The State Department

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

It has been a while since we've heard from you on non-election-related issues?

[Adam Griffin]

It has been a while since we've heard from you on non-election-related issues?

Seems like over a month?

[Potus]

Instability with the GM and the all-consuming nature of the budget conversation have gotten in the way of foreign policy.

Kalwejt and I spoke a bit over PM earlier and we're moving ahead with one of the Administration's top priorities, a Middle East Multilateral Forum.

If we want to get the Department working again, I encourage the Senate and public to support swift confirmation of the GM nominee. I need the GM to simulate negotiations.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I'm looking forward toward getting the MEMF going if confirmed.

[windjammer]

Instability with the GM and the all-consuming nature of the budget conversation have gotten in the way of foreign policy.

Kalwejt and I spoke a bit over PM earlier and we're moving ahead with one of the Administration's top priorities, a Middle East Multilateral Forum.

If we want to get the Department working again, I encourage the Senate and public to support swift confirmation of the GM nominee. I need the GM to simulate negotiations.

Secretary of State Potus2036,
The GM resigned on December 31th, 2014. You didn't post a single update since December 1st 2014. While it is indeed true that the 2015 budget is still being debated, foreign policy doesn't shut down during shutdown. Furthermore, we're not in a shutdown, we passed a resolution more than 20 days ago temporary extending the 2014 budget.
I have the regret to announce you I introduced article of impeachment against you because of inactivity.
Best wishes,
Windjammer

[Maxwell]

Instability with the GM and the all-consuming nature of the budget conversation have gotten in the way of foreign policy.

Kalwejt and I spoke a bit over PM earlier and we're moving ahead with one of the Administration's top priorities, a Middle East Multilateral Forum.

If we want to get the Department working again, I encourage the Senate and public to support swift confirmation of the GM nominee. I need the GM to simulate negotiations.

Secretary of State Potus2036,
The GM resigned on January 31th, 2015. You didn't post a single update since January 1st 2015. While it is indeed true that the 2015 budget is still being debated, foreign policy doesn't shut down during shutdown. Furthermore, we're not in a shutdown, we passed a resolution more than 20 days ago temporary extending the 2014 budget.
I have the regret to announce you I introduced article of impeachment against you because of inactivity.
Best wishes,
Windjammer

At least get the dates right.

I think you're addressing an issue (being in a government shutdown?) that isn't an issue. I think it's healthy that an SoIA was consulting with a GM to make their scenarios more real world, and I think Potus will be vindicated in the impeachment hearing.

[windjammer]

Instability with the GM and the all-consuming nature of the budget conversation have gotten in the way of foreign policy.

Kalwejt and I spoke a bit over PM earlier and we're moving ahead with one of the Administration's top priorities, a Middle East Multilateral Forum.

If we want to get the Department working again, I encourage the Senate and public to support swift confirmation of the GM nominee. I need the GM to simulate negotiations.

Secretary of State Potus2036,
The GM resigned on January 31th, 2015. You didn't post a single update since January 1st 2015. While it is indeed true that the 2015 budget is still being debated, foreign policy doesn't shut down during shutdown. Furthermore, we're not in a shutdown, we passed a resolution more than 20 days ago temporary extending the 2014 budget.
I have the regret to announce you I introduced article of impeachment against you because of inactivity.
Best wishes,
Windjammer

At least get the dates right.

I think you're addressing an issue (being in a government shutdown?) that isn't an issue. I think it's healthy that an SoIA was consulting with a GM to make their scenarios more real world, and I think Potus will be vindicated in the impeachment hearing.

ooops sorry,
Riley didn't post anything since decembrr 31th. And Cynic resogned less than 1 week ago.

[Maxwell]

Instability with the GM and the all-consuming nature of the budget conversation have gotten in the way of foreign policy.

Kalwejt and I spoke a bit over PM earlier and we're moving ahead with one of the Administration's top priorities, a Middle East Multilateral Forum.

If we want to get the Department working again, I encourage the Senate and public to support swift confirmation of the GM nominee. I need the GM to simulate negotiations.

Secretary of State Potus2036,
The GM resigned on January 31th, 2015. You didn't post a single update since January 1st 2015. While it is indeed true that the 2015 budget is still being debated, foreign policy doesn't shut down during shutdown. Furthermore, we're not in a shutdown, we passed a resolution more than 20 days ago temporary extending the 2014 budget.
I have the regret to announce you I introduced article of impeachment against you because of inactivity.
Best wishes,
Windjammer

At least get the dates right.

I think you're addressing an issue (being in a government shutdown?) that isn't an issue. I think it's healthy that an SoIA was consulting with a GM to make their scenarios more real world, and I think Potus will be vindicated in the impeachment hearing.

ooops sorry,
Riley didn't post anything since decembrr 31th. And Cynic resogned less than 1 week ago.

I corrected it for you, so you're still wrong windy buddy. We don't need to argue specifics friendo.

The fact is this SoIA was trying to be more careful in terms of realism of foreign policy than previous SoIA's and got punished for it. I think that's a mistake.

[windjammer]

Maxwell,
Cynic resigned on January 31th 2015,
Riley Keaton didn't post anything since January 1st 2015.
I'm sorry but he can"t say that this is because of instability with the GM because he resigned just 5-6 days ago, and Riley didn't post anything for more than one month.

[Maxwell]

Maxwell,
Cynic resigned on January 31th 2015,
Riley Keaton didn't post anything since January 1st 2015.
I'm sorry but he can"t say that this is because of instability with the GM because he resigned just 5-6 days ago, and Riley didn't post anything for more than one month.

Luckily for me, that's not my argument. The argument has been, since the beginning, that the GM has been dealing with the pressing issue of the budget, and as a result, has not been able to assist in matters of realistic foreign events.

[windjammer]

Maxwell,
Cynic resigned on January 31th 2015,
Riley Keaton didn't post anything since January 1st 2015.
I'm sorry but he can"t say that this is because of instability with the GM because he resigned just 5-6 days ago, and Riley didn't post anything for more than one month.

Luckily for me, that's not my argument. The argument has been, since the beginning, that the GM has been dealing with the pressing issue of the budget, and as a result, has not been able to assist in matters of realistic foreign events.

During a total month?
A MONTH dude, this isn't a week.

[Potus]

I PM'ed Cynic and Lumine both about taking new steps on foreign policy and the response was basically, "We'll get to it when the budget is finished." Calculating the budget is a monumental task. Adding negotiation sim was more than the GM could handle.

Cynic was on-and-off active during most of January. When he was active, the attention of the GM was more pressingly needed elsewhere. His resignation was a long time coming after a decline in interest and in ability to participate. I would that it is naive or ignorant of the facts to claim that Cynic's activity problem began and ended the day he resigned.

But of course that's not the case. Neither of you, Windjammer or Griffin, are ignorant of the facts. This is an effort to twist a non-story into a political positive for your team. This isn't a story. There is no argument to be had.

[windjammer]

A month Riley, a MONTH.

[Potus]

A month Riley, a MONTH.

When was the last time a bill of your writing became law?

[windjammer]

I don't understand why you want to talk about my job as senator, but I will still answer you:
- the last time I posted something in the senate thread was obviously yesterday.
-The last time there was a vote on an amendment of a bill I  proposed was last week.
-The last time a bill/amendment I sponsored failed was last week too (the efficient referenda amendment)
-and 2 bills I introduced in the senate are still in the queue right now.
- And the last thing I managed to pass was the anti explosives bomb amendment, and it became a part of the constitution likely last month.

[Potus]

I don't understand why you want to talk about my job as senator, but I will still answer you:
- the last time I posted something in the senate thread was obviously yesterday.
-The last time there was a vote on an amendment of a bill I  proposed was last week.
-The last time a bill/amendment I sponsored failed was last week too (the efficient referenda amendment)
-and 2 bills I introduced in the senate are still in the queue right now.
- And the last thing I managed to pass was the anti explosives bomb amendment, and it became a part of the constitution likely last month.

So you're telling me the last piece of legislation written by you that became law was finished up in the voting booth on December 17th. That's when the Mideast voting booth closed, the last to do so. We are quickly approaching two months of you not writing legislation.

TWO MONTHS, windjammer.

Your ability to write legislation is completely independent of outside factors. My job relies on an active GM to simulate negotiations, etc. I can't do my job when there isn't a GM, you can do yours anytime. So why are you falling down on the job?

[windjammer]

I don't understand why you want to talk about my job as senator, but I will still answer you:
- the last time I posted something in the senate thread was obviously yesterday.
-The last time there was a vote on an amendment of a bill I  proposed was last week.
-The last time a bill/amendment I sponsored failed was last week too (the efficient referenda amendment)
-and 2 bills I introduced in the senate are still in the queue right now.
- And the last thing I managed to pass was the anti explosives bomb amendment, and it became a part of the constitution likely last month.

So you're telling me the last piece of legislation written by you that became law was finished up in the voting booth on December 17th. That's when the Mideast voting booth closed, the last to do so. We are quickly approaching two months of you not writing legislation.

TWO MONTHS, windjammer.

Your ability to write legislation is completely independent of outside factors. My job relies on an active GM to simulate negotiations, etc. I can't do my job when there isn't a GM, you can do yours anytime. So why are you falling down on the job?

That's not true. An active senator is a senator who participates to the senate threads. You have good senators who arent active writers like bore for example.

You your job However is to post in this thread about foreign policy, what you have obviously failed to do. There wasn't a GM for just one week and you have done nothing for at least one month.

[Potus]

I don't understand why you want to talk about my job as senator, but I will still answer you:
- the last time I posted something in the senate thread was obviously yesterday.
-The last time there was a vote on an amendment of a bill I  proposed was last week.
-The last time a bill/amendment I sponsored failed was last week too (the efficient referenda amendment)
-and 2 bills I introduced in the senate are still in the queue right now.
- And the last thing I managed to pass was the anti explosives bomb amendment, and it became a part of the constitution likely last month.

So you're telling me the last piece of legislation written by you that became law was finished up in the voting booth on December 17th. That's when the Mideast voting booth closed, the last to do so. We are quickly approaching two months of you not writing legislation.

TWO MONTHS, windjammer.

Your ability to write legislation is completely independent of outside factors. My job relies on an active GM to simulate negotiations, etc. I can't do my job when there isn't a GM, you can do yours anytime. So why are you falling down on the job?

That's not true. An active senator is a senator who participates to the senate threads. You have good senators who arent active writers like bore for example.

You your job However is to post in this thread about foreign policy, what you have obviously failed to do. There wasn't a GM for just one week and you have done nothing for at least one month.

Cynic's difficulties are well-documented, and I don't fault him for them. Windjammer, I'm ending this conversation. The truth is obvious, foreign policy is not possible without an active GM. You know as well as I that we didn't have that.

[windjammer]

You know this isn't true riley. Nix managed to be active as SoEa while there wasn't constantly an active GM (nzpoleon)

[Oakvale]

This is absurd and the three who put their name to this should be ashamed of themselves. I'm aware that includes one of my party's Senators.

[Cranberry]

This is absurd and the three who put their name to this should be ashamed of themselves. I'm aware that includes one of my party's Senators.

Yes it does, and I stand by my decision. I do not doubt that it has become increasingly difficult for the Secretary in the last weeks to do his job, as his most important "partner", I can't find a better way to put this, I'm sorry, has had difficulties. I also do think that the Secretary has done a superb job before this month. This all put aside however, the fact remains that the last update by the Secretary has been posted on January 1st. It is clear to everyone that it has been impossible for the Secretary to conduct large-scale negotiations similar to the ones he conducted with Russia last month. I fully understand that, and I doubt that anyone had expected the Secretary to do so. However, a quick look at our constitution will tell that the position of Secretary of External Affairs has such a wide range of responsibilities, but more so possibilities to enact his or her visions or plans. For example, there is: "The Secretary of External Affairs shall have the power to create random events relating to foreign policy."
The Secretary so does not ultimately need the GM, is not crippled into doing nothing if the GM experiences difficulties - surely it helps realism and credibility if the GM is included in foreign policy events / decisions; but if after three weeks of no updates it becomes clear that there will be no involvement from the side of the GM, for whichever reason, the SoEA himself has a range of possibilities from which he can fulfil his job. Anything would have done, a small update on how he flew to China with a delegation of economists and company executives and helped them secure deals with Chinese corporations, or I don't know what, anything would have sufficed. But the fact remains, we have not heard anything from the side of the Secretary, and for me, this is reason to support this. I will stand with my decision, be of other opinion if you will, I will be of mine, and I believe I have explained mine sufficiently.

(I apologize in advance for the flood of typing errors that will probably plague this text)

[Adam Griffin]

Dude, you're not going to start attacking others for not doing your own job as a way to draw attention away from it.

You didn't do anything of substance for a month. Stop blaming everybody else you can find in sight as justification for that. There's a whole wide world out there for you to be assessing and interacting with; the world doesn't stop because the GM was having difficulties in the final 20% of your inactive period or because the budget that you're not even technically responsible for has had some hiccups. As a former GM who was widely considered an active and successful one, I can report that the only excuse for you not to be publicly active in the arena for a month is the same reason why you disappeared and ultimately resigned as ME Governor, and the same reason behind your inactivity in the Pacific.

Furthermore, it's despicable and disgusting that people here are defending these inactions, just like we see every time someone completely fails to do their job and their buddies come rushing in to defend them. Cabinet positions are constantly being subjected to this dynamic and the condoning of this BS is why it continues to be a problem. The whole "well I'm sure he had good reasons!", "Atlasia takes precedent over real life", and all the other weaksauce nonsense. If those things are true, then fycking resign and stop mucking up the game for those who actually have the time to be active participants.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

For the record, I won't support impeachment. How many bloody times do we need to go down this path?

Impeachment should only be used in extreme circumstances.

But on topic, the SoEA should be able to actually do their job, regardless of the GM. I know, when I was SoEA, I didn't rely on the GM to do the job.

[windjammer]

For the record, I won't support impeachment. How many bloody times do we need to go down this path?

Impeachment should only be used in extreme circumstances.

But on topic, the SoEA should be able to actually do their job, regardless of the GM. I know, when I was SoEA, I didn't rely on the GM to do the job.

Being inactive for one month isn't an extreme circumstance?

[Adam Griffin]

For the record, I won't support impeachment. How many bloody times do we need to go down this path?

Impeachment should only be used in extreme circumstances.

But on topic, the SoEA should be able to actually do their job, regardless of the GM. I know, when I was SoEA, I didn't rely on the GM to do the job.

You were the one to originally point this out...and yet you still don't support the removal of someone who's been inactive for an entire month? I thought you were one of the "serious ones". How exactly do we break the cycle of this behavior when there are no repercussions whatsoever for the behavior in the first place? When someone knows that an armada of people from all political walks of life is going to defend their chronic and/or recurring inactivity for weeks or months on end, then there is obviously no incentive whatsoever for them to do their jobs. I'd much rather the position go vacant than continue to encourage this precedent.