that you were involved in it too was a little amusing ) However I was happy that a DA'er had put together a ticket and had really good ideas and motivation. That's why I said sometimes it's about those who 'want it more.'

I wasn't intending to run at all as a result but I was getting pressured to run including publically and privately from yourself. The campaign itself (or lack thereof) probably demonstrates my feelings on the matter. I let myself be nothing more than a 'paper candidate' so activity was basic after the lull caused by the UK campaign.

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I agree with you; you are trying to improve how the game works. No one is denying that. I'm playing the game too; we have a GM post. Of course what we do here is going to have an impact on how the GM reports how the world sees us. Yes the international community would sratch it's head at a democratic government putting a Maoist to spearhead domestic policy. It's not something I would have done so I'm curious.To ask the President about this in order to report it is entirely acceptable.

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And I'm not? I play as I am. I'm fairly affable in real life and in the wider forum. I am a 26 year old activist on the Tory left who sits astride the left/right divide on here and reaches out to both; you have to in order to win. You know that too. I've bemoaned the lack of a large centre-right party for some time. I follow the GM, like breaking down Senate bills and have a good working knowledge of past bills and the constitution. That's why I've seet this journal up so I can report on these things. In the past when I was out of the Senate I used to 'shout from the gallery.' This is a better way of doing it.

I'm not a character. I know I seem to rub you up the wrong way (and I genuinely can't see why) but I am genuine. You should know that; you participate in the forum, in discussion of UK politics. Remember when I introduced measures to cut tax in the Senate? You said I was being opportunist or pandering to the right for political purposes. But you should know that's what I believe in outside Atlasia anyway. You know where I stand politically. I don't deviate from that on here.

EDIT: I remembered this

You, especially, have tried to make yourself more attractive to Atlasia's right wing. Going so far as to offer the RPP/PCP your membership of the party if they changed enough and obsessively trumping up your 'conservative record' in their presence.

But the thing is, he is a conservative (as well as a Conservative) and right-wing, though with strong liberal instincts on some issues. If the RPP-PCP were to move towards a more, er, "mainstream" position, then it'd be entirely natural that he'd consider joining them.

Look, I disagree with Andrew on almost everything political (and I disagree with this idea of his), but I think it's fairly clear that he doesn't base his stated fantasyland views on his electoral chances - there's a difference between presentation and reality and he happens to be skilled at exploiting the gap between the two. Which, of course, is what half this game is about (I say that as someone perhaps more "guilty" of doing that in the past than anyone playing this game now is), or at least was for the first few years of its life. He's not one of the villains of this play.

[Marokai Backbeat]

I appreciate your response. I understand what you're doing here, and I know I probably overstepped the line a bit in responding to it at first, but it's hard to distinguish what's legitimate or not when you and Libertas are beating the same drum.

I understand the questions, but after all the comments Purple State and myself gave on the subject of his appointment, I just find myself a bit exasperated. What more can we say or do, aside from drop his nomination? I would ask you all to at least give him a chance. It's a bit unfair to talk about this nebulous idea of consequences when we are the ones that make those consequences.

You were not really the target here. I took a few unfair shots at you, yes, but you merely were caught in the middle of a feud between Libertas and I. My fire sometimes makes it difficult to see, but I do want to improve the game and I want you all along to do that with. With so many big things on my mind, I dislike having to put the time and energy into something I see as rather minor.

Regardless, I apologize to you. I do hope that these sort of posts are the ones we can both make in the future. I like it when we're not fitting into a role within Atlasia. I know you say all your posts are 'you' but, your previous post just seemed a little game-y

In the grand scheme of things, this is something I consider a tiny issue though. My only concern here isn't Winston's appointment, as I have the highest confidence in him, it is the desire for some to take the appointment and try to use it as justification to attack us because they were already going to hate on us anyway. It was unfair to lump you, of all people, in with that group. But I think we can agree to some extent, they exist.

[k-onmmunist]

Thanks, afleitch, for completely skipping over what I've promised to do for the position to attack my views

opebo, another Marxist, is an Associate Justice and I don't see the fuss over his being there.

[Marokai Backbeat]

EDIT: I remembered this

An interesting thread, that one! It shows me a bit of how I've changed in the last while in Atlasia. I hated your idea then, but very recently I came around to the idea of increasing the number of regional Senators (only if expanding the total number of Senate seats.) Amusing, I suppose.

[Associate Justice PiT]

Thanks, afleitch, for completely skipping over what I've promised to do for the position to attack my views

opebo, another Marxist, is an Associate Justice and I don't see the fuss over his being there.

     FWIW, he's already on the Supreme Court & will be for as long as he wants to be. If he were just being appointed to the Supreme Court now, I trust that there would be no less controversy over that appointment.