NationStates Jolt Archive

It is my understanding that UN resolutions are illegal whenever they interfere with gameplay or whenever the game engine is not capable of implementing them. But what is the recourse of UN members whenever an illegal resolution has been submitted for vote?

One example is the Freedom of Humor resolution. (NB: this is NOT a debate about that resolution ... there is already a thread for that.) It is illegal because there is no game mechanism that monitors "community standards". Yet those standards are specified by the resolution as the final determining factor.

A nation can effectively nullify the resolution merely by saying that all its communities consider humor to be obscene. The game cannot know whether all, some, or none of a nation's communities have any such standards.

So what is the protocol for bringing to the attention of the game's administrators that a resolution is illegal?

Believe me that I've read this proposal over many times before it reached the floor of the UN but that I fail to see how it interferes with the game mechanics of itself.
My interpretation of the aims of the resolution are that it aims to allow all forms of humour/humor to be acceptable in all nations. It's not exactly something which I'd list in "basic human rights" with great alacrity, but it's certainly not anything else. Thus, the resolution is appropriately classified.

More importantly, you're welcome to declare that the communities in your nation consider humor to be obscene. The actual text of the resolution doesn't do anything at all - which is a good thing where it's poorly expressed. All that would happen if this resolution gets passed is that human rights in member nations would increase. That's all that happens in pure gameplay terms - RPwise you're welcome to have a "humor civil war" in your nation if you so desire.

I hope this makes sense. If not, I can clarify myself.

Thanks for the response, Enodia. I think what I don't understand is this:

All that would happen if this resolution gets passed is that human rights in member nations would increase.
Due to the resolution's "community standards" clause, that is exactly not the case. Human rights would be completely unchanged. As you point out, nations may implement the clause in any way they see fit. Therefore, there will be no change at all — no increase, and no decrease.

Actually, no.

If this resolution passes then the game's technical civil rights/political freedoms rating for all UN member nations will rise.

If it really should do so, is a debate for a whole nother thread.

Okay, thanks, Ganymerica. I get it now.

Yeah...basically, the little writeup is meaningless and just is there for realism/role-play value. All that matters is the category and strength ratings.

Ithuania, while you make an important point, the thread was dead and buried a while back.

So maybe one could put in a proposal with only a . for a title, and a . for the actual text. It would be interesting to see how far it would go.

Reason and Compassion's original FAQ had a similar explanation using a proposal called "boogie boogie boogie".

The text VS effect thing is one of the major reasons proposals get deleted when I sweep the list, since people will pay more attention to the text and think "Oh cool, let's [insert particular action here]" where the proposal actually ends up doing something completely different.

OOOOOOOHHHH! I understand now! THen the evil flaming about the letter of the law stuff is really just for Roleplaying factor? So if a euthanasia bill is passed, euthanasia isn't REALLY banned in my country?

OOOOOOOHHHH! I understand now! THen the evil flaming about the letter of the law stuff is really just for Roleplaying factor? So if a euthanasia bill is passed, euthanasia isn't REALLY banned in my country?

It's a tricky distinction in a lot of ways. If the UN passes a bill banning euthanasia, the following happens:

1. Your nation (and all UN members) will have their stats changed to reflect the passage of (what I imagine is) a "moral decency" resolution.
2. You'll be told that the resolution's been passed.
3. You can RP it however you want - some people make eloquent speeches and then leave the UN, I could imagine a few nations really going to town and having RP threads with "underground medical associations" performing euthanasia in secret.