The Crusader (Public Service Announcement)

[Sestak]

Federalism mourns Labor return:

Federalist High Command thought to be distressed by the PUP exodus

[thumb21]

Federalism mourns Labor return:

Federalist High Command thought to be distressed by the PUP exodus

A different party name next to the left wing candidates' names isn't what decided the election though.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

So I am curious, why the use of the term "federalism" as opposed to "Federalists" in some places, Lumine?

I actually kind of like it, don't get me wrong.

[Pericles]

So I am curious, why the use of the term "federalism" as opposed to "Federalists" in some places, Lumine?

I actually kind of like it, don't get me wrong.

Huh first time I noticed the just presumed it said "Federalists" lol. I'm guessing it's a typo bit I'll let Lumine speak for himself.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

So I am curious, why the use of the term "federalism" as opposed to "Federalists" in some places, Lumine?

I actually kind of like it, don't get me wrong.

Huh first time I noticed the just presumed it said "Federalists" lol. I'm guessing it's a typo bit I'll let Lumine speak for himself.

He also used it in the bumped RIP Federalists thread though.

[Lumine]

So I am curious, why the use of the term "federalism" as opposed to "Federalists" in some places, Lumine?

I actually kind of like it, don't get me wrong.

I consider it an equivalent to "Laborism", that is, a mindset beyond a purely partisan concept (and not a reference to a federal system of government itself). Bear in mind that the phrase would make sense in Spanish, so it's probably the non-native english speaker thing at work.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

So I am curious, why the use of the term "federalism" as opposed to "Federalists" in some places, Lumine?

I actually kind of like it, don't get me wrong.

I consider it an equivalent to "Laborism", that is, a mindset beyond a purely partisan concept (and not a reference to a federal system of government itself). Bear in mind that the phrase would make sense in Spanish, so it's probably the non-native english speaker thing at work.

It used to be more common to distinguish between "partyists" as a collective noun and the mindset associated with that party; English (or at least, American English) has gotten profoundly lazy about this the last century or so. Political writings from the Jacksonian era refer to "the Democracy" in conjunction with the Democratic party much as you use "Federalism" (i.e. as reference to a political perspective, as opposed to a group of people associated with that perspective). Nowadays, when discussions of political philosophy more or less consist of replacing "liberal" or "conservative" for whatever the official position of the DNC/RNC is on a particular issue, people rarely bother with it anymore. /rant

Anyways, I agree with Yankee in finding the term most pleasing.

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

Atlasia already has its own government and its own society and culture, why not its own language?

[FairBol]

Good idea! Let's adopt the Klingon language, LOL. 

[Lumine]

We're Back!

Reuental Media Group (RMG) is pleased to announce that after a near eight-month long hiatus, former President Lumine no longer feels his questionable attempts at satire and political reporting would constitute a blatant conflict of interest now that he's leaving the Vice-Presidency. As a result, The Crusader will be back after Inauguration Day, featuring (among other things):

Future updates of A Song of Laborites and Federalists
The return of Crusader Polling, ideally with salad polls
A long-running parody for the incoming Administration/Congress
Guest editorials by Tmth, and by others upon request
Possibly -if there's material -, Captain Pericles Lives!

Generalissimo Griffin

Laborites celebrate the triumph of their beloved leader

₁

______________________________________________________________

^{1.) Original Image: Bundesarchiv Bild 183-R78376, Budapest, II. Weltfestspiele, Festumzug, Komsomolzen
German Federal Archive, Wikimedia Commons, modified for arguably unfunny Atlasia satire.}

[Orwell]

I for one welcome our new Lizardpeople Labor overlords

[Sestak]

It's back! YES!

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

I for one welcome our new Lizardpeople Labor overlords

Labor is Illuminati confirmed

[Pericles]

It's back! YES!

[Lumine]

A Interview with Scott:

Discussing Atlasia, Fremont and the Future

₁

Lumine: First Minister, a pleasure to be able to interview you again.

Scott: Thank you, Lumine!  I’m happy to be here

Lumine: The last time you had an interview for The Crusader was on April 2018, and it happened to be around the foundation of the Meadowlark, then-Centre Party in Fremont. Some 14 or 15 months after, what’s your view on the Meadlowlark Party’s existence?

Scott: Back when I first moved to Frémont about a year and a half ago, there was really only one dominant party in politics.  That was Fianna Frémont, as you know.  The right was too small to have a formidable coalition, and minor third parties were too scattered to have an impact.  At the time, Frémont was led by the inactive DFL, and with no formidable party to lead the opposition, I saw an opportunity.  And with the Meadowlark (then Centre) party, I wanted to use that opportunity to introduce a new flavor into parliamentary politics in the region: an agrarian-based populist people’s party.

Now at this point, I’m very proud of what the Meadowlark Party has accomplished electorally.  Although you can see it has a bit of an identity crisis between the progressive and more conservative factions.  These things are inevitable in a big-tent party, of course.  But I don’t regret having founded it, as today it remains one of the main two regional parties in Frémont’s politics.  That’s good for our democracy.

Lumine: And how would you feel the past year has been for you? Has it been a good or a bad year?

Scott: Politically, I’d say it’s been a very good year.  Most of the reforms I’ve lobbied for have passed with bipartisan consensus.  I’ve developed a clear, working relationship with other leaders in Frémont, especially YE and Truman, as well as both our two senators.  People in Frémont know who I am and know where I stand.  And, as I’ve alluded to before, the Meadowlark Party has been extremely successful.  Most big-tent parties tend to flame out in Atlasia, but not here.  And I’m very proud of that.

Lumine: I’d like to address the general situation of the nation before moving into more specific questions. What would you say is the biggest problem we face right now?

Scott: Without a doubt, I think the biggest problem Atlasia is facing right now is lack of debate, particularly in Nyman.  I’m disappointed that we’ve seen so many bills tabled or motion to be tabled, simply because one side doesn’t like the bill or its sponsor.  And bills in general tend to go with little or no debate.  I’ve also seen hardworking people like GM Reactionary put forward bills that get immediately shot down, like his recent bill, which actually expands SNAP benefits, being called “an insult to the poor” by one congressman.  It’s ridiculous, frankly.  And like in 2014, the culture of Nyman is continually being dominated by cliques and personality cults.  It’s not a road that we should be on and it ruins the game for people who want to get involved, especially, I think, new players.

Lumine: And what is the single best thing – as in working more efficiently or smoothly – about Atlasia right now?

Scott: I’ve been really pleased with the coordination between the executive branch in Nyman and the regional executives.  I think this is one thing the last president got absolutely right, and I hope to see it continue under President Griffin.

Lumine: Scott, you recently registered as “Labor-Peace Party”. I imagine you’ve explained this elsewhere, but what’s the motivation behind that?

Scott: Well, the sad truth is that after Peace was founded at the start of the Second Korean War, it has effectively been little more than what some would call a “satellite” party to Labor.  My registration change is mostly poking fun at that, but I was hoping that others would tag along in the interest of showing solidarity between the two parties.

Lumine: We both know that Fremont, whilst a great region, is possibly the one that has historically struggled the most with activity and competitivity. Do you feel there’s a risk of another activity collapse?

Scott: I’m always worried that there might be another activity collapse.  The low activity in Fremont from early 2018 is precisely why I moved to Fremont after my time in Lincoln politics.  Recently, we saw an election return a mere three people to the Parliament, if that’s any indication of how difficult it is to keep things active.  But with Virginia being a political newcomer into Frémont politics as well as veterans like YE and our new Speaker Truman being involved, I think we have a great team of people moving forward.  I think the biggest challenge for Fremont now is to expand in membership and to invite more people of both political persuasions into the Commonwealth.  A populous and vibrant region is what keeps a region from sliding into inactivity.

Lumine: What is your view of the coming election for First Minister?

Scott: Well, I’ve already been informed that Jackson Hitchcock intends to make another run for First Minister.  While it’s unheard of for me to give advice to my election opponents, I did tell him that I would like to see a more active campaign season this time with platforms and policy differences.  Frémont is not a region for any one party or person and I’ve tried to make that clear, so to Mr. Hitchcock I say I look forward to a spirited campaign.

Lumine: Over the past four administrations there has been a change in power, from Federalist to Labor, to Federalist, to Labor again. In your opinion, is the two-party system – with deference to Peace and others – working well?

Scott: To an extent.  I still think there’s a desire for a strong third-party as evidenced by Peace, the ACP, Montfortian, Confederate Party, et cetera, but ultimately we have a two-party system and people seem mostly satisfied with that.

Lumine: This I have to ask. Even when I was a new player back in 2013-2014 there was already some significant speculation regarding the White House, and whether you’d run one day. October is of course miles ahead, but do you see yourself ever running for president?

Scott: Never say never, Lumine!  Though I do have to say that at this time I have little interest in running for the White House.  I am, however, strongly considering a run for House or Senate sometime in the future.

Lumine: First Minister, my most sincere thanks for being our first interview.

Scott: It’s been a pleasure, Lumine.

______________________________________________________________

^{1.) Original Image: Official portrait of Senator Mark Udall
US Senate, Wikimedia Commons.}

[Lumine]

Politics Betting Challenge

How long does DFW last as Secretary of Internal Affairs?

Inspired by Representive Wulfric's incisive question on the confirmation hearings, The Crusader will be running a betting challenge open for the next week in order to test the political instincts and gambling abilities of the citizens of our Republic.

The question? How long does DFW last as Secretary of Internal Affairs?

We invite all Atlasians to offer their own guesses on this thread, via PM or via Discord, trying to guess the exact number of days the nominee - if confirmed - serves on this position. The most accurate guess will recieve a reward for their skill in predicting the result.

[Former President tack50]

Let's go with a bold bet; DFW lasts until Adam's term expires

[Sestak]

Well, was going to go with the safe bet of 100 days, but since Tack’s beaten me to the punch, I’ll go with the next best thing.

222 days.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

I don't believe Labor will be just a 1 term administration this time so hopefully I do a good enough job to be retained

Hey maybe even if labor does lose (which I don't think is likely for once) I will be retained

[Deep Dixieland Senator, Muad'dib (OSR MSR)]

The question? How long does DFW last as Secretary of Internal Affairs?

We invite all Atlasians to offer their own guesses on this thread, via PM or via Discord, trying to guess the exact number of days the nominee - if confirmed - serves on this position. The most accurate guess will receive a reward for their skill in predicting the result.

If it's longer than 60 days I'll be impressed. 

[Lumine]

I'll be honest, the reason why a full edition of this hasn't come out is that I'm actually not sure if it's actually proper for me to do it.

In retrospect some mistakes made a while ago probably did cross the line in terms of what is actually appropiate, something I do feel rather guilty of. As I've taken on a more active role dealing with appropiate content on the board (racism, personal attacks, trolling and so) I've actually wondered if it's not rather... contradictory to be at the same time policing inappropiate content but producing a newspaper/satire news media that could also fall into that stuff without intending to.

So yeah, I'm still meditating what to do with The Crusader. I'd appreciate some feedback if anyone has an opinion on it, but still haven't decided what to do here.

[YE]

44 days.

[Orwell]

69 days

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I'll be honest, the reason why a full edition of this hasn't come out is that I'm actually not sure if it's actually proper for me to do it.

In retrospect some mistakes made a while ago probably did cross the line in terms of what is actually appropiate, something I do feel rather guilty of. As I've taken on a more active role dealing with appropiate content on the board (racism, personal attacks, trolling and so) I've actually wondered if it's not rather... contradictory to be at the same time policing inappropiate content but producing a newspaper/satire news media that could also fall into that stuff without intending to.

So yeah, I'm still meditating what to do with The Crusader. I'd appreciate some feedback if anyone has an opinion on it, but still haven't decided what to do here.

Let me put it this way, I would rather have a board moderator that is involved in the game than one that is not.

Hot take: If there is a conflict, Keep the paper, resign the modship.

[Former President tack50]

I'll be honest, the reason why a full edition of this hasn't come out is that I'm actually not sure if it's actually proper for me to do it.

In retrospect some mistakes made a while ago probably did cross the line in terms of what is actually appropiate, something I do feel rather guilty of. As I've taken on a more active role dealing with appropiate content on the board (racism, personal attacks, trolling and so) I've actually wondered if it's not rather... contradictory to be at the same time policing inappropiate content but producing a newspaper/satire news media that could also fall into that stuff without intending to.

So yeah, I'm still meditating what to do with The Crusader. I'd appreciate some feedback if anyone has an opinion on it, but still haven't decided what to do here.

Let me put it this way, I would rather have a board moderator that is involved in the game than one that is not.

Hot take: If there is a conflict, Keep the paper, resign the modship.

I mean, the only other Atlasia moderator is Gustaf, which I think is a fairly inactive mod? Though he was technically involved in Atlasia way back in the day, even being Atlasia's 2nd president

Atlasia isn't exactly one of the hardest boards to moderate I imagine (although it's getting worse lately?). But I agree it's best to have someone involved. Then again most mods are involved with Atlasia in at least some capacity, even if it's only as a zombie voter.