PASSED: Repeal "Universal Standard Time Act"

[Krioval]

Well, Excellencies, the target of my displeasure is currently ahead by 2000 votes. It is clear that a careful, well-conceived repeal is likely necessary to eliminate it. Unfortunately, I got there first. Constructive comments are welcome - most useful would be to assist in building a stronger case than I am able to present alone. Here goes.

Repeal "Universal Standard Time Act"

The World Assembly,

NOTING that nations have been able to measure time independently of one another,

NOTING that the World Assembly has functioned sufficiently well in the absence of a "universal" system of time,

FURTHER NOTING that international commerce is not directly enhanced by an externally imposed clock,

CONCERNED that the physical nature of the universe precludes a single, externally imposed system of measuring the passage of time,

FINDING that many nations have means of timekeeping that are more precise than those described therein,

DETERMINED that an externally imposed "universal" system of time does nothing to benefit international trade or diplomacy,

DECLARES that "Universal Standard Time Act" be stricken from international law.

[Just Guy]

Would happily approve.

[Darenjo]

Happy to support.

Also, you may want to mention the extremely confusing definition for "second".

[Mahaj WA Seat]

also from the text of the USTA

- Strongly Recommends WA states to recognize this act and it's implements as an official time measurement tool.

if it only recommends and not requires...is there really much of a point?

[Unibot II]

NOTING that nations have been able to measure time independently of one another,

Countries sharing a landmass are also able to measure time independently of one another on a land mass, but this doesn't mean that chaos doesn't ensue on an international scale.

NOTING that the World Assembly has functioned sufficiently well in the absence of a "universal" system of time,

Simply an assertion? How do we know it hasn't been a hassle for the gnomes to coordinate all these different times for us ambassadors?

FURTHER NOTING that international commerce is not directly enhanced by an externally imposed clock,

This needs explaining, common knowledge about how commerce works says otherwise.

CONCERNED that the physical nature of the universe precludes a single, externally imposed system of measuring the passage of time,

The gnomes will make it work.

Overall, I think it is a weak repeal for a terrible resolution.

[Unibot II]

FORMS the World Assembly Time Board (WATB), tasked with regulating UT around all nations to be syncronised within half a second (0.5 seconds or 500 milliseconds) of a master atomic clock started once this resolution is passed. The atomic precision master clock shall be kept to match a chosen planet's time as defined below. It will use a second defined as 9,192,631,770 transitions between the two hyperfine ground states of a caesium-133 atom, thereby making the master clock an atomic clock.

FURTHER DEFINES that the WATB observes and keeps the master clock to match the local time tracked at an observatory picked by the WATB. Time observation will start when this legislation is passed by the General Assembly. Master clock will be kept in check by adding "leaps" of various intervals to keep the clock correct to the observatory chosen.

This would cause a mass dispute over who is the observatory, honestly -- especially considering some member-nations were unfairly excluded from the process of been picking as the observatory because their nation exists on an asteroid, space station or other celestial object that isn't a planet.

[Lubricata]

Support. I think there would have been many nations eager to author this repeal.

[Charlotte Ryberg]

Ninja'd!

But I would support anyway. As I said, it is not the interest of the WA nor the Minoan Government to force Antjepolis Time or London GMT on all member states. Antjepolis or London as the prime meridian would have sufficed if NationStates lived entirely on Planet Earth but sadly it is not.

[Motuka]

In spite of some impatience with insta-repeals, would support this (and there's another proposal in the queue anyway, so it's not quite insta-).

- S.K.

[Kostemetsia]

As a nation independent of Terra, the Commonwealth points out, by proxy of its WA delegation, that light lag and its impact on various systems of communication, even ansibles, is going to be a major disruption to WA Universal Time (and incidentally lodges its vote AGAINST the original resolution).

Regarding some remarks of the Unibotian delegate [ooc: Hey Unibot!], the Commonwealth also wishes to note that it would not be ill-disposed to substantive proof of any assertion made on behalf of the gnomes.

[Imperial Yamea]

We wish to register our opposition to this Repeal. We do not think that having a Universal standard of time is a bad thing, as long as we can also use our other methods of measuring time.

Yours
Duchess Sarah

[Hirota]

You could note that time is relative and thus any clock will inevitably suffer variations over time against the standard.

[Unibot II]

[ooc: Hey Unibot!]

*waves*

Regarding some remarks of the Unibotian delegate, the Commonwealth also wishes to note that it would not be ill-disposed to substantive proof of any assertion made on behalf of the gnomes.

"Well.. due to failures of getting all the times transposed correctly, we had that 'breech' of democracy last year. Time does certainly seem important to the functioning of our institution, we do everything in a particularly regimented way: 3 days for quorum, 4 days of voting. If times aren't distributed correctly, the whole system would collapse -- extra security to ensure the coordination of times and an intuitive international time seems important to the continued functioning of the World Assembly." Eduard explained.

[Krioval]

*snip*

Overall, I think it is a weak repeal for a terrible resolution.

You're entitled to your opinion, of course, but the gnomes exist to serve the Assembly, not the other way around. I'm sure that staffing all those committees is "difficult" for them, but that's their job; we don't advocate repealing all the resolutions that create committees just to alleviate the stress on the committee gnomes. Further, the gnomes may be quite efficient, but they cannot reconfigure the physical and natural laws of the universe.

Also, "common knowledge" about commercial transactions does not equate to evidence that an externally imposed clock somehow improves international trade, which is what this resolution claims it does. The onus is on the resolution author to prove his or her nation's case. If you have something that would strengthen the repeal, please let me know. Otherwise, given that the target of this repeal effort is an absolute travesty, Krioval is not inclined to write a book to repeal it.

Henrik Søgård
Imperial Chiefdom of Krioval

OOC: Really? "The gnomes might suffer without it?"

[Bears Armed]

You're entitled to your opinion, of course, but the gnomes exist to serve the Assembly, not the other way around. I'm sure that staffing all those committees is "difficult" for them, but that's their job; we don't advocate repealing all the resolutions that create committees just to alleviate the stress on the committee gnomes. Further, the gnomes may be quite efficient, but they cannot reconfigure the physical and natural laws of the universe.

OOC: Really? "The gnomes might suffer without it?"

Actually, the Gnomes seem to have vanished _

•71 days ago: The Legislation-Changing, Proposal-Eating Little Freaks of the WA Gnomes ceased to exist.

So I wonder who has been handling compliance, and the rest of the WA's bureuacratic affairs, for the past 10 weeks?

^_^

[Omigodtheykilledkenny]

This would cause a mass dispute over who is the observatory, honestly -- especially considering some member-nations were unfairly excluded from the process of been picking as the observatory because their nation exists on an asteroid, space station or other celestial object that isn't a planet.

I heartily agree - this repeal isn't nearly space-wankish enough.





...and let us not forget the resolution's exclusionary notion that all planets have 24-hour days!

[Democratic Koyro]

Support, Universal Standard Time Act is quite honestly ridiculous

[Eireann Fae]

Alexandra rises and faces the Hirotan Ambassador. "You could simply use the number of seconds passed since X - say, the formation of the WA - using the standard passage of time at the WAHQ. If, miraculously enough, the WAHQ is repealed, time will still go on where it once stood, and ntpds can still be run on their servers in an otherwise empty building." The girl smiles, and addresses the Assembly at large. "We do see the inherent advantage in synchronizing time throughout the WA, but this must be done correctly, and the resolution that is soon to pass is not, in our opinion, done correctly. We would support a repeal that simply states 'REPEALS [that resolution]'. But of course, do what you must to gain popular support."

[Unibot II]

I heartily agree - this repeal isn't nearly space-wankish enough.

Wank n.1. To masturbate (male).
Wank n.2. To play the game in a different way than Omigodtheykilledkenny plays the game or believes it should be played.

[Krioval]

In any case, Krioval opposes the "Universal Standard Time Act" because it does not enhance international trade or diplomacy in any way that states are not already doing. We think that a single short clause addressing the issue of technology is sufficient, especially given a minority of nations have technology that falls outside of the modern industrial level.

Henrik Søgård
Imperial Chiefdom of Krioval

[Omigodtheykilledkenny]

*snip*

SEE ALSO: DEMONLORDENIGMA, n.

[Krioval]

The Imperial Chiefdom has submitted this proposal for a test run.

Henrik Søgård
Imperial Chiefdom of Krioval

[Otrenia]

As the author of resolution #127 that pretty much prompted the creation of the "insta-repeal" I must say that it is sad that these are still happening. At least his Excellency the ambassador should have the decency to call it a regular "repeal".

[Mousebumples]

Approved!

[Mahaj WA Seat]

what happens if after this repeal passes the other repeal comes up to vote?