SOPHIA | A Rose by Any Other Date...

[CoraSpia]

(Image)

The Government of Sophia
Statement on Cancel Culture

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The current Security Council resolution at vote is Liberate New Western Atlantic, by Andusre - a former resident of the NWA and Thaecia's current Minister of Defence.

August recently argued, on the United Regions Alliance's Discord server, that he was opposed to the Liberation "due to the author, who in my opinion is just as objectionable as his former compatriots from NWA, and I am not interested in giving him a helping hand in whatever revenge plot he has going on." This statement was later removed from the URA's vote recommendation dispatch by its keeper, Scalizagasti, and not by August or by NationStates Moderators.

Many famous gameplayers support the Liberation. Here are some of the reasons they have provided:

• Sylh Alanor, WA Delegate of Refugia, boasted that "August... single-handedly convinced me" to support it.
• HumanSanity, The South Pacific's Minister of Defence, proclaimed that his vote in favour was "a show of solidarity against this persistent unjust and baseless out-of-character attack."
• Quebecshire, TSP's Minister of Culture and a Consul of The League, claimed that he was led to support it because "August... had the absolute audacity to compare and equate the author to the target region."
• Witchcraft and Sorcery, TSP's Prime Minister, declared his backing due to NWA being "OOC problematic," plus August having "equat[ed] the resolution's author to" the NWA.
• Emodea, TSP's Minister of Media, stated that he would offer his support "following some choice comments by August regarding the author's character."
• Wischland, 10000 Islands' Delegate, announced her backing "as a show of support to" Andusre, who she credited with upholding "XKI's friendship with Thaecia," after having read "unwarranted and bad-faith attacks on the author,"
• The list surely goes on. Everybody quoted above, except Sylh Alanor, has directly or indirectly said that they would have abstained from voting had August's comments never been published.

The President has voted for the Liberation because she believes that Andusre has elaborated on the key facts as far as possible, within site rules. Yet there is no reason why he should be treated as some godlike figure, beyond reproach and capable of no wrong, simply for wanting his old region to be taken over by the "inter-regional community." Nor should August be coerced into apologising for comments that are site-legal and which he sincerely believes in, however controversial.

There is a fine line between criticising authority (which is acceptable) and dogpiling (which is not). We believe that the recent actions of Thaecia, many important figures in TSP, and others constitute dogpiling. The Government of Sophia will no doubt be looking forward to working with the Augustin Alliance whenever possible. It will not be seeking to engage TSP - which has, for example, proscribed the entirety of The Black Hawks on extremely flimsy evidence - nor Thaecia any time soon.

No sanctions or punishments will be applied against any region or individual as a consequence of this statement.

Signed by the Government and Cabinet of Sophia:
Tinhampton, President and Philosopher-Queen
Yoyoyoyoyo, Foreign Minister
Yofflandia, Entertainment Minister
Freestateland, Emissary for Civil Rights

It's not "cancel culture" to call someone out on their bullshit. You are a self-proclaimed Cambridge graduate older than the majority of this game's playerbase. Act like it.

Calling someone out and refusing to have anything to do with them/refusing to have anything to do with anyone who has anything to do with them (much worse) are different things entirely.

[RiderSyl]

Calling someone out and refusing to have anything to do with them/refusing to have anything to do with anyone who has anything to do with them (much worse) are different things entirely.

How?

[CoraSpia]

Calling someone out and refusing to have anything to do with them/refusing to have anything to do with anyone who has anything to do with them (much worse) are different things entirely.

How?

...I'm not always online I promise.

One of them leads to discussions between people concerned and the other leads to groups becoming bitter with one another, creating a more toxic environment and an us vs. them mentality. There's a difference between refusing to work with people who've done ooc terrible things which I totally understand and refusing to work with people based on a few misjudged comments, as the latter is redeemable. NSGP typically has a very long memory and I fear that the results of this will last far longer than the actions merited.

[RiderSyl]

How?

...I'm not always online I promise.

One of them leads to discussions between people concerned and the other leads to groups becoming bitter with one another, creating a more toxic environment and an us vs. them mentality. There's a difference between refusing to work with people who've done ooc terrible things which I totally understand and refusing to work with people based on a few misjudged comments, as the latter is redeemable. NSGP typically has a very long memory and I fear that the results of this will last far longer than the actions merited.

What if it's more than a few? What if it's a pattern of behavior? Cuz that falls in a middle ground between "have done ooc terrible things" and "a few misjudged comments". Is it okay to disassociate with who aren't doing terrible things, but who have said terrible things pretty consistently?

[CoraSpia]

...I'm not always online I promise.

One of them leads to discussions between people concerned and the other leads to groups becoming bitter with one another, creating a more toxic environment and an us vs. them mentality. There's a difference between refusing to work with people who've done ooc terrible things which I totally understand and refusing to work with people based on a few misjudged comments, as the latter is redeemable. NSGP typically has a very long memory and I fear that the results of this will last far longer than the actions merited.

What if it's more than a few? What if it's a pattern of behavior? Cuz that falls in a middle ground between "have done ooc terrible things" and "a few misjudged comments". Is it okay to disassociate with who aren't doing terrible things, but who have said terrible things pretty consistently?

Reminds me of what Cormac said. You know where to find me offsite, and if you can give me examples of him saying terrible things consistently I'll listen.

[Quebecshire]

There's a difference between refusing to work with people who've done ooc terrible things which I totally understand and refusing to work with people based on a few misjudged comments, as the latter is redeemable.

I can (and will) refuse to work with anyone for whatever reasons I damn well please. This is a shitty browser game from 2002. I come on here because I like to click buttons, chat with the people here that I actually like, and whatever else. If I don't want to interact or work with someone, I won't, and I don't really need to justify that to your obnoxious devil's advocate sensibilities.

NSGP typically has a very long memory and I fear that the results of this will last far longer than the actions merited.

I mean... not really? My region is proof enough of that. If you actually wise up and resolve issues, then not really.

[Tinhampton]

The Government of Sophia
Statement on the Development of Trovons

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In September 2020, a young regional founder called Freedomanica decided to mail recruitment to every single member of the World Assembly, in the hopes that his region - Fylkirvegr - would rise from 64 to 100 nations. It did not take long before he formally apologised, and announced that he may have planned to close Fylkirvegr entirely as a result.

Today, even after having reached the landmark last month, Fylkirvegr is back at sixty. Yet it is now a sustained, if somewhat active, community which leans towards social democracy and environmentalism. Two weeks ago, its founder branched out to create a new region - albeit with a non-executive founder - called Trovons, which has and continues to have more of a focus on democracy and individual liberty.

On 5th November 2021, a small but multiregional coalition, ultimately numbering about 100, occupied Trovons and ejected its eponymous founder. The occupation was ended two days later by a larger coalition of defenders - whose numbers have now swelled to over 130 - from about twenty regions.

Sophia is neutral on matters of raiding and defending, and remains so in this instance. (The Philosopher-Queen herself is on good terms with some of those who played major roles both in the raid and during the subsequent liberation.) It is heartening to note that Trovons has persisted in its commitment to freedom and equality, however, even in spite of its recent setbacks.

Sophia is pleased to count itself among Trovons' first allies. We wish the best of luck not only to the three natives who will shortly be elected to its Senate, but also to Trovons - both the nation and the region.

Signed by the Government and Cabinet of Sophia:
Tinhampton, President and Philosopher-Queen
Zamnico, Prime Minister
Yoyoyoyoyo, Foreign Minister
Yofflandia, Entertainment Minister
Freestateland, Emissary for Civil Rights

[Quebecshire]

So are you Trovons' ally or are you neutral? Or is this a very light alliance? It would be weird to assert yourself as the ally (which usually implies a quite close relationship) of X region then express neutrality on the altercation in which it was griefed.

[Refuge Isle]

If Sophia is neutral on whether or not their ally is destroyed by a raid, what are the perks conveyed through this supposed alliance?

[Qvait]

What? Neutral and ally are not synonyms.

[Tinhampton]

To be clear... I have taken a personal interest in Trovons, with its centre-right libertarian values, since just after it began. Immediately after the restoration of the native-led government (which Sophia recognises as the legitimate government), this interest started to intensify to the level where regional embassies were agreed.

I am fully intent on ensuring that the Sophia-Trovons relationship further develops from here on out. None of my cabinet ministers objected to the statement when prompted - and Freedomanica/Trovons himself also offered nothing more than an exceedingly inconsequential factual correction on request.

[Quebecshire]

You didn't answer the question. Are you (Sophia) their ally, or are you neutral on if they exist or not? This is the Sophia gameplay thread, not the "Tinhampton's personal opinions that nobody asked for" thread, though you have blurred the line a couple times. An answer would clarify Sophia's actual stance, thanks.

[Qvait]

"Sophia is neutral on matters of raiding and defending, and remains so in this instance." ≠ "Sophia is pleased to count itself among Trovons' first allies."

These two statements cannot be equally true.

[South Americanastan]

"neutral"

"ally"

Pick one, you can't have your cake and eat it too.

[Tim]

What a fucking nothing statement from a region that wasn’t even involved. I echo the questions lf everyone else; are you representing Sophia here or are you simply trying to pass off a personal blog post as a regional statement?

Some “ally” y’all are

[Quebecshire]

...are you representing Sophia here or are you simply trying to pass off a personal blog post as a regional statement?

Bold of any of us to assume there is a difference.

[Queen Yuno]

A non-executive founder is just asking to be raided though; so it's hard to blame the raiders for raiding a non-executive founder, executive delegate region.

There's so few targets to raid nowadays, and not many options. Almost all founders are executive founders so that makes those regions unraidable. Anyway, I can't expect anyone to condemn raiders for getting enticed.

P.S. the defenders should stop with the nonsense on Sophia's thread. Sophia isn't a defender region!

[Refuge Isle]

A non-executive founder is just asking to be raided though

The phrase "just asking for it" sure does go over well these days.

[Queen Yuno]

A non-executive founder is just asking to be raided though

The phrase "just asking for it" sure does go over well these days.

You look at the target list. All the targets are unraidable. Then after so long of lackluster targets, some guy makes a raidable region, choosing the raidable option which hasn't happened in so many years if ever. My gosh, what a rare opportunity. What do you do? You take it. XD

Man, looking at this, I am regretting missing out on that raid right now.

[Apatosaurus]

The phrase "just asking for it" sure does go over well these days.

You look at the target list. All the targets are unraidable. Then after so long of lackluster targets, some guy makes a raidable region, choosing the raidable option which hasn't happened in so many years if ever. My gosh, what a rare opportunity. What do you do? You take it. XD

Man, looking at this, I am regretting missing out on that raid right now.

Just because you chose to press a certain button when you founded doesn't mean that you don't have the right to run your community? :P

EDIT: 69'th reply to this thread. Nice.

[Comfed]

P.S. the defenders should stop with the nonsense on Sophia's thread. Sophia isn't a defender region!

Yeah but… Trovons is supposedly an ally. What kind of ally is neutral when their ally is raided?

[Unibot III]

P.S. the defenders should stop with the nonsense on Sophia's thread. Sophia isn't a defender region!

Yeah but… Trovons is supposedly an ally. What kind of ally is neutral when their ally is raided?

TNP

[Trovons]

Right let me clear something up here should there be confusion. Trovons and Sophia are both neutral in terms of matters regarding R/D gameplay, however, we will now support and assist each other in other spectrums of NationStates and our core purpose out of this is to simply to state our desire to have relations together because of our similarities in culture and values and together, are now embarking on hopefully fruitful relations that are mutualistic to both parties!

[Insidium]

Trovons and Sophia are both neutral in terms of matters regarding R/D gameplay, however, we will now support and assist each other in other spectrums of NationStates and our core purpose out of this is to simply to state our desire to have relations together because of our similarities in culture and values and together, are now embarking on hopefully fruitful relations that are mutualistic to both parties!

I count 69 words in that very long sentence!

Edit: I really don't want the above comment I made to detract from whatever he was trying to convey. I'm also struggling to understand what "other spectrums of NationStates" is supposed to mean.

[Tinhampton]

It appears that there is massive uncertainty regarding the statement that "Sophia is neutral on matters of raiding and defending, and remains so in this instance." It was our intention to clarify that Sophia did not actively involve itself in either the raid or the liberation of Trovons.

Sophia has always recognised as the legitimate government of Trovons that whose governing structure is described in the constitution of October 25th 2021. I can reassure you that nobody in the Sophian Government was particularly chuffed when we first found out that Trovons was being raided and its native government had been forcibly overthrown.

After the removal of the 100-strong raiding party from de facto (but not de jure) power on Sunday evening, we sought enhanced relations with the native government, and look forward to beneficial co-operation with it.