Time Travel Regulation Act (Abandoned)

[Unibot]

DEFINES time travel as the act going into the past from the current date;

Here's your problem -- and I'm sorry to say it, but it could be a death knell to your proposal.

The concept of the "present" is a creation of the human perception of space and time, it doesn't exist, and differs between organisms and various forces of gravity. One famous physicist was once quoted saying (or writing?), "The distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion." I don't actually understand this paradox because I don't study relativistic physics -- I just time travel like any commoner would --- oppressed with a sporadic present.

I also think the tralfamadorians would be absolutely confused and particularly irritated with this humanocentric resolution. Actually, they probably would just snicker at how much you think you know about the universe but don't know at all in this particular moment.

[American Capitalist]

DEFINES time travel as the act going into the past from the current date;

Here's your problem -- and I'm sorry to say it, but it could be a death knell to your proposal.

The concept of the "present" is a creation of the human perception of space and time, it doesn't exist, and differs between organisms and various forces of gravity. One famous physicist was once quoted saying (or writing?), "The distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion." I don't actually understand this paradox because I don't study relativistic physics -- I just time travel like any commoner would --- oppressed with a sporadic present.

I also think the tralfamadorians would be absolutely confused and particularly irritated with this humanocentric resolution. Actually, they probably would just snicker at how much you think you know about the universe but don't know at all in this particular moment.

Hm you are correct how do you propose I rewrite my definition? I would also say that any alien race advanced enough to travel through space at a rapid rate probably wouldn't and instead would snub all of us. We know little of the world and thus are below their standard we are to aliens what yipping dogs are to us.

This legislation is necessary though to prevent certain problem that could come up by messing with the past.

[Flibbleites]

Would this prevent The Doctor from showing up in the Stranger's Bar anymore?

Bob Flibble
WA Representative

[American Capitalist]

Would this prevent The Doctor from showing up in the Stranger's Bar anymore?

Bob Flibble
WA Representative

No because he was meant to show up and doesn't actually change the time line. Same reason Eduard Heir wouldn't be affected.

[Flibbleites]

Would this prevent The Doctor from showing up in the Stranger's Bar anymore?

Bob Flibble
WA Representative

No because he was meant to show up and doesn't actually change the time line. Same reason Eduard Heir wouldn't be affected.

And exactly is someone supposed to know the difference between someone who is supposed to show up and someone who's just screwing up the timeline?

Bob Flibble
WA Representative

[Unibot]

No because he was meant to show up and doesn't actually change the time line. Same reason Eduard Heir wouldn't be affected.

And exactly is someone supposed to know the difference between someone who is supposed to show up and someone who's just screwing up the timeline?

Bob Flibble
WA Representative

On a different but similar argument... we're all time travelers. See there.. just then, you time traveled. Heh, you just did it again! Stop doing that!! The WA commands you! The only resolution that could possibly be acceptable to us is one that permits all forms of time travel, but prohibits the murder of individuals (with an exemption for a court-demanded execution). That would go into the Human Rights category.

Eduard Heir,
Drunk

[Warzone Codger]

Just when I mentioned the other day that gnomes can see the future.

I love this the creativity of this proposal, but like others find it difficult to apply. I could support a blanket ban unless a nation can show the have the technology that allows time travel without any of the side effects.*

*Like you're in an invisible ghost-like pod, where they can't see you and you can't interact with anything. Or a universe creator machine that clones the entire universe of the time you want to travel to, and destroys it after you come back from your sight seeing*

--Warren Codge, vividly daydreaming during a lull in the fighting at the Warzone

[Quelesh]

Nice.

OBSERVING that there are zero regulations on time travel at the present, past, or future times;

But if you're observing that there are zero regulations on time travel at future times, doesn't that mean this proposal is doomed? It can't possibly pass, because there are no time travel regulations in the future. You might want to change that.

Also, the WA shouldn't be preventing us from traveling into the future to learn the secrets of advanced civilizations.

[Grays Harbor]

Perhaps in order to save time you can write in there a ban on daylight savings time?

Leave the "Time Warp" alone, though, else we shall be forced to destroy your pitiful excuse for a culture.

Is that a threat? You know my nation must accept as you clearly do not understand that the "Time Warp" is a great dance and that it is part of many a dance in American Capitalist.

If you knew us at all, you would know we do not "threaten"; we do, or not do, as the situation warrants. "Threats" are just counterproductive.

As far as your dancing, you say this as if it is something we are supposed to care about?

Now, as for your draft proposal... We find ourselves wondering why this has been brought up in the first place, as we ourselves would put such nonsense in the bloody stupid category, which frankly is the only place we can find for this lunacy. It is dismaying that a few of our colleagues appear to be taking this idiocy seriously. More is the pity.

[Grandais]

We see no reason that this proposal should exist, it is a waste of time. Time travel is impossible, no matter what Kalasparata may say, and certainly were anyone to discover it the first thing they would do is go back in time and stop this act from being created.

OOC: Really, what's the point of this? Anyone using time travel is almost instantly automatically ignored by most people for godmodding, and it really doesn't seem like a particularly serious thing to legislate in such a realistic institution as the WA.

[Travda]

And yet, somehow, this proposal is saner than half of what the WA passes on a monthly basis.

It gets my vote.

[Jankenjin]

We just came back from a trip a few months in the future, and we have some bad news--we need to start working on a repeal for this legislation right away.

[The Lords of Gallifrey]

If you wish to take it upon yourselves to make laws regarding time travel, please at least make them serious in tone.

High Chancellor Theorasdavoramilonithene of the Supreme Council of Time Lords

[American Capitalist]

And exactly is someone supposed to know the difference between someone who is supposed to show up and someone who's just screwing up the timeline?

Bob Flibble
WA Representative

On a different but similar argument... we're all time travelers. See there.. just then, you time traveled. Heh, you just did it again! Stop doing that!! The WA commands you! The only resolution that could possibly be acceptable to us is one that permits all forms of time travel, but prohibits the murder of individuals (with an exemption for a court-demanded execution). That would go into the Human Rights category.

Eduard Heir,
Drunk

Perhaps that could work however under that definition war itself would be banned. Perhaps I should approach this by stopping time travel that involves creating paradoxes? Such as becoming ones own grandfather or meeting yourself in the future or past?

[Monikian WA Mission]

Talik' Murzhan Jr Ambassador from Monikian WA Misson rose to speak.

"We find this proposal as written to be stupid and on those grounds oppose it. Monkiah is a very advanced civilization of humanoid sapient beings and as attempted several times to time travel. Time travel to the past is impossible, and time travel into the future happens naturally. Furthermore the rate of time passage on each planet within the universe is different therefore the "present date" is different. Indeed in the time it takes for the planet known as Earth to orbit its parent star 2.5 times this is only 1 orbit for Monkiah.

"As such it seems to us that the first problem in regulating time travel, assuming other civilizations have discovered its secrets and assuming it is even possible to start with--which the Monikian Academy of Physics claims it is not--would be to determine universally what the present is and then from there use the universally determined present date to base the legislation on.

"The other provisions in this proposal seem to us un-enforceable unless faster than natural future time travel is possible whereby time travel regulation bureaucrats could go to the future to check and see if said past time travelers altered the time line by means of appearing in photographs, eliminating historical persons and etc."

[Travda]

If you wish to take it upon yourselves to make laws regarding time travel, please at least make them serious in tone.

High Chancellor Theorasdavoramilonithene of the Supreme Council of Time Lords

Our laws lost all credibility for seriousness whenever "Hippos Are Really Quite Large" was passed. 2003? 2004?

Alexander Karakov
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

[Mousebumples]

I don't believe this legislation is necessary, and I am wholly unconvinced by the arguments in the proposal draft.

Opposed - just as I was before, am now, and will be in the future.

EDIT:

Our laws lost all credibility for seriousness whenever "Hippos Are Really Quite Large" was passed. 2003? 2004?

I don't believe that proposal passed - much to the disappointment of my nation's delegation.

Per NSWiki:
Votes For: 6382
Votes Against: 12214
Voting Ended: Tue Dec 16 2003

(Its predecessor, Hippos Are Big, was deleted from the queue after achieving quorum.)

[Darenjo]

While this is a worthwhile issue to tackle, Darenjo finds the following problems:

1. Time travel involves the future too. And banning time travel into the future wouldn't work, since then you'd basically ban all space travel at near-light speeds.

2. Your use of the "unless-it-was-meant-to-be" is highly controversial in our opinion. Who decides what is "meant to be"? What about nations that believe the multi-verse theory? Also, the phrase in question, in Darenjo's opinion, would serve as a catalyst for religious and political violence.

3. Darenjo would like an expansion of the rules regarding past-time travel to cover future-time travel as well.

Darenjon Dept. of Foreign Affairs

EDIT: "Upon review of other delegates' statements, I personally feel that this proposal is unpassable and unworkable, much like proposals that try to regulate outer space. As you can see, my government thinks otherwise."

Darenjon GA Ambassador Dr. Park Si-Jung

[Oppressorion]

The whole law is moot anyway because of the Novikov Self-Consistancy Principle (that if you change the timeline you always changed the timeline).