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TRT: Issue XXVII


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Issue XXVII. August 28, 2014.



Osiris, Lazarus Go to War
GCR Conflict Escalates
COMMENTARY | KOGVURON

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Headline of the Century.

The political landscape of NationStates was shocked with the news, earlier this week, that the Osiris Fraternal Order had begun a legislative vote to declare war on the People's Republic of Lazarus. Pharaoh Cormac Somerset proposed the motion. In his address to the Deshret, the Pharoah cited threatening comments made by Lazarene Liberation Army General Aperi, the presence of Empire members in the Lazarene government, as well as the anti-imperialist rhetoric given by PRL leaders as justification for formal hostilities. The motion easily passed the Deshret by a tally of 12-5, officially marking the beginning of a state of war between the two regions.

Osiris and Lazarus have had problems before, but the declaration is still, nonetheless, a surprising move. The relationship between the PRL and the OFO was initially positive, with the PRL being one of the first GCR governments to recognize the OFO on January 21, 2014. Unfortunately, things quickly went downhill from there. On June 10, Pharaoh Severisen cut off diplomatic relations with the PRL, citing the PRL's "rabid anti-imperialist stance",

Despite this history, the PRL leadership was surprised by the motion.

"While it initially did catch me off guard," says Chairman Funkadelia, "I really couldn't put this past the Imperialist cabal that has an unfortunate stranglehold on Osiris".

Osiran Pharaoh, Cormac Somerset, refused comment - a new Osiran policy forbids Osiran officials from commenting to The Rejected Times.

Lazarus has quickly responded to the declaration of war, calling in outside support to bolster Funkadelia's endorsement count. Soldiers from the Founderless Regions Alliance, Global Right Alliance, A World Power, Renegade Islands Alliance, and others have endorsed Funkadelia as a precaution against any direct attempts on the Lazarus delegacy. Lazarene leaders are not too worried, however, says Subcomandante Insurgente Aperi.

"I expect the OFO to secure its own borders while enlisting the usual imperialist paramilitary orgs to do the actual dirty work," says Aperi.

Osiris's endorsement count has also increased over the past few days, although it still pales in comparison to the endorsements held by Funkadelia. Whether the PRL would choose to make a direct attack on Osiris remains to be seen, however, and the Pharaoh's endorsement count should place him out of reach of most attacks. Osiris also has the support of the United Imperial Armed Forces and Balder, who both have a substantial number of troops who could support the Pharaoh in case of attack. A successful coup of either government seems very unlikely, at least in the short-term.

With both sides secure in terms of delegacy, the combatants have already turned to the gameplay forum as a way to attack their opponents. Cormac Somerset and other imperialists such as North East Somerset have derided the People's Republic for their non-democratic form of government. A balder publication, The Runes, has also published several articles regarding events in Lazarus, depicting the government in a negative light. Chairman Emeritus Kazmr responded to these attacks in a release of his own titled "The People's Republic Shall Stand Firm", describing Osiris as having taken a "nosedive into insanity".

With neither side able to attack each other directly, this author expects the reliance on information warfare to continue.

There is always a chance that this war will end similar to the last GCR war (between The South Pacific and The West Pacific): with no regime changes. Nevertheless, the combination of mutual dislike and opposing ideologies will surely make this war more interesting than the last and lends ammunition to turn this war into a proper firefight.





The Feux Interview
Feux talks Osiran-Lazarene War, New Lazarus Forums, NPO Anniversary and More!
INTERVIEW | UNIBOT

Unibot sneaks in an (tightly scheduled) afternoon chat with the man who is "always changing shapes". Feux, Lazarene Vice Chairman and NPO Senator, had much to say about current events, while reflecting on his time as Delegate of Lazarus...

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Unibot: The Feux Interview! Finally after all of these years, we’ve made it happen. The question. The preeminent question of the night is, Feux… what shall we listen to, for the interview? Feux is, of course, a passionate musician.

Feux: Oh, so many choices... maybe Steve Reich's Variations for Winds, Strings and Keyboards. Reich identifies with minimalist composers, so it may not be for everyone, but I enjoy it. The piece can give one the impression of modern times, in my opinion, so it may be fitting for an interview.

*puts it on in the background* Speaking of music, you’ve actually be working on a project for The Rejected Realms with my sort of... vague oversight. Perhaps it’s time we teased just what it is I have had you working on?

Well, certainly one of the more interesting, enjoyable, and... (your vague oversight in mind :P ) entertaining things I have been asked to do on NationStates. While my real life demands leave me pinned for time, the Rejected Realms will certainly have something to call its own in the future.

And we will never speak of that "vague oversight" ever again. Okay. Enough inside jokes! I can't wait for it, Feux. So, you’ve recently been promoted as Vice Chairman in Lazarus. It’s been a busy week for Lazarus to say the least. How did this new position come about and what have been the main challenges you’ve faced? How does it differ as a position from being Chairman?

I was appointed as Vice-Chairman by Funk due to my experience and tenure within the game at large and Lazarus. I believe the largest and most pressing challenge has been ironing out the forum move, which was a very chaotic situation upon finding myself in the middle of it. The stress and anxiety of the issue was clearly getting to everyone involved, but I believe the worst of it has pasted and the new forum will sail forward into some clearer waters. While the Vice-Chairman has some powers, and oversees the People's Congress, making sure topics are put to vote when requested, etc. the Chairman is the boss. However, I advise the chairman greatly whenever Funk asks, and am always happy to help out whenever my knowledge allows.

Some have said switching forums like this is a “security concern” given the war-time circumstances. I hear this a lot. Do you disagree with them?

While I certainly understand where these concerns are coming from, I believe all measures have been taken to maximizes the security of the forum. As root and vice-chairman, it is my responsibility that such things are done and done correctly, so I have been in continuous contact with players who hold considerable amount of knowledge regarding cyber security and the web in general to ensure all bases are covered. I've also have been using all resources available to me - and I have been encouraging other members of the admin staff to do the same - in order to make sure we are ready for any issues we may encounter.

Today’s August 28th 2014. The eleventh anniversary of the August Revolution. The day that Francos Spain first took The Pacific. You’re a NPO Senator, yourself, so I was wondering, we know where The Pacific has been, so the question is where is it heading? What’s next for Pacifica?

Pacifica always moves forward, whether the step is big or small. One of the more notable changes within Pacifica lately would be the re-addressing of Francoism so that it adheres better to the modern times. This is often a challenge, as individuals always tend to have their own thoughts and feelings ready to be expressed on the subject. Ivan, officially senator of doctrine, has been hard at work debating the issue for some time now, not just with his fellow senators, but with members of the international community, as the philosophy is so far reaching.

The possible upcoming war between Lazarus and Osiris may have profound affects on Pacifica as well; however, I cannot say to what extend at the moment. There are some changes regarding exactly how our meritocratic system works under review as well, which could take a shape turn from the traditional format the region as followed for a number of years. We will see what happens as the debates continue, and I am sure Senator Elegarth will keep the international community informed at all times.

The August Revolution launched the first and basically the only other major pan-GCR war. A crisis that built modern Gameplay, really. It’s oddly coincidental that on this very same day, Osiris has declared war with Lazarus. Are we in for a crisis that may in time be recognized as just as influential and significant? Likewise, do you think this will this be a “war of words” or something more?

I am sure some older members would take offense if I compared their struggle against Pacifica with Osiris' behavior towards Lazarus, so I won't. However, there certainly are some parallels between the Great War and coming events that have me rather excited, the possibility of taking part in history only read about growing. I do not entirely believe the war will be composed of words, with so many parties on both sides of the field likely to take part. It should be interesting, and most likely a significant and influential event for all Lazarenes, as well as others.

You had to make that faithful decision, almost a year ago now, to remove Gryfynn, NES and Charles Cerebella from Lazarus. Your last act as Lazarus’s delegate, I believe. How has that decision impacted Lazarus?

When I made the decision, I knew it would have profound affects on where the region was heading. I had no idea in my wildest dreams though that I would find myself as Vice-Chairman within the People's Republic just a year later. Harm would have never been appointed Queen - later Chairman - after my registration, Comrade Milograd never given the opportunity to found the republic, or join the Founderless Regions Alliance, etc. Removing those individuals gave members of the community the opportunity to make Lazarus more than she was, to provide more than I could ever provide by myself.

I have watched individuals mature within gameplay as members of the Lazarene community that was a result of that decision. I have watched them engage in ambitious projects, set new and impressive precedents, and build a community that continuously leaves me speechless and proud of all their incredible achievements. Playing a role as a facilitator of this growth, the development of remarkable players, this rebirth, has cleared my head of any doubt I may have had when the decision was made. I am proud of what Lazarus has become, and I am proud of all my fellow Lazarenes.

There are obvious similarities and differences as region - but at their roots, how are your experiences different being a lead member in Lazarus versus The Pacific?

The experiences I have gone through within both regions have built upon one another, and I believe this is why I am largely successful within both. I was a new player - not understanding gameplay at all - though I had played the game for some time before I arrived at the gates of Pacifica. What I learned from the Pacific, from players such as AMOM, allowed me to feel confident when I was elected delegate in Lazarus. The experiences learned from time as delegate still contributes to my success as a Senator, in my opinion. However, when I arrived in Lazarus, I always got the impression that I was looking at a blank canvas - a feeling that I often do not experience within Pacifica, a region rich in tradition and a long history of adhering to its roots. While I do the same extensive administration work for each regions, and play an important role in determining policies for both, I tend to operate alongside my notions of a blank canvas vs. the painting of tradition.

Do you identify as a defender? Why or why not?

I do not, even though I have served and continue to serve more defender orgs or regions than I have raider. I have always held the belief that it is better to play the role of an observer, willing to take part in both operations, in order to expand my opportunities and carry out the duties required of me as a Senator.

Drafting Liberate Nazi Europe would be an example of this, a resolution not popular at all with individuals leaning toward the defender sphere - or most for that matter after seeing the affects of the liberation.

You’ve been around the block, from the smallest of UCRs to the height of UCRs (delegate of Europe even) to the height of the GCRs. What advice, if you could, would you give new players?

Find a community that you really enjoy, whether it is gameplay or role-play, user created region or game created region, big or small. Through all the things I have been through, my ups and my downs, it has been my friends and comrades, fellow members of the regions I have taken part in that really has made this game what is to me. They are the reason I get excited when I log in, why I want to succeed, you just have to find it.

Thanks so much for the interview, Feux. It's been a blast. Take care of yourself. You've got the floor, mate if you've got any final words for our readers.

Thank you for having me. I look forward to reading the next article of the Times.




Coalition of Freedom: WA Liberation Repealed
The WA Security Council reconsiders The Coalition of Freedom.
COMMENTARY | XORIET

The Coalition of Freedom was a reasonably active and lively region founded by Riftend, a player whose greatest accomplishment since his unfortunate ejection was enacting the devastation of the Greater Democratic Union, the region which had slighted him. Deeply insulted by this absolute outrage of being ejected, he worked tirelessly for months to secure its downfall. Post success, Riftend spent an entire topic modestly explaining his motives for this act to Gameplay. Tragically, Riftend's touching humility was not widely accepted by the bloodthirsty crowd he appealed to. In fact, the outstanding kindness and respect which he consistently showed all of Gameplay was ultimately and discriminatorily rewarded by the deletion of his main nation.

Many of those who could not abide the sheer graciousness looked to the Coalition of Freedom with bright eyes. One such person was Leningrad Union, one of Riftend's most dedicated fans. He had only the purest possible motives for the region which was now rendered founderless by the aforementioned deletion. While Rifty, Riftend's new identity, made plans to merge with the Eternal Knights for the good of his region, Leningrad Union and his dearest friends made other plans. The Coalition of Freedom desperately needed to retain its sovereignty, of which said merge would ultimately deny the region.

Leningrad Union and his dearest friends moved in to liberate the region of the legal government in hopes of elevating it to new levels of activity.

"The invasion of CoF was not a TBR operation!" the wounded Lenin said. How could anyone possibly attribute his gallant actions to one of the most heinous organizations in Gameplay? He continued on to illustrate his intentions."Once we refound CoF, it will once again be a prospering region, except without the raidfending," he added.

Unfortunately, not everyone understood that Leningrad was doing this for the good of the Coalition of Freedom. The Eternal Knights and Rifty offered strenuous objections to his generosity, proving that they had no care for the sovereignty of the region. They appealed to the great heart of Cormac Somerset in hopes that he would be able to do something for the CoF. Cormac, touched to the quick by their passionate appeals, put up a Liberation proposal in the Security Council, intending to divest the CoF of the password Leningrad had set up to protect the region.

The intention of the no-longer-so-humble Rifty to support the liberation of a region he had denied sovereignty in hopes of bettering it did not go unnoticed or unremarked on by Lexicor, a genuinely sincere and loyal native of the CoF. He proceeded to write a repeal of "Liberate Coalition of Freedom" for a particularly specific reason.

"Rifty did not have the best interest of CoF at heart," Lexicor answered simply when questioned. "He left it out to dry, and I was the only native in the region willing to fight him openly. So I authored the draft constitution for the refound and paid for it with banishment. Out of spite, and actual loyalty, I wrote the repeal. That is all".




The Proletariat Coalition Invaded
COMMENTARY | UNIBOT

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It was a quiet update, fog rolling across the labour camps, when The Black Hawks, with help from the UIAF, The Black Riders, Osiris and Balder seized control of The Proletariat Coalition. Defenders, watching as the invasion occurred, were unable to assist The Proletariat Coalition since the invasion was conducted behind a password -- a common strategy for The Black Hawks.

The Proletariat Coalition, a historic leftist-defender region, has ties to the Red Liberty Alliance which is popularly regarded by some as responsible for the destruction of invader forums between 05-06. While this claim has been contested time and time again, this has not stopped invaders from boasting that the invasion of The Proletariat Coalition serves as some sort of retribution. In fact, this is not the first time that invaders have invaded The Proletariat Coalition - rallying against past cases of forum destruction. Unknown lead a high-profile occupation of The Proletariat Coalition in 2011.

Tahar Joblis, respected generalite and veteran member of The Proletariat Coalition, told The Rejected Times that he remembers the past occupation and that he is confident that this occupation will be no different.

"As is the case in the last invasion," says Tahar Joblis, "it's unlikely that the invaders have anywhere near the level of collective patience required to eject the natives who have WA members since TPC was a much larger region, but they can be irritating in the mean time; and even if most of them get bored within a month, it's still going to take action by defenders' groups to dislodge them".

Tahar has found this recent invasion "a little irritating", citing the suppression of the Regional Message Board and the cancelling of The Proletariat Coalition's embassies as particularly frustrating aspects to the occupation.

Meanwhile, Star City, delegate of The Proletariat Coalition, questioned just how much of an "accomplishment" this really was for invaders, given the region's inactivity and near historical status.

"The invaders do what they do, and in the past they have been elemental in making NationStates interesting," says Star City. "Next month is ten years since I was the delegate of Cuba and played this game well into the middle of the night fending off three invasions and a griefing. However, want to talk about low hanging fruit? It's only because TPC is admittedly moribund that they've pulled this off - we haven't been active on the defender scene as of the last half-decade. Still, you'd think the invaders would like a challenge. All they had to do was pose as someone interested in entering and acquire the password from me. It's not a thrilling battle between invaders and defenders jostling to get enough WA nations in before update, rather it's playing solitaire on really easy settings. They don't give out grand master titles for that".

The Red Fleet, notable leftist army, played a large role in the attempted liberations of The Proletariat Coalition with the last occupation and during this occupation, The Council of Foreign Affairs of The Internationale was adamant that it would support any and all action taken by The Red Fleet to free their fellow leftist region.

"The Black Hawks are an invader region with no particular targets," says Auhl, "They enter a region and force the legitimate nations of that region to exile or to accept them, the oppressors, as their new govern. This is absolutely dishonourable and is frowned upon by the member of The Internationale and its allies. The reputation of the invaders has never been any good in the regions we have relation with, but it has effectively vanished unless they restore the central power to The Proletariat Coalition and stop disturbing the stability of such regions".

When asked whether he and other older defenders would be returning to organize the liberation, Star City remarked dryly, "fending off a home invasion is not the domain of centenarians".

Meanwhile, the invader lead wrote a simple message to onlookers on The Proletariat Coalition's World Factbook Entry: "How long do you think it will take me to remove only ten natives?". The threat has, undoubtedly, cast a shadow over the occupation, while heightening fears of region griefing.




Measuring Democracy
FEATURE | GLEN-RHODES

Democracy seems to be pervasive throughout NationStates. Almost all Game-Created Regions democratically elect their leaders, even if they do so under different trappings – themes of communism, imperialism, monarchism, and the like don’t make the election of leaders any less democratic. But the politics of these regions are different enough to raise the question of whether or not these “democracies” are really the same and can rightly be grouped together.

I’ve written on democracy in NationStates before, with my last research project conceptualizing two different applications of democracy in Game-Created Regions: delegative democracy and guided democracy. I believe that analysis still holds, but is too generalized to be worthy of analytic application. Defining democracy was an important step. It’s now time to consider different concepts and variables that go deeper into the characteristics of all regions, rather than those who merely label themselves democratic because they hold elections.

My next research project seeks to measure a wide array of variables on how authority is exercised in NationStates regions, particularly Game-Created Regions. It will measure things like how leaders are recruited, how they’re chosen, and what kind of political activity occurs in these regions. However, I need help, because measuring these deeper characteristics requires a level of knowledge that I cannot possibly have, unless I immerse myself into all of these regions.

I will be using a modified version of the Polity IV dataset, which is a widely used dataset in political science research on democracy and authority. If you would like to help, all you would have to do is fill out a survey asking you to rank your region according various descriptors. The questions are easy and filling out the survey takes very little time, but it will help the project immensely.

If you would like to help, send an email to gr[at]thesouthpacific.x10.mx. You’ll be sent a Microsoft Word document with instructions on how to fill out the survey. I’m mostly looking for people in Game-Created Regions who have held powerful positions and who have never held powerful positions. However, people in User-Created Regions are free to participate, as well!

Note: This research project is not affiliated with or sponsored by The Rejected Realms, The Rejected Times, or The South Pacific.




Regional Motto Act Passes
The Rejected Realms chooses its Regional Motto
COMMENTARY | TRR STAFF

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Soon Available to Order: Snarky TRR T-Shirts

The Rejected Realms has passed the Regional Motto Act, 15-9. The Act officially recognizes "Illegitimi non carborundum" as the region’s motto. “Illegitimi non carborundum”, a mock Latin phrase, is oft translated roughly as “Don’t let the bastards grind you down”.

The motto itself was chosen as The Rejected Realm’s motto as the result of a month long contest, The Month of the Motto, where the region decided (tournament-style), which motto, out of a range of different nominees, would best reflect the region. However, The Assembly still needed to approve the choice for the motto to be officially recognized.

Understandably, there is more to the legislation than just what meets the eye. The Regional Motto Act also encourages executives to make use of the motto on all government literature and bureaucratic documentation. Likewise, the Regional Motto Act establishes additional protocols in regards to its use: explictly allowing nations in The Rejected Realms to use the regional motto as their own national motto.

The Delegate of The Rejected Realms was ecstatic with the passage of the "Regional Motto Act".

"It's fantastic," says Unibot, "Generations of rejects have continually added this and that to our lore - progressing and elevating it - and we're not any different. We're adding to the creed, culture and psychology of what it means to be a reject. The motto is quite important because it speaks to us all. It tells us that we need to continue, under any circumstances... against the whole lot of them, to accomplish what we need to do. It tells us to believe in ourselves and put faith in our tenacity".

With war on the horizon, the tough new slogan represents the heart of rejects, brazen and indomitable - nobody's fool.




FRA Elections Prove Interesting
COMMENTARY | RYNO

Typical FRA elections sees candidates run up against the same dreaded foe. That foe would be the hard-to-defeat "abstain". These elections were no different really. All candidates saw themselves up against abstain and all but one defeated the terror of "abstainity"!

As far as the victors of the other positions, Joe Bobs won the coveted Arch Chancellor position, Dyr Nasad won Chief of Defense, Frattastan now stands as Minister of Intelligence, and Wibblefeet will oversee the house as Speaker. All winning with ease, these candidates proved popular with voters. People United Together lost to abstain and had to "try again" to win the position of Regional Liaison Officer in a snap election.

In the snap election for Regional Liaison Officer, People United Together joined with Sovereign Liberties to form a joint ticket. They faced off against Tim. Interestingly, the joint ticket beat Tim by a narrow one vote margin (5-4) with a late vote for Tim not being counted.

What really made this election interesting, however, is what happened after the vote.

Tim asked People United Together to respond to a screenshot of a post left by him in The East Pacific's forum. Tim was concerned about having a FRA cabinet member distancing himself from the FRA and serving invader constituents like defender constituents. After quite a lot of drama surrounding the issue of whether being neutral is acceptable for cabinet ministers, Sovereign Liberties resigned.

"I'm going to have to pull a Tim rather than a Karp or a Milo and resign because of RL," says Sovereign Liberties. :I don't have the time to do the job as good as it should be done and I'd rather not half-ass everything else that I have going on".

The drama ended with Tim apologizing for "letting the thread get out of hand". Remarkably, Tim was later appointed Vice Chancellor - selected personally by the Arch Chancellor.

People United Together spoke with The Rejected Times briefly, expressing his belief that this term would be a "comeback" for the defender organization. Joe Bobs, the new Arch Chancellor shared his enthusiasm, plus a shining new vision for the Founderless Regions Alliance too.

"I want the FRA to become a cornerstone of NationStates," says Joe Bobs. "When someone wants to begin a new region, I want them to come to us where they will receive advice and guidance. When a region is struggling, I want them to come to us for help analysing their problems and finding solutions. When a region suspects invasion, I want them to come to us for help with securing their region. When a region needs to be liberated from an oppressor, I want them to come to us for assistance gaining their freedom. And when a region wants to write a constitution, build a military, set up a diplomatic network, or generally needs help in allowing their community to thrive, I want them to come to us".

It'll be interesting to see how this term turns out. With the dreaded abstain (until next election) and the drama long behind them, of course!





"Doctor Who Week" in TRR
The Rejected Realms celebrates "Doctor Who" premiere.
FEATURE | UNIBOT

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Kogvuron, Internal Affairs Officer has organized a popular theme week for TRR.

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The Tardis, a tall indigo police-box, materializes in The Greymarshes - the moorish outskirts of The Rejected Realms's capital city. The Doctor exits The Tardis with curiosity beaming in his gaze. His companion, Clara, follows his lead, closing The Tardis's doors behind them.

The tantalizing smell of exotic meats wafts through the air.


The Doctor: Say hello to The Rejected Realms, Clara. Where the barbecue never stops!
Clara: Well that's alright, yeah?

The Doctor sniffs the air indulgently.

The Doctor: You can almost taste the roasted unicorn...
Clara: Maybe not then.
The Doctor: Suit yourself. As legend has it though, it's bad luck to refuse unicorn meat.
Clara: What're we doing here again?

The Doctor pulls his psychic paper from his jacket - it reads as an invitation.

The Doctor: Invitation. They're holding some sort of birthday party for yours truly. Very kind of them. Love birthdays. Except pinatas. Hate pinatas.
Clara: It's your birthday?
The Doctor: I'm a two thousand year old time traveler who lives in a box that's bigger on the inside. Any day can be a birthday.
Clara: And you're sure this isn't a trap?
The Doctor: Trap? What trap? A trap in The Rejected Realms!? Land of the... Rejects and... and (blimey) --
Clara: -- is that really what these lot call themselves?
The Doctor: Better "reject" than "baldie".
Clara: Well...

Clara is unconvinced. The Doctor frowns.

The Doctor: Here, look...

The Doctor hands Clara the invitation to read. Clara reads.

The Doctor: Lots of legitimate stuff on that. Dream journals, favourite quotations, cusine tasting --
Clara: -- no unicorns!!
The Doctor: No Unicorns. Promise. Good food. Food, glorious food. Fried, roasted or stewe--

Clara frowns at the menu.

Clara: --fishfingers and custard!?
The Doctor: An old favourite. What? It was a phase...
Clara: What's this about choosing a themed "avatar"?
The Doctor: No idea. Reckon it must be like changing your face or something, but who would ever want to do that?
Clara: Oooh. There's a scavenger hunt too!
The Doctor: Really!?

The Doctor grabs the invitation excitedly to read on.

The Doctor: Fantastic! Always fancy a good scavenger hunt. Who needs knitting when you have a scavenger hunt.
Clara: Okay, I'm sold. Where is it again?
The Doctor: We're looking for Unibot. Leader of the Rejects. Tall fellow. Blabbermouth. Bit of a moral fanatic really...
Clara: Brave words, Don Quixote.
The Doctor: And the eyebrows. Don't stare at them. They're frightfully under-kept.
Clara: You look in a mirror recent, mate?

The Doctor walks off aimlessly. Clara tries to keep up.

Clara: Are we lost, Doctor?
The Doctor: Philosophically or geogra--
Clara: --Geographically.
The Doctor: Lost like Columbus, I'm afraid. Not to worry though, there's still one thing we haven't lost: daylight.

The heavens cloud over and it begins to pour rain. Clara shrieks and the two of them dash for cover.

The Doctor: Bad luck ... unicorns... all I'm saying!!




The Cold War Awakes
EDITORIAL | UNIBOT

Unibot reflects on the events leading up to the Osiran-Lazarene War...

August 2013. NationStates's centre of power at the brink of war – ring any bells? Well it should. Only a year ago, Belschaft sat down with journalists, over jammie dodgers and afternoon tea, to share a pet theory of his that NationStates had entered into a “Cold War”. Tensions between Francoists and Imperialists rose over the uneasy summer after the two factions found themselves at loggerheads over the ill-fated invasion of Nazi Europe and, even more troubling, the Gatesvillian Occupation of Osiris (“The Imperium War”). Francoists, no longer viewing Defenderdom as the primary “userite” threat, began to quietly ally themselves with Defenders, while Imperialists courted independent regions like The North Pacific and The West Pacific – there building a strong base of influence under the delegacies of McMasterdonia, Westwind and later r3naissanc3r.

At first, an outright war between Francoists and Defenders versus Imperialists and Independents seemed imminent … and then, as the political fates would have it: the threat simply declined.

Proud Anti-Imperialist, Karpathos, was removed from Pacifica, while Independentism began to falter in popularity and Defenders pursued greater political discipline within their ranks. By the time that the leaves fell, a novemberish ambience lorded over NationStates and, for many commentators, a cold war seemed like a remote possibility, short in political momentum and inspiration – wishful-thinking of the conflict-aficionados and jumpy warhawks of high “Gameplay”. Being the fossil that I am, I was still writing articles at this time with empirical evidence that suggested political fragmentation was still occurring in the Game-Created Regions – signs of a cold war still active. But this was a time of détente – the suggestion of a “cold war” was the punchline of a diplomatic joke, not a serious proposal.

Little did we know that nearly a year later, the war would officially begin.

However, it's not only important to understand how this war has begun, but how it has evolved and escalated to these grave, dramatic series of circumstances that we face. The Cold War never died. It has been in hibernation -- a process of reconfiguration. Pressure has been building for months, such that a release like this was inevitable. The cork in the bottleneck can easily be identified as political inertia and the social stigmas against open GCR aggression, which have kept the Cold War from turning "hot" for all of these past months. But theories from the school of International Relations (IR) can help us identify what broke the levy, virtually a year later...

School children are taught that the main factors that led to World War One are Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism and Nationalism (M.A.I.N). More complicated International Relations (IR) theories would discuss the lack of interdependencies (Liberalism), insecurity (Neo-Realism), imperialism and the rational interests of those involved (Realism) and the ideologies and cultures of the warring regions (Constructivism).

If we are to examine the recent Osiran declaration of war and the diplomatic escalation that led to it as a calculation of rational interests of those involved, it is clear that this was an inevitable outcome. The imperialist faction and the defenderist faction would both have it in their interests to expand their influence, but expansion can only continue so far – a diplomatic race, to have a decisive winner, must have a finish line.

War is a diplomatic instrument as much as it is a threat – it can be used to diplomatically “contain” and isolate the influence of enemies. Normally, diplomacy is a positive-sum game. For example, Bigtopia benefits from a security alliance with Lilliputia and Maxtopia (and vice versa), thus Bigtopia has no rational reason to not accept security alliances with both regions unless coercion and wartime conditions force this diplomatic game to become zero-sum, where Bigtopia has to choose between relations with Lilliputia and Maxtopia. It is often difficult to establish these conditionals without the spectre of war because the political optics are, otherwise, problematic: soverigntists in Bigtopia will accuse Lilliputia and Maxtopia of abusing Bigtopia diplomatically and forcing them to isolate themselves, while either Lilliputia or Maxtopia may offer to allow Bigtopia to pursue both alliances which undercuts the other’s position in the negotiations.

The South Pacific is the preeminent case of this scenario with The New Inquisition recently attempting to force The South Pacific to choose between a treaty with The Rejected Realms and The New Inquisition - a move which if successful done, isolates The South Pacific from their enemies, while making the war all that more inconvenient for their enemies which could bolster the value of negotiations with them to end a war that their enemies, otherwise, try to forget.

Following the various treaties and alliances between Game-Created Regions and influential imperialist and independent regions helps paint the picture of networking and containment,

[July 28 2013] Balder withdraws from the Pan-Sinker Security Pact
[July 30 2013] Osiris withdraws from the Pan-Sinker Security Pact
[July 31 2013] Europeia severs ties with The NPO
[August 10 2013] The North Pacific and Balder Security Treaty
[August 19 2013] Treaty of Friendship between The North Pacific and Europeia
[October 23 2013] Balder severs ties with Lazarus
[October 23 2013] Belschaft declares Lazarus-TSP alliance defunct
[November 18 2013] Europeia severs ties with Lazarus
[December 08 2013] Osiris and Balder Twin Sinker Treaty
[April 14 2014] The North Pacific and Albion Security Treaty
[April 26 2014] The Treaty of the Old Gods (ISRA)
[March 11 2014] The Treaty of Alsfeld (Balder-LKE)
[March 21 2014] Treaty of Amity and Non-Aggression between The South Pacific and Kantrias
[May 31 2014] Friendship Treaty Between The West Pacific and The New Inquisition
[June 06 2014] Treaty of the Imperium (TWP/LKE)
[June 10 2014] Osiris severs ties with Lazarus
[June 16 2014] The East Pacific - Osiris Treaty of Amity
[July 21 2014] World Assembly Legislative League (TNP-Euro-Balder)
[July 24 2014] TNI severs ties with The South Pacific
[August 04 2014] Kantrias severs ties with The South Pacific
[August 28 2014] Osiris declares war on Lazarus

*Red for sanctions, Black for treaties and alliances.

The Imperium War set the stage for a number of very important developments, first and foremost being Balder and Osiris’s rejection of the Pan-Sinker Security Pact (PSSP) and Europeia’s severing of ties with The New Pacific Order. Lazarus’s removal of key imperialist members and its entrance into the Founderless Regions Alliance (in addition to the X-Y-Z Treaty) was met with extensive sanctions from the interregional imperialist-independent community – a trifecta of embassy closures from Balder, The South Pacific and Europeia which was later followed by Osiris on June 10, 2014. The South Pacific’s allianceship with The Rejected Realms also precipitated diplomatic sanctions from The New Inquisition and Kantrias, two notable imperialist regions who used the FRA-TNI War as a backdrop for their diplomatic maneuver. This behaviour is, of course, symptomatic of cold war diplomacy – the severing of relationships serves as punishment, coercion and most of all isolation and containment, while the political stage is simultaneously conceived through a converging network of new (and sometimes redundant) diplomatic relationships.

Some might find that the loss of security obligations and opportunities for diplomatic cooperation between various factions helped escalate the conflict because without interdependencies, regions like Balder or Osiris have no particular interest in maintaining even a pretense of good relations with Lazarus or The New Pacific Order. Others still would argue that this isolation was intentional, to (i) protect factions from diplomatic blowback for engaging in hostilities with the other faction, and, (ii) force potential allies to choose between them or their enemy, as opposed to a cooperative, positive-sum relationship that might restrict these enemies from engaging in hostilities. Nevertheless, this pattern of alliancing and marshaling of regions into factions has not been a new trend per se, but has played a direct role in fueling the rise of the Cold War.

Militarization also cannot be overlooked. Five years ago, as far as I can remember, most of the Game-Created Regions did not maintain active militaries if they maintained militaries at all (NPA has been resurrected, while TWPAF, EPSA, SPSF, PEF and LLA are relatively new from 2011-13) – it was rare even for Game-Created Regions to have contacts with militarized regions, let alone militaries of their own. Obviously our present political environment is much different which helps to shift the tone from a once peaceful climate of multilateral diplomacy to brutish, aggressive gunboat diplomacy. The entire idea of a Cold War fundamentally relies on militarization: 2011’s “soldierless” Lazarus would have never fought a war against 2011’s “paper tiger” KRO – the resulting scene would have presumably been downright comical for onlookers.

However, I reckon sociological and anthropological features have played a large role in the Cold War too. Each "player" within the conflict has undergone significant social reconstruction and ideational change since The Imperium War. The Pacific has rejected Francoism - stripping itself of materialism in favour of a non-materialist, structural and critical philosophy, Post-Francoism. This places The Pacific in contention with material and interest-based philosophies like Imperialism and Independentism. Meanwhile, Osiris has since adopted Imperialism, after a period of ambiguity where it was unclear whether Osiris would remain Independentist, become Invaderist or adopt a new version of Imperialism. Lazarus, of course, has been reborn from an ideological package of Francoist and Lenin-Marxist ideas which brings with it shades of Communism, Anti-Imperialism, Defenderism and a critical view on Liberal Democracy, which its enemies have used to their advantage: imperialists have never so desperately attempted to link their ideology with liberal democratic values before - enough so, that it is almost as if imperialists have tried to fill the contrasting political vacuum, à la ACCEL: Osiris's capitalism to Lazarus's communism, so to speak.

Social Constructivists, however, would not just analyze the ideologies of the Cold War, but also reflect on the various grievances which might be involved. There are numerous examples of grievances between the parties which continue to echo and relive themselves through present and ongoing conflicts - take for example, Milograd's Coup of The South Pacific from April 2013, which was still brought up as a recent interregional grievance in the Osiran Declaration of War despite The South Pacific recently signing a peace treaty with Lazarus. Dismissing Hobbes from root Admin has also been used as an interregional grievance against Lazarus (despite Hobbes asking for the issue to be "dropped"), since Lazarus's enemies have keenly sensed a rare political opportunity to divide The East Pacific (Hobbes's main region) from Lazarus - The East Pacific is the only region to maintain treaties with both Osiris and Lazarus.

Another imperialist grievance oft resurrected is the removal of leading imperialists from Lazarus under the late Feux Administration which has been discursively framed as a "purge" to associate it with the widespread civil unrest of Moldavian and Durkadurkiranistani crises (which fosters an outpour of interregional sympathy and concern for victims). Meanwhile, the repeated lazarene grievances against imperialism are numerous, but many were included in A Mean Old Man's "NPO Retort", which painted the picture of imperialist subversion in Lazarus and outlined the petty political posturing that lead to the embarrassing failure to occupy NAZI EUROPE. Lazarus's "The False Independence" adds to the list of grievances, proposing that instead of freeing Lazarus, independentism had been an ideological tool to maintain control over Lazarus and keep it dependent on foreign imperialist powers.

The conflict before us, thus, is a complex beast -- diplomatic containment, identity politics and a quagmire of bad social history lies at the heart of the Cold War. After the monumental events that have transpired today, NationStates will bear witness to the first large-scale war between great powers since Franco's Pacific fought The Alliance Defence Network. In the grand scheme of things, it is not a coincidence that the two youngest states of the Game-Created Regions, no less, have been the centre of this conflict.

The two great powers least burdened with political inertia, most challenged in diplomatic breadth and most vulnerable to the threat of annexation and regime change.

The war has risen from its slumber with a vengeance and an appetite for drama. As coats turn, worlds burn -- NationStates engulfed for once, not in uncertain peace, but instead certain pandemonium -- I ask only one thing of you all: let it not be for nothing!
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