McMasterdonia/SillyString Campaign Platform

[mcmasterdonia]

McMasterdonia/SillyString for Delegate/Vice Delegate​

Defence

We have seen strong progress under Minister of Defence Gladio which has seen the North Pacific Army once again become a force to be reckoned with internationally. We have demonstrated that the NPA is capable of deploying successfully both on its own and as a competent ally for our friends abroad.

Military leaders and observers alike have commented on our growing success and military presence. It is pleasing to know that the success of the North Pacific Army is not going unnoticed abroad. Gladio should be absolutely commended for his efforts.

Our regional military continues to face unique challenges in carrying out its responsibilities when deployed abroad. There has been some unjustified criticism lodged against independent militaries, that demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding on behalf of some within the wider NationStates Community. The North Pacific Army remains a resolute and trustworthy military partner for our allies and friends abroad, evidenced by our deployment to support delegacy transitions in The East Pacific and Equilism and our cooperation with Europeia, Albion, the East Pacific, the South Pacific, and Taijitu in various regions. We are strongly placed to promote our foreign interests and to protect and support our allies abroad, and I intend to continue this under my delegacy.

In addition to the above, I fully believe that the North Pacific Army can have it's regional interests met abroad without participating in unnecessary griefing. Unnecessary griefing includes the widespread banjection of natives, the intent to password or refound the region, and unnecessary damage (such as the suppression of 100's of RMB posts). Under my guide, the NPA will not deploy in support of operations in which this is going to occur. It should also go without saying, but we will not support the invasion of any region with which we have diplomatic relations with.

We should ensure that the North Pacific Army participates in defensive operations, and that the Army is well trained to spot invasions and to prevent them from occurring. Given that one of our allies is founderless, and that another has been founderless at various times in the past 12 months, it is important that the NPA is trained to deal with that sort of situation. An express directive from my office will mean that the NPA officers must be trained in this type of operation. We should also take time to train in "rapid deployment", to make sure that we maximize the operational capacity of our army to mobilize in a short period of time.

Gladio's sergeant/lieutenant exams have been a success in encouraging officers to take more leadership in NPA operations. We need to ensure that the NPA's Officer Corps is well trained and ready for someone to succeed to the post of Minister of Defence, should Gladio need to take a step back from the role. Finally, I will work with the Minister of Defence, the NPA High Command, and NPA soldiers to continue the work we have been doing to create clear guides for NPA training purposes.

During my previous service as Delegate, I received criticism for failing to provide enough oversight to the activities of the NPA. I fully accept this criticism, and if elected I plan to work with Gladio to ensure that the proper oversight is in place and that we balance the operational and training needs of the NPA with our overall domestic and foreign policy.

Foreign Affairs

The Foreign Affairs Ministry has faced several unique challenges over the past term. From the pursuit of war and then peace between Osiris and Lazarus, to the collapse of relations between Osiris and The South Pacific, The West Pacific and others, to the termination of treaties between The South Pacific and the New Inquisition, as Foreign Affairs Minister I have worked hard behind the scenes to weather these storms and ensure TNP’s reputation and security remained intact.

While we cannot know what the future will bring, particularly in the affairs of other regions, I expect we will face exciting new challenges during the upcoming term. To that end, my goals for the term are to continue to strengthen our relationships with long standing allies and to work with the Culture and Defense Ministries in order to create more opportunities for friendly interregional cooperation.

Overall, our foreign affairs approach should emphasize our role as a major world power and seek to capitalize on that influence to our advantage. Our similarities with our friends and allies are what draw us close, but our differences are what make us unique. Our allies come in all shades of grey, from raider, to imperialist, to independent, to defender, to neutral. They will change and evolve over time, and we will continue to find common ground and work together for mutual benefit.A broad and successful foreign policy recognizes that friends will not always see eye-to-eye, enemies even less so, but that these differences are not in and of themselves grounds for the termination of a relationship.

WA Affairs

Over the next term we will see the continuation of WALL treaties implementation. This process has been ongoing since my last term as Delegate. Capitalizing on its opportunities will naturally be the core focus of my WA Affairs agenda for the coming term, and significant work will be required in order to do so fully.

There have been some issues with the implementation of the WALL agreement in the past term. In the upcoming term we will need to see greater collaboration between ourselves and the delegates appointed from each member region who meet here, in The North Pacific, to discuss WA proposals and determine what position the WALL will take on various issues. These delegates will also seek to coordinate between themselves and their home regions in order to effectively campaign to other regions and WA members and to ensure their citizens are fully informed. In light of some of the issues with the implementation of these overarching goals, it is likely, that I will meet with the various Heads of Government in each region to discuss their regions involvement in the WALL, and to what extent their Ambassador has contributed to the implementation of the WALL.

The signing of this agreement was a huge step for us to take, and while I have high expectations and remain absolutely confident in our success, it will definitely take time to do properly and to iron out the early road bumps in the implementation of the agreement.

Culture

My focus in Culture will be on supporting and improving the Democratic Union and the University. We have a great group of RPers in the region at the moment, and the Democratic Union was an innovative idea that, if built upon correctly, has the potential to establish a solid RP foundation and offer an easy entry point for nations interested in roleplay but lacking much experience.

During my time in TNP, I have seen that big, expansive RP projects don’t seem to go very well in the long run. People lose interest, the organizer drifts away, or things just never quite come together like they could have. So, for now, I think the Democratic Union should focus on planning small, coherent projects out of character and build its way up from there.

Another issue with TNP roleplay has been that some nations (new ones in particular) do not understand that their should be some level of reasonableness and reality applied to their RP. I will be working with the Minister for Culture and senior RPers to work on some guides to help with this.

The University, meanwhile, has been used to support non-NS discussion - from OOC chatting to RL news to debating. I would like to continue to promote these options, as well as expand the University to include a lecturing program, similar to has been previously used as a way of supporting non-NS discussion. I would like to undertake a lecturing program, similar to the one implemented by Lemuria.[note]Here is an example, for those unfamiliar with the reference.[/note]

There are other, more standalone ideas that I would like to see implemented as well. These include creating a series of awards, to be handed out by the delegate, as recognition for exceptional service in an area of government, as well as establishing proper traditions for our various regional holidays, both in-game and on the forum. This is an area of culture that has been particularly neglected over the years, so I am excited to work with the Minister of Culture in designing unique, fitting celebrations.

Home Affairs
I don’t intend to make any significant changes to Home Affairs at present. I think the Ministry has worked quite well and has achieved significant success at getting more nations involved in the off-site forum.

The recent suggestion by Alunya on the Regional message board, that the Government could organise a collection of experts in various areas to provide advice and answer questions to TNPers is of interest to me. I think that the Home Affairs Ministry could take leadership on this and we could establish Help Desk type threads in each area to help new players.

Communications
The introduction of the Northern Lights has served the North Pacific excellently. We have seen a far greater level of response to the TNL than what we saw when we were posting foreign updates.

One area where I do see room for growth is in the lighter section of the paper. SillyString’s Silly Advice has been a huge success, and I think expanding the number of fun pieces we do will greatly increase our readership overall. Well-written pieces of satire, in particular, have proven to be hugely successful and popular among members of other regions.

I will also be pushing to strengthen its publication schedule. There have been issues since its inception with deadlines, publishing articles reasonably late after they have been written, and inactivity in the leadership. I would like to see these turned around, and for TNL to become a widely read and respected newspaper.

---

In conclusion, I believe I have proven myself to be a trustworthy, active and reliable member of the North Pacific. As Delegate, I will continue my long standing policy of governing for all TNPers and aiming to provide for the needs of all players - big and small, young and old.

This campaign thread will serve for questions directed about the Executive Government. SillyString will create her own thread to discuss certain issues related to the Vice Delegate's office and wider transparency reform.

Questions are naturally welcome.

 

[Crushing Our Enemies]

Questions are naturally welcome.

Excellent.

There has been some unjustified criticism lodged against independent militaries, that demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding on behalf of some within the wider NationStates Community.

Could you please elaborate on what that criticism is, and what aspects of our military it misunderstands?

During my previous service as Delegate, I received criticism for failing to provide enough oversight to the activities of the NPA. I fully accept this criticism, and if elected I plan to work with Gladio to ensure that the proper oversight is in place and that we balance the operational and training needs of the NPA with our overall domestic and foreign policy.

Has Gladio agreed to remain Minister of Defense if you are elected?

There have been some issues with the implementation of the WALL agreement in the past term. In the upcoming term we will need to see greater collaboration between ourselves and the delegates appointed from each member region who meet here, in The North Pacific, to discuss WA proposals and determine what position the WALL will take on various issues. These delegates will also seek to coordinate between themselves and their home regions in order to effectively campaign to other regions and WA members and to ensure their citizens are fully informed. In light of some of the issues with the implementation of these overarching goals, it is likely, that I will meet with the various Heads of Government in each region to discuss their regions involvement in the WALL, and to what extent their Ambassador has contributed to the implementation of the WALL.

Could you please elaborate on the issues with the implementation of WALL (i.e. what it is meant to accomplish that it is not currently accomplishing) and how the steps you've proposed will, in fact, solve those issues?

There are other, more standalone ideas that I would like to see implemented as well. These include <snip> establishing proper traditions for our various regional holidays, both in-game and on the forum. This is an area of culture that has been particularly neglected over the years, so I am excited to work with the Minister of Culture in designing unique, fitting celebrations.

Do you have any specific vision for what form those celebrations will take, or goals for their impact/effect? On a side note, in your opinion, what is the purpose of regional holidays?

I don’t intend to make any significant changes to Home Affairs at present. I think the Ministry has worked quite well and has achieved significant success at getting more nations involved in the off-site forum.

Could you elaborate on what exactly the Home Ministry does, and make a conjecture regarding why they have found such success?

I will also be pushing to strengthen its publication schedule. There have been issues since its inception with deadlines, publishing articles reasonably late after they have been written, and inactivity in the leadership. I would like to see these turned around, and for TNL to become a widely read and respected newspaper.

Do you have any specific plans or strategies to accomplish this goal?

Do you plan to continue the Executive Staff program as implemented by r3n? Do you have any changes planned for the Executive Staff?

 

[Flemingovia]

The entire section on defence is waffle and says bugger all. Would you care to redraft so that it actually says something?

 

[PaulWallLibertarian42]

The entire section on defence is waffle and says bugger all. Would you care to redraft so that it actually says something?

Yes, say something like change it to read "Defense" I cannot vote for a candidate who misspells defense.

 

[Cormac]

The entire section on defence is waffle and says bugger all. Would you care to redraft so that it actually says something?

You know I <3 you, McM, but Flem is right.

Will the supposedly independent NPA be engaging in any defensive operations -- a balance that was once much more important to you than it now appears to be, given you don't even mention the near total lack of defensive operations for the NPA since Gladio, a Black Rider, became MoD -- or will "independence" now mean what it means for other regions that are essentially raider regions but which like to play at moderation and democracy?

 

[PaulWallLibertarian42]

I led a NPA detag operation not too long ago, http://forum.thenorthpacific.org/topic/7213602/1/

But yeah. Carry on. I have nothing to add other then just tossing that little tidbit out there.

 

[mcmasterdonia]

Questions are naturally welcome.

Excellent.

There has been some unjustified criticism lodged against independent militaries, that demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding on behalf of some within the wider NationStates Community.

Could you please elaborate on what that criticism is, and what aspects of our military it misunderstands?

To be clear, I think that some of the criticism comes from a genuine misunderstanding of independence and I believe that another part comes from users who are deliberately misleading. The criticism comes form the usual sources - people who believe that independence does not represent regional interests, and that a region is better served by following a strict ideology of raiderism v defenderism. The criticism being that independence is simply another name for raiderism and that regions who practice independence do not actually practically consider what regional interests are in a broader sense and that how those interests could be served by defender operations are simply ignored by those in leadership.

One example is that some people confuse independence with bi-gameplayism, that raiding and defending is fun and okay - and that is why we must do it, which isn't exactly true. Another is that some believe that Independence is simply another name for raiderism. Finally - there is this idea that independence must be expressed with an exact division of equal invading and defender operations. This isn't true either. I believe that the Independent Manifesto should help to remove some of this confusion, and I hope that people do read it and fully consider what it says.

During my previous service as Delegate, I received criticism for failing to provide enough oversight to the activities of the NPA. I fully accept this criticism, and if elected I plan to work with Gladio to ensure that the proper oversight is in place and that we balance the operational and training needs of the NPA with our overall domestic and foreign policy.

Has Gladio agreed to remain Minister of Defence if you are elected?

We haven't discussed it yet. But we have discussed various other plans he has for the NPA including things that he has asked me to work on. I do not think he intends to go anywhere soon, he certainly hasn't lost his energy and enthusiasm for the role. That said, I think it is important that the NPA ensures that there are individuals who are ready to step up to the plate when Gladio is ready to retire.

There have been some issues with the implementation of the WALL agreement in the past term. In the upcoming term we will need to see greater collaboration between ourselves and the delegates appointed from each member region who meet here, in The North Pacific, to discuss WA proposals and determine what position the WALL will take on various issues. These delegates will also seek to coordinate between themselves and their home regions in order to effectively campaign to other regions and WA members and to ensure their citizens are fully informed. In light of some of the issues with the implementation of these overarching goals, it is likely, that I will meet with the various Heads of Government in each region to discuss their regions involvement in the WALL, and to what extent their Ambassador has contributed to the implementation of the WALL.

Could you please elaborate on the issues with the implementation of WALL (i.e. what it is meant to accomplish that it is not currently accomplishing) and how the steps you've proposed will, in fact, solve those issues?

One of the things we have not been accomplishing on the multi-regional level has been the compilation of the information for voters telegrams and the distribution of these telegrams to member nations. This is not to say that there hasn't been any discussion on this subject, but it is my view, that certain Ambassador's have been frustrating the roll out of this element of their treaty for unclear reasons. The Appointment of the Ambassador from the IDU had been rather surprising to me, as he had previously criticized the idea of the WALL, but then was sent to attend as their Ambassador to the body. I am unsure if the Government of the IDU shares the views that he has towards the information for voters telegrams and the wider collaboration on World Assembly resolutions.

We've also relatively no activity from Balder, another signatory of the WALL treaty. This is unfortunate. I have proposed speaking with the various heads of governments to make sure that the WALL treaty returns to the course, to iron out the issues with the Information for Voters Telegrams, and to rectify the activity situation of some of the signatories. While the regions had similar World Assembly values, their regional governments and culture at home are quite different. Meeting with the heads of government for a review of the WALL to date, the roll of their ambassadors, and a brainstorming session on lessons learned from the past few months and where to go from here, would be greatly helpful in reestablishing our course on the roll out of this program.

There are other, more standalone ideas that I would like to see implemented as well. These include <snip> establishing proper traditions for our various regional holidays, both in-game and on the forum. This is an area of culture that has been particularly neglected over the years, so I am excited to work with the Minister of Culture in designing unique, fitting celebrations.

Do you have any specific vision for what form those celebrations will take, or goals for their impact/effect? On a side note, in your opinion, what is the purpose of regional holidays?

I think the first question most commonly asked about the regional holiday is "What does it mean?". I think that we have the opportunity to use these regional holidays to teach nations in our region about the storied history of the home in which they reside. This includes the highs and the lows of the rich history of the North Pacific. I have always found the history of the region quite fascinating - and I know that I am not the only one who is curious about it. Not all of the regional holidays are as historically interesting as say Liberation Day or Manumission Day, but nearly all of them provide the opportunity for reflection on the past and the opportunity for discussion on where the region is headed. As I mentioned in the OP, I am interested in developing a lecture cycle in the University. It would be good to coordinate some of these lectures with the regional holidays that will come up during

The Culture Ministry's Executive Staff has been hugely active in recent months, and I would work with them to establish a plan for each regional holiday well in advance. Naturally, I would want the regional holiday celebration to include aspects for both the forum side and game side.

I don’t intend to make any significant changes to Home Affairs at present. I think the Ministry has worked quite well and has achieved significant success at getting more nations involved in the off-site forum.

Could you elaborate on what exactly the Home Ministry does, and make a conjecture regarding why they have found such success?

Of course! The Home Affairs Ministry is primarily responsible for the integration of nations into our forum community. They are constantly recruiting nations on an individual basis, using targeted techniques that are designed to appeal to the interests of that nation. The Home Affairs Ministry will recruit active voting WA Nations to the forum, by alerting them to our lively debates on World Assembly Resolutions and the WALL. They will recruit issue answerers and nations who post on the RMB IC to the forum by alerting them to the presence of the regional map and the Democratic Union.

I think the fact that the Home Affairs Ministry has one of the most consistently active and reliable Minister's in Cabinet heading it up is one very clear reason why it has been working so well. Another would be that Tomb has the support of a couple of good Staff Members, and that the Delegate himself takes a very active involvement in the Ministry - including (but in no means limited to) publishing press releases, preparing lists of nations, and telegramming nations himself. The fact that those involved in the Home Affairs Ministry take their jobs seriously, and actively aim to find what interests each nation they telegram, is hugely relevant to the success that they have had.

I will also be pushing to strengthen its publication schedule. There have been issues since its inception with deadlines, publishing articles reasonably late after they have been written, and inactivity in the leadership. I would like to see these turned around, and for TNL to become a widely read and respected newspaper.

Do you have any specific plans or strategies to accomplish this goal?

One of the key issues is finding an active and enthusiastic Minister. One who really does have the time to write articles, to chase up journalists, to regularly admit new staff members and to constantly keep on top of the editing schedule. PD acknowledged in his AMA that he hasn't had as much time for TNL as he had thought he would, and that it has largely fallen to the Delegate, myself, and other staff members to get things organised. An active Minister would make things a great deal easier.

Another thing - some of the writers we still have down on the roster have been horribly inactive and some of them haven't submitted a single article. It is clear that some of those authors need to be contacted or removed, and that in order to keep the Ministry active we need to be constantly keeping on top of executive staff applications.

Do you plan to continue the Executive Staff program as implemented by r3n? Do you have any changes planned for the Executive Staff?

[/quote]
I think the Executive Staff has worked excellently and that it has been a great initiative. Besides asking the new Communications Minister to remain on top of applications in the Executive Staff, I do not think I will be proposing any changes at present.

---

I hope I haven't missed anything, had a very long day at work! I will respond to Flem, PWL and Cormac tomorrow. My apologies.

 

[Funkadelia]

In your opinion, how are piles like the recent one in Fandom Alliance in the interests of TNP and beneficial to her image?

 

[Crushing Our Enemies]

There are other, more standalone ideas that I would like to see implemented as well. These include <snip> establishing proper traditions for our various regional holidays, both in-game and on the forum. This is an area of culture that has been particularly neglected over the years, so I am excited to work with the Minister of Culture in designing unique, fitting celebrations.

Do you have any specific vision for what form those celebrations will take, or goals for their impact/effect? On a side note, in your opinion, what is the purpose of regional holidays?

Thank you for your responses! I think you missed the bit in bold, above.

 

[mcmasterdonia]

There are other, more standalone ideas that I would like to see implemented as well. These include <snip> establishing proper traditions for our various regional holidays, both in-game and on the forum. This is an area of culture that has been particularly neglected over the years, so I am excited to work with the Minister of Culture in designing unique, fitting celebrations.

Do you have any specific vision for what form those celebrations will take, or goals for their impact/effect? On a side note, in your opinion, what is the purpose of regional holidays?

Thank you for your responses! I think you missed the bit in bold, above.

It was a bit unclear but:
"I think the first question most commonly asked about the regional holiday is "What does it mean?". I think that we have the opportunity to use these regional holidays to teach nations in our region about the storied history of the home in which they reside. This includes the highs and the lows of the rich history of the North Pacific."

I think the purpose of them is to remind people of what has happened, what we have learned from it, and to offer that opportunity of reflection and consideration. For other regional holidays it is to remind us of the important institutions that have helped shape the region we are today - the flag, the constitution, the founding of the regional forum and Delegates of the North Pacific. I believe the purpose was to remind people of those things and as I said, to provide that opportunity for self reflection/discussion/education.

 

[mcmasterdonia]

The entire section on defence is waffle and says bugger all. Would you care to redraft so that it actually says something?

The entire section on defence is waffle and says bugger all. Would you care to redraft so that it actually says something?

Yes, say something like change it to read "Defense" I cannot vote for a candidate who misspells defense.

You should know better than to even suggest taht to me!

The entire section on defence is waffle and says bugger all. Would you care to redraft so that it actually says something?

You know I <3 you, McM, but Flem is right.

Will the supposedly independent NPA be engaging in any defensive operations -- a balance that was once much more important to you than it now appears to be, given you don't even mention the near total lack of defensive operations for the NPA since Gladio, a Black Rider, became MoD -- or will "independence" now mean what it means for other regions that are essentially raider regions but which like to play at moderation and democracy?

While it is true that I shouldn't sit the Gameplay alignment test when I am in a bad mood, my view on military policy in this region hasn't changed in a number of years. It has perhaps become more nuanced over that time, but the fundamentals are the same.

Firstly, I recruited Gladio to the North Pacific Army. It was under my guide that Gladio went from a issue-answering native to a highly competent soldier and the most reliable and active soldier we had in the Army. His enthusiasm, consistent activity, dedication, and respect for the North Pacific Army Doctrine and it's rules are surpassed by none. To relegate his military career as being simply a "TBR" member is grossly inappropriate. His involvement in TBR would be but one line on his history as a competent military professional. I would instead characterize Gladio's ascension to the top job, as a very well deserved promotion, for an excellent & dedicated officer.

Gladio was always involved in all of our early defensive operations and in my discussions with him - he has not presented any opposition to defensive operations. I recently led some detag operations, PWL mentioned that he has also done so, and I believe that Eluvatar has or is planning to do so. Gladio is passionate about the military game, but he is aware of where his strengths lies. He has sought support in the planning and carrying out of defensive operations.

Let me continue by answering some questions and giving some examples:

1) Do I believe that there should be balance?

Of course I do. I believe that the North Pacific Army should be trained to handle both offensive and defensive operations. I do not believe that Independence needs to be expressed in the form of a mathematical equal of defensive and offensive operations - that would be more of a bi-gameplay thing. An independent military needs to support and supplement the Delegate's foreign policy. Let us not forget that it is the Delegate that sets this foreign policy, and the Delegate that is elected to provide that oversight to the North Pacific Army. Part of independence is based on the support of executive policy, if we want that policy to change, we need to vote for a Delegate who will apply their executive policy (using the NPA) in a different way.

2) Do I believe that our regional interests can be served with defending?

Yes, I do.

I do not believe that conducting 100 detags is particularly beneficial for anything other than training purposes. I do like to do them though, it is useful to show people about quick switching and how to restore WFE's without needing to go on a tag raiding spree.

Given that some of our allies are founderless, and others have been founderless at some point in the past 24 months, I believe it would be in our interest for senior NPA officers to be trained in spotting for invasions. I fully intend to make sure that they are trained in this capacity during my term.

3) Do I believe that our regional interests can be served with raiding?

Yes, I do.

I believe that it is in our interests to be trained in offensive operations. While we are not presently at war with any region, we cannot foresee what will happen in the future. We need to be sure that our military is prepared to handle this type of occurrence. That said - we enforce no griefing rules. We do not eject natives, and we revert the World Factbook Entry on our exit.

I think there are areas where we can improve. I do not think that we need to move our Army in support of every request for it (I'm not saying that we do that, but I think we can be more selective). It is important that we work with our allies and continue to maintain a strong military relationship. Under my leadership, the NPA will not be deploying in any operation in which griefing will occur. We will be supporting our allies with our military policy, but we must remember our own laws, and the culture under which the North Pacific Army was created.

It is not necessary for us to grief, or to support griefing, for us to achieve our stated goal of having a military trained in offensive operations. There are some invasions that we should absolutely stay out of - take the invasion of Canada. A region that had friendly relations with us, and had supported our military efforts to liberate the South Pacific. We did not support this invasion, but some of our allies did. This was particularly troubling for me, as I would have liked to assist them. Fortunately this matter did not turn into a refounding effort, which would have put me in a difficult position.

5)Do I believe that "independence" will now mean what it means for other regions that are essentially raider regions but which like to play at moderation and democracy?

I do not believe this at all. I would completely reject that characterization of independence. It has been said to me by a senior member of the PRL, that the North Pacific is the only region that gets independence right. While I do not necessarily believe that other independent regions get it wrong, I do believe that we are on the right course. That independence works for us, and that the North Pacific Army is successfully implementing the executive policy established by the Delegate.

And yes folks - I just asked myself questions!

I hope that answers your questions Cormac/Flemingovia.

 

[mcmasterdonia]

In your opinion, how are piles like the recent one in Fandom Alliance in the interests of TNP and beneficial to her image?

Given what I said above, I won't speak for all "piles" that the North Pacific has been involved in. The military operation in Fandom Alliance was a success in the sense that we successfully took the region and collaborated with our close allies in the Republic of Europeia and the South Pacific. The operation was a success on all fronts - the North Pacific deployed more than 18 troops, worked to strengthen our relationship with our allies, and the operation demonstrated that despite recent differences of opinion - Europeia and TSP are still working to support their regional ties.

I believe it is beneficial to our interests and to our image, that the North Pacific is seen as a reliable, competent, and active ally who can be called upon when needed. I believe that we demonstrated our reliability and the strength of our military in the operation in Fandom Alliance.

 

[PaulWallLibertarian42]

Sillystring has promised me brownies for my vote, but the question of walnuts being contsined in said brownies is still up in the air, what will YOU give me in exchange for me voting for YOU?

 

[Crushing Our Enemies]

Mcm, you used the term griefing several times in your responses to Cormac and Flemingovia. I have a problem with that term, because it has come to mean "any military action during a raid that the speaker disagrees with." Since everyone has different sets of actions that they prefer not to take when raiding, it is difficult to tell what you mean when you say the NPA will not grief under your command. Would you care to be more specific?

 

[mcmasterdonia]

Mcm, you used the term griefing several times in your responses to Cormac and Flemingovia. I have a problem with that term, because it has come to mean "any military action during a raid that the speaker disagrees with." Since everyone has different sets of actions that they prefer not to take when raiding, it is difficult to tell what you mean when you say the NPA will not grief under your command. Would you care to be more specific?

That's a fair point. R3n and I have had a couple of interesting discussions on this subject before.

I would classify griefing as the actions taken during raids that involve the banjection of Natives, the passwording of the region, and the intention to refound or cause unnecessary widespread damage. Obviously, there are some exceptions to this. Regions that are offensive and/or enemies of the North Pacific would not be subject to my anti-griefing rule.

 

[mcmasterdonia]

Sillystring has promised me brownies for my vote, but the question of walnuts being contsined in said brownies is still up in the air, what will YOU give me in exchange for me voting for YOU?

I offer you my absolute dedication to this region and the promise that I will do everything I can to provide the best Government for the region - both on our offsite forum and in-game. That is what I will give you

 

[Cormac]

Firstly, I recruited Gladio to the North Pacific Army. It was under my guide that Gladio went from a issue-answering native to a highly competent soldier and the most reliable and active soldier we had in the Army. His enthusiasm, consistent activity, dedication, and respect for the North Pacific Army Doctrine and it's rules are surpassed by none. To relegate his military career as being simply a "TBR" member is grossly inappropriate. His involvement in TBR would be but one line on his history as a competent military professional. I would instead characterize Gladio's ascension to the top job, as a very well deserved promotion, for an excellent & dedicated officer.

It wasn't my intention to downplay Gladio's service here, but to point out that he is involved in a raider region that adheres to the ideology of raider unity -- which is no doubt why the NPA has been so little involved in defensive operations under his, admittedly, very active and successful tenure as Minister of Defense. I was not aware at the time that he is also a Black Hawk or I would have noted that as well.

Indeed, Gladio has had nothing to do, from what I can see, with the attempts to liberate Anne Frank from fascists and Nazis. Eluvatar appears to have been coordinating that. I'll get to why Gladio wouldn't be involved in such an important operation in just a second.

Gladio was always involved in all of our early defensive operations and in my discussions with him - he has not presented any opposition to defensive operations.

Perhaps you should discuss it with him again. Black Hawks -- and Black Riders, I think -- are prohibited from participating in defensive operations unless the region being defended is a raider region. If he defends, he will be booted out of the raider regions in which he is involved.

To me, this is the very clear reason that the NPA has barely been involved in any defensive operations even though allied regional forces like SPSF and EPSA are very often involved in such operations. Yet when the NPA works with them, it's usually on raids, and when the NPA finally participates in a liberation effort -- even one against Nazis -- Gladio is nowhere to be seen. Our "independent" military policy is being conducted by a raider ideologue, who is required by his fellow raiders to strictly adhere to that ideology. The "independence" of that policy is a sham, and I'm disappointed that you don't see that. I don't think you'll have my vote if anyone competent arises to challenge you and differs with you on this issue. But I wish you the best of luck, nonetheless.

 

[mcmasterdonia]

Firstly, I recruited Gladio to the North Pacific Army. It was under my guide that Gladio went from a issue-answering native to a highly competent soldier and the most reliable and active soldier we had in the Army. His enthusiasm, consistent activity, dedication, and respect for the North Pacific Army Doctrine and it's rules are surpassed by none. To relegate his military career as being simply a "TBR" member is grossly inappropriate. His involvement in TBR would be but one line on his history as a competent military professional. I would instead characterize Gladio's ascension to the top job, as a very well deserved promotion, for an excellent & dedicated officer.

It wasn't my intention to downplay Gladio's service here, but to point out that he is involved in a raider region that adheres to the ideology of raider unity -- which is no doubt why the NPA has been so little involved in defensive operations under his, admittedly, very active and successful tenure as Minister of Defense. I was not aware at the time that he is also a Black Hawk or I would have noted that as well.

Indeed, Gladio has had nothing to do, from what I can see, with the attempts to liberate Anne Frank from fascists and Nazis. Eluvatar appears to have been coordinating that. I'll get to why Gladio wouldn't be involved in such an important operation in just a second.

You may well think that, I couldn't possibly comment on it. I am sure that given that you have no access whatsoever to the North Pacific Army channel, their private forums, or the cabinet channel, that you are not well informed as to the extent of Gladio's involvement in the operation. I am not sure who is planning the Anne Frank operation. But your expressed view that Gladio is totally out of the loop on defensive operations or that he even refuses to participate in them is completely wrong. When I oversaw detag operations Gladio attended and participated in them. That was only a month or so ago.

Gladio was always involved in all of our early defensive operations and in my discussions with him - he has not presented any opposition to defensive operations.

Perhaps you should discuss it with him again. Black Hawks -- and Black Riders, I think -- are prohibited from participating in defensive operations unless the region being defended is a raider region. If he defends, he will be booted out of the raider regions in which he is involved.

I do not follow up on the rules of organisations that I do not belong to or that I do not care to involve myself in. I fully believe that Gladio is a TNPer first and that he puts the needs of our region before that of anything else. Gladio was recruited and trained by me, he was granted a promotion to the position of MoD that was well deserving and long overdue. If you have doubts or concerns about Gladio, then I suggest you forward them to him.

To me, this is the very clear reason that the NPA has barely been involved in any defensive operations even though allied regional forces like SPSF and EPSA are very often involved in such operations. Yet when the NPA works with them, it's usually on raids, and when the NPA finally participates in a liberation effort -- even one against Nazis -- Gladio is nowhere to be seen. Our "independent" military policy is being conducted by a raider ideologue, who is required by his fellow raiders to strictly adhere to that ideology. The "independence" of that policy is a sham, and I'm disappointed that you don't see that. I don't think you'll have my vote if anyone competent arises to challenge you and differs with you on this issue. But I wish you the best of luck, nonetheless.

I am glad to hear that you have such a positive view of the SPSF and the EPSA. Given that they are close allies of the North Pacific, I fully intend to continue our collaboration with them. Gladio has remained open to defensive operations, and as I already said, some defensive operations have occurred recently, but he has sought support in the planning and carrying out of those operations. Again, I have had no involvement in the Anne Frank operation, I suspect that Eluvatar has been coordinating it as he is the most experienced NPA officer when it comes to liberation.

I hope your opinion or perception of my point of view will be reconsidered before the election. I do not think I have presented anything particularly surprising about my military position where the North Pacific Army is concerned. My view on it has not changed in a number of years. You may not have noticed that I made some edits to the op in response to your questions, COE's queries, and Flemingovia's comments. I believe that should clarify any issues quite nicely.

 

[PaulWallLibertarian42]

Sillystring has promised me brownies for my vote, but the question of walnuts being contsined in said brownies is still up in the air, what will YOU give me in exchange for me voting for YOU?

I offer you my absolute dedication to this region and the promise that I will do everything I can to provide the best Government for the region - both on our offsite forum and in-game. That is what I will give you

I was hoping you would cater a delicious roo' bbq for me

 

[mcmasterdonia]

Well, that is a given! Everyone will get roasted roo at the celebration party (If I am elected)

 

[Lord Nwahs]

Well, that is a given! Everyone will get roasted roo at the celebration party (If I am elected)

I'm voting McMasterdonia for the roasted roo!

 

[mcmasterdonia]

Well, that is a given! Everyone will get roasted roo at the celebration party (If I am elected)

I'm voting McMasterdonia for the roasted roo!

 

[mcmasterdonia]

Hello all!

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday break (however you celebrate it) and that you're all getting into the zone for the year ahead.

Some remarks about the campaign:
Overall the in-game campaign has been going well. With several thousand telegrams sent and received (excluding the two mass telegrams sent out), I have held heaps of conversations with various players about the regional government, the forum, citizenship, and admin processes. This campaign, combined with the Delegate's Campaign, and his citizenship reform, has led to a significant amount of players joining our region and starting to pay attention to how it is ran.

Of course, there are a large number of nations who are simply not interested. They prefer to play their own game, and view the forum as something separate that they do not wish to be a part of. There also appears to have been some misunderstanding for quite a few nations about what role the admins have on this forum, how we deal with IP privacy, and how we're likely to process their security checks when they apply. I think I was able to iron out some of these issues for a number of players, and I will be looking to make a dispatch of some form to explain these particular issues (amongst others) for future players.

The campaign dispatch is on the second page of "best dispatches" and continues to receive new readers.


As the nomination period has officially opened, I again will ask for questions from voters. I will do my best to respond to them as promptly as possible.

 

[Severisen]

Your FA goals mention strengthening the relationships you have with allies. Which allies do you see as your focus?

Are there any regions with which TNP has no formal relationship that you'd like to strengthen during your term?

I'll think of more questions tomorrow. Thanks for your time.

 

[mcmasterdonia]

Your FA goals mention strengthening the relationships you have with allies. Which allies do you see as your focus?

Are there any regions with which TNP has no formal relationship that you'd like to strengthen during your term?

I'll think of more questions tomorrow. Thanks for your time.

1) Well the rewrite of the TSP treaty means that TSP will definitely be a focus for the first part of the term. We will likely host a cultural event to celebrate the ratification of the new treaty and the third year of continued treaty relations between the North Pacific and the South Pacific.

Secondly - I think the East Pacific will continue to be a major partner for us in the coming term. Our military collaboration has been going well, which I can see expanding further into other areas (possibly defences), and a long planned culture event will be held.

2) By formal relationship, I am going to assume that you mean no treaty partnership? There is a ton of regions without a formal relationship with the North Pacific. I am not really a big supporter of seeking out more and more treaties unless they are significant or with regions that have a meaningful relationship with the North Pacific. I believe that if you simply add more and more treaties, then the ones you originally had begin to lose meaning. With that in mind, I am not going to state that I would actively seek out new treaties or formal relationships at this point in time. I do believe that we can aim to be closer with a number of regions, from a military collaboration standpoint or simply through cultural exchanges. As examples, I would include Lazarus, the Pacific, and Osiris.