NSG Senate General Discussion Thread (Former Lobby)

[Skeckoa]

And then he changed his party's entire look and platform without telling any members to make into what was essentially a single-issue umlaut party. It was called the Aurentine National Front or something but everyone called it the National Umlaut Commission. He quit shortly afterwards.

Ahhh... Good 'ol Hippostania.

[Maklohi Vai]

Will a new country be developed or will Vestmark or Aurentina be used?

That's what we're voting on right now.

[Kouralia]

Where am voting?

[The New World Oceania]

Hey Thorn man.

Þþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþ.

*raspberry*

*onions*

Anyway, what's the story with the umlauts? I've seen so much talk of it, but never learned the story behind it.

I stared at your flag a good seven seconds before looking at your name.

[Of the Quendi]

Will a new country be developed or will Vestmark or Aurentina be used?

That's what we're voting on right now.

We are voting on whether we want Aurentina or Vestmark?

[Gallifrey Secundaria]

I wouldn't consider geography, demographics and linguistics to be trivial, considering how major a part they've played in Aurentina. And they were also interesting to build as a general effort in Aurentina, just look at the Aurentine Culture thread and Aurentine language talks in the Archives to get a sense of the engagement in it.

Mmm we didn't have a set language in Baltonia. Also, you can still have that in a pre-plan, in fact that'll be an offside focus once we get started, but is not important atm...

Aurentina functioned fine without a codified constitution for several months, almost a half-year from what I recall. A constitution isn't an end-all goal.

No constitution = no restrictions on government overreach or guideline to govern. Nations without constitution: North Korea, Haiti, United Kingdom, Israel. All police states and hell holes.

The debates on the location and general specifications of the nation are part of the fun. A little controversy is a good thing. And I agree with Brit, this is pretty much just scaremongering now.

You and only you want to see an over powerful crap state, and will do anything to push it through. YOU are the scaremonger.

What nation is there left to build? You already have built incredible amounts of it.

The cities, the constituencies, the colony, 85% of the language to go, half the history which is only a list so far, demographics which consistent more than natives and crazy Muslims, religions, etc.

You've left us as much space for development as a math question reading
sqrt(5)^2 = x
Solve for x.

25.

but the real fun - the external conflicts - may begin right off the bat.

The real fun according to who?

According to someone who has been here since last August.

A blank slate doesn't stop that. The Republican Executive Act was passed less than half a week after the Senate was created and the Senate Bombing RP started very shortly into the creation of the then yet to be named state.

See? Pure anarchy.

Wait, since when was the UK a police state/hell hole?

What the fuck?

And they DO have one.

EDIT: Israel has some basic laws, North Korea has a constitution and Haiti has a constitution.

So basically, the only one that you even got partly correct was Israel.

[The Liberated Territories]

Nah I am just screwing with you now. You win, I lose. I withdraw, I submit.

Although Britain really is close to a a police state, and America isn't much better.

[Gallifrey Secundaria]

Nah I am just screwing with you now. You win, I lose. I withdraw, I submit.

I'm speechless.

[New Zepuha]

Nah I am just screwing with you now. You win, I lose. I withdraw, I submit.

Although Britain really is close to a a police state, and America isn't much better.

The UK is creeping ever closer to it.

[Ainin]

The entire post-9/11 West is.

[Ainin]

We never did get to 2030

---

ANNOUNCEMENT > The Transportation Ministry unveils Plan 2030 for Aurentina

---

Sustainable Development: The Only Way Forward

Definition of Sustainable Development
Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs¹.
¹ "Our Common Future", World Commission on Environment and Development [Brundtland Commission], 1987, ISBN: 019282080X

Nearly all of the resources on our planet that we use in our everyday lives are finite, especially petroleum, that fuels our cars, makes up our clothes and produces many consumer goods, rare earths, used in motor vehicles, computers and many consumer appliances, and natural gas, that powers and heats our homes and businesses. That is a fact that we should and simply must acknowledge as we move forward towards the future.

After all, economic growth under our current way of life cannot and will not last, as our resource-dependent economies will not be able to survive the effects of phenomena such as peak oil (as predicted by Dr. M. King Hubbard in 1956) and resource depletion (as illustrated with shocking accuracy by the 1972 publication The Limits to Growth). Both these theories were ridiculed when they were conceived, but were both vindicated in recent years. The implications of the long-term end of growth under our economic system would be simply catastrophic, and we must make sure this scenario does not happen.

The free market does not, never has had and never will have the will nor the insight to move to a less resource-dependent economy, so it must be government that takes the initiative to move forward.

Some may call this alarmism, others fearmongering. I call this realism.

---

Plan 2030 for Aurentina is a four-stage plan with the eventual goal being absolute carbon neutrality in the transportation sector. I admit that the transition will not be easy, but it is necessary.

Stage 1 (2014-2016)
This is a crucial stage, and one that is incredibly important if we want any of the other stages to have a remote chance at success. The words that can sum up this stage are "planning" and "identification". This is an ambitious timeframe, but I am hoping for the best.

• Begin to set aside funding for future stages of the project (to start immediately)
• Create a fund to upgrade transit buses in Aurentina to cleaner standards than diesel, such as hybrid-electric, rechargeable electric, biodiesel and hydrogen (to be started immediately)
• Identify bridges, tunnels and other areas acceptable for the construction of toll stations (to be completed by January 2015)
• Identify stretches of motorways and artery roads suitable for the construction of bus lanes or light rail tracks (to be completed by January 2015)
• Identify roads with wide median lanes suitable to being replaced with light rail and bus rapid transit (to be completed by January 2015)
• Identify underground rail ("metro") and heavy rail lines for expansion (to be completed by January 2015)
• Identify areas for the construction of high-speed rail lines (to be completed by June 2016)
• Complete studies into ridership and hypothetical analysis statistics of proposed bus, light rail, underground rail and heavy rail services (to be completed by June 2016)

Stage 2 (2016-2020)
This stage will the first we see concrete action, that will be major but extremely vital to both the environment and Aurentines.

• Complete studies into ridership and hypothetical analysis statistics of proposed high speed rail lines (to be completed by January 2018)
• Begin construction of bus and light rail infrastructure in lanes and medians identified as suitable (to continue into Phase 3)
• Begin construction of underground and heavy rail infrastructure in areas identified as suitable (to continue into Phases 3-4)
• Electrify the entire Aurentine rail network, with or without the consent of the owners (to be completed by June 2020)
• Outlaw locomotives powered by non-renewable resources, with no exceptions (to be completed by June 2020)

Signed,
Alexander Ainin
Minister of Transportation

[Great Nepal]

We never did get to 2030

This is why we need some kind of scale between RL time and RP time: that way we can actually realize mega projects like this... I was thinking one months to one year so we would have elections once every four months - that should provide sufficient time for government to make enough impact.

[Unicario]

We never did get to 2030

This is why we need some kind of scale between RL time and RP time: that way we can actually realize mega projects like this... I was thinking one months to one year so we would have elections once every four months - that should provide sufficient time for government to make enough impact.

That's interesting.

[Ainin]

Where am voting?

Noweeher, i eet it. Taste like chikkken


FAKEEDIT: viewtopic.php?f=25&t=320741

[The Nihilistic view]

We never did get to 2030

This is why we need some kind of scale between RL time and RP time: that way we can actually realize mega projects like this... I was thinking one months to one year so we would have elections once every four months - that should provide sufficient time for government to make enough impact.

I agree we need a scale, though I think 2 weeks per year is best. Elections were great fun in Aurentina and we had them every 2 months. I think that is the right balance.

[Ainin]

Personally, I think the concept of the culturally North European island nation (North Germanic Aurentina, West Slavic Baltonia and now West Germanic Vestmark) with a parliamentary system has been done to death.

This is why we need some kind of scale between RL time and RP time: that way we can actually realize mega projects like this... I was thinking one months to one year so we would have elections once every four months - that should provide sufficient time for government to make enough impact.

I agree we need a scale, though I think 2 weeks per year is best. Elections were great fun in Aurentina and we had them every 2 months. I think that is the right balance.

I'd think that adding this question to the agenda of the voting thread is a good idea.

[Of the Quendi]

Personally, I think the concept of the culturally North European island nation (North Germanic Aurentina, West Slavic Baltonia and now West Germanic Vestmark) with a parliamentary system has been done to death.

What do you propose instead?

Also I thought Aurentina was a Mediterranean country.

[Intermountain States]

I demand we set it in Asia and have it suffer a recent civil war, that should justify all the violence that players have a hard on/go wet for in this game
(I'm kidding btw)

[The Nihilistic view]

Personally, I think the concept of the culturally North European island nation (North Germanic Aurentina, West Slavic Baltonia and now West Germanic Vestmark) with a parliamentary system has been done to death.

What do you propose instead?

Also I thought Aurentina was a Mediterranean country.

It was in the med but culturally it was Northern European, mainly British/Dutch/German.

[Ainin]

Personally, I think the concept of the culturally North European island nation (North Germanic Aurentina, West Slavic Baltonia and now West Germanic Vestmark) with a parliamentary system has been done to death.

What do you propose instead?

Also I thought Aurentina was a Mediterranean country.

Ä Nörth Gërmänïc Mëdïtërränëän Cöüntrÿ wïth wäÿ töö mänÿ dïäërësës, for some reason.

[Glasgia]

I demand we set it in Asia and have it suffer a recent civil war, that should justify all the violence that players have a hard on/go wet for in this game
(I'm kidding btw)

I see no problem with this proposal.... Asides from it being a justification for violence...

[The Nihilistic view]

Personally, I think the concept of the culturally North European island nation (North Germanic Aurentina, West Slavic Baltonia and now West Germanic Vestmark) with a parliamentary system has been done to death.

I have always fancied something in the pacific with a very cosmopolitan mix of European and Asian but last time with Baltonia I was away when most of the stuff was decided.

[Ainin]

We all like taking potshots at the National Umlaut Commission and the Aurentine language, but it might be worth noting for the sake of intellectual honesty that a language is not a writing system (e.g. there's no such thing as the English alphabet, the language is English and the writing system can be anything from Roman/Latin to braille to IPA to sign language to, hell, Arabic characters if you're so inclined) and by most definitions the language itself was excellent.

[Ainin]

Personally, I think the concept of the culturally North European island nation (North Germanic Aurentina, West Slavic Baltonia and now West Germanic Vestmark) with a parliamentary system has been done to death.

I have always fancied something in the pacific with a very cosmopolitan mix of European and Asian but last time with Baltonia I was away when most of the stuff was decided.

That sounds interesting. Tbh, I don't think us continuously making first-world countries and at the same time having anthrax terrorists, power-crazy generals and mafiosos with more equipment than a standard US Army mechanised infantry brigade makes any sense and I'd like the new country to be second world.

[Of the Quendi]

Ä Nörth Gërmänïc Mëdïtërränëän Cöüntrÿ wïth wäÿ töö mänÿ dïäërësës, for some reason.

Yes that was a bit silly, though personally I had no problem with our diaereses.

But you didn't answer my question. What alternative to a parliamentarian system do you propose? A presidential one?