Useful LinksConstitution Regional Laws Introductions Discord Embassy Requests: Please Telegram the Minister of Foreign Affairs Forum Issues: Contact Alamei |
| Welcome to the Versutian Federation forums! You can register an account by clicking below. Once you've registered, you can begin voting in elections, running for office, and participating in the many organizations and discussions that we have here. Join our community! When you register, we prefer that you use your nation name for your account name. You may use a different name if you so desire. Regardless of your choice of name, however, please fill out the "nation name" field with your nation that currently resides in the Versutian Federation. If you're already a member, please log in: |
| November Delegate Debate | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 1 2013, 05:57 AM (655 Views) | |
| ErasmoGnome | Nov 1 2013, 05:57 AM Post #1 |
![]()
Former President
|
![]() ![]() Why a debate? Switching from one WA Delegate to another is no small decision to be made. Normally, a lot more time would be available to learn about the stances of each candidate, but the Zombie Apocalypse has left us pressed for time. This debate is to quickly allow members of the VF to learn what they wish to know about the differences between the candidates, to better help them decide who would be the best Delegate of the Versutian Federation. Debate Structure: Questions may be posed by the general public to both candidates or from the candidates to each other. Each candidate is encouraged to respond to as many questions as they feel is feasible, and answer both comprehensively and as promptly as their personal schedule allows. Time: The debate will run until the end of voting time on November 7th. |
![]() |
|
| Divair | Nov 1 2013, 06:12 AM Post #2 |
![]()
Founder
|
Because the delegate is the only other office with regional powers right now (e.g. editing the factbook, banning nations, etc), the delegate is basically my 2nd in command. How would you cooperate with me over your term? What are your goals? |
![]() |
|
| Astracarn | Nov 1 2013, 06:54 AM Post #3 |
|
I'd just like to start off by thanking our President, ErasmoGnome, for hosting this debate; it's the region's first debate for any position, and should be entertaining!I'll split this into two parts, for answering both your questions, Divair. 1. How would I cooperate with you over my term? I'm a cooperative person and a diligent worker - you can get in touch with me through a telegram, IRC, the Staff Forum, as well as sending me a message on Steam, as we've done in the past. If anything needs to be modified and/or changed, I'm always open to suggestions. 2. What are my goals? Just going to mention a few here: As a more centrist member of the region, I'd like to encourage some more political ideologies to have their voices and opinions heard by others in a constructive format, such as through the RMB and the forum. Prior to this zombie apocalypse, the forum and RMB could have done with more activity, but now I'm very happy with the region's recent activity, so that goal can be crossed out. Finally, I'd like to see the Versutian Federation become a diplomatic heavyweight that is an influential figure in the World Assembly. Edited by Astracarn, Nov 1 2013, 06:56 AM.
|
![]() |
|
| Odin Pendragon | Nov 1 2013, 07:16 AM Post #4 |
![]()
Why!?
|
Quick question, while I've seen TBHG in a number of debates throughout my short tenure in the world of NS and the WA, I barely even remember you being around the GA, or perhaps you're more active in the SC? |
![]() |
|
| Astracarn | Nov 1 2013, 07:29 AM Post #5 |
|
This is a very valid question, as, funnily enough, I actually don't actively debate every resolution in the GA and SC (or even half the resolutions, for that matter), although I have voiced my opinion on a few in the past, I browse the forums fairly regularly, and I do read the full proposal before voting. Why? Time and energy. As the Minister of Immigration, my job has been to focus on getting new nations in the region, which I believe I've done fairly well. Similar to how The Black Hat Guy isn't involved in every facet of the Foreign Affairs department, for example, I don't have the energy (or often the time) to debate resolutions submitted to the World Assembly as well as managing Immigration for the region, which (as you're aware), recently has been more time-consuming than normal. Edited by Astracarn, Nov 1 2013, 07:30 AM.
|
![]() |
|
| Odin Pendragon | Nov 1 2013, 07:39 AM Post #6 |
![]()
Why!?
|
Fair enough, since even I'm swamped with RL most of the time too. How then, do you deal with lemmings? As far as I've read from your campaign, it sounds as though you endorse such a practice (we GAers aren't very fond of them, though, that's up to the region to decide). Unless, your plan to formalise the voting process of GA and SC resolutions include this measure to see how the votes really are like. |
![]() |
|
| Astracarn | Nov 1 2013, 08:00 AM Post #7 |
|
I don't support the Delegate voting for what the majority of the world votes for, rather, what the majority of their region votes for - sorry if that wasn't made very clear in the campaign thread. For example, if 75% of the VF votes yes, I feel that the Delegate has a responsibility to the region to also vote yes. Regarding the nations in the VF being sheep who'll mindlessly vote for whatever the majority votes on, I'd like the Delegate's vote to always be in line with what the core ideology of the regional body is at the time. |
![]() |
|
| Odin Pendragon | Nov 1 2013, 08:05 AM Post #8 |
![]()
Why!?
|
I'll leave it at that for the moment, since everything else would mostly be admin questions, that I think the region can work out on its own (since I'm not as familiar with it). |
![]() |
|
| Micheal Valois | Nov 1 2013, 09:13 AM Post #9 |
![]()
|
Some other Regions feel like the Delegate is a sub-sector of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Internal Affairs, do you believe that is the case and if so, to what extent? |
![]() |
|
| Astracarn | Nov 1 2013, 03:27 PM Post #10 |
|
I wouldn't call the Delegate's role a sub-sector, but rather I believe that the role of the Delegate has a connection with the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Internal Affairs (basically the President for the VF), but the roles are still separate, as although the Delegate currently has certain powers over the region that other Ministers don't have, the Delegate is a tool for communication, in this respect. To have every governmental position in complete isolation isn't feasible, and isn't what happens under the status quo. It's expected that they're all connected, to some degree. |
![]() |
|
| The Black Hat Guy | Nov 1 2013, 03:33 PM Post #11 |
|
Former WA Delegate
|
I've been the Delegate for a good amount of time, and you know how I work with other regional officers. I rarely make important and controversial decisions without consulting with others, and when I do it's because the issue is a matter of some urgency. I inform myself well and think out my decisions on issues, and I've now drafted two bills (and made many other decisions as delegate), to change the status quo after that deliberation. My goals are as many of ours, to make the region grow and prosper, and to increase activity to make this region an enjoyable place to be. I've done this in the past in many ways: I coded a recruitment script, I've sent hundreds of manual telegrams, I've initiated many regional activities, I've had active conversations with region members, I've thought of RMB topics, and so many other things.
I'd like to make a note on this as well, as a GA regular. I'd love it if every region member was an active and informed member of the World Assembly. If, in this ideal world, that was the case, I would align my vote with the region every time, because my job of WA Delegate, and one of the reasons people endorse me, is to increase their power in the WA. But that isn't the case. Many region members vote on WA resolutions, but many of them are the infamous "lemmings" that simply vote whichever way the region is currently voting. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - the WA isn't the only facet of NS that people can enjoy, and if they don't want to play that part but still want to vote, that is their prerogative. That being said, that means that the vote of the region is mostly representative of that lemming vote. In all my time as Delegate, I believe I've seen exactly once that the region vote did not go with the overall vote, and that was on a very controversial bill to begin with. Therefore, if I voted with the region, I would be following not the portion of the region that is active in and cares about the WA, but the region as a whole, populated with those who vote with the tide as so many regions are. As WA Delegate, shouldn't I try to vote with the portion of the region that cares the most about what the outcome will be? Why should I allow one of the largest delegates in the world to become yet another lemming to add to the crowd? I shouldn't. Which is why I've come up with the system I have. I vote the way I personally feel on a resolution - my hope is that one informed vote is likely to be more inclined to match another informed vote - and then, if the active part of the region is opposed to that vote, they have the opportunity to change that in a very simple manner. My hope with this system is that I avoid the lemming effect and follow the opinions, as best I can, of the active and informed voters. If the entire VF voted one way while I wanted to vote another, I would vote with the VF (though that's never happened - if all of the VF votes one way on something, it's likely that it's not very controversial in my eyes either).
This is the case to some extent. Simply by the manner of being WA Delegate, there are many de facto powers that result - I've gotten telegrams from so many nations that I've had to redirect to the appropriate Minister. I've conversed with many other regions and players that wanted know something, and the WA Delegate is certainly seen in the eyes of the world as a representative of the region, which is a large part of Foreign Affairs. I also organize elections, and while that isn't codified into law, at the time that it started no one else did it other than Divair once, and the Delegate seemed like the logical choice because, at the time, it was not an elected position and thus could be a relatively unbiased arbiter. So short answer, yes, to some extent, those things are true. The Minister of Foreign Affairs is still the MoFA, and he still has more power over Foreign Affairs than mean, and the President general reigns over internal affairs, but the Delegate has many powers, de facto and de jure, that play into both of those roles. Edited by The Black Hat Guy, Nov 1 2013, 04:47 PM.
|
![]() |
|
| Jenlom | Nov 2 2013, 05:56 AM Post #12 |
|
Minister of Justice
|
As delegates - and in many ways a leader in regional policy - what are your positions on formal regional alliances with the UDLS, SLU and DSA? |
![]() |
|
| Astracarn | Nov 2 2013, 07:53 AM Post #13 |
|
I'm assuming you're referring to the proposed Interregional Leftist Alliance. I'm not a big fan of the word "leftist", but I am a fan of interregional cooperation to further promote the interests of all parties involved. As the SLU, DSA, and UDLS are perhaps our closest friends in the NationStates community, I fully support the proposed alliance. |
![]() |
|
| The Black Hat Guy | Nov 2 2013, 08:18 AM Post #14 |
|
Former WA Delegate
|
I think it's an excellent plan. We may be the only region that doesn't have a leftist orientation, but we have strong diplomatic relations with the other regions, and we would be remiss if we didn't take this opportunity to strengthen those relations. Through this alliance, we can have an expanded military force with the UDLS, take part in roleplays with far larger groups of people, and become even more influential than we already are as the 4th largest UCR. Our three delegates to the alliance thread can firm out the details, but none of those details are large enough impede a successful alliance. |
![]() |
|
| ErasmoGnome | Nov 2 2013, 09:52 PM Post #15 |
![]()
Former President
|
Do either of you have any specific actions you plan to take in your term besides those relating the treaty and recruitment? |
![]() |
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| « Previous Topic · Campaign Archives · Next Topic » |












3:25 AM Jul 11