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| The Osiris Outlaw: Interview with Glen-Rhodes; All the News That's Fit To Take | |
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| Topic Started: Jan 8 2014, 10:04 PM (144 Views) | |
| Treize Dreizehn | Jan 8 2014, 10:04 PM Post #1 |
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Posted Image <The Osiris Outlaw> Welcome friends to the official interview chamber of The Osiris Outlaw. Don't mind the torture implements along the wall, we had a surprise visit from the Spanish Inquisition. <The Osiris Outlaw> That said, I'd like to welcome our special guest: Glen-Rhodes <The Osiris Outlaw> How is it going? <Glen-Rhodes> It's going great! I had my last first class of undergrad today, and the professor is a cute-pie. <The Osiris Outlaw> Haha. Great. <The Osiris Outlaw> So, Glen, first up, I think on everyone's mind: What happened in TSP between you and the cabinet? <The Osiris Outlaw> In your own words. <Glen-Rhodes> It was basically a miscommunication of the Cabinet relationship. <Glen-Rhodes> I had a different idea of the role of the Chair of the Assembly, and a completely different notion of the Cabinet as a political body. There is this idea of "Cabinet collective responsibility" that I don't think was ever communicated clearly until after the scandal. <Glen-Rhodes> Ultimately, to me, what I did was not that serious. But other members of the Cabinet felt betrayed, and I get where they're coming from, because they truly believed in the notion that every Cabinet member should support each other in the public eye. <Glen-Rhodes> While I ended up resigning, I feel like the relationship between myself, Escade, Kris, etc. has been repaired. We have a new dissent policy in place so this kind of thing doesn't happen again. <Glen-Rhodes> I think that's all I have to say, unless you have more questions about it. * The Osiris Outlaw nods <The Osiris Outlaw> Well, what was the core policy that brought about this schism? <Glen-Rhodes> Disagreement over how the Cabinet handled the Venico coup in Osiris. I wanted to stick with the strong language we used when the KRO was dissolved. But Escade and Kris had just been elected under a campaign of "friendship and cooperation," so the general trend was towards delivering a very soft statement. Additionally, there was at least one Cabinet member who fully supported everything Venico was doing. * The Osiris Outlaw nods <Glen-Rhodes> In the end, I drew a red line that we must not recognize Venico's regime as legitimate. <The Osiris Outlaw> And your disagreements with this "other cabinet member" are what eventually spilled into the public arena? <Glen-Rhodes> No, not specifically with them. I said when I issued the red line that I would feel compelled to publicly distance myself from the decision. To me, the Cabinet statement abandoned all the work we had done strengthening the norm against GCR coups. <Glen-Rhodes> It was a disagreement with the entire Cabinet, not just one member. * The Osiris Outlaw nods <The Osiris Outlaw> After the progress Osiris has made, do you still stand by your original position? <Glen-Rhodes> I was the primary author of the Cabinet statement when the KRO was dissolved, and I still stand by the statement. I need to see a popular constitution and free and fair elections. <The Osiris Outlaw> Well, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention our most recent election for Keeper. <Glen-Rhodes> Until that happens, I don't personally support recognition of any post-KRO regime. <The Osiris Outlaw> Have you been keeping up with the progress in Osiris? <Glen-Rhodes> I haven't been keeping up in a very detailed manner, because my forum access is so low and not a lot of news comes out. However, to my knowledge, there has not been a region-wide election for a new government. <The Osiris Outlaw> There is, as of this interview, a fully drafted and nearly complete constitution ready to go to vote in the next few days, is why I'm asking. <Glen-Rhodes> I would love to be able to see that constitution, if Osiris would open up its forums. :P <The Osiris Outlaw> It's visible to outsiders. There's even a thread for public comment. ;) <The Osiris Outlaw> I'll grab you a link. <The Osiris Outlaw> http://w11.zetaboards.com/OFO/topic/9931608/1/ <The Osiris Outlaw> there you go <Glen-Rhodes> It's great that you guys are finally so close to having a new constitution. But I remain cautious still, just because of the history. <The Osiris Outlaw> So you're cautious, but are you still holding to your original position? <Glen-Rhodes> Yes, because I think it's important to hold Osiris to democratic standards. <The Osiris Outlaw> Wasn't your original position to not recognize the government at all? Does that view equate to holding Osiris to democratic standards? <Glen-Rhodes> The original position is to not recognize any post-KRO regime until the adoption of a popular constitution, and until free and fair elections are held for a new government. <The Osiris Outlaw> And to those that see you as softening your stance in that interpretation? <Glen-Rhodes> I'm not aware of anybody who thinks I've softened my stance. During the Venico coup, I sensed that people felt my stance was unreasonable. <The Osiris Outlaw> Do you think it's fair to have such a hard line stance with regards to democracy in Osiris and then to not to participate in the democratic process? <Glen-Rhodes> I'm not sure what you mean by participation in the democratic process. Are you talking about me directly participating in the transition in Osiris, or TSP helping Osiris on a more region-to-region level? <The Osiris Outlaw> Either of the two. <Glen-Rhodes> I think it's absolutely fair to hold Osiris to democratic standards in either case. As somebody who does not hold any identification with Osiris, I shouldn't be involved in crafting their new governmental systems. However, I strongly believe that democracy is the best form of regional government, and that its universal adoption is within the interests of the GCR community as a whole. <Glen-Rhodes> On a region-to-region level, there is more TSP could have done. However, I think there lacked a general will on both sides to work with each other on things like constitution drafting and elections <Glen-Rhodes> Osiris viewed the Assembly repealing the TSP-Osiris treaty as a hostile act, and there were (and are) plenty of people in TSP who think we should keep a healthy distance from Osiris for the time being. <Glen-Rhodes> So even if we offered help, I'm not sure anybody would have accepted it. <The Osiris Outlaw> To note: The drafting on the constitution has been taking place since at least the 15th. It's been publicly viewable since then. <The Osiris Outlaw> Does it seems at all strange to hold the viewpoint that promotion of democracy in the GCR's is important, to the level of alienation of your colleagues, while refusing to take the time to participate in the process itself? <Glen-Rhodes> I think the idea of me going into Osiris, having no personal identification with the region, and influencing its future government system is not appropriate under democratic standards. <The Osiris Outlaw> Well, let's be honest you've been a part of Osiris in the past. <Glen-Rhodes> Yes, I was a member of Osiris a long while ago. <Glen-Rhodes> It would be different if TSP and Osiris came to an agreement and I went there as a kind of electoral systems advisor or something like that. But as a private person, it would be inappropriate. <The Osiris Outlaw> Inappropriate how? <The Osiris Outlaw> Are you saying that new members shouldn't participate? <Glen-Rhodes> It's inappropriate because I have no intention of being in Osiris. I don't want to be in Osiris and I don't see myself in Osiris in the future. The government should be created by people who will be governed by it. <The Osiris Outlaw> But the government should still be created in the way you envision? <Glen-Rhodes> If I had the power to create Osiris in my own vision, it would look very different from what it is now. :P Advocating democracy doesn't mean dictating the form it takes. <Glen-Rhodes> This isn't a very foreign concept, either. In the real world, democratic states advocate democracy all the time. People in Western democracies support democratization abroad, but nobody believes private American citizens should be dictating the form it takes. Democratization is not synonymous with imperialism. <The Osiris Outlaw> How does Osiris today veer off from the vision you have of it? <Glen-Rhodes> Hm. Well, in my experience, Osiris likes to centralize power and authority. <Glen-Rhodes> The Pharaoh serves so many roles, for example. <Glen-Rhodes> Head of State. Head of Goverment. Commander-in-chief. <Glen-Rhodes> I would start with dismantling that position. <Glen-Rhodes> So you can see why I'm not involved in crafting specifically the new Osiris government. :P <The Osiris Outlaw> Are these the kinds of changes you see as key to the idea of "democracy"? <Glen-Rhodes> I think there are changes Osiris can make to avoid its past instability, but it's not my role to dictate to Osiris what it _must_ do. Returning to popularly elected government is a major step in the right direction. <Glen-Rhodes> I can offer my advice, but it sounds like you're trying to paint it as me telling Osiris what it has to do. <The Osiris Outlaw> Let's get back to the basic point. <The Osiris Outlaw> Can you tell me the virtue, in your own words, of democracy in NS? Specifically in the GCRs? <Glen-Rhodes> Democracy gives people the ability to engage the system and change it. It allows people to be involved. In the best forms of democracy, it allows _new_ people to be involved in substantive and substantial ways. That is the lifeblood of any massive multiplayer online game, so not only does democratic decision-making just make things more fair, but I sincerely believe it keeps NationStates healthy as a game. <The Osiris Outlaw> Fair in what way? <Glen-Rhodes> The innate fairness of democracy with which we're all familiar. See the countless numbers of classical and contemporary democratic theorists if you want a deeper meaning of the fairness of democracy. <The Osiris Outlaw> It might seem like it has a self-evident answer, but the question is in the context of NS. <The Osiris Outlaw> In NS, fair in what way? <Glen-Rhodes> You're going to have to expand, because I don't know what you mean by "in the context of NS." The fairness of democratic decision-making in any context seems self-evident to me. <The Osiris Outlaw> NS has unique problems and unique solutions to those problems. <The Osiris Outlaw> The governments formed are much much smaller than the ones that are referenced by the democratic theorists you talked about. <The Osiris Outlaw> So I ask you, as someone who is likely a leading thinker on this subject... to expand as to how democracy translates to being just as good for a governing 20 people as it does for a governing 200 million people. <Glen-Rhodes> Sure, but that doesn't change the underpinnings of what makes democratic decision-making fair. NS governments are basically engaging in small-group decision-making, and there's a large body of democratic theory in that field. <Glen-Rhodes> The basic notion is that if you're being governed by some institution, you should have a say in it. <The Osiris Outlaw> Is it possible that fairness can be accomplished in micro-governments that without democracy? <Glen-Rhodes> Fairness can be accomplished without democracy in large groups, as well, it's just very unlikely and very difficult. <The Osiris Outlaw> So the smaller of a group we talk about, the more likely that becomes? <Glen-Rhodes> We'd have to get into a discussion on what kinds of benefits or "goods" autocratic regions in NS give their players, and whether they can do it as well as democratic regions. * The Osiris Outlaw chuckles <The Osiris Outlaw> I don't think we have time to finish such a discussion. <Glen-Rhodes> But I think there's always a level of fairness that can only be achieved when the people being governed have a say in the institutions governing them, and you can't really get that without democracy. :P <Glen-Rhodes> No, we don't, since I'm having friends over the watch American Horror Story tonight! <Glen-Rhodes> Any less theoretical questions? <The Osiris Outlaw> I'll ask one final question and let you get out of here: Is it possible that Osiris is moving towards the democracy you've so strongly urged it towards, but your lack of attention has kept you from noticing? <Glen-Rhodes> It's possible that I haven't noticed some kind of dramatic shift in Osiris culture towards democracy. Like I said, I'm cautious of the progress being made, so truly only time will tell. <Glen-Rhodes> But to be fair, Osiris _hasn't_ passed a constitution nor has it held free and fair elections for a new government. :P <Glen-Rhodes> Those are the kinds of things one would see in an NS news service. <The Osiris Outlaw> Alright, well it was great to sit down with you. <Glen-Rhodes> Thanks for interviewing me. :) It's always nice to get selected for these. |
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