Cascadia

[Simon of the Playa]

in case anyone wants further clarification.

[Box Burner]

I mean, isn't there room for expansion of Cascadia, even if we don't have any cascades?

Within reason. We don't want to get too big.
Honestly, I think sheer size has a lot to do with the failures of both the US and Canada's governments. Real talk.

Size isn't the problem. The problem is control. Government isn't supposed to have any. Government is really there to coordinate. Control belongs to the people.

[^Rhino!]

Looks like we may live in Defaultia before we get to live in Cascadia!

I don't want to live anywhere near De-fault-ia when it ruptures. For that matter, I don't want to think about the size of the earthquake that the Cascadia subduction zone could cause, or the size of the subsequent tsunami........

not to mention the frozen methane in the trench just off the coast, that could be disturbed by said quake or eruption. I'm told, it could suffocate everything withing miles of the coast........

I'll take my chances.

We're BURNERS, remember? I just don't want to see how many offshore crispy tankers we create when we light the methane front.

[ygmir]

I mean, isn't there room for expansion of Cascadia, even if we don't have any cascades?

Within reason. We don't want to get too big.
Honestly, I think sheer size has a lot to do with the failures of both the US and Canada's governments. Real talk.

Size isn't the problem. The problem is control. Government isn't supposed to have any. Government is really there to coordinate. Control belongs to the people.

yeah therein lies the issue:
our constitution was written, to severely limit gov. and it's powers. But, once people realized they could get "something for nothing" and use this to garner political power, well, gov. expanded and still is. It'd only take going back to " no taxation without representation" to curtain the purse strings and therefore the size of gov. But, now, everyone wants something for free from gov. so, want it big and bloated, so they can haz breads and circussesseess. Imagine how small gov. would be, just without the income tax, illegally foisted upon us. Let alone all the "fees" named as such, so as not to be called "taxes" and therefore have to be done legally.
Humans are greedy, and as we've seen, will subvert the meaning of even words, to gain their own ends.
I don't know how it could be written better, or more plainly, so as not to be construed and manipulated by slick lawyers, but, a founding document has to be simple, plain, and in the spirit of our founding documents. And, incorruptible.

[Box Burner]

I should have also said that it only works if the people are Properly educated. That is why we have an electoral college (is that the right term?). It was felt that the general populace being uneducated and out of touch would, among other things, vote for those who would give them "free stuff" without regards for the consequences.





Edit: Properly educated does not mean by the mandates of what gov says you should know.

[ygmir]

I should have also said that it only works if the people are Properly educated. That is why we have an electoral college (is that the right term?). It was felt that the general populace being uneducated and out of touch would, among other things, vote for those who would give them "free stuff" without regards for the consequences.





Edit: Properly educated does not mean by the mandates of what gov says you should know.

My understanding of the purpose for the "electoral college" was to keep a mass hysteria type scenario from taking place.......we saw the when Hitler rose in Germany, where enough voted for him, even knowing his evil, to elect him. Or some other thing, where a vote was "rigged". The electors, hopefully were of sound mind, and if they saw such a ruse, could still change the election, actually overturning what the popular vote was. I believe we saw that in Kennedy's win over Nixon? Not sure about that, though.
I don't know what the founders, had seen, to make them believe the entire electorate could be hoodwinked, but they saw the possibility, and put in place a "last resort" for the constitution, in hopes of averting it.
I think, though, the electoral college, is only useful in smaller populations. It'd be tough to pull the wool over all the eyes now........(though it seems being evenly split, at least half the electorate is blinded at any given time).

To me, the best system is a benevolent dictatorship. Most efficient. Of course, finding a person, let alone family and descendants, who could be counted on not to sink the ship might be a challenge. But far less so, in a much smaller nation.

[Box Burner]

I should have also said that it only works if the people are Properly educated. That is why we have an electoral college (is that the right term?). It was felt that the general populace being uneducated and out of touch would, among other things, vote for those who would give them "free stuff" without regards for the consequences.





Edit: Properly educated does not mean by the mandates of what gov says you should know.

My understanding of the purpose for the "electoral college" was to keep a mass hysteria type scenario from taking place.......we saw the when Hitler rose in Germany, where enough voted for him, even knowing his evil, to elect him. Or some other thing, where a vote was "rigged". The electors, hopefully were of sound mind, and if they saw such a ruse, could still change the election, actually overturning what the popular vote was. I believe we saw that in Kennedy's win over Nixon? Not sure about that, though.
I don't know what the founders, had seen, to make them believe the entire electorate could be hoodwinked, but they saw the possibility, and put in place a "last resort" for the constitution, in hopes of averting it.
I think, though, the electoral college, is only useful in smaller populations. It'd be tough to pull the wool over all the eyes now........(though it seems being evenly split, at least half the electorate is blinded at any given time).

To me, the best system is a benevolent dictatorship. Most efficient. Of course, finding a person, let alone family and descendants, who could be counted on not to sink the ship might be a challenge. But far less so, in a much smaller nation.

that is the "among other things" that I mentioned and probably should have been what I pointed out. Everyone could vote, And generally the electorate should follow the will of the people. But they were primarily a safeguard against a hitler type scenario. The electorate do not have to vote the will of the people they represent and can vote their own conscience. The thinking was that being better educated, overall they would vote in the best interest of the people. As you pointed out,they too can be swayed. We may yet have to use that last resort.

I agree that a benevolent dictator or king is the best option. but only if he lives forever. You cannot trust that the one who follows will also be benevolent.

[BBadger]

I think, though, the electoral college, is only useful in smaller populations. It'd be tough to pull the wool over all the eyes now........(though it seems being evenly split, at least half the electorate is blinded at any given time).

I disagree with that. For example, consider even the 2000 election: imagine instead of vote recounts across just Florida, that we instead have to repeat the process across the entire country. The final popular vote tallies were pretty much within the margin of error, and any side could've claimed that votes were misplaced or fraudulently counted at that point. The electoral college serves as a means to enforce "noise margins" on electoral decision making. If anything, the recent large-population votes have demonstrated just how important and relevant the electoral college is in elections.

The electoral college is also an important means of ensuring that candidates appeal for votes at the state level, not the population-center level. Otherwise you'd be seeing candidates just concentrating on large population centers such as large cities, groups of people who are easily swayed, and mostly ignoring the remainder of the country. This purpose also extends to the state-country level: electoral college votes ensure that states with smaller populations are better represented, which was important especially in the early state-colonies. I think it's still important in ensuring that the country's politics are not dominated only by the needs of the large population centers, but at the state level.

To me, the best system is a benevolent dictatorship. Most efficient. Of course, finding a person, let alone family and descendants, who could be counted on not to sink the ship might be a challenge. But far less so, in a much smaller nation.

The only true "benevolent dictatorship" is a dictatorship of one person. At that point it is also a perfect democracy. The benevolent dictatorship can't exist beyond one person, but a democracy can -- if you prevent others from voting, at which point it also becomes a dictatorship. Realistic representative governments actually have the opposite purpose: to slow down decision making to ensure that decisions consider future outcomes and truly represent the interests of the populace. Sometimes it seems our country is bogged down in obstructionism and such, but perhaps that's just a sign of a healthy, non-complacent democracy of people who are working to secure interests.

[Simon of the Playa]

i'm sorry, but the SCZ is a Monarchy.


i'm calling it "Project Monarchy"

[^Rhino!]

i'm sorry, but the SCZ is a Monarchy.


i'm calling it "Project Monarchy"

Great! You can be king of your zone, and I'm Emperor overall. Don't worry, I won't interfere unless you raise an army. Then I'll appropriate it in my gigantic game of Risk.

And, occasionally, tribute is nice.

[ygmir]

i'm sorry, but the SCZ is a Monarchy.


i'm calling it "Project Monarchy"

Great! You can be king of your zone, and I'm Emperor overall. Don't worry, I won't interfere unless you raise an army. Then I'll appropriate it in my gigantic game of Risk.

And, occasionally, tribute is nice.

you guys are gonna have a time dealing with Britz and Elliot, the de facto rulers at this point. Elliot seems he'd be invincible, and I know Britz is a human dynamo, whirling dervish, Berzerker .

good luck

[Elliot]

Generalissimo Elliot, Emperor For Life Of Cascadia And All He Surveys:

[BoyScoutGirl]

I love it, Elliot. All you need is a dapper hat. You've already got a handful of suitable chariots.

[Elliot]

.
Hey Scout! I was hoping that picture had been forgotten by now.
Yes, I see that it needs an equally ostentatious hat. Back to eBay!

[tatonka]

in case anyone wants further clarification.

Some of my fav riding country

[^Rhino!]

I think any good liability lawyer would crap his pants if their client tried to host this shindig on private property.

Wasn't really sure which thread this post should go in.

I feel so lost.

Well, somewhere around here there is probably a thread called something like "The org ought to buy its own land".

Which might not be a bad idea. There must be some real estate savvy folks here.... What might a similar acreage in a similarly desolate area cost?

Otherwise.... When I become Emperor of The Sovereign Nation of Cascadia, I will set aside a suitable location, call it the Burning Man National Park, and make the whole week a National Holiday.

Um, Elliot, you got one big-assed problem.

Where's the money going to come from for eight-laning 447?

That's 4 lanes northbound and 4 lanes northbound, with two or three exits for Indian tacos and other nice things from the Paiutes. And while we're tlaking about them, where's their autonomy? Or does it become an indigenous homeland with nothing underneath, sort of like Swaziland in South Africa? They are people, too.

My thought: give me enough fuel-air explosives to do Missouri and we've got a new spot for the burn. It would certainly improve the landscape.

[Elliot]

Rough day at the office, ^Rhino?

[ygmir]

Generalissimo Elliot, Emperor For Life Of Cascadia And All He Surveys:

Elliot: you seem to have forgotten you official title:

Omnipotent Leader Declared For All Remaining Time?

ok, now, let's all stand and sing our national anthem!! you all know the tune, yes?
*hand over heart, other hand in front pocket to make "one eared elephant" at the end*


"Oh........I'm Cascadian and I'm O K,
I live in the best place,
to work and play

chorus: "you're Cascadian and you're ok,
you lives in da best place to work and play"

I mows my grass
I picks up moop,
I goes to the herbary

Get off my lawn
Patchouli man
off with you hip pie

chorus:

I smoke my smoke
and drink my drink
come sit and laugh with me

The sun goes up,
the sun goes down,
I live here with my friends.

Long life to Cascadia,
there'll be no bit-ter end.

chorus:

I stand and hail Cascadia
Salute the Northern lights,
we have no football stadia
nor evil bugs that bites.

So..........Hail, hail Cas-ca-di-a
my life......my love......my hoooooooooooommmmmmmeeeeeeeee

[Patsh]

Now, Yggy, there's a song we should all know by heart!
Well done!!

And, I see Elliot's neat trick to make pictures look like they're full of Playa dust... don't wash the mirror!
(sneaky!)

[Elliot]

Omnipotent Leader Declared For All Remaining Time

Patsh! I need a sign made! A giant name tag! With gold braids and oak leaf clusters!

[Patsh]

Omnipotent Leader Declared For All Remaining Time

Patsh! I need a sign made! A giant name tag! With gold braids and oak leaf clusters!

OK!!! Sounds like a fun one to make...
and, this time, there's not such a rush.

Do you have a particular style or shape in mind? We can make it awe-fully Offishul, you know.

There are probably some good ideas in Google images. I'll get back to you shortly, with ideas!! How Fun!

[Elliot]

.
And so the thread that was supposed to launch a new Nation... has degenerated into a costume accessory thread.

[Captain Goddammit]

I got a feeling my captain's hat will be repurposed next year.

[ygmir]

.
And so the thread that was supposed to launch a new Nation... has degenerated into a costume accessory thread.

NO! in fact, Elliot, sir, this is exactly what should happen. WE need leadership! and with you in the South, and Britz in the North (Locasta?).

we need to see this, and our leaders, in full regalia!!

[gaminwench]

... or naked.

[Elliot]

.
I promise both.

Now I must find a lamp shade.

[^Rhino!]

Rough day at the office, ^Rhino?

Yep. No mercy for rapscallions at this venue.

[Patsh]

.
I promise both.

Now I must find a lamp shade.

well, if the Queen can do it....

the Queen.jpg

[Patsh]

Or, is this what you had in mind?

lampshade.jpg

[burner von braun]

*sounds bugle*