California

[OOC]No problem Demokratia. Over the years we've had folks who've been involved in the military side of NS, and they've tended to keep it at arm's length from the region. But I knew you haven't been here long, and I'm sure any potential for trouble is still minimal or non-existent at this point. As for your hospital rotation, you have my sympathy. 96 hours is nasty. At least there's a limit now -- in some of hospitals there was a time when "rotation" meant "until they decide to let you off the hook".

Glad to know it's not your health that's in question, but after 96 hours ...! [/OOC]

Those are some interesting points you raise about the FOIA. they highlight the underlying issue in the whole debate: How transparent should government be? How secretive and punitive should government be when citizens want to know what's being done in their name? Recognizing how easily governments become abusive of their power (and their people) using the flimsy excuse of "national security", how far should the rights of citizens to monitor their government extend? Knowing the risks involved in giving sensitive information to terrorists and other enemies, how far should the rights of government extend to refusing information to its citizens? And so on.

AND -- should we be looking for more intelligent ways of achieving government transparency so that we actually use the natural results that transparency to help protect us from the hazards of our enemies knowing what we're doing?

Well, I look forward to what folks have to say.

- - - Eulogikos of the Free Realms of Pure Thought

To our fellow citizens of California:

1) I see that the region Gay Land want to establish diplomatice relations. The region has one nation. Why not?
2) I see that the region Lenninist Russia wants to establish diplomatic relations. We of Zeniz are opposed to this. We believe in capitalism, not Lenninism.
3) I voted for the resolution in the WA. Sorry, I do not have the name of the resolution, but once I read it, I thought it was something that Zeniz can believe in.

Krahs, leader of Zeniz

Sorry I've been away again. I think I must need a psychiatrist -- I keep having these episodes of RL psychosis and losing track of my life in NS.

@Krahs: unfortunately, my mental disturbance meant I missed those two requests for embassies. As for your reservations about capitalism, I'm sure we could end up with an unprofitable and somewhat un-Californian heated discussion about capitalism and the many alternatives to it if certain nations here spoke up. FWIW, I'm personally less bothered about the economic systems of the regions with which we exchange embassies than I am about the human and civil rights and the political freedoms of their citizens. If someone can operate their region as an utopian commune or something, and preserve the rights and freedoms of their members, I say more power to them, and I'd be pleased to see us exchange embassies. Why not? And if a capitalist region was suspending the rights and freedoms of member nations, I wouldn't want anything to do with them.

I think there's a lot of scope there for us all.

And for the record, the Realms of Pure Thought conform very closely to the principles of social democracy, with certain modifications. This is allowing us to reduce greatly the gaps between the incomes of our rich and poor. We hope to eliminate those gaps altogether. Funny thing: along the way we've discovered that this is not creating a group of people who "don't want to work and just live off the state". Combined with our educational programme and the cultural engineering that good universal education creates, our citizens enjoy their work both for the individual benefits of employment and for the way it enables them to contribute to the greater good as productive participants in Pure Thought's society.

- - - Eulogikos of the Free Realms of Pure Thought

@Eulogikos: As the lone dissenter, I would like to concur with your question. I understand the idea of a nation's sovereign right to mold their judicial system in the manner that they see fit, but there does come a point when a nation must stop attempting to find a person to be guilty. As you said the parallels with governments that keep holding elections until they get their desired results are prominent. If the shoe does not fit, then the show does not fit. As such if a person is innocent, and no new evidence ever arises then it also adds unneeded strain and costs to legal systems. This resolution was also far more modest than the previous statute that was in place. It does however, look ready to pass by a comfortable margin. I do wish however more people in our region had gotten a chance to vote on it because a spirited debate would have been appreciated.

-RobO

Wow I see Cleo and Topaz is the new Delegate. I also see that s/he has not logged in in 5 days so s/he may not even be aware.

@ Krahs: As WA delegate you did an excellent job. If you are up to the job again I would like to nominate you to be the delegate again if Cleo and Topaz and the majority of Californian WA members agree with this measure. Also, it would be completely up to you. Of course this would take (I believe it would at least) more endorsements from fellow Californians, but it would have to be done in a 150% civil manner, as is the basic ground rule for our fine region.

-RobO