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Don't Tread On Me


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The Green Old Party has been growing strong for over a year now, albeit in relative ambiguity. Over the course of our journey, we feel that we can now take a step
that was not previously feasible for us to take.

We feel that the time has come to take our concept of soft(line) neutrality a step further. For those who aren't familier, the GOP is politically neutral in that
we do not align ourselves with specific alliances or people. Instead, we've chosen to align ourselves with aspects of the global community (the Green sphere,
neutrality, and Conservatism) irrespective of which other alliances choose to tout (or not tout) these same aspects.

Therefore, we have amended our charter to take our valuation of these aspects a step further. We now reserve the right to combat any unjust attacks on neutrality,
the green sphere and/or conservatism. We contend that if someone attacks another alliance simply because they are on Green, or because they are neutral, or because
they are Conservative - they could just as easily attack the GOP for the same reason(s). Therefore, we reserve the right to see such attacks as direct attacks on
our way of life and, if we so choose, retaliate.

This in no way indicates that if a neutral, conservative or green alliance is attacked we will automatically come to their defense. If an alliance is attacked because
of mistakes it has made, or because of diplomatic breakdowns - that's a political matter with which we are not concerned. But if someone decides to attack a neutral
alliance, for instance, simply because the attacker feels "there is no place for neutrality in the game" - that is another matter entirely. As previously stated, such
an unfounded attack could just as easily be an attack on the GOP. So, we reserve the right to not sit on our thumbs while our way of life is threatened.

This new charter is effective as of midnight on May 5th, 2010. With this new charter in place, we hope that other like-minded alliances will adopt similar language in
their own legislation.

If you have any questions, please stop on by and say 'Hi!' sometime on IRC #CN-GOP or come on by our forums: http://z8.invisionfree.com/Green_Old_Party [/center]

[code]Section I - Principles and Purpose

1. Neutrality. The GOP shall pursue friendly, peaceful and impartial conduct toward all other nations and alliances, maintaining a strict stance of political and
military neutrality. The GOP will neither obstruct nor help any alliance or nation advance a political or military CyberNations agenda.

2. Sovereignty. All GOP nations have the right to govern their own nations’ affairs subject to the GOP's Charter, Laws, and Treaties.

3. Protection. The GOP, as an Alliance, has the right and duty to defend against hostile actions directed at its individual members or at the sovereignty of the GOP.

4. Community. If asked for help by any green sphere alliance, the GOP will offer assistance, relative to its capacity, to combat roguery and ghosting within the green sphere.

5. Conservatism: The membership of the GOP is generally politically, economically, socially and/or religiously conservative and actively seeks out friendly and respectful
discussions regarding current real-life issues. The goal of such discussions is to increase the breadth of our membership's understanding of the real-life issues
confronting our world today and, through the process of reverent exchange, increase the sense of global camaraderie within both the GOP and CN as a whole.

Section II - Governance

1. The GOP shall be governed by an elected Triumvirate. The Consulate of directors are appointed and overseen by the Triumvirate. The Triumvirate is comprised of the
Triumvir of Foreign affairs, Triumvir of Internal Affairs and Triumvir of Military Affairs.

2. The terms of service, method of appointment and responsibilities of the Cabinet shall be defined by GOP Laws.

Section III - Legislation

1. GOP Laws shall be consistent with the GOP Charter, Declaration of Neutrality, and Declaration of Sovereignty. The GOP Charter supersedes all other GOP legislation
and authority.

2. GOP Laws and amendments may be ratified by a unanimous vote from the Triumvirate.

3. Two members of the Triumvirate may amend the Constitution in the event of an emergency, but the amendment must be ratified by a majority vote from the membership
within 48 hours for it to remain in effect.

4. A Treaty is defined as a written agreement between the GOP and any external alliance or nation which commits the GOP and its Members to a course of action.

Section IV - Membership

1. Membership is a privilege and not a right and as such, the GOP has the right to set any and all conditions for acceptance into and expulsion from the Alliance.

2. All members agree to uphold the Letter and Spirit of all GOP Laws and Principles.

Section V - Foreign Relations

1. The GOP will not commit itself to any offensive or defensive military agreements with any specific alliance(s) except for instances of roguery or ghosting
within the green sphere.


2. The GOP reserves the right to defend, by whatever means it chooses, against any actual or perceived attack on the Green Sphere, Neutrality or Conservatism
as a whole.


3. GOP members will not initiate an offensive war and will not provide materials or funds that benefit one or more parties who are in a state of war, without
direct permission from a member of the triumvirate or their designate. If military action is used against a GOP member, that member may immediately retaliate
with any military assets except nuclear weapons.

4. The GOP reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in any instance where its nations are involved in war.

5. The GOP encourages honest, friendly and respectful interaction between GOP members and non-GOP members. However, GOP members will not partake in any
inter-Alliance politics or issues that do not directly involve the GOP, except for instances of attacks on Conservatism, Neutrality, and green sphere
roguery/ghosting where the GOP’s assistance has been requested.

6. The GOP is a conservative community of informed adults who actively discuss debate and question the political, social and religious issues of our time
through OOC interaction. The individual opinions of GOP members do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the entire alliance, though the honor and dignity
with which GOP members carry themselves does. The GOP encourages its members to seek out thoughtful, yet respectful interaction with people outside of the
GOP and, in no way, sees respectful disagreement and discussion regarding real-life issues as a violation of GOP neutrality.
[/code]

EDIT: A change in our Declaration of Neutrality is in order as well.
[code]
Any member nation of the GOP caught committing, aiding, or abetting hostilities against any sovereign nation, nations, alliance or alliances
(or otherwise caught breaking the terms of this Declaration of Neutrality) renders itself liable for punishment; this punishment will be delivered
without delay, restraint, or reserve by the officers of the GOP.

In defense of its own resource trade interests, the GOP will actively and willingly engage unaligned rogues and ghosts within the green sphere, to
the best of its ability, if called upon by a green sphere alliance to do so. This assistance will be offered indiscrimately by the GOP to all green
team alliances insofar as the GOP is capable of providing assistance. It is, therefore, not a violation of the GOP’s strict political neutrality.
In this way, the GOP offers a service to the green community, but abstains from political partisanship.



In Recognition of GOP Neutrality we, the undersigned alliances (henceforth known as Assenters) do hereby duly recognize the neutrality of the GOP,
and do agree to the following contract:

Article 1: Definitions:
Assenters - Any undersigned alliance
Belligerent - Any nation or alliance that undertakes hostile action against a member of the GOP.
Hostile action - An actual, attempted, or threatened attack, invasion, or endeavor to inflict harm upon another nation or its property.
Roguery – Attacking without provocation.
Ghosting – Deceptively and fraudulently flying a sovereign Alliance Affiliation.

Article 2: Prevention of Aggression:
(A.) The citizens, territories, and properties of the GOP member nations are inviolable.
(B.) GOP members shall not violate the citizens, territories, and properties of any Assenters.

Article 3: Neutrality:
GOP member nations shall remain neutral in any conflict, save for those in which a Belligerent has taken hostile action against a GOP member nation,
Neutrality, Conservatism, and in the instances of Roguery or Ghosting within the green sphere.

Article 4: GOP Defense:
(A.) The GOP reserves the right to defend itself, including its ideologies, against any Belligerent, and any such defensive action shall not be regarded
as a hostile act.
(B.) The GOP reserves the right to defend any attack against neutrality and Conservatism. The GOP sees an attack against neutrality and/or Conservatism
as an attack on itself. These ideologies are our way of life.
(B.) When asked by another green sphere alliance for assistance, the GOP reserves the right to aid in the detriment of Roguery or Ghosting within the green
sphere. The GOP and its member nations will only take action when explicitly asked to do so by the green sphere alliance involved, and when it is within the
GOP’s capacity to take action. If it is not within the GOP’s capacity to take action, its inaction will not be seen as a violation of its neutrality.

Article 5: Non-Aggression Pact:
(A.) Aside from the instances where Article 3 apply, GOP member nations are forbidden to initiate (or cause another nation to initiate) hostile action against
other nations.
(B.) Assenters to the treaty herein are forbidden to initiate, or cause another nation to initiate, hostile action against any GOP member nation.

Article 6: Illicit Aid:
(A.) GOP member nations are forbidden to knowingly provide financial, military, or technological aid to non-GOP member nations that are actively involved in war.
(B.) Assenters are forbidden to knowingly provide financial, military, or technological aid to Belligerents.

Article 7a - Freedom of Trade:
GOP member nations and Assenters are not called upon to forbid or restrict the import or export of any resource. Subject to the restriction in Article 6A/B,
all members have the right to determine their own trading patterns within their own alliance's rules and regulations.

Article 7b – Sanctions:
(i.) The GOP shall not use sanctions on any Assenter, unless those sanctions are applied in response to a hostile act in accordance with Article 3, nor shall
the GOP use sanctions on non-Assenters with the intent of hindering trade by Assenters.
(ii.) Assenters shall not use sanctions on any GOP member, nor shall Assenters use sanctions on non-GOP nations with the intent of hindering trade by GOP members.

Subject to Article 7b i.: the loss of a trade by an Assenter as a result of sanctions placed by a GOP member shall not be classed as a hostile act unless the
sanctioned nation belongs to the Assenting alliance.
Subject to Article 7b ii.: Assenters are not restricted in their use of sanctions on any other nation
Subject to Article 7b ii.: The loss of a trade by a GOP member as a result of sanctions placed by an Assenter shall not be classed as a hostile act unless the
sanctioned nation belongs to the GOP.

Article 8: Violators:
Any nation found in violation of this contract shall be subject to punishment in the form of restitution to the nation or nations harmed by said violation. The
amount of the restitution shall be commensurate with the degree of harm caused. If the offending nation cannot or will not reimburse the victims, then the burden
of providing restitution shall fall to the alliance to which the offending nation belongs (i.e. the GOP or the appropriate Assenter). Any assenting alliance
(including the GOP) reserves the right to discipline violating nations beyond this treaty in accordance with their own laws and regulations.

Article 9: Enactment:
Every measure of restriction or prohibition taken in regard to the matters referred to in the preceding articles must be impartially applied to all applicable nations.[/code]

Edited by willij
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[b]o/ GOP[/b]

0/ Green
0/ Conservatism
0/ (Softline) Neutrality

I am thrilled to see this maturity come about in the GOP's foreign policy and I hope that this progression is well received in the global community :)

Edited by Rooman33
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Intersting, good luck GOP.

Also what are you going to define as attack?

For instance: What if someone goes NSO on the nuetrals and sends recruitment messages. Will you consider that an attack on sovereignty?

Edited by Omniscient1
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[quote name='Omniscient1' date='04 May 2010 - 10:44 PM' timestamp='1273027455' post='2287200']
Intersting, good luck GOP.

Also what are you going to define as attack?

For instance: What if someone goes NSO on the nuetrals and sends recruitment messages. Will you consider that an attack on sovereignty? O[/quote]

We reserve the right to analyze it on it's face and its own, individual merits. In that very specific instance, we have told the NSO that we would not tolerate such poaching from our own ranks again. If NSO decided to try their hand again at poaching neutral members from another alliance, according to our new charter additions, we simply reserve the right to see it for the threat to our way of life it is. But it's difficult to say in detail, without the full context of such an attack, how we would respond. Suffice it to say that it would not escape our attention or response.

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[quote name='Rooman33' date='05 May 2010 - 03:50 AM' timestamp='1273027795' post='2287206']
We reserve the right to analyze it on it's face and its own, individual merits. In that very specific instance, we have told the NSO that we would not tolerate such poaching from our own ranks again. If NSO decided to try their hand again at poaching neutral members from another alliance, according to our new charter additions, we simply reserve the right to see it for the threat to our way of life it is. But it's difficult to say in detail, without the full context of such an attack, how we would respond. Suffice it to say that it would not escape our attention or response.
[/quote]

fair enough, good answer. ;)

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Interesting...kudos for doing something different. Are there any past circumstances (even prior to GOP's formation) which, viewed through the lens of this policy, would have resulted in its invocation had it been in place?

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[quote name='Schad' date='04 May 2010 - 11:01 PM' timestamp='1273028485' post='2287222']
Interesting...kudos for doing something different. Are there any past circumstances (even prior to GOP's formation) which, viewed through the lens of this policy, would have resulted in its invocation had it been in place?[/quote]

The closest, to my mind, would be the wide-ranged attack on the GPA two years ago, as it seemed to me - personally (having been in that alliance at the time) - that it was being attacked simply because it was Neutral, #1 and had no one to come to its aid. Though, there were a litany of diplomatic/political grievances (albeit flaccidly defended ones IMO) listed within the CB... so I can't say for certain how we would have responded. I seem to recall, in my fuzzier memories, some smaller alliances being bullied on or off of color spheres in the ancient past. If this kind of thing happened to a Green alliance, we would likely respond. I think that's the best I can do, but I'm sort of an OWF recluse from time to time, so maybe someone else in the GOP can offer some better anecdotes...

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Interesting move. However does this mean you would attack alliance who hold different philosophies than you, such as the NSO, that are in opposition to conservatism? And since ours is very anti-conservatism the only way to hurt our philosophy is by spreading a contrarian one yes? And defending green does that mean you'll put VE down? :ph34r:

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[quote name='Rooman33' date='04 May 2010 - 10:07 PM' timestamp='1273028847' post='2287233']
The closest, to my mind, would be the wide-ranged attack on the GPA two years ago, as it seemed to me - personally (having been in that alliance at the time) - that it was being attacked simply because it was Neutral, #1 and had no one to come to its aid. Though, there were a litany of diplomatic/political grievances (albeit flaccidly defended ones IMO) listed within the CB... so I can't say for certain how we would have responded. I seem to recall, in my fuzzier memories, some smaller alliances being bullied on or off of color spheres in the ancient past. If this kind of thing happened to a Green alliance, we would likely respond. I think that's the best I can do, but I'm sort of an OWF recluse from time to time, so maybe someone else in the GOP can offer some better anecdotes...
[/quote]

Nope, that's perfect. I was primarily interested in how strictly the "simply because of X" would be treated, given that those motives typically hide behind a thin veil of political or military necessity, and I think that the approach you've laid out is great.

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[quote name='sethb' date='04 May 2010 - 10:30 PM' timestamp='1273030204' post='2287257']
Excuse me?
[/quote]
I'm guessing he was just trying to make a joke or something there.

Edited by heggo
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[quote name='Ashok' date='04 May 2010 - 11:29 PM' timestamp='1273030148' post='2287254']
Interesting move. However does this mean you would attack alliance who hold different philosophies than you[/quote]

No. We defend only. To defend, we (or our way of life) must necessarily be attacked. We reserve the right to define what we consider an attack, and we reserve the right to decide how we will respond. We don't care what philosophies you hold unless you try to tread on us.

[quote]such as the NSO, that are in opposition to conservatism?[/quote]

Don't attack us - and don't attack another Conservative alliance simply because it's Conservative - and we won't have any problems.

[quote]And since ours is very anti-conservatism the only way to hurt our philosophy is by spreading a contrarian one yes?[/quote]

We're not interested in hurting you. Since you are neither Green, Conservative nor neutral - we don't care about you at all. Unless, of course, you give us a reason to be concerned ;)

[quote]And defending green does that mean you'll put VE down? :ph34r:[/quote]

Absolutely... er :ph34r: Nevah!

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[quote name='Ashok' date='04 May 2010 - 11:29 PM' timestamp='1273030148' post='2287254']
Interesting move. However does this mean you would attack alliance who hold different philosophies than you, such as the NSO, that are in opposition to conservatism? And since ours is very anti-conservatism the only way to hurt our philosophy is by spreading a contrarian one yes? And defending green does that mean you'll put VE down? :ph34r:
[/quote]
Not necessarily. Just because someone has a different philosophy doesn't mean they are a threat. Now if someone that has a different philosophy, such as NSO, came out and attacked an alliance and their CB was "We cant stand Conservatives" or "down with the neutral menace" then we would definitly see that as a threat to our way of life here on Planet Bob.

EDIT: Roo beat me too it

Edited by willij
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