Right to Life

Are there political parties in this region? How can I join one of them?

Hello.
The Autonomous Protectorate of Siquinu is new to the region and wishes everyone a good Friday.

I'm currently writing a constitution for Vendellamoore in accordance with my Feudalist Manifesto thing and oh goodness is it difficult. I had to create about 4 branches of government to preserve balance and create checks between different ranks and branches. Completely underestimated how hard it would be.

Phydios wrote:

You all may have heard about the murder of UnitedHealthcare's CEO. If not, here is a reputable article on the shooting:

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/04/unitedhealth-cancels-investor-day-after-reports-of-executive-shot-in-manhattan.html

Now, if you look at the Internet's reaction to this shooting, you'll find that people generally just don't care. Some in the NSG discussion thread below are outright hoping for the shooter to evade justice. Why? Because the victim was of the "wrong" demographic- a demographic that people are willing to openly dehumanize. And I have realized that this reaction comes from the same place as the public support for abortion, euthanasia, and "assisted suicide"; a lack of belief that all people have inherent dignity and value. This belief is a cornerstone of the pro-life movement- at least one that isn't hypocritical. All those who truly believe in the dignity and value of all human life must be willing to stand up against efforts to dehumanize any group of people for any reason, even those people groups who don't have a history of being systematically underprivileged. Otherwise, how can we maintain a consistent worldview? How can we fight for the rights of one people group and then turn around and show contempt to another people group?

viewtopic.php?t=559227&f=20

What you are saying is the killing of a rich white man is more acceptable to the left? The shooter appears to be white. The anger is about getting denied insurance benefits. That was indicated on the bullet shells. Delay (payment), Deny (payment),Defend (position). Delay, Deny, Defend - common insurance tactics to avoid paying. That is the motive. Duh. However, this man had a family and kids. Tragic. Justice should be served to the culpable. How did the shooter know he would be there at that time? Did the CEO line this up?

Not hearing MAGA republicans are mad anymore about grocery bills since the election. Maybe $4 eggs are a deal when you realize 25% tariffs. 25% tariff on Canadian oil=fuel prices go up=US farmers pay more for fuel=have to raise price of eggs.

Stock up if you can. My company has been warehousing consoles because of this. Many shipments currently.

I think it would be consistent if you are pro: abortion, euthanasia, and "assisted suicide" - that you would also be pro death supporting and support retribution murder (which happens a lot in USA, in almost every inner city gang territory).

I see that NationStates added two game-created regions (GCRs). I don't play as much anymore, but if these creations work out like the last ones, I assume that a small but well-organized group of players, each of whom plays for 2+ hours per day, has already swept in, established control, and will erect something approximating an oligarchy.

New Dolgaria wrote:

A while back I posted about a PBS documentary on William F. Buckley Jr. (https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/william-f-buckley-jr-about-the-documentary/28220/), who I know Culture of Life is a big fan of. Today I've come across criticism of that documentary from one of the (liberal) historians interviewed: https://americanprospect.bluelena.io/index.php?action=social&chash=309a8e73b2cdb95fc1affa8845504e87.2674&s=ffa1b2c0a9494a1f85cd9ac759ad767a

So I thought I'd ask what people here think of Buckley as well as his relationship with Trumpism. I've usually thought of him as a respectable conservative, but I think there were some ugly parts to him that got glossed over when more "combative" conservatives like Newt Gingrich came along.

First, Bill Buckley is one of several personae whom I've adopted on this game. My other, longest-running was probably King James II. Shorter-running personae include Tom Crean, Ernest Hemingway, Jacques Maritain, and Wilhelm Marx. The identities I've chosen for roleplaying usually have some relation to the theme of the region where I've been. Bill Buckley seemed suitable for this region, the only one where I'm still semi-active. (I've allowed all but three of my nations to expire.)

Second, Bill Buckley is sometimes a hard nut to crack, especially on racial issues. Some of his earlier statements seem to have been borne out of a failure to appreciate how bad Jim Crow really was -- an error that was not uncommon among many white intellectuals who lived in the North in the early and mid-20th century. They didn't visit the South and imagined a pastoral society based on Southern whites' representations to them. (See the Lost Cause and the Dunning School.)

Third, it's fortunate that Bill Buckley and Donald Trump were historical contemporaries. Buckley wrote about Trump when Trump ran for president and then dropped out in 2000. Back then, Buckley said:

So there we have the one problem--the encouragement given to demagogues by undiscriminating voters. The procedure here is to attract support to finance a campaign. But does the term demagogue fit in other circumstances? What about the aspirant who has a private vision to offer to the public and has the means, personal or contrived, to finance a campaign? In some cases, the vision isn't merely a program to be adopted. It is a program that includes the visionary's serving as President. Look for the narcissist. The most obvious target in today's lineup is, of course, Donald Trump. When he looks at a glass, he is mesmerized by its reflection. If Donald Trump were shaped a little differently, he would compete for Miss America.

But whatever the depths of self-enchantment, the demagogue has to say something. So what does Trump say? That he is a successful businessman and that that is what America needs in the Oval Office. There is some plausibility in this, though not much. The greatest deeds of American Presidents--midwifing the new republic; freeing the slaves; harnessing the energies and vision needed to win the Cold War--had little to do with a bottom line.

https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/insights-politics-the-demagogues-are-running-7081

Would Buckley think the same thing today? I don't know. He died in 2008.