The Atlasian Cynic: Unbalanced and Cynical News and Opinions

[Dr. Cynic]

Atlasia: Truly Dead?

Over the years, many times, in fact, Atlasia has been proclaimed truly dead. There have been spurts where activity languishes. This does not really seem the case, so why would I say such things?

The fact of the matter is, there's not much left to legislate on. Over the years, Atlasian bills have tended to be progressive and forward moving. These days, they are hampered with legalese arguments and in order to add something new, we've now seen, of all things, an alien invasion. So, what can we do? My proposal may seem a bit odd, especially for someone who once founded the Silly Party, which was based on a humorous bent toward Atlasia. I'm advocating what amounts to hitting the reset button.

An entirely new constitution. An entirely new nation. All the laws and bills passed previously rendered at an end. In effect, we would be starting anew. All the parties gone. All the laws null and void. A truly fresh start. Maybe we decide on a parliamentary system rather than an executive one? Maybe we keep the old system, but start fresh from page one?

I recognize that my influence in Atlasian politics is probably dead and buried, but I feel this could be the best way to do things. Begin anew, we could see a whole new nation emerge and that prospect is one that I find exciting and potentially rewarding for all of us. Either way, I expect to write more.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

A legislative reboot is something I could see working, but we tried dissolution and it really didn't pan out as we planned. It did for a while, but things have basically gravitated back to how it was in 2011 with arguably weaker party bosses.

I know in the old, old days, Atlasia thrived with multiple parties, but since 2011, it seems to have gravitated towards a two party system with third parties like The People's Party coming and going.

[Dr. Cynic]

I remember the party dissolution well and it didn't work out the way I'd hoped. I had hoped for a three or four party system, but it just wasn't going to happen.

I'm advocating something deeper though. An entire reboot of the whole system. It's never been done in Atlasia, though several times, we've tried minor reboots and it always goes the same.

In my view, it's time to do this. End everything and start over from scratch.

[Donerail]

I'd support a plan that would call a sort of special convention to decide on specific laws worth saving, and scrapping the rest. Bit less drastic than a full reset, but it'd still be a radical change.

[Dr. Cynic]

I'd support a plan that would call a sort of special convention to decide on specific laws worth saving, and scrapping the rest. Bit less drastic than a full reset, but it'd still be a radical change.

I can understand not wanting to press reset all the way, but I feel strongly that the best way to go is going all the way.

[Cincinnatus]

I wouldn't be opposed to a complete reset, provided we adopt a parliamentary system instead of the same structure.

[Dr. Cynic]

I wouldn't be opposed to a complete reset, provided we adopt a parliamentary system instead of the same structure.

I wouldn't be opposed to a parliamentary system. I think we should hold a vote on it after the decision is made to restart.

[Dr. Cynic]

A Parliamentary Atlasia

If Atlasia were to ever implement the radical changes advocated by this newspaper, we would endorse a new constitution based upon a parliamentary democracy. Though we advocate an up and down vote as to whether or not a Presidential or Parliamentary system would be best, we feel that there is a strong case for the new Atlasian Parliament.

Because Atlasia already uses a proportional voting system, (also something we will continue to advocate) we feel that a new Atlasian Parliament would benefit voters as well as encourage competition. Rather than a single executive responsible only to themselves, a Parliament would create an effective opposition and bring real politics into the forefront. Unlike Presidents, an Atlasian Prime Minister would be held responsible by an organized opposition. It would also do away with the need for most of the regional governments where activity varies wildly. An MP would be responsible to his or her constituency. It can't get much local than that. Constituency creation, we agree, would be contentious, but for the purposes of this article, we're painting with broad strokes.

Readers, we hope you won't scoff at such advocacy, but this paper feels for the radical change necessary, a true and complete restart, we are advocating the creation of the Atlasian Parliament.

[Napoleon]

I've long supported blowing everything up.

[Dr. Cynic]

Then you're one of us. Submit articles to the paper if you like.

[Sec. of State Superique]

I'm a fond of Parliamentary Democracies but, in case in that Atlasian Conservatives boycott this change, then we should be looking forward to some sort of Semi-Presidentialism.

[Sec. of State Superique]

I'd support a plan that would call a sort of special convention to decide on specific laws worth saving, and scrapping the rest. Bit less drastic than a full reset, but it'd still be a radical change.

I can understand not wanting to press reset all the way, but I feel strongly that the best way to go is going all the way.

Not to mention that this is in many ways juridically speaking something pretty unstable. It has something to do with Constituent Power and Constituted Power. A Constitution that has already been created cannot be changed if it's not fully reformed, as far as, I'm concerned.

[Dr. Cynic]

I'd support a plan that would call a sort of special convention to decide on specific laws worth saving, and scrapping the rest. Bit less drastic than a full reset, but it'd still be a radical change.

I can understand not wanting to press reset all the way, but I feel strongly that the best way to go is going all the way.

Not to mention that this is in many ways juridically speaking something pretty unstable. It has something to do with Constituent Power and Constituted Power. A Constitution that has already been created cannot be changed if it's not fully reformed, as far as, I'm concerned.

Keep in mind, this is a simulation and not a living constitution. Pressing the reset button is doing just that. We have a new constitution debated and voted on as soon as we vote on which political system we want to use. The current Atlasian Constitution would be thrown out and we'd start again.

[Maxwell]

I'm a fond of Parliamentary Democracies but, in case in that Atlasian Conservatives boycott this change, then we should be looking forward to some sort of Semi-Presidentialism.

Semi-Presidentialism is what I'd prefer. I don't feel like I could embrace a full parliamentary system.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I'm a fond of Parliamentary Democracies but, in case in that Atlasian Conservatives boycott this change, then we should be looking forward to some sort of Semi-Presidentialism.

Semi-Presidentialism is what I'd prefer. I don't feel like I could embrace a full parliamentary system.

I don't think we have the activity for a Parliamentary System, even though I think it would be interesting and probably more effective.

[Simfan34]

I think the present system is best... let's see in year or two. Politics takes its own course, you'd be surprised.

[Dr. Cynic]

I think the present system is best... let's see in year or two. Politics takes its own course, you'd be surprised.

I respectfully disagree. The amount of stagnation we have in Atlasia is staggering and a parliamentary system would be a great new start. A new constitution, a clean board of legislation and an effective opposition movement.

[sentinel]

A parliamentary system would certainly be interesting. I think we can reform how our federal legislature is elected without becoming a parliamentary system while still achieving many of these goals. Maybe we should consider proportional representation?

[Adam Griffin]

Endorsed.

I think the present system is best... let's see in year or two. Politics takes its own course, you'd be surprised.

Yeah, this is pretty much how Atlasian conservatives approach every issue in the game.

[Lumine]

Waiting is not precisely helping the game, not when we have at least one region with a lack of population, elections that are not as competitive as they should be (yesterday we had no candidates for the Senate special election) and when we keep facing old problems (like the trouble with a legislative reset, and so forth).

I would welcome constructive changes into the game, and the idea of an upper house already has my support. A parliamentary system would also be fairly interesting, and I think we shouldn't just write it off and wait two more years just to realize that, in the end, everything stayed the same (which leads us to an interesting deja vú when compared to Fix the Regions).

[Sec. of State Superique]

I'd support a plan that would call a sort of special convention to decide on specific laws worth saving, and scrapping the rest. Bit less drastic than a full reset, but it'd still be a radical change.

I can understand not wanting to press reset all the way, but I feel strongly that the best way to go is going all the way.

Not to mention that this is in many ways juridically speaking something pretty unstable. It has something to do with Constituent Power and Constituted Power. A Constitution that has already been created cannot be changed if it's not fully reformed, as far as, I'm concerned.

Keep in mind, this is a simulation and not a living constitution. Pressing the reset button is doing just that. We have a new constitution debated and voted on as soon as we vote on which political system we want to use. The current Atlasian Constitution would be thrown out and we'd start again.

I was not talking about your ideas of a reset. On a legal basis, a reset is fine, what is not fine is Sjoyce's idea. Anyway, the issue with Parliamentary Atlasia is that we would have to have more than 2 cabinet positions, we would need a more crowded legislative body and we would definetely have to have coalitions. I'm not sure how the Government would work at first but it would be quite fun to have a whole new system and to see people trying to understand the "mess" that we've created.

The problem here is that Atlasia tries in some ways to copy the American Political System so changing the Political System could result on many americans users withdrawning, especially the Conservatives, in other hand, more Europeans could be attracted

[Donerail]

I'd support a plan that would call a sort of special convention to decide on specific laws worth saving, and scrapping the rest. Bit less drastic than a full reset, but it'd still be a radical change.

I can understand not wanting to press reset all the way, but I feel strongly that the best way to go is going all the way.

Not to mention that this is in many ways juridically speaking something pretty unstable. It has something to do with Constituent Power and Constituted Power. A Constitution that has already been created cannot be changed if it's not fully reformed, as far as, I'm concerned.

Keep in mind, this is a simulation and not a living constitution. Pressing the reset button is doing just that. We have a new constitution debated and voted on as soon as we vote on which political system we want to use. The current Atlasian Constitution would be thrown out and we'd start again.

I was not talking about your ideas of a reset. On a legal basis, a reset is fine, what is not fine is Sjoyce's idea.

This is an issue we need to take from a 'game mechanics' point of view, separate from the game itself.

[President Tyrion]

A reset would be met with very firm opposition, IMO. People don't want their hard work completely blown up. Of course, none of this is real anyway, but there's some value to not burning someone's Lego bridge to the ground, even it won't ever carry cars.

With that said, we don't really need to delete everything. Perhaps we could leave the electronic record of all past statute on the wiki. It's a weak solution to the problem, and probably something we would have done anyway, come to think of it.

In any case, I support complete dissolution, but mostly because I don't have much to lose. Others may feel differently.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I put my plan forward. No one listened. Not my fault now.

[Dr. Cynic]

A reset would be met with very firm opposition, IMO. People don't want their hard work completely blown up. Of course, none of this is real anyway, but there's some value to not burning someone's Lego bridge to the ground, even it won't ever carry cars.

With that said, we don't really need to delete everything. Perhaps we could leave the electronic record of all past statute on the wiki. It's a weak solution to the problem, and probably something we would have done anyway, come to think of it.

In any case, I support complete dissolution, but mostly because I don't have much to lose. Others may feel differently.

Well, we could keep everything done on the wiki. I don't see a purpose of deleting the historical record. But I see a very real purpose in an ending and a new beginning. After all, the old saying goes, when you come to the last page, close the book and start a new story.