The Osiris Fraternal Order

[Unibot III]

It's actually a legit real life criteria:

Wikipedia:



From the "Global instances of coups from 1950 to 2010 A new dataset". Journal of Peace Research

I'm putting my actually-has-a-degree-in-this-field hat on. Caveats:

1. Most researchers would use Polity IV, which has a one month requirement for successful coups.
2. These coups are usually military or military-backed.
3. This is largely irrelevant, since coups in NS aren't based upon actual threats to the life of political leaders. There's no incentive to not fight against a coup in NS.

I would posit the following test for whether a coup in NS is successful:

1. Have the coup perpetrators installed a delegate that cannot be removed by a counter-coup operation, and has enough influence to remove counter-coup operatives?
2. Has the post-coup region developed a government or community installed by the coup-ers, and is that community basically entrenched and active?

I'm going to put my has-a-degree-in-this-field hat on and simply quote Rocky Balboa in saying "ain't nothing's over 'til it's over." Don't expect a fight to end the way Round One goes; these things are about stamina. That's what makes the vitality of militant idealists hard to overestimate.

[Cormactopia II]

One could arguably assert that XKI started the troubles in Osiris by their forceful intervention.

One could, but one would run the risk of me laughing so hard that Max could here it down in Australia.
Took you long enough to drag us into this.

Actually, TITO took a very heavy-handed approach to the founding of Osiris, basically telling all of NationStates that the birth of Osiran government would be on their terms without any consultation with or input from other parties that had already begun investing in Osiris. In fact, it's my understanding that TITO was openly hostile to others who were taking an interest in Osiris, because some of them were known raiders. TITO then completely abandoned Osiris, to the point that TITO leadership even refused to provide assistance to the Kemetic Republic of Osiris against the July 2013 coup d'etat by The Dourian Embassy, again because Osiris' self-determined alignment and leadership were not acceptable to the ideological absolutists of TITO.

Contrast this with the political foundation of Balder, in which competition between the UDL and Europeia eventually gave way to cooperation not only between them but with others who had shown interest in Balder, and many of the people from the UDL, Europeia, etc., remained involved in Balder and invested in its future. Some of them became more invested in Balder, over the long term, than to the regions that initially brought them into Balder.

You do see very different beginnings for both regions, and you can look at the differences in how they started and see similarities between their first days and their ensuing political trajectories. I don't think it's a stretch to say that TITO could have handled the birth of Osiris better and bears some responsibility for the instability that followed.

Fortunately, the responsibility that TITO first insisted upon exclusively seizing for themselves, then abruptly abdicated, has been taken up by more responsible Osirans who will not abandon the region and its native community to chaos.

[Glen-Rhodes]

Funnily enough, when I was writing for the UDL about the organization of Balder and Osiris, I reached the same conclusion then as Cormac is reaching now.

Ironically, the same thing can be said about Cormac & Co that he's saying about TITO. Why not allow Osiris to become better organically and through the whole community -- something TITO did not do -- instead of clamping down with a iron fist to maintain your own influence?


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[Cormactopia II]

Funnily enough, when I was writing for the UDL about the organization of Balder and Osiris, I reached the same conclusion then as Cormac is reaching now.

Ironically, the same thing can be said about Cormac & Co that he's saying about TITO. Why not allow Osiris to become better organically and through the whole community -- something TITO did not do -- instead of clamping down with a iron fist to maintain your own influence?

While I'm sure the perception may be that we're "clamping down with an iron fist to maintain [our] own influence" to those on the outside looking in, without a full grasp of the situation, that isn't reality. Osiris was on the verge of another chaotic nightmare similar to those we all saw throughout 2013. While it's true that the regional community has been somewhat disrupted due to this situation, had we not acted there would have been even greater disruption over a much longer period of time. We were not willing to sit idly by while the upheaval of 2013 repeated itself like some bad parody of Osiris' past.

You're misunderstanding my fundamental criticism of TITO. My criticism is not simply of their heavy-handed approach, but of their subsequent abandonment of Osiris, leaving a political vacuum that eventually lead to instability. The community can't become better organically under chaotic conditions in which mass manipulation is occurring; that approach has been tried and tried again, and it has failed every time. What we are seeking to provide is a stable government that will bring an end to the chaos and the manipulation that chaos makes so easy. Under more stable conditions, the Osiran community will have the breathing room to organically improve, and that is what we're committed to achieving.

[Sandaoguo]

Osiris was on the road to chaos because that's where you were driving it. 90% of voters disagreed with you, apparently.

[Cormactopia II]

Osiris was on the road to chaos because that's where you were driving it. 90% of voters disagreed with you, apparently.

For the benefit of others who may not be aware, you're referring to the motion to recall The Almighty Jesus Whale, which was still at vote at the time our government was declared. I've seen that 90% figure thrown around quite a bit, but let's dig a little deeper into what that actually means.

In reality, thirteen out of twenty-one votes were against recall. Three were in favor, and the remaining five votes were Present votes. What you're saying is that we should have allowed long-term, region-wide chaos and instability to occur because thirteen unelected forum players, out of the at least hundreds of individual players in Osiris who would also have been affected, made that decision. We reject that mentality. We have a responsibility not only to the small minority of players on the forum, some of whom were imported by The Almighty Jesus Whale from elsewhere in any case, but to the larger majority of game-side players who had no idea what was going on and no vote in the matter besides their endorsements, by which we are entrusted with the security and stability of their region.

In any case, we are committed to providing a stable foundation for the community to grow in a more healthy way than it has in the past, free of the chaos and manipulation that has lead to disastrous situations in Osiris time and time again. If onlookers from other regions would begrudge Osiris that opportunity, that is their unfortunate prerogative, but their views are frankly irrelevant to us. Osiris is what's important.

[Sandaoguo]

"Long-term, region-wide chaos and instability" wouldn't occur if you simply... wouldn't instigate it.

[Cormactopia II]

"Long-term, region-wide chaos and instability" wouldn't occur if you simply... wouldn't instigate it.

Now you're just devolving into personal claims, and I'm not going to engage with that. You aren't involved in Osiris, and you can't possibly have a full grasp of what our community has been like the past several weeks. Frankly, none of this concerns you.

[Ikania]

"Long-term, region-wide chaos and instability" wouldn't occur if you simply... wouldn't instigate it.

Now you're just devolving into personal claims, and I'm not going to engage with that. You aren't involved in Osiris, and you can't possibly have a full grasp of what our community has been like the past several weeks. Frankly, none of this concerns you.

It's nothing personal, it's literally what happened.

[Drasnia]

"Long-term, region-wide chaos and instability" wouldn't occur if you simply... wouldn't instigate it.

Now you're just devolving into personal claims, and I'm not going to engage with that. You aren't involved in Osiris, and you can't possibly have a full grasp of what our community has been like the past several weeks. Frankly, none of this concerns you.

Ummmmm, how is that a personal claim? Seems like he's sticking to opinions on government - not players individually.

[Pergamon]

Now you're just devolving into personal claims, and I'm not going to engage with that. You aren't involved in Osiris, and you can't possibly have a full grasp of what our community has been like the past several weeks. Frankly, none of this concerns you.

It's nothing personal, it's literally what happened.

Even when there has been chaos, anything I can observe right now is order. I find this change commendable.

[Canton Empire]

It's nothing personal, it's literally what happened.

Even when there has been chaos, anything I can observe right now is order. I find this change commendable.

Order for the sake of political freedom? For the sake of a community? For the interest of a few power hungry people? I find no amount of order worth that.

[New Rogernomics]

One could, but one would run the risk of me laughing so hard that Max could here it down in Australia.
Took you long enough to drag us into this.

Actually, TITO took a very heavy-handed approach to the founding of Osiris, basically telling all of NationStates that the birth of Osiran government would be on their terms without any consultation with or input from other parties that had already begun investing in Osiris. In fact, it's my understanding that TITO was openly hostile to others who were taking an interest in Osiris, because some of them were known raiders.[...]

If I was to open that can of worms again...

TITO made a preemptive invasion of Osiris, as they didn't want the 'natives'* to choose raiders over defenders, or alternatively they didn't want to allow raider influence to dominate Osiris just a few days into it's existence. If there was something 'heavy-handed', it was the preemptive invasion, and not the discussions and negotiations afterwards.

Having been there when it was negotiated, the terms weren't that awful. It was just that those that developed the region didn't do a good enough job of keeping it stable, or in keeping its members happy enough so there wouldn't be coups or a refusal to accept election results. When I popped in briefly, it was driven heavily by personality politics and factional fighting.

Of course, not my region, and not my place to decide whether the Osiris then is better than the Osiris now, or whether the Osiris government now is better than the one before.

I don't like TITO, and I don't like Grub, and they don't like me too much either. But suggesting Osiris was given 'heavy-handed' terms by TITO, and then 'abandoned', is silly, as it was never their position to stay on in Osiris, and they negotiated terms that allowed raiders to participate in the region - rather than create a 'defender only' puppet regime.

*In this case it was a new region, so it would depend on the semantics of what constitutes a 'native' in a GCR.

[Falapatorius]

In reality, thirteen out of twenty-one votes were against recall. Three were in favor, and the remaining five votes were Present votes. What you're saying is that we should have allowed long-term, region-wide chaos and instability to occur because thirteen unelected forum players, out of the at least hundreds of individual players in Osiris who would also have been affected, made that decision.

Thirteen votes against in a legal recall vote is more than the three members of the TG claiming to represent/rescue the region. If this was golf, I'd say 3 is better than 13 but...

[Consular]

The difference is obviously that those three members know what's best for Osiris and nobody else does.

[Cormactopia II]

An Address from the Pharaoh of the Osiris Fraternal Order
On Convening a Legislature and Additions to the Government

---

Fellow residents of Osiris, citizens of the Osiris Fraternal Order, and our friends and allies abroad:

I am happy to report that the week long conflict in Osiris has effectively come to an end. We continue to hope for the return of those who became frustrated by the recent conflict and have departed our community, and we are ready to welcome them back at any time. With the end of the recent conflict comes renewed opportunities to focus on fostering a stable, active, and fun Osiran community, and we intend to seize upon those opportunities by expanding the government in the interim, even as we prepare to discuss development of a new constitution.

Our primary focus will be on developing a new constitution that promotes greater stability and positive activity, a constitution that is structured to last. In pursuit of this goal, this government has convened a new all-citizen legislature, the Council of Scribes, and it is open for citizen participation right now. If you're a citizen, you're already enrolled and able to participate. If you're not yet a citizen, now is the time to apply and get involved with the next big Osiran project of establishing a stronger foundation for our community.

While we will be focused on constitutional efforts, it's equally important to focus on strengthening community bonds in the meantime. It's my pleasure to announce that the following Osirans are joining the government's efforts to revitalize and strengthen the Osiran community:

---

Chief Guardian: Tim Stark (Osiran Nation: Tim Stark)

Our immediately former Pharaoh, Tim, has been serving as Vizier, our former title for Vice Delegate, and this is basically just a change in title for him. As Chief Guardian, he will continue to serve as Vice Delegate for the immediate future, and will continue to protect the regional World Assembly Delegacy until such a time as my own endorsement count and influence level permit a secure transition of the Delegacy to the Pharaoh.

Guardian: Joshua Bluteisen (Osiran Nation: Ikand)

Josh has been contributing to Osiris since 2013, has served as a legislator, a minister, as Pharaoh, and has served as Vice Delegate for three former Pharaohs, most recently the past two. He has earned the trust of Osiris with his dedication to doing what is right for the regional community, and there's no doubt that he should continue in his role as a Guardian, helping to ensure our in-game security.

Guardian: Zaolat (Osiran Nation: Zaolat)

The first elected, pre-constitutional Pharaoh of Osiris, Zaolat has been committed to the region ever since, and there is no one we can trust more with regional security. Zaolat was and remains neutral in the recent internal conflict, but he is still committed to protecting Osiris against threats from outsiders, and this government has full confidence in him. With the internal conflict at an end, it only makes sense to retain such a dedicated Osiran to help safeguard in-game security.

Vizier of Regional Affairs: Ridersyl (Osiran Nation: Yokiria)

Syl had some great ideas for integration in his recent campaign for office under our former governmental system, and it will benefit all of us to see some of those ideas implemented now. As Vizier of Regional Affairs, Syl will be spearheading our integration efforts to reach out to the game-side community and get more residents involved in our forum community, as well as helping to bring more activity to the game-side community.

Vizier of Community Affairs: Xoriet (Osiran Nation: Rasanna)

A former Feeder Delegate, an avid roleplayer, and an all around nice and likeable person, Xoriet is the perfect person to serve as Vizier of Community Affairs right now and she has some great ideas for new, fun activities that we'll all be hearing about soon. It's important to have fun activities we can all enjoy to cleanse our palettes of the bad taste left behind by recent events, and that is what Community Affairs will aim to provide.

Vizier of Foreign Affairs: Severisen (Osiran Nation: Detective Figs)

A former Pharaoh with loads of diplomatic experience and connections with many of the regions we call friends and allies, Severisen is one of the most respected people in gameplay and is the right person to take on oversight of our foreign affairs right now. He will be working to strengthen existing relationships, repair damaged bonds, and seek new partnerships. As a member of forum administration, he will also continue to assist with security and citizenship, and thus the position of Vizier of Security Affairs, which he has long held, will be vacant for now.

Vizier of Military Affairs: Koth (Osiran Nation: Saq)

A co-founder of the Osiris Fraternal Order and a former Pharaoh, Koth is also an accomplished military gameplayer and has served in leadership of the Sekhmet Legion in the past. As Vizier of Military Affairs, Koth will be managing the continued operation of the Legion, as well as overseeing in-game security efforts to cut off the possibility of isolated, minimal threats that may still arise as a result of the recent conflict.

Vizier of Media Affairs: Neo Kervoskia (Osiran Nation: Neo Kervoskia)

Neo Kervoskia has an esteemed background in media, going back more than a decade, from his time in the New Pacific Order, his independent management of the Trans-Pacific Times, and his participation in Osiran media from 2011-2013. Having recently returned to Osiris, he's the right person to give The Osiris Oracle a reboot, to deliver accurate information from Osiris to the broader world, and to inspire Osirans to get involved with writing for the Oracle.

Chief Scribe: Dalimbar (Osiran Nation: Dalimbar)

Dalimbar, the first Pharaoh elected by the Kemetic Republic of Osiris in 2011, has recently returned to Osiris and will be serving as Chief Scribe. The first task of the Council of Scribes, as I've noted, will be to draft, discuss, and finally ratify a new constitution for the Osiris Fraternal Order, and during this interim period Dalimbar will be guiding the new legislature through this process with more than a decade of experience in regional government.

---

I hope all of you will join me in welcoming these dedicated Osirans to our government, and that each of you will share in my excitement as we take hold of the opportunities that await us. It has always been my firm conviction that the community of Osiris can do anything it sets its mind to doing, and with a united effort to strengthen our community and its constitutional foundation, there is no question in my mind that we will accomplish all these goals and more.

[Railana]

Our primary focus will be on developing a new constitution that promotes greater stability and positive activity, a constitution that is structured to last. In pursuit of this goal, this government has convened a new all-citizen legislature, the Council of Scribes, and it is open for citizen participation right now. If you're a citizen, you're already enrolled and able to participate. If you're not yet a citizen, now is the time to apply and get involved with the next big Osiran project of establishing a stronger foundation for our community.

If the Council of Scribes supports the re-institution of the pre-TG elected delegate model, will you respect their wishes?

[Cormactopia II]

If the Council of Scribes supports the re-institution of the pre-TG elected delegate model, will you respect their wishes?

Yes, we definitely did all this just to revert to the exact same system. That would be completely logical and reasonable.

</sarcasm>

We're moving on from silly questions like this. The conflict is over and Osiris will not be returning to its previous, unstable system.

[Belschaft]

It's a valid question Cormac; if you put together a new legislature and it then votes to remove you, will you abide by it? Or do you now have the sole say in who is Delegate of Osiris?

[Guy]

Hey, weren't you accusing the Whale guy of nepotism and patronage? Cormac, Tim, Koth, Xoriet, Severisen. Either you're guilty of it yourself, or these are the only people you could pull together to support you.

It's an interesting recurring cycle, really. "The system in Osiris is unstable, we must coup!" and repeat. *yawn*

[Cormactopia II]

It's a valid question Cormac; if you put together a new legislature and it then votes to remove you, will you abide by it? Or do you now have the sole say in who is Delegate of Osiris?

There is absolutely no chance that the new legislature will either vote to remove me from office or vote to revert to the old system, but as you might expect given recent events, the office of the Pharaoh is retaining veto power.

Hey, weren't you accusing the Whale guy of nepotism and patronage? Cormac, Tim, Koth, Xoriet, Severisen. Either you're guilty of it yourself, or these are the only people you could pull together to support you.

I like how you conveniently omitted the four other people in our government because they weren't convenient for your narrative. Regarding support, we have the support of 129-160 Osirans, depending on whether you would prefer to look at Tim's endorsement count or my own.

I will also point out that our government now includes seven former Pharaohs of Osiris. These are the people who have made significant contributions to Osiris over the course of four to five years, not The Almighty Jesus Whale and Ikania. This was never the Cormac show in the first place, and it certainly isn't now. This is the government of Osiris. It's time for everyone to get used to that.

[Jeffersonborg]

Hey, weren't you accusing the Whale guy of nepotism and patronage? Cormac, Tim, Koth, Xoriet, Severisen. Either you're guilty of it yourself, or these are the only people you could pull together to support you.

It's an interesting recurring cycle, really. "The system in Osiris is unstable, we must coup!" and repeat. *yawn*

Includes the best parts of The Empire as well with Dali and NK!

[Consular]

The inclusion of Neo Kervoskia and Dalimbar in your government is just fascinating on so many levels.

[Cormactopia II]

The inclusion of Neo Kervoskia and Dalimbar in your government is just fascinating on so many levels.

Osiris is nothing if not fascinating.

[The Ghost of Festavo]

The inclusion of Neo Kervoskia and Dalimbar in your government is just fascinating on so many levels.

Especially considering that the whole basis for this "Transition Government" is that Jesus Whale is untrustworthy because a long time ago a region he was in opposed the OFO.