ELECTION: Director of Exploration and Intelligence

[Joeno]

Candidates:
Voltaire
Drogue
Write-in
Xenobanana

[DeathByTheSword]

SPEECH!

[Drogue]

Ye ask and I shall oblige.

Basically if i become DoEI i'll do all the usualy stuff: asking, pleading and blackmailing ( ) the DoIA and DoPO for more probe teams/foils/cruisers and other exploration units; polling on where to move probe teams, who to infiltrate and what to do once we have.

Personally, my main priorities are
- To have an infiltrator in every faction (priority given to factions we're at war with)
- To steal all and any techs from our enemies
- To explore as much of the map as possible, while keeping patrols on expected Hive attack paths and...
- Asking the DoIA for Ec to buy important cities from our opponents (especially The Hive (CN) or if an enemy builds the Empath Guild)

Vote Drogue!

Phew!

[Voltaire]

I ran for this post to maintain the integrity of democracy, all these one candidate elections are a disgrace to what we stand for, the people need an alternative for that is what democracy depends on. There must be choice, and choice there will be.

My policy if elected for the position of Director of Exploration and Intelligence differs greatly from that of my worth opponent.

First of all I stand opposed unwarranted infiltration of all factions, why should we be spying on our friends, while leaving ourselves vulnerable to our enemies? We need to concentrate our forces against the Hive in this war, we need to win it without ever shedding blood, and through infiltration and sabotage we can do so.

As for acquiring technology from our enemies, I will agree fully with Drogue. Though I will add that if it is paramount and in our interests to acquire technology from factions whom we are not at war with (but certainly have conflicting interests). Such actions should be left as an option on the table if circumstances arise when factions hostile to democratic ideals become a threat to our security and freedom.

Again exploration is important, and I am in agreement that we need to explore as much of the map as possible while maintaining patrols against a possible Hiverian attack. But we should place a higher priority on discovering other factions over mere exploration to further our diplomatic, economic, scientific, and military interests.

Thank you and good day.

-Voltaire
Election Speech, Datalinks

[Drogue]

Double post deleted, sorry

[Drogue]

I agree with my honourable opponent's sentiment, that spying on our friends is a questionable action. However then he condones acquiring "technology from factions whom we are not at war with". I agree that such actions should be kept on the table, but almost I believe that people would not vote for such a hostile move, even against the ideological enemies of the Peacekeepers, if we are not at war. I think infiltration is a handy safeguard were the worst to happen and war be declared, and it also helps us in determining research priorities (in terms of what we can trade) and as such is helpful to both us and the faction we infiltrate. I believe though questionable, spying upon factions we are still friendly with (though at a lesser priority than our enemies) is still not a major incident, and since freeflow on information is one of our key aims, is in line with our philosophy.

Originally posted by Voltaire
We need to concentrate our forces against the Hive in this war, we need to win it without ever shedding blood, and through infiltration and sabotage we can do so.

I wholeheartedly agree, and I think infiltration and sabotage against the Hive should be the highest priority for our probe teams currently.

Originally posted by Voltaire
We should place a higher priority on discovering other factions over mere exploration.

Again I echo this, as I tried to hint at in my first post. Although to seperate 'mere exploration' with discovering other factions is relatively difficult, since we do not know where the other factions are, and so do not know where to explore. We should make contact, infiltrate and trade with other factions as a matter of highest importance.

Good luck Voltaire. May the best Peacekeeper win.

[Voltaire]

We are in agreement then Drogue, which is good to hear. It seems to me, if I may make the observation, that politics themselves have become less relevant as we being to poll more and more on all issues to let the people decide, since ultimately the people’s representatives are there only to carry out the will of the people, not push their own agenda. Perhaps with this in mind my earlier generalization about the failure of the electoral system was hasty as it now becomes more clear that it is not that government posts in one candidate elections are given away due to no opposition, but rather perhaps that we have outgrown the concept of opposition altogether due to the fact that our democracy on Planet is closer in line with direct democracy that it is with representative democracy.

[Drogue]

Exactly. An aim that was attempted many times on old earth and never (to my knowledge) has succeeded. But now we need to ask ourselves is this better? And do we need Directors any more? I suspect that later in the game, with many more units to control and choices to make, more power will rest in the hands of directors.

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Drogue
I suspect that later in the game, with many more units to control and choices to make, more power will rest in the hands of directors.

Believe me. Directors have little power over units, even if they make orders for them. It's the commissioner which has all the powers...

[Drogue]

I haven't compared the orders and the reality exactly yet. But was it really that bad? 1 or 2 I can imagine, but I can't imagine DBTS would screw up that badly

[Maniac]

During this month the orders followed have dropped from something like 75% in the beginning to 25% the latest turnplaysession.

[Voltaire]

Originally posted by Maniac
During this month the orders followed have dropped from something like 75% in the beginning to 25% the latest turnplaysession.

If that’s the case, the commissioner has too much power and the directors not enough.

[Maniac]

The problem is practically no one else wants to do the job of commissioner and I'm viewed as an annoying guy when I dare complaining about somebody not doing their job well.

[Method]

not to get off topic here, but maybe it's because DBTS has been doing threads instead of chats?

[Voltaire]

Originally posted by Maniac
The problem is practically no one else wants to do the job of commissioner and I'm viewed as an annoying guy when I dare complaining about somebody not doing their job well.

Well if someone is not doing their job we need to have a process of impeachment.

[Lemmy]

I voted for Drogue, his ideas are closest to my own ideas about E&I.

[DeathByTheSword]

YES I SCREWED UP FORMERS ORDERS! I KNOW! BUT DEI ORDERS I DIDNT!

[Lemmy]

BUT DEI ORDERS I DIDNT!

Actually you did

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Voltaire


Well if someone is not doing their job we need to have a process of impeachment.

Then we should fire half the current government...

[Voltaire]

Originally posted by Maniac


Then we should fire half the current government...

Sure, but we’d be left with no one to do the job.

[Drogue]

Originally posted by Maniac
Then we should fire half the current government...

Really! Even though I disagree with some of their opinions, most of the directors seem to be doing quite well IMHO.

[Maniac]

Have a look at the ACDG Directory: Term III. Darkness' Edge hasn't posted even one Peackeeping Operations poll or organized an official discussion thread this month. Makahlua and dmm1285 have simply disappeared. And DBTS is taking liberties with order interpretations. That's four of our ten officials, almost half of them.

[Drogue]

But there hasn't been much need for DPO polls, all military ones so far have either been about production (DBP) or 'what we should so if' (DFA). We have no military so no need for DPO orders yet. dmm1285 only took the position out because there was no-one else IIRC, and true hasn't posed for a while. I think Makahlua got scared off by the trial.

[Maniac]

But there hasn't been much need for DPO polls, all military ones so far have either been about production (DBP) or 'what we should so if' (DFA).

Then, seeing the absence of Makahlua, he should have created discussions about where to build what military units himself, and have posted build requests in the orders thread. I did so concerning formers and sea formers.

dmm1285 only took the position out because there was no-one else IIRC, and true hasn't posed for a while. I think Makahlua got scared off by the trial.

You're right and it's understandable. But at least they could've posted a resignation which would have allowed the AT to take over those jobs or let other volunteers perform them.

[Drogue]

True, but since I'm against building military units, I'll agree with DE's silence on the matter

[Voltaire]

You're right and it's understandable. But at least they could've posted a resignation which would have allowed the AT to take over those jobs or let other volunteers perform them.

Who’s performing their duties now?

[Drogue]

No one. Maniac gave orders for last turnthread, but no one officially (they haven't officially left)

[Maniac]

Whoever feels up to it and shouts loudest...

[Voltaire]

Originally posted by Drogue
No one. Maniac gave orders for last turnthread, but no one officially (they haven't officially left)

Originally posted by Maniac
Whoever feels up to it and shouts loudest...

I didn’t think things were this bad.

And aren’t there procedures for a scenario such as this one where a director is not performing their duties in the constitution, perhaps an order of succession of who gets the job?

[Drogue]

AT get's it, but with more than one, were have a problem. So close to elections there didn't seem to be much of a point in re-electing.