Issue IX

[frattastan]

Issue IX, December 11, 2013 Editor's Note

In a time of "news bytes" and tweets, The Rejected Times is your salvation from the oncoming storm of mini-stories and beige prose. For those less excited at this issue's length -- just think, our hard-working news team put this together in under forty-eight hours. God only knows what more we would have typed if the deadline had been more generous. Please: enjoy!

> > > OSIRIS

An Interview With Dalimbar
INTERVIEW | KOGVURON

The Rejected Times speaks with Dalimbar. Mere hours after interviewing Venico, Rejected Times reporter Kogvuron sat down with Dalimbar, the leader of the opposition to Venico's government.

Kog: Hello Dalimbar and welcome to the Rejected Times Headquarters. Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed. today
Dalimbar: Thanks for having me!

Kog: So, the topic on everyone's mind is the situation in Osiris. Earlier, Venico stated that, "I'd like to clarify that this isn't a coup. It's more along the lines of a civil war." Do you think that this is indeed an internal war among factions or an overthrow of the legitimate government
Dalimbar: If you don't mind, I'd like to give a little context on the situation in Osiris.

Kog: Sure, no problem
Dalimbar: As I'm sure you and your readers know, Osiris has been troubled since this summer by various groups seeking to impose its order onto us. We have seen Gatesville and their friend Douria try to hold us down. The man I helped oust Gatesville, Cormac, then went through his own RL problems, and did a mini-purge of Osiris. We knew the reasons why he did so, and because we are a caring community, we did not punish him for any of his crimes and accepted him back into the region with open arms. Asta, whom I will state I regard as a fantastic person, attempted to impose a wild project upon the region, which, while yes, had support at first, lost legitimacy due to her own inability to communicate with members of our region. This does mean that so-called "Empire" members were not consulted, but even members of her own team were also very out of the loop. As such, the confusion and instability as a result of that close-minded work led to what can be described as clashes between her, her people, and those she did not trust with information. I'm sure the Empire flag event has been and will be used again and again by Venico's people as a scare tactic. Yet, I would like to remind people that the Security Council protects the region, not the Delegate. The Security Council is there to ensure that the Delegate remains beholden to the interests of the region. The 'Empire flag event' was a means of saying "We want to talk to you, Asta", not one of these rather weird assertions that Empire would coup. Finally, Venico, whom before today I regarded as a good Delegate, and have been supporting, betrayed Osiris. He has couped, and I'd rather he'd be truthful with Osirans by saying that what he has done is coup us.

Kog: So you do regard this as a coup?
Dalimbar: Yes, it is.

Kog: Was there any warning that a new regime would be installed?
Dalimbar: Not to my knowledge, no. I was present briefly last night, and had conversations with members of this new regime, and there was no indication given to me that they would act this way. I would like to think that this is just a random event, yet, given the nature of GCR coups, it more than likely is not.

Kog: How do you feel about being labeled a "defender subversive"?
Dalimbar: I find it laughable, to be honest. And sad. Is that the best they can do for propaganda? I have not been a defender for seven years now, since I left the Red Liberty Alliance. Everyone in Osiris, and frankly most of the world, knows that I am neutral to the concerns of Raiders and Defenders. It is my wish to see that Osiris is able to act independently of extremes, while ensuring that we are viable enough to pursue our own interests. By having us as a 'protectorate' of X group, we are, as a region, unable to do that. This goes for any group which seeks to subjugate Osiris to any other region, be it defender, raider, imperialist, or other. However, Osiris will maintain friendly relations with regions who wish to maintain friendly relations with us.

Kog: Can you tell us a little bit about the extent of your activities in recent years that may have caused you to be labeled as a "subversive"?
Dalimbar: I have been involved in feeder and sinker politics for almost seven years now. Yet, my home since it was established has always been Osiris. I feel I am a 'subversive' because I do not believe in this 'new order' this new regime wishes to impose on us. Frankly, this 'subversive' thing is just scapegoating and malicious talk. I am obviously not playing the game they wish to play. Thus, I have been removed.

Kog: Do you think that this situation can be compared to any others that you have found yourself in before?
Dalimbar: In terms of pure pettiness, no. I feel that this coup, out of all the others I have witnessed, is based on such intellectual weakness that it is just a show of pettiness. Perhaps the Emperor Matthuis coup of TNP in later 2007 could compare, yet, that was a write-off. I don't see a grand plan on how to 'fix' Osiris. I don't see anything except for random attacks against a so called Empire plot or, as you said, "defender subversives" Long and short of it is, it is a strike against a select few old time individuals of Osiris all for maintaining a power block in the region. As much as people might think I am part of this 'Empire' bloc, my real concern is for Osiris, and if we can have at least a few months without a coup. That'd be damn nice.

Kog: Were you planning to run for delegate in the upcoming elections?
Dali: I was mulling it over, yes. However, I was also thinking no, and did tell people that they should back Venico if I did not run. Why? At that point, I thought he had all Osiran's interests at heart. I was proven wrong today.

Kog: In your statement, you spoke of new elections for the region. How exactly will elections for the new government-in-exile work?
Dalimbar: Nominations for the Pharaoh (who will be Delegate when Venico and his group falls) will begin on the 15th of this month, on our forum: http://s13.zetaboards.com/Osiris_NS/index/ . Five days for nominations, five days for voting. All citizens as masked on the forum will be able to vote. Basically, we will be running the government as we would in peace time. Until then, I am temporarily in charge of the government as the Grand Vizier, a position created by Asta and carried on by Venico, to take over from the Pharaoh when they have abdicated responsibility.

Kog: Will you continue on the current Osiran forums or move to a new home?
Dalimbar: We will be continuing on with the current Osiris forums. Todd, who is the forum owner now, has stated his interest in the legitimate government of Osiris maintain the original forum as the legitimate forum for Osiris. The rest of the Administration team, myself, Biyah, and Tim, agree with that.

Kog: Have any current officials pledged their loyalty to the government-in-exile?
Dalimbar: Firstly, if I may, we are not a government-in-exile. That presumes that the occupational regime has broken us and sent us packing. A few of us may be now enjoying free BBQ in TRR, yet we have many hard working men and women in Osiris ready to defend Osiris. I regard every government official who has not pledged support to the occupation regime to be a friend of Osiris. However, the Pharaoh Venico, Grand Hedjeti Cormac, Foreign Affairs Vizier Lord Ravenclaw, and Sekmet Legion Commander Koth have left our government. It should be noted that all of those names, with the exception of Raven, form the backbone of Brotherhood of Malice. I do wish that Raven regard his actions wisely, and that he returns to the legitimate government of Osiris as soon as he can.

Kog: Have you received contact from any regions who wish to help you in any liberation attempts?
Dalimbar: I have been in talks already with a few regions, but at present I will not go into details.

Kog: Have you and your fellow leaders decided on any one strategy to liberate the region?
*Dalimbar grins*
Dalimbar: Thing is, and I know the occupational regime appreciates this, is that members of our government are all experienced in feeder and sinker wars. This will be a battle for them more than it is for us. They may have minor victories when they swat a few nations, yet, that will be all for nothing. At present time, though, I'm sure you'll appreciate that I am not in a position to leak any details about liberation plans. Just know this. The legitimate government of Osiris will be back. These people have decided to take Osiris away as their toy. As someone who has invested way too much time and energy into the region, such actions can't be unanswered. If you are a friend of Osiris, please, contact me. If you want to be a friend of Osiris, please, contact me. All I want in Osiris is peace, stability, and us to get our act together. It is high time, and actions like what Ven and his cronies have taken do not help. Let me repeat that for them: Your coup does not help Osiris.

Kog: What do you think the future holds in store for Osiris?
Dalimbar: It depends on how long the regime wishes to avoid the inevitability of the situation. Osiris will have its region back. The longer they stay, the harder it will be for Osiris. At this time, I'd like to offer Venico, Cormac, Koth, Raven, and those backing the regime to think. Seriously think about what you are doing. Does this seem right to you? Are you really standing for Osiris, or are you really just wanting to hurt it even more? Because the way you are acting, Osiris will be in much more pain and sorrow than it already has been. And that's not what we want.

Kog: Assuming that you win this war, how will you ensure that Osiris remains stable and peaceful in the future?
Dalimbar: We'll need to have a long hard look at ourselves. We do need a structure for government which is acceptable to the citizenry. We need a government which leads for all of Osiris, not just for raiders, or defenders, or whatever group. By no means are we a perfect region. Yet, if we as a region take the time to reflect and take note of our flaws, and actually work to fix those flaws, we will emerge even stronger. We can not impose our will on Osiris, this has been made evident.

Kog: Thank you for partaking in this interview and we wish you the best in the future.
Dalimbar: Again, thank you for having me.

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Osiris: Why We Just Don't Give A Crap Anymore…
EDITORIAL | UNIBOT

After the announcement of the latest coup in Osiris, I expect some semblance of concern or shock from the public that comes with any sort of administrative kerfuffle in the Game-Created Region – I apparently overestimated the level of sympathy that the global conscience had in regards to the Egyptian Sinker; despite the region being essentially stuck in a state of tyranny, the responses I saw to the coup made for one, gigantic, collective “meh”.

For example,

“As expected.” – Wopruthien.

“Aside from a few people who've lost power/influence in Osiris, I don't think anyone cares. They're not taken seriously as a region. As far as I'm concerned, TRR should say "meh" and invest in popcorn production.” – Sedge.

“Ho hum, another Osiris coup and change of government, complete with its own version of the GOU lol.” – Wintermoot.

“I'd say the best way of saying "meh" is to say nothing at all and just sit and laugh.” – Abbey Anumia.

“This is my surprised face: -.- My only interest in the situation (if this turns out to be real) is to watch the new influence decay in action.” – Topid.

As you can see, you just don’t care anymore. You really don’t care at all about what is happening in Osiris. Don’t worry, though, this isn’t an intervention – however, I think interregional apathy in regards to the Osiran insurgence and the constant civil strife is something that needs to be discussed.

How did we get here? What makes people not care about Osiris’s situation anymore? There are a few possible reasons to explore. First and foremost, Osiris has simply gone through several upheavals with the original Biyan coup, then the Dourian coup, Cormac’s coup and Astarial’s coup; perhaps, the public simply just doesn’t have a tolerance to see conflict after conflict in Osiris before their eyeballs begin to roll into the backs of their heads. After each conflict, it becomes more of a running gag to onlookers than anything else – the usual dignity and respect afforded to the region’s government is lost and the region’s ruling elite becomes more or less an interregional spectacle for our casual amusement and entertainment.

Second, for all of the liberals, progressives and bleeding hearts out there in NationStates, Osiris is simply a depressing statement on democracy in NationStates. There’s a term in psychology called “cognitive dissonance”; when we’re faced with these great systemic, complex problems that just do not seem easily solvable, like, civil unrest in the Middle East or poverty in Africa, we do the reasonable thing: change the channel to Dancing with the Stars. There’s a lot of us here in NationStates that want to see democracy work … to see stable, free and fair communities flourish and my bet is many of them have been disillusioned with Osiris – with no clear, easy resolutions in mind, the simplest thing for them to do is to try to ignore Osiris’s existence or cognitively downplay the consequences of these military occupations.

Finally, the way in which each coup was handled may have caused a negative policy legacy – the lethargy we see now interregionally about Osiris, for some, might just be a product of backlash from previous administrations and how Osiris handled each coup. In the case of the original Biyan coup, the sitting delegate, Mad Jack provided a plea deal to all those involved to try to avoid civil war. Fast-forward a few months later with the Dourian coup and Osiris was signing a peace agreement with Gatesville and praising the work of The New Inquisition, meanwhile Osiris’s leadership had led other regions and organizations on a wild goose chase to provide (apparently) unnecessary military aid. With the exception of imperialists, Osiris’s leadership acted largely ungrateful to anyone who assisted in the liberation effort; they went as far as to dismiss the entire liberation effort as a pipedream and call some of their allies during the coup, “a fun-house for children” (UDL) and “a largely inactive region that has no interest in properly defending itself or providing any meaningful assistance in our defense” (TSP).

Osiris, in regards to the Biyan coup and the two later coups from Cormac and Astarial, reflected the jingoism of the region – the region was never more united than when someone was criticizing its government for its weak commitment to the rule of law and democratic principles. To Osirans, this may have seemed like the right thing to do: to stand up for its region and tell outsiders off for having the gall to tell Osirans what was best for their region – but to outside commentators it just looked like Osiris had no real desire to reform the region’s toxic political culture. At that point, why bother caring? They certainly don’t seem to care, one might surmise.

These are just some of the many reasons why the interregional community may be feeling apathetic to the latest coup in Osiris, but regardless of whether you’re apathetic because of just general exhaustion with Osiris, cognitive dissonance or frustration, you’re not alone. There have been a lot of historians in NationStates who have been saying that history is not on the side of the Fraternal Order in Osiris – in my opinion, the context is different in the contemporary Osiran case. I don’t think any of other Game-Created Region (even The North Pacific at the lows of 2008) has ever managed to generate such overwhelming apathy in regards to its interregional security –the number of allies coming out of the woodwork to defend Osiris’s exiled state is surprisingly thin. Without the allies and without the support and encouragement of the interregional community, that makes the exiled community the underdogs here, not the “favored bet”.

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Is There Really A "Solution" To Osiris's Problems?
OPINION | GLEN-RHODES

With Osiris commanding the attention of the Gameplay community yet again, one question on everybody’s mind is, “Will Osiris ever be a stable region?” It is a simple question with a complex answer. Throughout its history, Osiris has been troubled by internal conflict. What started as a fledgling democracy turned into a self-serving governing structure. The region was buried in sclerotic institutions that by design concentrated power in the regional elite.

But pointing to the structural problems of Osiris governance is missing the larger problem. Osiris has a character deficit. It is a region that likes to stand up for second chances, but the people within the region are too quick to judge people as trustworthy and upstanding individuals. What other region has experienced so many coups d’etat in such a short period? What other region had granted second chances to the perpetrators of coups d’etat, even allowing them to enter into the highest rungs of power? What other region extra-judicially bans those people when they finally realize their mistake?

The problem in Osiris has been and will always be the people. The (s)electorate is particularly bad at judging character. Many who have managed to gain their trust have abused it, but Osiris never learns. Even now, influential Osirans are supporting the Venico regime (which is the still-unconstitutional evolution of the Astarial regime) because they believe, just maybe, this coup d’etat will bring the next Pax Osirica. The same thing happened with the Astarial take-over. Whether it be naïve wishful thinking or pragmatic making-the-best-of-it, it shows poor judgment.

How do fix the problem, when the problem is the people who have defined Osiran culture? There are many public policy options for democratizing the region. Democratic consolidation is probably the only way to stabilize Osiran domestic politics. But those options are cut short each time an unconstitutional regime physically removes its opposition. Even then, there must be a paradigm shift in how people think. Osiris cannot be the region of second chances if the regional elite keep misjudging to whom they give unlimited and unchecked power.

> > > INTERREGIONAL NEWS


Liegeois Runs WA Scam for Endorsements
COMMENTARY | TRR STAFF

Yes, you read the headline right. Liegeois, the hapless couper of The Rejected Realms has advertised a fake conference for the World Assembly, purely to trick unsuspecting enthusiasts of the World Assembly to move to The Rejected Realms.

It’s only been a few days since Liegeois was first spotted moving into The Rejected Realms, endorsing every nation in The Rejected Realms upon arrival – at that time, The Rejected Realms’ delegate, Frattastan said it was “not a coincidence” that North-East Somerset had resigned from the World Assembly less than half an hour before Liegeois was founded and applied to join the World Assembly.

Since then, Liegeois has attracted around thirty endorsements; however, some of those endorsers have been misled into endorsing him through this latest scheme. Early yesterday, Liegeois sent all members of the World Assembly a telegram which advertised a “first plenary session of the World Assembly” – at the session, hosted on his forums, the World Assembly would elect a new “Secretary-General”. Of course, Liegeois told his readers that “to have your forum registration validated”, you need to “move your WA nation to The Rejected Realms and endorse The Republic of Liegeois”. This is, of course, a clever ploy to lure nations across NationStates to endorse Liegeois.

The Rejected Realms has since done its best to counter the false messages, hoping to dispel the myths surrounding this “first plenary session” that never was. All readers are encouraged to verify the authenticity of messages from political institutions to avoid scams like these capitalizing on the innocent enthusiasm of others. One victim of the scam that we spoke to said he was fooled by the telegram’s professionalism, going on to say he was “totally bummed out” and had been excited about the conference.

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Elections in TSP Conclude; Winners Announced!
COMMENTARY | HORSE

After three days of voting, elections in The South Pacific are finally over! *hears massive cheering*. The election was easy for some, with only one candidate for Delegate, Minister of the Army, and one for Chair of the Assembly, those elections were rather boring, and uneventful to watch. However, to the joy of many, the rest of the positions had interesting races, with Minister of Foreign Affairs being the most contested office; four people (Hileville, Hem, The United Communist Solar Republic, and your’s truly). However, as the nomination period went on, I resigned to try and run in The Rejected Realms (with even less success then in The South Pacific).

As election day dawned on The South Pacific, The United Communist Solar Republic quit as well, saying “Yeah, so I'm resigning my candidacy for Minister of Foreign Affairs. Considering I, first of all, mainly started running just to see how the whole process works (So I can run later, of course), second of all MoFA seems like a bad place to start a political career, and third of all I'm running against Horse, HEM, and Hile, I'm seriously screwed in the elections, so yeah.“

The other contested races were Regional Affairs, Craziest in The South Pacific, and Chief Justice.

Baring any election frauds *looks at Cam *, these are the official winners!

Delegate and Vice Delegate: Escade/Kringalia
Chair of the Assembly: Sandaoguo
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Hileville
Minister of Regional Affairs: Awe
Chief Justice: Quietdad
Minister of the Army: Southern Bellz
Craziest MoFo in TSP: rebel-topia

The Rejected Time was lucky enough to sit down with three of the newly elected officials for comment.

1) How does it feel to be apart of the TSP government?
2) What is the biggest thing you will be trying to do this term?
3) Why did you decide to get involved in TSP’s government?
4) What is your opinion on the Osiris situation?
5) What do you believe is the solution to the situation in Osiris?
6) Anything else you want to say?

Quietdad

1) It has created a situation of confusion. I spent a year or two quietly lurking and somehow find my self involved.

2) I want to get a fully functional court system in place this term. I took on Chief Justice as an appointee last term due to resignation of the sitting Chief Justice at the time and came in to discussions already in progress. There have been issues on how the court system will work or needs to be worded. Now as the elected Chief Justice I will feel more empowered to promote my agenda.

3) In the beginning of the summer, as TSP got an infux of new nations getting involved, I started offering opinions on making things better. Some of them were implemented, some of them produced response about my mental status and family background. In the middle of last term, I was asked to take over the Chief Justice position because Southern Bellz was resigning to become Chairman of the Army. "Don't worry" they said, "There's nothing to do" they said. Well, I could have sat back, but that's not me. I will see it though.

4) I have no opinion on the Osiris situation. I feel it's an Osiris matter and we shouldn't do anything but let them know we're here if they need us. I am NOT a fan of any region pushing their ideology on any other region, Growing up in the 70s, we were taught the USSR was bad because of it, and as a former United States Marine, I feel the US is getting close to those levels in this era.

5) I believe the best solution is what Osiris decides they want Osiris to be. 3,000 nations and an active forum should be able to get it done. As a sinker, Osiris has nations in it that aren't new to the game like TSP and they will figure it out. We overcame the Milograd situation, they will overcome this.

6) Monkeys can carry disease... Always wanted to be able to use that sentence…

Kringalia

1) I've been in the region's government for over six months now and it's been a great experience. I realised how much work there is behind running the region. It isn't as simple as asking for people to engage, one has to work by example. Also, I've met some wonderful people like SB, Bel, Escade, Rebel and Glen who are wonderful to work with.

2) Obviously support Escade in all the things she asks and needs. She wants to give a strong focus on regional affairs and activity, which I think is great. We have four months to make activity self-sustainable and I think we can do it. Also help other ministers if needed (for instance, helping Hileville with a couple of embassies). I'm also supposed

3) I've been relatively active in the Assembly ever since Milograd's coup. Now, when Escade was first appointed as interim Minister of Regional Affairs I congratulated her and offered any help she might need, just as a matter of courtesy. She eventually appointed me as her Deputy Minister, and I accepted. It was basically a matter of accepting her inv

4) Osiris has been unstable for far too long. I sincerely hope that this recent event is the last one, and that it leads to a stable region. This situation is between two opposing sides that already have the experience to sustain their efforts, so it will last for a while. I just hope however it ends, it results in a united and active community.

5) So far neither side will compromise, and if one wins then the other will most likely not have a place in their government. I think, though I could be mistaken, the solution will be for either the Empire to regain control of the region or for the OFO to successfully build an active community to prove their legitimacy beyond doubt.

6) Just thanks for the interview and pay attention for news on the World Fair.

Hileville

1) I really enjoy serving TSP in the Government and have for some time. It is fulfilling to serve in the Cabinet. I especially look forward to this term as TSP continues to build a new and bigger community with a vast array of activities offered.

2) Continuing to build on the foundation Kringle laid in his term as MoFA. Our Foreign Affairs network was broken and he was able to begin to lay a new foundation. I believe building on that is one of the most important and biggest tasks ahead. Another task of similar size will be to work towards improving relatiosn with the GCR's that we currently don't have good relationships with.

3) Well I did enjoy my hiatus from the Cabinet and NS over the summer. It allowed me to re-evaluate what I wanted to do in the game as well as focus on RL commitments. In this election I saw a need for an experienced Minister of Foreign Affiars to aid Escade and Kris Kringle in moving into the next chapter of TSP's history. While I was happy to see newer members get involved in the race we are
at a time in NS where Foreign Affairs is becoming increasingly important. I felt it would harm the progress of the region if Escade and Kris didn't have an experienced voice helping in Foreign Affairs. TSP has suffered recently in this area due to policies not imposed by the previous Minister but the Assembly and other Officials. I just felt I would be able to help fix the areas that need fixed.

4) I support and look for a stable Government to be in place. No matter who that government ends up being. I have been a citizen in Osirs for sometime now. While I have personal opinion on the current situation I feel that expressing that opinion will harm my neutrality on it as TSP MoFA.

5) The only solution I see to bring peace to the region will be a stable working government. I will not go into further detail for the same reasons stated above.

6) I would like to thank you and TRR Media for the interview.

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"Repeal Liberate Nazi Europe" Set to Fail
COMMENTARY | TRR STAFF

"Repeal Liberate Nazi Europe", a resolution proposed by Capitalist Paradise delegate DWAsnia, is failing by a large margin. The vote currently sees almost two thirds of the vote against repealing SC#109, which removed a password on Nazi Europe. The original resolution was one of the first successful liberations which was used to threaten, not help, the target region. Proposed by Feux, it was a subject of lots of debate, but still passed by a large margin. The Anti-Nazi Summit in January of this year was used as a staging ground to coordinate GCR delegates in favor of voting for the resolution -- The Rejected Realms voted against "Liberate Nazi Europe", 8-4.

"Repeal Liberate Nazi Europe" is based on the argument that the WA Liberation Category was misused and that this wrong should be redressed. Most voters have nixed this argument, although many were likely affected by Nazi Europe's status as one of the more prominent Nazi regions in the game. An interesting side note is that of Afforess's telegram campaign against the resolution. Afforess sent out a mass telegram asking WA nations not to support the repeal and appealed to them in "pirate speak" as a member of the "World Assembly Raidin' Club." No one can measure exactly how much of an effect this had on voting, but it surely hasn't aided the resolution in its quest towards passage.

Well, I guess it wouldn't be the WA Security Council if it didn't have "Nazi Europe".

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