OOC chat

[Kelwarr]

As this is still the OOC chat, which I believe still means you can talk stuff other than politics here, what's new with all of you and how are things in the region since I left? Is there anything major that I should know about?

[Libre Arbitre]

Originally posted by Borishnakov V:
The problem with the Ministry of Defense is that it has always been ambiguous. The Constitution gives only loose guidelines as to its personnel and operations. It has also been asumed that the Minister of Defense would establish proceedure as needed, but nobody has been that ambitious.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The situation here is that no one is willing to take on the position for an extended period of time and/or take it seriously. All of the ambitious people naturally migrate to MIA, VP, or Pres., leaving no one to fill this role. Since I will be making an appointment soon to Defense, if anyone is interested in the position, please let me know.

Well, Kelwarr, the major development since you left us was the abatement of the Wik threat. The problems now lie with conflicts inside of the region. About a month ago, we had a fairly contensious piece of legislation calling for abandonment of the Aegean. Although it was defeated, the region is still divided.

[Borishnakov V]

The problem is the region doesn't have a banner to rally behind. Let's give a run-down of the previous banners of the Aegean:

1. The Commies are coming! The Commies are coming! Fight Back!

2. Destroy Wik! Destroy Wik!

3. Drago ***** ! Drago ***** !

4. Blue must be stopped (linked to the post-Wik... uh... wik).

There have been a few secular ones:

1. The government is useless. Only my ideas are valid (used by those similar to Aegean Paradise)

2. I seek the Atomic Bomb for peaceful purposes! (used by Ahmadinejad of Iran)

3. (Simply put, the Gettysburg Address in no fewer than 6 foreign languages)

4. ASCII art and ASCII **** (used, only semi-successfully by the many faces of Luftwafflez)

[Libre Arbitre]

I think Secular Problem #1 would more or less describe the current state of affairs.

[Kelwarr]

To be honest, I think secular reason one will always remain no matter what you do.

Perhaps we can use the dissent over the senate to create some interest in things. It's obvious that it needs to be changed. I never meant it to last this long and I'd have put out the repeal/referendum for it had I been in the region long enough. I'm surprised no one else has come up with the legislation to change it. I have an idea, but I'm not sure how greatly the region will take to it and/or my rationale behind it. But it's a start. We can at least get the senate thing a bit more involved. I doubt it'll end what is stretching the region in so many directions, but it can at least be a distraction.

Step two may be, as Libre and I discussed earlier today, letting non-U.N. nations into cabinet positions. That could appease a few more people, or at least distract them as well.

The third thing I can see is perhaps setting up a cabinet position titled "U.N. advisor" or something of that nature to begin drafting and going over U.N. proposals. I realize that anyone with two endorsements can submit a proposal, but if we have a "committee" of anyone interested discussing what to submit and possible draft changes, then it gives people something else to do and can abate some bickering over the central government because there's nothing else to do. There was a group of people that essentially headed the Indian Ocean that was called the Quadumvirate. It consisted of Wik, Libre Arbitre, God007, and me. Wik had developed a proposal for a nuclear armaments reduction/ban and we spent a majority of our time on N.S. partaking in the forum discussing the draft, any changes we can see, and then telegramming them to each other. After some work, the new draft would be posted on the forum and it started again. For those that were interested, it took up a lot of time and drew the attention away from regional affairs for a time.

[Borishnakov V]

Hmm... create a bill with the intent of distracting the region from current problems.

Sounds like American-style government to me. We should consider that idea.

[Libre Arbitre]

Well, it looks as if I will be inaugurated within a few hours. Once that occurs, I will ask Borishnakov to formally declare the 2nd Senate session to be open. The first thing that needs to be done is the creation of the study comittee to research possible solutions to the senate problem. This comittee would be composed of both UN and non-UN nations and would report to me and Borishnakov. Then, hopefully some meaningful legislation can be created and introduced. As for Kelwarr's idea on the UN proposals, such an idea would be fine, but we need to give the senate top priority at this point because if the importance of the legislation waiting to be passed.

[Borishnakov V]

Furthermore, I think any reconfiguration of the Senate will have to wait until the next senate term, as s******** the senate and switching systems mid-term would utterly destroy any chances of acomplishing any meaningful legislation, and we can not afford an idle senate.

[Libre Arbitre]

I agree. The first thing on the docket is Immigration. We need to hash that out and get that to a vote by sometime next week. Once that is done, I have a fairly non-contensious non-aggression pact with the Indian that I will put through. Following that, we will see. Either we bring up other legislation, or begin debating the amendment to allow non-UNs to be in the ministries.

[Borishnakov V]

Sounds good. By the way, who have you picked for your cabinet?