Kris and Bel on one side against me. This will be fun.  

(02-20-2017, 10:28 PM)Kris Kringle Wrote: I don't see how you can talk of establishing protectorates and claim that wouldn't be imperialism.

It is imperialism in the broadest sense, yes, but I'm strongly opposed to using that word due to the negative connotations. For one, in RL imperialism often implies a use of forceful expansion, while in NS imperialism is often used as an odd and somewhat contrived justification for invasions.

I am strongly, strongly opposed to the use of military or diplomatic means to forcefully annex anything - if it happens, it must be completely mutually consentual as anything else would be a betrayal of South Pacifican culture and values.

(02-20-2017, 10:35 PM)Belschaft Wrote: Not do I see how making TSP's government even less accountable to TSP and giving people from other regions a say in how TSP is governed instead is in any way a good idea.

First, there is nothing in what I've proposed that would make the Coalition either more or less accountable to the region. I argue that the Coalition must ensure it is more accountable for this model to succeed, in fact (see the above fears of exodus)

Second, I cannot take that point in any way seriously considering you legitimately thought it was a good idea to let arbitrary WA nations influence every vote in our region. As we just saw with Lazarus, it doesn't take much to make a significant change there, and a concerted effort for manipulation would be undetectable without a leak. Now, to your actual point: in the federated model, there would be "outside" influence on the Coalition, but that would be people that are part of the Coalition themselves and are known quantities, not arbitrary and easily faked WA nations.

(02-20-2017, 11:10 PM)Kris Kringle Wrote: Can we bury already the idea of an intelligence agency? It would be a tremendous waste of resources, and coupled with your imperialist idea, a potentially dangerous institution. This is not the real world, where there would always be plenty of intelligence gathering and analysing to be conducted.

Then tell me please how to call the functions of the CRS that go beyond holding the high-endo high-influence nations is. That's what I mean. I'm not talking about going Big Brother on TSP.

(02-20-2017, 11:10 PM)Kris Kringle Wrote: Things work differently in NationStates, and I like to think those who are in the Committee, or have been in the Committee, have enough experience to know when and how intelligence is needed.

BULLSHIT.

If you can claim that with a straight face, you're either suffering from a severe case of cognitive dissonance, or you're lying to the region. I've dealt quite a bit with the CRS recently to know that the CRS is hilariously incapable of ensuring continued safety of our region.

When people from Osiris and the NPO hit up prominent TSPers in private to say "... hey, why the hell aren't you doing anything about X?", and the CRS is in turn clueless, you know the CRS has failed. Etc.etc.etc....