Timewaster's Guide Archive
Local Authors => Brandon Sanderson => Topic started by: Andrew the Great on September 16, 2008, 03:03:42 AM
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In light of recent competition for the position of Hero of Ages, I feel that it is my duty to start this discussion. After all, how can a man (or woman, for that matter. I just say man because I am male, and Chaos is male, so we don't have any female runners) rule a nation after being democratically elected when he does not know what the people he is to rule wish him to do for their nation? And so it is that I open this thread.
First of all, this is not the place for endorsements. That should be done here (http://www.timewastersguide.com/forum/index.php?topic=6073.0).
That being said, if you have any questions that you would like the candidates, Chaos and myself, to answer, this is the place to do it.
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Would it be wise to purchase parachute pants?
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What do you mean purchase? Dont you own a pair?
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I meant another pair. Would it be wise?
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Would it be wise to purchase parachute pants?
If you have made the grave mistake of not yet purchasing a pair, it would be exceedingly wise of you to follow this course. You may find yourself in need of them in the days to come. Store them in a warm, dry place, and clean them often (dry clean only). If you do these things, they will serve you well. Should it happen that you die before the opportunity is presented to use them, you should entrust them only to the closest of friends or relatives, so that they may survive.
Besides, who doesn't want a pair of parachute pants? No one? That's what I thought.
PS: The brighter the color of the fabric, the more effective they will be. Bright Pinks and Oranges are especially effective. However, if you do choose this path, and survive to tell us about it, you must post pictures or be cursed for all eternity. I can only hope that my insights have been helpful to your decision.
Edit: Forgive me, you posted as I was typing. Yes, it would be wise to purchase another pair. That way, if you somehow let your first fall into a state of disrepair, you have a backup. Also, if your first pair is not pink or orange, I would highly recommend that this pair be one of those colors.
Edit 2: In a valiant effort to follow forum guidelines, I am avoiding double posting, and thus we have a double edit instead. I am continuing here the discussion based on Czanos' concerns regarding the situation of my nature and whether or not I am a Kandra. I am not a Kandra. If you can think of a way for me to prove it outside of using allomancy, I will. This does not extend, however, to solutions such as dumping large quantities of sulfuric acid all over myself. I do want to be at my full strength for certain....future...events that I am not authorized to speak of. But if you think of anything, let me know.
Besides, even if I were a kandra, would that be a problem? You can't seriously tell me after reading TenSoon's sample chapter in Hero of Ages that Kandra aren't awesome.
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Ookla, my friend, do what brings you joy. In these trialed times, we cannot elect a man who could have say over what you can wear or what you can't. If parachute pants bring you joy, then for the sake of humanity, no one should stand in the way.
I would like to pose a question to this enlightened audience, by citing something my opponent said in the election topic.
I would also like to point out that Chaos recently gave up his Biochromatic Breath to Brenna in the new mod thread. He also swore fealty to her. These are obviously unacceptable things for anyone claiming to be the Hero of Ages to do.
Is it not honorable these days to respect thy elders, and respect the rule by law? From my opponent's statement, clearly, it is better to run amok causing chaos and destruction--that is, change for the bad. Funny, considering how much he preaches against it.
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But this is not what I meant at all! See how my opponent deviously twists my words to suit his dire purposes! I, in my wisdom, suggested the path that I felt would bring Ookla the most joy. In so doing, I became infinitely more helpful, though the decision is, of course, ultimately up to him. Should he eventually feel he disagrees with me, that is his opinion. He asked for an opinion on the matter, and I expressed my thoughts truthfully and clearly. My opponent, on the other hand, hides his answer behind cryptic statements intended to leave Ookla exactly where he started: Wondering just where does Chaos stand on this issue?
It is, of course, honorable to respect thine elders, and law. But the Hero of Ages is to be the One who leads the world out of crisis. It is not acceptable for the world to see the hero as no more than a puppet, else the one pulling the strings would truly be the hero in their eyes, and Hero of Ages becomes no more than a title. I simply ask, for the sake of humanity, that the general populace take this respect for the title of Hero of Ages into consideration when they cast their vote for their candidate of choice.
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As one without parachute pants, I felt that it would be wrong for me to grant an opinion that I had little to no knowledge about. The human soul is something we must protect, and for the choices one must make, too. I would not violate or disrupt a choice with my interruption. It is too sacred to me.
If you vilify me for that, then so be it.
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Under what circumstances should I begin to believe the piece of obsidian I found when i was six has magical powers?
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Under what circumstances should I begin to believe the piece of obsidian I found when i was six has magical powers?
I define magic to be a change without a physical impetus--in other words, the magic affects the world by non-physical means, similar to a supernatural force. So, when the piece of obsidian begins to alter things (this could be anything from bringing luck, moving objects, or warping space-time) without a clear physical impetus, then I would believe your piece of obsidian has magical powers.
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How are we expected to put our faith in an "Incarcerated Street Brawler" as Chaos's title would suggest? Would you not rather put your faith in a "Scholar" like his opponent's title would suggest?
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This is a most interesting debate. Rarely is it run where the supporters are debating more than the candidates. Maybe it should be this way all the time.
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How are we expected to put our faith in an "Incarcerated Street Brawler" as Chaos's title would suggest? Would you not rather put your faith in a "Scholar" like his opponent's title would suggest?
These titles, like most all on TWG, are wholly meaningless to who we are. The only true title here is the Hero of Ages.
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Agreed, just attempting to slow the pace a little with some humor.
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Agreed, just attempting to slow the pace a little with some humor.
Humor? Sir, I must most assuredly inform you that there is nothing funny about who we select to be the Hero of Ages. Indeed, a most dignified and restrained discussion, focused on the current difficulties at hand and ignoring irrelevancies, is imperative to surmounting our current difficulties in order to not simply overcome those obstacles which beset us at every hand, but indeed to become stronger and thrive, enjoying our new world in peace and prosperity and preparing it for those who will be lucky enough to follow in our footsteps in the fullness of time.
In such circumstances, all discussions must be focused and to the point. It would, for instance, be totally inappropriate to allege that Chaos2651 likes to lick baby frogs, even if one had evidence to support such a ghastly, heinous pastime, such as accidentally seeing him do it while perambulating unobserved amongst foliage, and all considerations of how he would use the power given this odd fetish are irrelevant. Similarly, one would be advised to suppress the fact that Andrew the Great noisily chews his ice after finishing a cup of water, no matter how much one would avoid having an eternity filled with the sound of mandatory loud ice-chewing.
Thus, dear Sir, I cannot say how deeply I am offended that you think any of this is funny. Contrary to my name, I am a most serious person.
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I would begin to suspect, miyabi, that your obsidian is magical if and only if when it is near, things happen that are inexplicable when following known rules of physics. If this is the case, I would advise you to observe closely the effects the obsidian has. Should they be positive, guard it an treasure it. Should they be negative, throw it in a river or give it to an enemy. Throwing it in the river would, of course, be the more noble course, and the one I advocate, but should you feel that it is necessary...
I would also like to here take the time to answer a question earlier posed to me. Something to the effect of "If you were chosen as the hero of ages, what type of government would you have after everything is stable?" That is not an exact quote, but I believe I got the meaning right. (Correct me if I am wrong).
In answer to this question, I would not have a government after everything is stable. Should the deepness be defeated and the world settle down (as it will), I will either be dead, having given my life as a sacrifice to save the world, or (obviously) alive. If I am alive, I will be a hero for what I have done in saving the world, and as such will command much more power than any governor should. I will kindly ask that a different government be instituted. I will then offer the governing body/person my support and counsel should they require it. If they do, great. If not, I shall live a quiet life in the country, trying in small ways to make the world a better place.
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I wish to express my deepest apologies for double posting, but I wanted to make sure this was noticed:
Chaos is now a jailbird. How can we support anyone as the hero of ages who will not even support the law now?
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Perhaps Chaos was wrongfully imprisoned in an attempt to smear his name?
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Yes, I'm sure carefully working out the intricate details of the new established order would be the thing we certainly wouldn't want to do. We wouldn't want to plan ahead. It's not like the fate of the world is at stake.
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I think the question every one wants answered is whats your stance on Campaign finance reform.
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So, the government after I save the world, huh? Well, I can't answer unless we assume I am alive, so for the sake of the question, I will assume I live to see this new government come into place.
This government will have two integral pieces. But first, before we begin to describe these things, there will be a Bill of Rights with certain inalienable rights that no one can trample upon. Secondly, this government is not an empire. The world is too big to be under the hands of one central authority. We will have firm sense of federalism. Federalism, for those of you don't know, is actually TWO sets of governments: you have the federal government and provincial/state governments running concurrently. In my government, however, the federal government will have the ability to override state governments in certain cases--thus, as we learned from the Civil War, the notion of "states' rights" does not make a stable government, so the central government's authority supersedes the states'.
The provincial governments shall be autonomous in nature. They can rule themselves however they see fit, be it a democracy or a monarchy. However, it is the federal government's duty to make sure no person's rights are infringed upon (spelled out in the Bill of Rights), no matter what kind of government a province has. For example, if a province's king--if it decided to be a monarchy--would not be allowed to commit genocide, and thus, the federal government would be obligated to move forward.
Provinces can have their own army. Ideally, this entire form of government would exist for centuries (maybe millennia), and it foolish that there would not be war in a Global Government. If provinces have disputes and they resolve to wage war, then they could. Government should not freeze into one particular state, for that would bring about its eventual destruction. A government must accept change as a very real force, as I do.
The federal government would be somewhat detached in this manner. All provinces are obligated to share a portion of their taxes to the federal government, to be determined by the first essential body for the federal and world government, The Council of Justice. Every province must provide a Judge to the Council--it is their voice on the world scale. Such a person can be appointed however the province sees fit, but some guidelines must be observed. The Judge must be versed in law and swear to the Hero of Ages to uphold justice and the world.
The Council is somewhat similar to a hybrid Supreme Court and Congress, though more a Supreme Court than a Congress. The Council hears disputes from citizens from different provinces, and has the final say in what is law and what is not. Unlike our current Supreme Court, federal laws must be approved by the Council before being enacted into law (unlike the current system where there must be a case and it can take a long time before an unlawful law is struck down).
The Council decides how to use its revenue, gathered by provincial governments.
They do not explicitly "create" law. The executive and/or legislative authority is vested into a body as 3/4ths of the provinces see fit. This can take many forms, such as a monarch or a Congress. However, I, as the Hero of Ages, prefer a Philosopher King approach. These kings would have decades of training in all manners of subjects, such as law, warfare, politics, mathematics, and science, much how Socrates described (see Plato's Republic, Book 7). Any person can go to the academy to be trained to be a philosopher king, but there are many stages of the process, and if you fail one stage, you cannot continue forth. Ideally, after the training is done, there would be a set of candidates for the Council of Justice to choose from. A Philosopher King does not rule his or her entire life, but rather for a term of ten years. After that, they must retire from political life entirely.
The Council chooses among the candidates who shall be king. A Judge can make his own opinion, or if his/her province is especially democratic, the province can compel the Judge to vote by the majority of the provincial citizens decide (note: this is similar to how the Electoral College works, only each province gets a single elector).
Once the King is chosen, he holds Executive authority and half of the Legislative authority. As a chief executive, he has powers similar to the President of the US. As a legislative body, he creates edicts. These edicts go into two varieties: binding and unbinding. Since the philosopher king must be inherently competent to become one, it is wise for citizens to follow his edicts even if they are unbinding--that is, not having the force of law. Unbinding edicts are like guidelines: wise to follow, but not steadfast.
All of the King's edicts still go to the Council of Justice, where the Judges determine if the edict should explicitly become law (a binding edict), if it can serve as a mere guideline, or should be struck down entirely. The King has the executive authority only as the Council gives it to him. The King's army, appropriated by the tax revenue the Council receives, cannot invade a province without the Council's explicit approval. An invasion, of course, would only be warranted if the government of said province was clearly defying the Bill of Rights.
So, those are the two primary branches of government. If the provinces do not like the idea of a King, they can form a different body which would serve a similar lawmaking function, as long as 3/4ths of the provinces ratify it.
However, there is one more government branch: my branch. As Hero of Ages, I have too much power to rule as a Philosopher King myself, nor could I be a Judge. I hold very little authority on day to day matters in government, for the betterment of the world. In the day to day matters of government, I only hold one function, and that is to hear petitions against the ruling bodies of the federal government. If a Judge is breaking the law, or a King has gone too power-hungry beyond the Council's control, I hear these petitions and make a ruling from there. My judgments have the force of law.
There is only one other function, one so dire that it requires my direct rule. It is... The Alien Contingency. If, for some unforeseen reason, there is another force in the world or from other worlds which invade us, I have the authority to organize an army and do anything and all things necessary to protect the citizens from the invaders.
So, there you have it. The Government of Ages, with a contingency in case aliens attack the world. That's certainly a new idea right there...
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I feel that there is something wrong with the concept of "unalienable rights" and the way they are generally written. When written as "you have the right of this and that" you are also, even if unintentionally, saying that those are the ONLY rights you are guaranteed.
We have seen this happen MULTIPLE times throughout the history of the U.S. I propose that in writing the "unalienable rights" you right them in a manner that says "no one can take any rights from you unless you first infringe upon the following rights of another person," making sure to note that these aren't the only rights, just the more prime examples. So in essence the ONLY right you are taking is their "right" to take away someone else's right. This will create a much better onset that will protect people's rights better than other systems.
EDIT: Aside from this one section I wholeheartedly agree with your platform.
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Quite true. The Council of Justice can explicate this in great detail which rights can be added to the Bill of Rights.
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This government will have two integral pieces. But first, before we begin to describe these things, there will be a Bill of Rights with certain inalienable rights that no one can trample upon. Secondly, this government is not an empire. The world is too big to be under the hands of one central authority. We will have firm sense of federalism. Federalism, for those of you don't know, is actually TWO sets of governments: you have the federal government and provincial/state governments running concurrently. In my government, however, the federal government will have the ability to override state governments in certain cases--thus, as we learned from the Civil War, the notion of "states' rights" does not make a stable government, so the central government's authority supersedes the states'.
What's a state? I've never heard of such a thing before. And what Civil War are you talking about? We've never had one here in Hamland that taught us such a thing, that I can recall.
The Council is somewhat similar to a hybrid Supreme Court and Congress, though more a Supreme Court than a Congress. The Council hears disputes from citizens from different provinces, and has the final say in what is law and what is not. Unlike our current Supreme Court, federal laws must be approved by the Council before being enacted into law (unlike the current system where there must be a case and it can take a long time before an unlawful law is struck down).
What is a Congress? Is that some type of Council thing? I'm sorry, but I'm forced to assume here that my opponent is making up terms in the hope of looking more intelligent.
And what current Supreme Court are you talking about? And we have a system where a law (apparently made by the Supreme Court, not the Emperor) can be struck down? Without the approval of the Emperor? What are you talking about?
I've searched everywhere I can think of for a Book titled Republic by someone named Plato, but I'm forced to conclude that my opponent has invented this resource as a way to lend credibility to his deceit.
Could you define Electoral College?
What is the President of the US?
As you can all see, my opponent is delusional and is inventing things to try to confuse you and lend credibility that doesn't exist to himself.
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What happens when you die? Surely you aren"t arrogant enough to think that you will live forever. cough*cough TLR *cough*cough. Oh no of course not. So who take over for you when you die and how is this person selected. I mean someone has to hold your important position when your gone or does it dissolve? Because if it dissolves then what happend to your government of ages?
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As HOA would you rebuild Luthedal? Continue the distribution of the Atium? Marry Vin? What religion would you make the official one of the city-state? What form of government would you have? Where would you send the surviving Koloss? would you set the Kandra free? If so, would you let them intergrate with the rest of man kind?
but most importantly...what character would you create yourself as in WWC, or Oblivion?
This says alot about a person, it really does.
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What is WWC or Oblivion?
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They're RPG Video Games. I would comment on what Chaos said, but it was just too long to read. You are certainly long winded enough to be a politician, Chaos.