Cortath

I'm not sure what your point is. We're discussing the internal governance of the NPO. I'm not disputing what other alliances do or don't do, but responding to that post about our internal form of governance. Not really sure how I feel being compared to a serial killer, but meh, I've heard worse.

Well, I suppose I can only relate my perspective. I began in the NPO as a soldier. I was not an IO. I was not on the Alliance Council. Though I came from that "other planet," I was given no rank or special treatment because of that. My superiors in the New Pacific Order told me what was happening in the world and in our alliance, and I generally found them to be telling me the truth. While I admit, our superiors frequently chose not to speak of something than lie to us, out of military necessity for protecting time-sensitive military information, I valued that truthfulness and forthrightness. I don't think our meritocracy is a "cult of personality." If "personality" means, rank, then yeah, the higher you get on the "ladder" the higher your rank is. I think you'll find that people in the NPO are approachable and always willing to hear out new ideas and suggestions on how to improve the Order. I'll tell a little story: a couple years ago, I went to an Imperial Officer, specifically, Sir Paul, who then led the News & Propaganda division, and Bakunin's Dream, whose exact IO position, I don't recall, but I think it as before he was Regent. I had an idea. A state-run technology procurement program. It was long and it was hard, but the idea was vetted by superiors, and refined by better minds than I, and eventually the program was put in place. Change happens in the NPO. Sometimes people are upset with the speed with which change happens, but it happens. Some members demand change immediately, without understanding that creating and managing large bureaucratic structures takes time to ensure that it is does properly. My story, I think, is not a unique one in Pacifica. People are able to contribute in meaningful ways, but it requires maturity and understanding to contribute effectively.

None necessary. Just clarifying a misunderstanding. [ooc]We take RL money seriously. We don't do things like that.[/ooc]

The efforts of FAIL have not gone unnoticed amidst this war. I for one, too, do not believe in coincidences. Though we were allied once, and are no longer, the bond of affection I hold for TOP remains of such strength that I shall supply their poem to you for them: The short rain of fail Spartan waters overflow Paradox reigns now

I don't know what a ladder of personality is. I invite you to read my works explaining the Francoist system of government that we have constructed in Pacifica. I suspect it may answer many of your questions.

I responded to a post saying the NPO isn't sarcastic enough with my own post dripping with sarcasm... *sighs*

I'm not sure what this has to do with bats, or their guano.

*chuckles heartily* Your one word response has demonstrably countered my argument. I applaud you, sir.

There are no bats in the New Pacific Order. And if there were, we would not permit them to !@#$.

The Imperial Advisory Committee is a completely different body than the Imperial Officers. The IAC generally has had four to eight members I believe. You are correct. If more IOs were needed, we would make them. I'm not sure what kind of point you're going for though. We're evil because we recognize we need more personnel to run a growing alliance?

On behalf of the New Pacific Order and the Independent Republic of Orange Nations, we thank you for "let[ting]" us post on the OWF.

I have to step in here: No one in the NPO makes a profit on the flags, if that's what you're implying, Heinous One. We order them in batches, they have to be made, and then they have to be shipped, frequently internationally. No one makes a penny on the things. ...And, I think the batch you're referring to was the very first batch, which we got at a ridiculously good quality. Subsequent batches have been somewhat lower quality, but much more affordable.

You and I, I suppose, Ragashingo, have a different definition of "stepping down." They step down when they decide, or when the Emperor decides. There has not been a cap, but tradition has suggested what our numbers should be.

That is not and has never been our practice. Those Imperial Officers, or Senators, as they were once in the past on another world, who are no longer active, step down. It is as simple as that.

We lost this war. We do not have so much pride, or so little wisdom, as not to have realized that a long, long time ago. If we were given terms we believed were possible to pay, we would take them.

I was not in government in 2007. Sorry.

Wentworth, we were told, in no uncertain terms, that no negotiations on this clause would be tolerated. Why? Because these terms are meant to be the equivalent of eternal war. As I said earlier in this thread:

You are precisely correct. Our aid slots don't work. Not under these terms, they don't. These terms required a reparations:internal aid slot usage of 1:1. We can't build up 131 nations with 50, while still maintaining the requisite reparations monthly allotments. That's been the problem with every single Karma analysis I've seen from anyone. None of them analyze the totality of the situation. Some of them only consider the tech, and not the money. Some of them don't consider the damage to war. Some of them don't consider realistic efficiency percentages. I could go and on. I understand why. You're not in our shoes right now. You're not poring over data, with a full understanding of theoretical and actual economics of the New Pacific Order. There's also the fact that I believe that many in our opposition want to see us try to pay impossible-to-pay reparations, but that's a whole different matter entirely.

Congratulations. Especially to WalkerNinja.

They were told that we wouldn't leave until their alliance was functioning again. Once we got in, we told them exactly what was necessary for their alliance to be considered "functioning," which was all fairly objective, I believe. I don't remember them all, but they included to create X number of banks, have an X percentage military check-in, create a ghost busting squad, organizing trades, organizing recruitment, building an academy, building a Tech Corps, and eventually re-opening foreign affairs on brown, and the charter convention. GATO had none of these when we got there, not necessarily because of their fault, but because of the war, war being what it is. We went in their with a sincere attempt to help them rebuild those bureaucratic structure, and at the end of 6 months, I'd say we did them all, except the Charter, which they desperately wanted.

*shrugs* Since you can read my mind and know my future intentions, there's not much point in responding to your post, eh?

Ah yes, I shall trust in their just judgment. Again, this isn't about our paranoia. Terms that are necessary to keep us down for this long is about Karma's paranoia and their fear that we will ruse up and destroy them That's incorrect, actually. We told GATO very early on what they would have to do to get released after 6 months. These goals were made after discussing them with GATO leaders. The single goal they didn't meet was finishing their Charter convention. Come April, it hadn't finished after many, many months, so we decided to let them go with their old Charter to remain.

*chuckles heartily* I get a kick out of this argument. So, because the terms might be less, we should accept them? But Karma won't tell us what criteria will bring them down, will they? And Karma won't tell us what criteria even determined the original numbers, will they? Asking the people you want to surrender to take your word for it is a peculiar strategy. These things are written down in terms for a reason.

Math doesn't go well on a honey-wheat crust.

I like Grenval. Not a good MoD (MoFA?) of GATO, but good at other things.