Post by Lenlyvit on Jun 14, 2023 18:36:27 GMT -5
DISCLAIMER: This is a paid announcement to argue for the Constitutional change found here: 10000islands.proboards.com/thread/44051/delegate-eligibility-constitutional-amendment-citizens
Good evening, my fellow citizens of 10000 Islands. I just want to start out by noting that there is a lot of discussion around the constitutional amendment for the Delegacy, and I'm very glad to see that. There are good points on both sides of the aisle, but besides that I'm here as the author to give my viewpoint on it. I would like those voting against this proposal look at it again after reading this, and to please vote for it instead.
To give a background of who I am, I am the current WA Delegate of our region elected by the citizens in the last election. For those who don’t know me, I’m a former two time TITO Command member as well as a four term WA Delegate (now is technically my fourth). Not only that, but I was also formerly the Registrar-General and Himes West Senator. During my time on the Council I’ve advocated for changes to the Council positions to regain activity in certain areas within our region, ultimately leading to the revitalization of our regional role play under AxeCapitol and our Debates forum under successive NRS Senators. Now, to my explanations. Prepare yourselves, it may be long.
Infiltration/Instability
The first thing I want to address from the opponents of the amendment is their call that this will weaken XKI stability and lead to greater risk of infiltration. I say that this won't, that this could actually lead to greater stability and growth within our regional culture. The single main point of infiltration that anyone would try against our region is through TITO, as seen in the countless instances where it has been tried before.
To my knowledge, there has yet to be a readily remembered defection or infiltration of our region via becoming a regular WA Citizen. There have been multiple from TITO though. There was a point where even a member of TITO Command defected to the raider sphere. Now, I'm not saying that a WA Citizen infiltration/defection hasn't happened before because it probably has. I'm just saying that I don't know any examples.
If a raider leaning individual wanted to infiltrate our region, they would more than likely try to do it through a Senator position. This is far easier than applying to TITO and being caught, and far more likely from an infiltration point than the Delegacy.
Defender Culture
Opponents of the change are saying that this will cause our defender culture and defender values to be eroded. But will it really do that? I, again, don’t believe it will. TITO service is not a central or integral part of our regional culture, and you don’t need to serve in the military in order to hold on to the same ideals and values as those who do serve. You can still be a defender even if you don’t have time to make update or want to move your WA nation to another region.
There are plenty of examples that exist of players holding on to staunch defender ideals without being involved in the R/D aspect of NationStates. I don’t doubt that the majority of nations in XKI hold on to those values, whether they’re in TITO or not. I also don’t doubt that the citizen nations of this region would vote for other candidates than somebody who would be counter to TITO’s mission or ideals, or who would destroy our stance on the international stage. If vetting candidates is a worry, the Co9 can legislate solutions for them.
Historical talking points
The opponents of the amendment are saying that the delegacy was originally tied to TITO out of a wish for defending to stay a central point of our regions core identity. This is not the case. Defending is, and always will be, a core central point of our regional culture and identity with or without the delegacy being tied to TITO status. The delegacy was originally tied to TITO out of security concerns from the early days of our regions history. When the constitution was written it had just been a few months after we had survived an attack by Empire of Power, and a few months after Grub was appointed founder.
The delegacy was tied to TITO because if anything ever happened to the founder nation the delegacy would inherit executive powers. That is no longer the case, as with the F/S update we now have the choice of a successor being appointed to take over if something happens to our Governor nation. In that viewpoint, the TITO requirement is no longer necessary to protect the Islands because the Delegate will never inherit the executive powers over the region.
My reasoning
I was recently asked, “why the Delegacy amendment”. My answer is fairly complex, but I’ll lay it out as best as I can. For the longest time I’ve felt that the TITO requirement to be delegate has been extremely stringent, and also cut down on the amount of people willing and able to run for the office. Now, despite what some may think my only reasoning wasn’t activity and incusivity of more nations in the delegate sphere.
I have many reasons behind this. I want to increase the eligibility of more nations in XKI to hold office as Delegate and get involved in the World Assembly. I want more people to serve the Islands to the best of their ability and in the areas that interest them, instead of being shut out of it due to not wanting to get fully involved in the R/D aspect of NationStates and joining TITO. As a bonus, I truly believe that this is the first step in increasing the influence we have on the larger scale of the World Assembly.
I feel that for too long the Delegacy has been occupied by those of us who have a greater eye towards the R/D sphere (Which in itself isn’t a bad thing). While that’s important for our regional identity as defenders, it has come at the cost of some truly deserving individuals who could have become delegate but are ineligible because they can’t/don’t want to get involved in the wider R/D sphere. It has also come at the cost of our region having very few resolution authors and a small imprint in the WA, while being one of the biggest user created regions in NationStates.
Good evening, my fellow citizens of 10000 Islands. I just want to start out by noting that there is a lot of discussion around the constitutional amendment for the Delegacy, and I'm very glad to see that. There are good points on both sides of the aisle, but besides that I'm here as the author to give my viewpoint on it. I would like those voting against this proposal look at it again after reading this, and to please vote for it instead.
To give a background of who I am, I am the current WA Delegate of our region elected by the citizens in the last election. For those who don’t know me, I’m a former two time TITO Command member as well as a four term WA Delegate (now is technically my fourth). Not only that, but I was also formerly the Registrar-General and Himes West Senator. During my time on the Council I’ve advocated for changes to the Council positions to regain activity in certain areas within our region, ultimately leading to the revitalization of our regional role play under AxeCapitol and our Debates forum under successive NRS Senators. Now, to my explanations. Prepare yourselves, it may be long.
Infiltration/Instability
The first thing I want to address from the opponents of the amendment is their call that this will weaken XKI stability and lead to greater risk of infiltration. I say that this won't, that this could actually lead to greater stability and growth within our regional culture. The single main point of infiltration that anyone would try against our region is through TITO, as seen in the countless instances where it has been tried before.
To my knowledge, there has yet to be a readily remembered defection or infiltration of our region via becoming a regular WA Citizen. There have been multiple from TITO though. There was a point where even a member of TITO Command defected to the raider sphere. Now, I'm not saying that a WA Citizen infiltration/defection hasn't happened before because it probably has. I'm just saying that I don't know any examples.
If a raider leaning individual wanted to infiltrate our region, they would more than likely try to do it through a Senator position. This is far easier than applying to TITO and being caught, and far more likely from an infiltration point than the Delegacy.
Defender Culture
Opponents of the change are saying that this will cause our defender culture and defender values to be eroded. But will it really do that? I, again, don’t believe it will. TITO service is not a central or integral part of our regional culture, and you don’t need to serve in the military in order to hold on to the same ideals and values as those who do serve. You can still be a defender even if you don’t have time to make update or want to move your WA nation to another region.
There are plenty of examples that exist of players holding on to staunch defender ideals without being involved in the R/D aspect of NationStates. I don’t doubt that the majority of nations in XKI hold on to those values, whether they’re in TITO or not. I also don’t doubt that the citizen nations of this region would vote for other candidates than somebody who would be counter to TITO’s mission or ideals, or who would destroy our stance on the international stage. If vetting candidates is a worry, the Co9 can legislate solutions for them.
Historical talking points
The opponents of the amendment are saying that the delegacy was originally tied to TITO out of a wish for defending to stay a central point of our regions core identity. This is not the case. Defending is, and always will be, a core central point of our regional culture and identity with or without the delegacy being tied to TITO status. The delegacy was originally tied to TITO out of security concerns from the early days of our regions history. When the constitution was written it had just been a few months after we had survived an attack by Empire of Power, and a few months after Grub was appointed founder.
The delegacy was tied to TITO because if anything ever happened to the founder nation the delegacy would inherit executive powers. That is no longer the case, as with the F/S update we now have the choice of a successor being appointed to take over if something happens to our Governor nation. In that viewpoint, the TITO requirement is no longer necessary to protect the Islands because the Delegate will never inherit the executive powers over the region.
My reasoning
I was recently asked, “why the Delegacy amendment”. My answer is fairly complex, but I’ll lay it out as best as I can. For the longest time I’ve felt that the TITO requirement to be delegate has been extremely stringent, and also cut down on the amount of people willing and able to run for the office. Now, despite what some may think my only reasoning wasn’t activity and incusivity of more nations in the delegate sphere.
I have many reasons behind this. I want to increase the eligibility of more nations in XKI to hold office as Delegate and get involved in the World Assembly. I want more people to serve the Islands to the best of their ability and in the areas that interest them, instead of being shut out of it due to not wanting to get fully involved in the R/D aspect of NationStates and joining TITO. As a bonus, I truly believe that this is the first step in increasing the influence we have on the larger scale of the World Assembly.
I feel that for too long the Delegacy has been occupied by those of us who have a greater eye towards the R/D sphere (Which in itself isn’t a bad thing). While that’s important for our regional identity as defenders, it has come at the cost of some truly deserving individuals who could have become delegate but are ineligible because they can’t/don’t want to get involved in the wider R/D sphere. It has also come at the cost of our region having very few resolution authors and a small imprint in the WA, while being one of the biggest user created regions in NationStates.