«12. . .83,60983,61083,61183,61283,61383,61483,615. . .88,05088,051»
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I see you're having a good day |
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its anime |
Honestly, I think anime's improving as a whole. I think the industry's shifting away from a lot of the weird sh1t it focused on throughout the 2010s. There's still a lot of it, but it's getting there. |
I may have an aversion to anime due to all dem people here using it to create flags of female leaders with, hmm, whatever, but the art style gives off a weird feeling too |
We are being humiliated for our good heartedness. Those evil bastards! |
I get that. All I can recommend you is to give it a go. Have a good night, Xinga. |
GN Reich :) |
Im guessing your good heartedness involves their immediate extermination as a form of mercy |
Im here from the North |
Hi northenor |
Hi Eastern Pacific member im a North Pacific Member |
Ok good night |
gonna cook something up,just wait |
Ngh... no one humiliates us and goes unpunished... |
That doesn't really answer my question |
My mother has fallen for the "We're a Republic, not a Democracy" bullsh*t. |
It's true though. We're a constitutional republic. But that's still a form of democracy. It just means majority and/or mob rule is not good. The people also don't directly make the decisions. |
Coastal Conference Mountain Conference Southwestern Conference Metropolitan Conference Western 10 Conference 1. Fremont Phoenixes 1. Bismarck Buffalos Due to being on the nightshift, I cannot sleep. It's my day off. So I guess to give me something to do in Rural Arkansas at 2am. I am going to sim multiple weeks of this. |
mother has fallen 😔 |
Preach your false denial all you want, we will be waiting when you eventually come back to us, with food in hand! |
Hello everyone! Once again here's a reminder to upvote our latest EPNS edition! ⤆ ⤇ ↺ ☖ | 🔒 Secure | https://epns.mon.gov.caek/issue/2024/7.html . .  . Delegate's Update By: Merlovich Hello everyone, welcome to another edition of the EPNS. Although July was a relatively quiet month, I still grace the newspaper with my presence, lest Rosa shoot me. NationStates tends to experience a little bit of a slowdown come this time of year, so it’s nothing immensely unexpected that we’ve seen the executive have a quiet patch. I’ve just started at a new job which involves a very early rise, so I haven’t had an enormous amount of energy when it comes to buckling down on projects, however I expect this to change as I get used to a new schedule in the coming weeks, and battle away at the burnout I’ve been feeling. Our plans in the executive remain the same, my main focuses continue to be the revitalisation of the EPSA, the success of our new ministries and ministers, and the overall growth of the region’s endorsement culture. Over July, I took part in some discussions with Minister of Endorsement Affairs, Jo, and we’re in the process of organising some events to encourage that endorsement-happy regional foundation we’re hoping to establish. I look forward to seeing this come to life in the coming weeks. Speaking of events, how good was Hunger Games this month? I’m not remotely bias, I don’t know what you’re implying. I think this month’s winner was probably super deserving and likely also rougishly handsome, which is a thing I say about every winner, this is nothing new. Congratulations to them. Big shoutout and thanks to our friends in the NPO for hanging out with us, despite their recently busy schedule! I have got in touch with Empress Xoriet, congratulating her on her assecion, and re-affirming my commitment to our regions shared relationship. I look forward to deepening TEP’s relationships, not only with the NPO but across the interregional landscape over the coming months. Given my lack of time, and my respect for yours, I won’t ramble on unnecessarily in areas that haven’t seen too much movement these last few weeks. I hope I’ll have more to update you on next month, and rest assured this month’s edition of the EPNS is as entertaining, and as jam-packed with content as ever. Enjoy, and I’ll see you next month! Back to Top Magisterium Update By: Pauline Bonaparte/Hlenderia The 62nd Magisterium was seated and began its term on July 1, 2024. Ambis, Marrabuk, and Pauline Bonaparte (myself) ran for Provost after Dremaur chose to step away from the seat. I was elected on July 4, 2024. This is my first elected seat in The East Pacific. Thanks to all of our Magisters for your confidence! We ended July with 23 total Magisters. 18 are active, 3 are suspended, and 2 are on a leave-of-absence. July was a busy month for the Magisterium, with one Magister admitted, one bill passed, all four Arbiters reconfirmed, and three amendments passed: • American-Cascadia was admitted into the Magisterium on July 4. Back to Top Culture Update By: Tommo Yo yo yo, here’s the update out of the culture ministry! Another quiet month for the ministry! We have, however, seen an uptick in activity and will be introducing various more polls for the general public to participate in over the next few weeks! In July, we hosted our monthly Hunger Games, this month with NPO! It was jam-packed and full of excitement, and I’d like to extend my own personal thanks to everybody who participated! Next, we introduced our Summer Flag Contest, which will be wrapped up at the end of this week (due to irl constraints, we kinda went over schedule, but that’s fine!) We’re also still hiring! Should you wish to help out in the ministry at all, feel free to shoot me a DM on Discord (bottommo) or telegram me here, and remember to apply via the #join-the-executive channel in the regional Discord! That’s all for this month! Cya in September! Tommo <3 Back to Top Praesidium Elections Conclude, Incumbents Hold By: Aivintis UTEP Feature UTEP has followed up with a second work, entitled  An Argument Against Wanton Founder Supremacy written by Zukchiva, this piece work the ethical implications of "Founder Supremacy" in, focusing on the tension between a Founder’s mechanical control over a region and the collective investment of its community.The Praesidium, or the Viziers, is the most lethargic branch of government in TEP. In times of peace and stability, there is little to do, and its roster of retirees and pluralist officials tend to spend each month endotarting. All is well, of course, given the Praesidium has no use as a proactive body. It is inherently and necessarily reactive – awakening from its dormancy when regional security calls for it, such as the attempted delegate bump last November, or the ConCrisis of 2022. It may come as little surprise, then, to note that leadership changes are exceedingly rare. Dragons Blood was Grand Vizier for over three years, with only a single six-month term wherein Marrabuk took over while Dragons Blood served as EPPS Commissioner. His reign only ended a year ago, when I was elected as Grand Vizier. Though the Commissioner position itself has changed hands more, it is still far more sedentary than the Provost or Delegate offices. Equally, the two positions see little contention when election season comes around. Seeing long terms of greater responsibilities, the Viziers who are used to the typical dormancy of the Praesidium may not be so keen on the shift into leading the branch. With few folks up for the task, long terms become longer with frequent re-election and little to no opposition from other candidates. Low turnout is also common. Another symptom of the reactive nature of the security branch is the low participation in comparatively low priority business – elections, speculation about potential red flags, and day-to-day endotarting cannot hold a candle to true security emergencies. Though such low participation does not demonstrate vulnerability, it is not ideal for the every day running of the branch. The mid-year Praesidium elections met all of these expectations. The incumbent Grand Vizier ran again, as did the incumbent EPPS Commissioner, and no challengers stood for election. Despite low turnout, both were re-elected nearly unanimously as, for the sake of integrity, neither voted for themselves. This is another common practice in all East Pacifican elections, and equally comes as no surprise. In the last term, Praesidium leadership oversaw the expansion of the Citizenship Office, the prohibition of foreign perpetrators of regional destruction, the addition of forum infrastructure for notifications and petitions, and, in this last month, the passage of an amendment to the Citizenship Act in the Magisterium which overhauled and streamlined the process of proscription. With no campaigning materials, re-elected leadership cannot be held to any promises, but it is fair to assume that there will be little change in the operations of the Praesidium. By: Altys Back to Top The Foreign Newsstand: Arkana Coalition, RaiderCon, and CCD Raided By: Aivintis Hello and welcome to The Foreign Newsstand (TFN). We in The East Pacific’s FA Watch are tasked with discussing and debating news of global significance within NationStates Gameplay. With an eye on the forums and the news reports of our allies, we see discussion on a wide range of interregional political topics, and I have used this perspective to create the Newsstand, summarizing the goings-on of NSGP. TFN is fact-checked by TEP’s Foreign Minister, but nevertheless, I am human, and make mistakes. As such, I encourage people to reach out if there are factual errors, and I invite any NSer to reply in this thread adding any events I may have missed. It can help me figure out what my blind spots are, and ensure accountable, factual reporting. Furthermore, readers are encouraged to direct opinion statements to the threads relating to individual events. Without further ado, here are the major events of July 2024:
References:
Back to Top Roadmap for the Ministry of Recruitment: An Opinion By: Crestor Greetings to all EPNS readers, I am Crestor, the Minister for Recruitment and it’s a pleasure to be able to talk about the Ministry. We started off fresh under Merlovich’s administration, so we are as new as it gets, which means that our roadmap is flexible and our position has a lot of wiggle room to establish itself within the current State Structure. Now, what exactly is it that we are doing? We are responsible for outreach, finding people that are interested in joining the State as an employee but I want it to be more than that. The main objective is to liaise between the different government agencies, by both being aware of available job placements that are not yet covered by anyone and ensuring that, in due time, the needs of the State are fulfilled. To do that, it is necessary to consult with the various Ministers and maintain an active presence within the regional community, for which plans have been drafted. My only hope is that the Ministry can live up to this purpose, and I ask you readers to keep an eye out, and to not be afraid to ask questions on how you can participate in-government. Our regional structure offers ample opportunity for growth, be it within the government or as an administrative body of it. I look forward to whatever awaits us. Back to Top History of EPNS By: Aivintis Introduction On June 24, 2024, I set out on a monumental task. Combing through forum threads, dispatches, and files for the Eastern Pacific News Service, I set down a list of every single article ever written for the EPNS. With the title, the author, the edition date, and a link, I recorded all the news authorship TEP has seen in the past decade. When I was finished, I had recorded 335 articles. Now, after the release of the June 2024 Edition, there are 346 articles. I will begin my analysis by considering the top ten contributors to EPNS. This leaderboard is, to me, a badge of honor for those who have dedicated hours of work to TEP. We will consider the circumstances under which each have accumulated so much and the implications thereof. Next, I will define the different periods and levels of activity within EPNS, and touch upon the causes of those trends. Finally, I will dive into article content and structure, which I will attempt to draw normative conclusions from. Top Contributors As of the June 2024 edition of EPNS, the top ten contributors of all time are as follows: Aivintis (40), Bachtendekuppen (37), Zukchiva (26), Tretrid (24), The Atlae Isles (16), Merlovich (15), Albrook (14), Vussul (14), Libertanny (12), and East Malaysia (11). There are 72 contributors in total, but only the top eleven have 10 or more, while only the top 36 have more than one. This suggests an exponential trend, with a top-heavy lean on the highest contributors. Bachtendekuppen, Tretrid, Albrook, Vussul, Libertanny, and East Malaysia were all EPNS editors at some point. Three of them were also Delegates. For all six of these people, the vast majority of their contributions – if not all of their contributions – were made during a time when they were Editor or Delegate, where it might be expected of them to contribute regularly. Out of the other four – Aivintis, Zukchiva, The Atlae Isles, and Merlovich – all were Delegates. While Merlovich has written 15 articles himself, only four of them were written before he was elected Delegate. Out of the eleven he wrote while Delegate, ten were Delegate Updates. The vast majority of contributions were made from an office where it might be expected of him to contribute regularly. The Atlae Isles is precisely the polar opposite of this trend. Every single one of his own articles were written before he was elected Delegate. That said, he was indeed a member of cabinet for the whole period. Zukchiva, similarly, wrote only two as Delegate, with the other 24 being written outside of the office as a private citizen. One may still, again, consider him a part of the old guard nevertheless. Most of my contributions were made during the last year. Eleven of the forty were expected of me as Grand Vizier. A twelfth was made from the Office of the UTEP Chancellor. A further ten were part of a different monthly series, the Foreign Newsstand – one might say it’s expected of me as a Foreign Councillor, but there are many foreign councilors and I note that the Newsstand has never been part of the Foreign Council, sanctioned by it, or discussed by it. The remaining 18 were written as a private citizen. However, one cannot ignore the fact that former Editors and Delegates are the bulk of EPNS. Editors, while they hold the office, have much expected of them, and can sometimes keep EPNS alive single-handedly. Delegates might be expected to chip in at times, but considering most former Delegates on the list wrote mainly from the perspective of a private citizen, I think we can say that there is a very different trend here – high officials. I do not think there is a political elite within The East Pacific, but I think it’s undeniable that current and former high officials are incredibly involved with the government. In EPNS and beyond, a small number of people are expected to do a lot of work, simply because there’s no one else to do it. When the various RPers and lower level staffers contribute only between one and four articles in their entire time in TEP, those who are higher level need to do more for EPNS for EPNS to work. Mostly, that falls on those officials most associated with EPNS. Of course, in the case of many, that could be an endogeneity problem – Atlas was elected Delegate after contributing so much that he secured a place on the leaderboard, after all. It makes sense that those who make their mark on the region and work hard eventually count themselves among the high officials of the region – especially Delegates. However, in the case of editors, their contributions definitely follow their ascension to the position, and the success of EPNS is therefore entirely dependent on a single Minister doing a lot of work. Overreliance on Editors is the single biggest danger of the EPNS. In the June 2024 Delegate Elections, I made a joke to incumbent Delegate Merlovich, who was running for a third term. I asked what he would do if the EPNS Editor “exploded.” The fact is, however, that when we lose an Editor, we tend to lose most of EPNS, if not the whole thing. When Vussul resigned, Merlovich picked up the slack and quickly found a replacement, but we’re not always so lucky. We need to be cognizant of this reliance, and combat it while the Editor remains. So far, we’re doing well, but we need to keep it up. Eras of Activity I consider December 2013 to April 2015 to be Active Antiquity. The first EPNS article was posted on December 2nd, 2013, by Prussia, a former Delegate of The East Pacific. In the coming months, editions were vaguely defined – at the very beginning, individual articles were posted separately in the EPNS forum thread. In this era, articles about TEP roleplay and gameplay were equally common, but most articles were provided by the person in charge of EPNS – Prussia, then Bachtendekuppen. Even when cohesive editions were introduced, multiple might be made in a month, and EPNS would not shy away from “breaking news” stories outside of these editions. From May 2015 to October 2017 is the First Dark Age. In this period, there were no EPNS publications. Of the 57 articles preceding this Dark Age, 35 were written by Bachtendekuppen. Other contributors, like Xoriet and Severisen, only had a few to their name. The weight was on the Editor, or equivalent, and when that editor stopped contributing, EPNS fell apart. This Dark Age spans nine delegates, concluding finally with the appointment of Pendragonania as Editor by the Delegate. In the period from November 2017 to October 2018, the Revival Period occurred. Although there was a much more eclectic mix of authors, there was a heavy emphasis on the editors of EPNS. When Pendragonania was Editor, most articles were written by him. When Libertanny was Editor, he wrote many as well. Tretrid was the only exception to this, as he was a major contributor without yet being put in charge of EPNS. Articles lengthened and increased in quality. Some experimentation, such as with the Interpacifican Media Office and the dispatch “News Delivery,” both of which ended quickly. However, this era immediately ended with the election of Fedele. All three of Fedele’s terms, from October 2018 to October 2019, constitute the duration of the Second Dark Age, in which zero EPNS articles were published. As the literature suggests, government and community inactivity is the best environment in which to stage a coup d’etat. [1] Starting during the Second Reconstruction and continuing into the as-of-yet undefined period which followed, I posit that the EPNS experienced a Renaissance, which would begin in November 2019 and last until January 2022. In this renaissance, we saw the return of high quality articles from a variety of authors. However, this remained, yet again, quite insular, with contributors like Tretrid, Zukchiva, and The Atlae Isles forming the bulk of EPNS. Other authors contributed, but rarely became regulars. In the Renaissance, media experimentation began again, with the Midnight Star Magazine pioneered by East Malaysia. Editors included Tretrid, East Malaysia, and Albrook. The period following this Renaissance is a dappled patchwork of activity which I am tempted to call a Third Dark Age. However, unlike the previous eras fitting that title, there were EPNS articles, only few and far between. I will thus refer to it as the Gray Era. With the lack of willing contributors, once Tretrid, Zukchiva, and The Atlae Isles had stepped back, after EPNS had been too reliant upon them for too long, TEP turned to EPNS Lite. With shorter articles, framed as updates from different branches and ministries, EPNS Lite did not stick. Nor did a proprietary system in which articles were posted as they were completed, and then compiled into a monthly collection. Only two full editions were published. The current period of EPNS, which started with the June 2023 issue, posted on July 6th, 2023, is what I shall dub the Golden Age. Now persisting for an entire year with consistent monthly editions filled with between six and eleven articles of great length and quality, averaging at about eight. Brought about by Vussul, and sustained by the efforts of Merlovich and Rosartemis, the Golden Age has been defined by branch- and ministry-centric reports and updates and experimentation such as with “sidebar content” featuring RPs, UTEP works, and more, as well as with the new Worlds to Build section of EPNS, run by East Malaysia. Thus far, this experimentation seems to be lasting. Content and Structure Speaking now from a normative, opinionated perspective, I greatly admired the style of EPNS in previous active eras. The further back one goes in EPNS history, the more flare and identity one can see in the articles. There’s something special about “Greyghost appointed as Vizier” (Tretrid, 2017) that “Praesidium November Update” (Aivintis, 2023) can’t match. There’s something special about “Milestones Mark Mighty Military” (Severisen, 2014) and “EPSA And NPA Take Warzone Asia” (Xoriet, 2014) that are so fundamentally alive, which “The Delegate’s Update” can’t compete with. EPNS is a news service. It should have the soul of one. What it has become is a platform of government voices. This has been a necessity of the service. To sustain itself, it needs to rely on offices over individuals, and that is understandable. However, the style does not have to reflect that. What if last month’s Grand Vizier Address was split into three, smaller articles – “Proscriptions Issued,” “EPPS is Hiring,” and “Calibrating the Citizenship Office”? What if the Culture Update was instead named with a play on words such as “Pride Matters”? The EPNS has blood coursing through its veins, pumping strong. That’s way beyonds any metric during my own Delegacy, which fell in the driest part of the Gray Era. However, blood is not life. The life of EPNS is in articles like “TEP's Technology” (Vussul, 2024) and “The Eight Hours War” (Altys, 2024). The ones with catchy titles and themed writing. The ones that are not just mouths of the government. In my Delegacy, I tried the latter. The Executive Branch Report was met with lamentations that EPNS was no longer posted to the forums. Equally, “The Eight Hours War” could have easily been entitled “N Day Report.” However, it wasn’t. The thing that made looking through ten years of EPNS enjoyable was the snapshot of history and culture. Bachtendekuppen’s articles were charming third person perspectives on the government. Even as recently as the Renaissance, articles were focused on the content rather than the perspective. I think we should bring that back. Scheduled articles from certain offices are good, but they shouldn’t be framed as such. They should be about the branch or ministry, not from the branch or ministry. If this effort is taken, to alter the titles, tones, and themes of articles that are already being produced – only a slight shift in trajectory – it can represent a complete transformation of the Eastern Pacific News Service. We can pull in more readers for more stories, because they’ll no longer let their eyes skip over the boring titles of reports they may just assume to be boring as well. EPNS is our strongest internal program at the moment, and we need to show that off as much as possible. Giving each article a fun hook and a journalistic frame could improve upon the great work we are already accomplishing. It’s the same principle we apply to EPSA reports. The Windows Defender raids were iconic, and we recognize that. Overseeing Officer Eastern Alksearia has returned to forum reports. Furthermore, we’ve seen the same charm applied to Worlds to Build. In the schedule, W2B includes “Valsora Feature” and “Urth Feature.” The content we get, however, is “Socializing and Etiquette” (Aivintis, 2024) and “Urthvision XX: Now Broadcasting” (American-Cascadia, 2024). What if we saw that from the rest of EPNS? Part of this is more interviews and opinion articles. There are two new Ministries – Recruitment and Endorsement Affairs. If they do not have anything to report on, perhaps they can write articles on why it was necessary to create those Ministries. Perhaps their Ministers could be interviewed. If there’s little legislation in the Magisterium during a given month, perhaps the Provost can spend their EPNS time writing an article calling the citizens to action, to join the Magisterium and write legislation themselves. EPNS is a brilliant platform and it has been brilliantly filled. Our greatest problem to tackle has always been getting content on the pages. Now that we have it, I am pleased that we are moving on to a different problem. However, I think it’s an important one. If the style of EPNS is done right, it can become the best news source on the site. It’s already well on its way. We just need to take the extra step. Back to Top Summer Schooling: UTEP Active Anew By: Aivintis In 2021, the Five Step Plan for UTEP was ambitious, but ultimately fell short of reaching its goals. These days, the Plan for Educational Engagement, affectionately acronymed PEE, seems to be going the way of the dodo as well. After an initial stage in which negotiations with foreign universities either failed or failed to occur, the monumental task of transferring post-2019 UTEP works to gameside dispatches proved daunting and near-Sisyphean. Of course, activity in UTEP never truly stopped. In TEP’s intellectual culture, there’s no shortage of production from a handful of highly dedicated universitarians – April, for example, was a hot spot thanks mainly to the diverse contributions of Loreintor, better known as Halleyscomet08. However, the rates were far from consistent, with gap months and slow months. The University was waiting for something. It was waiting for PEE, which wasn’t going to happen. In order to commit to increasing activity, UTEP had to give up its PEE. This past June, it found a metaphorical cup, and did so. Unburdened with the expectation of something more than just writings, we saw works from Arleat, Zukchiva, Pauline Bonaparte, and yours truly on everything from perspectives on worldbuilding to in-universe Urthian works to media analysis and, of course, the bread and butter of UTEP, NSGP political think pieces. In July, a compromise was finally enacted. Instead of all the essays and commentaries of the past four years being transferred into dispatches, the system of submission would change instead. New works would be posted in dispatch form instead of within the regional forums. It sacrificed the freedom of writing and posting without collaborating with the government, but it was meant to provide a far more accessible format for reading. With templates created by Delegate Merlovich for the PEE project, we saw the first new work posted in dispatch form. This was JoWhatup’s “Rhetoric, Ideology and Propaganda: the Good, the Fun, and the Ugly.” This piece was a holistic analysis of the subjects it named – the development and communication of ideas and ideologies in the R/D landscape over the past twenty years of gameplay. An interesting subject, a strong opinion, a well-researched example set, and a focus on the NSGP political field made it a clear winner and a very strong first article for the month of July. It jumped to the top of the new dispatches section, potentially in part due to foreign raiders, but it broke into the field, and many more would soon follow. The next work to be posted in the new format was more TEP focused, but also longer. Directly following the June release of EPNS, this was “An Analysis of EPNS History,” which generated some discussion and publicity in the NSGP forums for the in-progress reveal that the June 2024 edition would include the 100th article of the most recent EPNS revival. Exploring eras of EPNS history, the circumstances driving top contributors to reach the leaderboard, and even content and structure, this work was more empirical than normative, albeit including a call for more stylistic publications in the future. A one-two punch wouldn’t be all the University had in store for the month. Though one can see a steady decline in the publicity of the newer UTEP articles, it did not prevent University Staff, namely Pauline Bonaparte, Zukchiva and I, from adding to the month’s success. The first real-life work under the dispatch system was Zukchiva’s Seven Anime Reviews, although a political philosopher would be more than satisfied with “A Split View of a Region” and “The Role of the Conclave,” which claimed their spots as the second R/D piece and the second TEP piece, respectively, on the new nation. Pauline Bonaparte ended the month with a piece entitled “Further Opportunities for Frontiers in 2024,” advocating for a closer Frontierist network within the FOCUS framework. It’s still early days, but it’s a promising sign to see six works from UTEP in the same month it switches medium. The upvote system might prove a strong opportunity to project TEP’s voice across the site, if only it can mobilize enough people to give it the boost it needs, but lackluster upvotes could equally doom UTEP with an outward appearance of neglect and irrelevance. The accessibility could bring in new readers, but it’s also possible that the University’s approach to the game is inherently niche. It’s possible authorship and readership won’t expand or diversify. These things will be decided in the days to come, when the ‘library’ databases of UTEP are set up on the account and the sustainability of the university’s new format is tested. It may very well be a few more months before a conclusive answer can be found, but without doubt, there is potential. Potential for new exposure and new activity and attention. Only time will tell if we will live up to that shimmering potential, when all is said and done. Back to Top [OPINION] Expand the Courts By: Aivintis In August 2022, a bench of four Arbiters decided that the Concordat, as amended well over two years prior, was itself unconstitutional – unconcordatial, as East Pacifican lingo goes – and struck down the 2020 amendment, all amendments which followed, and all elections and appointments which followed the illegitimate Constitution. In doing so, most Arbiters themselves had effectively been removed from power. The Concrisis case was wrongly decided, [1] [2] but it created lingering resentment and feelings of dread. Legislative proposals followed to correct perceived flaws in the Concordat and the courts. [3] [4] [5] However, the question I believe needs to be addressed isn’t related at all to this particular ruling, but rather the fact that such a ruling was possible. Since 2020, I’ve heard it remarked that, if the Conclave is captured by a coup d’etat, the government is practically lost. Conclave’s power does not just extend to the magnitude of its judicial review authority, which wiped out the government easily on its own. The power to decline criminal and civil cases, or to rule according to their judgment, is significant. If the cabal had the Conclave, Davelands’ election complaint for being ejected for endocap violations could have easily been accepted, and the results of Marrabuk’s election thrown out. They could have rejected any criminal proceedings against Fedele for altering the text of the Concordat or removing Viziers from RO positions – all of which occurred before the all out war of the hard coup. Conclave power can be kept in check in a number of ways, however. If the Delegacy and the Magisterium is in secure hands, removal of an Arbiter and replacement is always an option. Higher majorities to (re)confirm Arbiters is also a possibility, but a Vizier once expressed to me in private that no matter how much we raised the supermajority, most nominations would be practically rubber stamped – which does appear to be the default, except in the case where individuals who are Arbiters made decisions which turned the Magisterium against them. I think the greatest check on Conclave power, however, is diluting the power of an individual Arbiter. If we had the manpower, I would suggest raising it significantly. One can take this to any absurd extreme they so desire – seven, nine, or even thirteen judges. However, the fact that they are ‘absurd extremes’ means that there is a practical balancing act to consider – manpower. We cannot spare nine or even seven jurists, and so a smaller number must be maintained. This I freely admit. However, four is the wrong number. Not just because it is small, in my opinion, but mainly because it is an even number. Some may be aware that I served as the Conclave’s Viceroy for less than three hours, but what they may not know is that, in the private chambers, I said that, if there was a tie, I’d prefer Shadow to win over me and would drop out of the race. However, before I could do so, Article C, Section 3 kicked in, and the sitting Viceroy’s vote – which was cast for Shadow – was voided, handing me the seat. That is why I resigned so soon after taking office. We shouldn’t make the Viceroy’s vote worth less than any other Arbiter’s – it only disincentivizes the leading position of the Court. We shouldn’t make any Arbiter's vote worth less than another’s. If only three Arbiters can vote at any given time (or on the most controversial issues), we might as well only have three Arbiters. The fourth is a waste of manpower. However, if we expanded the bench to five, every Arbiter could have an equal say and we can transition to requiring a real majority for verdicts, rather than a manufactured majority. Of course, each seat we add to the Conclave is an extra check on the power of the individual Arbiters. When only two Arbiters are needed for a “majority” decision (ignoring the fact that 50% is not a majority), each Arbiter has half of the power needed to cripple or abuse the court. When three are needed, each Arbiter only has 33.3% of that power. When four are needed, 25%, and when five are needed, 20%. It’s mathematical. If there were no reasonable limits, such as the concern of manpower or tying up a potential Magister or Delegate, the Court would be as large as possible. However, those reasonable limits do exist. We must strike a balance between the manpower we have and the benefits of each seat we add to the Court. I think a bench of five is the perfect balance. It is much safer than a bench of three and much easier to fill than a bench of seven. I believe TEP is in somewhat of a manpower lull, but I still believe we can easily fill five court positions with trusted, experienced candidates. If we can easily have a five-member court, there’s no reason to settle for something smaller and there’s certainly no reason to settle for an even number. For these reasons, I recently proposed to the Magisterium an Amendment to the Concordat which would expand the bench from four to five. [6] I listed these reasons in the amendment and I summoned the Magisters, Arbiters, and Delegate of The East Pacific for comment. Arbiter Bachtendekuppen took me up on this offer. He wrote a very detailed commentary on why he is opposed to the amendment, which I suggest you read. [7] In the spirit of integrity, I intend to list and address Bachtendekuppen’s counterpoints in this article. For one, he says, “I don’t think the Conclave is comparatively small to other courts in GCR’s.” This is true. The Coalition of the South Pacific mandates three members in its High Court [8] as does The North Pacific [9] – though the phrasing suggests that a larger number may be established by law without an amendment to the Charter or Constitution, respectively. However, it may be instructive to look at UCRs as well. The Free Nations Federation, a UCR stronghold with such a waning population of citizens interested in government that a regional emergency was declared not long ago, has a five member Supreme Court. [10] The Union of Democratic States also has a five member court. [11] In this day and age, I don’t think it’s particularly helpful to look at GCRs or Feeders in a vacuum compared to the rest of the game, and if we look at all regions, holistically, it seems a court of five is just as popular as a court of three. Another point he makes is that voting isn’t as complicated as I make it out to be and even if it is, internal procedures are at fault, which he argues “can be fixed internally.” However, Article C Section 3 of the Concordat clearly mandates that only three votes be cast out of the four Arbiters and no matter how the internal procedures decide who is to be deprived of a vote – the Viceroy, the most junior Arbiter, a random Arbiter each time, etc. – someone is being deprived of a vote. By making a four-person court with a three-person voting system, the Concordat necessitates a voting system that is complicated. If someone believes, like Bachtendekuppen, that the system isn’t complicated at all, I can concede that for them. However, for me the process seemed incredibly unintuitive. And complicated or not, it deprives an Arbiter of some of their official powers and in turn makes the other three Arbiters more powerful. Complicated or not, it is the reason why I am the shortest serving Viceroy in history. Complicated or not, it would certainly be easier on everyone if all Arbiters’ voices mattered in all cases. The core of Bachtendekuppen’s argument, which I will respond to now, is as follows: “the given explanation [for the Conclave being too powerful] lacks depth.” He starts by claiming that the comparison I make between an Arbiter and a Delegate is “a gross oversimplification of our balance of powers and constitutional framework.” However, I disagree. The Praesidium is very powerful, but in the current moment that power can only be used with a six-Vizier majority. The Conclave is similarly powerful, but less diluted. The Magisterium is diluted with a ten-Magister majority. The Delegate’s power, however, is absolute. I believe it’s an easy comparison to make to a two-Arbiter majority. Bachtendekuppen criticizes my argument for not substantiating my claims on the Conclave’s power. That is fair, and so I will draw from the evidence and conclusions of my UTEP work, The Role of the Conclave [12], to explain more. In this piece, I argue that most judicial reviews are followed my amendments to the Concordat or relevant law that either clarifying an obscure point or overturn the ruling entirely. In this case, I argue, “Removing the review from the equation doesn’t change anything.” The positive effects are thus negligible. However, as we’ve seen with the Concrisis, the negative effects of judicial review can be devastating and difficult to reverse. That destructive power is concentrated in the hands of four individuals. Realistically, given the way voting works, that destructive power is concentrated in the hands of two individuals. Again, I repeat that a Conclave majority can unilaterally decide which laws are contrary to the Concordat, which crimes are worth a trial or a verdict, and which verdicts are just. It is why two branches are involved in confirming an Arbiter, why a supermajority is required, why only experienced and trustworthy candidates are selected and confirmed, and why this amendment is necessary. The final point Bachtendekuppen makes, one I’m sure many of the readers may think of immediately, perhaps accompanied with a few admittedly deserved eyerolls is this – adding one singular seat to the Conclave doesn’t really change much. It only makes it “slightly more difficult” for subversion and “profound effects” are few and far between. Does it justify such an action? Or, going beyond what Bachtendekuppen himself was implying, but towards a point the reader may be thinking: Does the action justify such an in-depth defense? To the latter half, I say: Conclave is under far stricter scrutiny since the Concrisis and we must balance all stakeholders, including those upset with the Court and those upset with the Magisterium. Any action the Magisterium takes in respect to the Courts, for the time being, deserves careful consideration. To the former half, I say: every little advantage for our democracy is worth it. The only cost is one person, which I again assert that we can spare, especially when considering the usual suspects of former Provosts and current Viziers. So what disadvantage does this have? I cannot refute the argument that expanding the bench by one doesn’t do much, nor can I make a better point about the need for such a measure. Without naming specific candidates, which I could do but refuse, I cannot demonstrate any more effectively that we can spare a potential Magister or Delegate to fill the new position. With that in mind, is there even a single negative side effect of expanding the bench? I echo Bachtendekuppen’s invitation to “exercise appropriate consideration” and reply, on the thread or in EPNS, with their own opinions, for or against. I believe it is time to expand the courts. Do you? References: [1] https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/the_east_pacific/viewtopic.php?p=256226#p256226 Back to Top Featured Urth Roleplay The Caliph, the Sultan, the Emperor By: The oan isles / The Oan IslesPrince Lohadek was the Minister of State Security of Packilvania. He was responsible for overseeing the intelligence agencies and policies of the country. In that process, he had overseen the biggest expansion of camera and internet surveillance in the country’s history (rivalling the scope and scale under the Packilvanian Communist Party) and the systemic infiltration of the military, state militia, and local and provincial governments by intelligence agents while pitting these agents against each other to ensure the balance of power under the Bedonite dynasty. His devotion and competency kept him in favour with Sultan Namdun III. However, it was his rapport, and diligently and hard-won trust with then-Crown Prince Thumim V that was his focus. Urthvision XX Recap By: Kyrloth / Kyrla
Crafting a Lore Book: A Fight Against Writer's Block By: East Malaysia Writing an article is what Aivintis meant when adding the title page of my lore book as a featured design for this EPNS edition. Now I sit here, suffering from writer's block, bashing my fingers on the keyboard cursing Aivintis. Just kidding, I would never bash my fingers against my keyboard, silly readers. Truth be told, I was not going to write an article, but I completed my first entry into my lore book it inspired me to write a little about it. I don't have a fancy name for it yet but the lore book is my answer to my writer's block. For all the possible wiki pages, Word documents, forum posts, or notebooks I could make... I have opted for a hybrid style of combining digital with written and papercraft. I don't know at what point this idea manifested itself but a pack of color pens from a discount retailer, dollar store notebooks, hobby store papercraft supplies, and one night as I stared at a copy of my map in GIMP on my computer an idea dawned on me. Why don't I print this out and cut out my states and do some individual worldbuilding for each? I bought these supplies with the worldbuilding in mind after all. I did not have all the supplies at that point so a little supercenter online shopping completed the package.
With a little time, patience, and thought I cut out some designs from card stock books. I printed Free Pax States flag, emblem, and native name in Kilumi. it simply says Mukorasak Seysa or Cereneria Isles if you want a deeper translation. I now realize that I could have printed off the Kilumi text with a black highlight and white letters as it could have blended with the dark color better. I might change it in the future depending on how easily the paper peels off the paper but for now, I'll save some black ink.
To save some space for the other EPNS articles, I have made it smaller, but the text says: "Kuter Kebir is an ancient feline city that lies at the Claw of Pontuarya. It was granted status as a special administrative region but is highly integrated with the rest of Pontuarya." The flag on the left is the flag of the City of Kuter Kebir and the one on the right is the flag of Kuter Kebir Special Administrative Region. This is the first entry based on the suggestion of The oan isles /
This map showcases the entire area within the Free Pax State's sphere of influence. I know some better than others but the desire to discover their unique identities. It's easier said than done because when I think of the demonym used, "rekomi" or "one people," I seek to find a deeper understanding because in a modern sense that is terminology that might be 75 years old at best. What happened in the 30 years after declaring Independence from Packilvania? What happened during Packilvanian rule? What happened before that? I may not have an all-encompassing answer right now but one printout, cut out and glue down at a time I shall find out one area at a time. Great Slaviskas Migration ▲ Upvote ▲ By: Aivintis The Great Slaviskas Migration is a folk tale and genuine archaeo-historical event that explains the arrival of the Slaviskas people to the lands that are now occupied by the Directorate of Zemedievai and Kamyachyn. As the legend goes, the Slaviskas people once lived in the west, at the other end of the continent, but fled a great calamity to find a promised land for them to settle. King Pirmakaras and his trusted Bogatyr Plataskadas led the Slaviskas people across the continent, fighting off roving hordes of Steppe people, bandits, and wild beasts while the people trailed behind. The war ended when Teondumis, the King of the Gods, challenged the three kings of the elemental spirits to a duel atop the highest mountain in the land. They fought for days, but in the end, all three fell to the might of Teondumis. He took their crowns, banished the spirits to the realm of the gods, where they could be stewarded by the Dievai, and secured the land of Zemedievai for the Slaviskas people, who broke into their tribes and kingdoms, but never forgot the valiant deeds of the Dievai and the first unified King of the Slaviskas. According to archaeological record, there was indeed a mass migration into Zemedievai. The Slaviskas people, who are genetically identifiable as Yastreovakian through factors such as the HERC2 allele and the alleles of SLC45A2 and SLC24A5, which code for the lighter eye and skin color characteristics that are markers of Yastreovakian peoples, did not live in Zemedievai before 200 BCE, but rather fully settled over the course of that century. Genetically speaking, Proto-Slaviskas settlers display much more similarities to the early peoples of Belekria and Western Yastreovakia than to those of the Congregation and other eastern nations. Objects of Early Dievinist significance have also been found south and east of the Pakatska steppes, confirming parts of a valid migration route as well. Most of the route, however, remains subject to speculation. The origins of these people, however, is hotly contested. Some scholars suggest they were a subset of a different Western Yastreovakian tribe, while others suggest they were an insular ethnicity driven out by the expansion of a known group. Another proposed theory suggests that they left, not to escape the expansion of other tribes, but to pursue a religious promised land. Alternative evidence suggests inadequate food supply and resources motivated the migration. The presence of a Native people of Zemedievai is additionally accepted by most scholars, in which cultural artifacts have been found which have no correspondence in any of the Slaviskas ethnic groups or subgroups. The discovery of bronze age weaponry, battlefields, mass graves, and rudimentary warrior burials supports the legend’s implication that the settlement of the Slaviskas was violent. There is less consensus on the fate of the losing ethnicity in this war. Some suggest they may have syncretized into the Great Congregation, to the south, the multiethnic nature of which makes this theory a possibility. Others suggest there was a migration of these people that followed – either back west, or over the sea, to Nonscio or Orientalis. In the legend, their exile to the realm of the gods supports this. The lack of known remains for this tribe or tribes means that one theory, which implies the complete genocide of the Native Zemedeivans, is unlikely. Furthermore, it makes any theory on where the Natives may have migrated to virtually impossible to prove. It also creates contention on the very existence of the native culture, with some dissenting scholars suggesting that the alternate cultural items represented a splinter group of the main Slaviskas tribes, and the war was intraethnic, rather than interethnic. - Minister of News & EPNS Editor Volinovia, Merlovich, and Great Slatos |
Coastal Conference Mountain Conference Southwestern Conference Metropolitan Conference Western 10 Conference 1. Bismarck Buffalos 1. Bismarck Buffalos EDIT: Overlooked Verdanna. I now know they were ranked twice. It's half the undefeated teams didn't survive the next week. |
Many riots broke out across the streets of the Germain Federation. Police officers were dispatched to quell the impact. The alleys soon became battlefields as both the police and rioters began to beat each other up. The local police captured those provocators nevertheless. "Which party are you from? Identify yourselves!" Most of those ruffians wore a badge with a kovlokrat inscripted on it. "I am sure they are members of the forbidden ethnocratic group Volksaktion! Anyways just jail most of the scums and do everything you can to find their upper echelons." The police are confused. "What do you mean by most?" The detective pulled put a gun and shot two of the ten provocators on the head. "This should be a warning for the rest of you. Get it?! I pray I will never see you scums again!" The police carried away the corpses of the two recently executed ruffians and the eight others who are handcuffed. The detective walks back to his limousine and drove away from the scenery. The cosmonauts have built a megapolis in the depths of Mars. "I had been searching for the existence of God for a long time. Throughout Mount Olympus and the big sky above Earth, we found no divinity. I wondered where that great uncle of mine has gone to. He used to serve in the defense force before suddenly disappearing. As several years passed by, he was forgotten by everyone. Only my grandmother remembered seeing him when she is a kid. Now that she is dead, his existence will be forgotten just like the heroes of old. Please keep this a secret between both of us." The old man tucked his grandson to sleep in a few minutes after telling him about David. |
Coastal Conference Mountain Conference Southwestern Conference Metropolitan Conference Western 10 Conference NEW Top 22. Cool Right? 1. Bismarck Buffalos 4-0 |
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