[Nation States] The Dominion of Sincronia

[Gaby]

My jedi senses are tingling... someone's not in a good mood!

 

[Lord_Sinclair]

The Heroics of Captain Sincronia! #1

Following new legislation in Sincronia, an increasingly villainous series of sports coaches are demanding the national mascot's true identity.

*A 1930's radio broadcaster's voice appears over one of the public radio channels at precisely 16:00.*

We interrupt this radio broadcast to bring you...

...the Heroics of Captain Sincronia!

Join us for this week's broadcast as we follow the adventures of our hero, Captain Sincronia, as he fights to defend truth, justice, and the Sincronian way!

The city of Urbis! A bustling town full of energy, it seems as though all is peaceful. The citizens are preparing to celebrate Unification Day at the lakeshore, when suddenly!...

THUD!
STOMP!
SHAKE!

A giant black and red mechanical spider appears in the city!

The citizens scream in terror as the spider moves through the suburbs, crushing everything in its path!
"Someone, please, help us!" They cry out!

Just then, parachuting onto the scene...

It's Captain Sincronia!

Captain Sincronia, wearing his patriotic gold, white, and black uniform, pulls out his trusty shield and sword!
"Fear not, dear citizens! I shall save your city!"
And with that, Captain Sincronia charges forth on his rocket rollers!

Meanwhile, back in the city, the giant mechanical spider is using its laser vision to destroy everything as it moves closer and closer to downtown! The spider has laid waste to the suburbs, but just when it seems all hope of saving downtown is lost...

Captain Sincronia appears!

"Halt, you foul mechanical beast!"

"De...stroy!... Must... show... beloved dictator's... domination!..."

"No dictator can overcome the strength of the Sincronian spirit, you erroneous arachnid!"

And with that, Captain Sincronia springs into action!

Captain Sincronia uses his shield and speed to dodge the spider's laser attacks as he attempts to close in on the spider's legs! Weaving and bobbing, he grows ever closer, but!...

...out of the corner of his eye, Captain Sincronia spies a civilian about to be trampled upon by the spider! He moves quickly to save the civilian, but just as he rescues her from destruction!...

...the spider aims a laser beam straight at Captain Sincronia!

With no time to move away, Captain Sincronia holds up his sword to absorb the attack! The laser beam hits the sword, heating it to a bright yellow!

Quickly, Captain Sincronia uses his now golden sword to strike at the spider's nearest leg, severing it completely! Using his rocket rollers, Captain Sincronia strikes down three more of the spider's legs to make it unbalanced! Unable to move or remain standing!...

CRASH!

...the spider falls to the ground!

Captain Sincronia climbs on top of the spider's head!
"You see? No amount of force can ever destroy Sincronia! We are more than a nation; we are a culture, a people, and a unified spirit of truth and justice!"
And with that, Captain Sincronia thrusts his sword into the spider's head, killing it completely!

The crowd goes wild as they celebrate Captain Sincronia's heroic triumph!
"Captain Sincronia!"
"Captain Sincronia!"
"Captain Sincronia!"

Captain Sincronia salutes the citizens as he rides through the town, no doubt en route to his next heroic adventure!

Tune in next week to discover what new challenge Captain Sincronia will face!

 

[Valonyx]

( *Arcturix promises ''severe retaliation'' for this ''insulting show of slander'' from Sincronia* )(North Korean style)

 

[Lord_Sinclair]

Representative Randy Resigns

Good evening, and welcome to SNN!

Earlier today, Randy Persin announced his resignation from the position of Representative to the Democratic Council of Hollow World.

The announcement comes as a surprise to many, though it is not difficult to understand the reasoning behind the decision, following the recent chaos at the Council Center. Though Persin has not released an official reason for his resignation, it is widely believed that he desires to take his leave from the turmoil of international politics for personal reasons.

Following Persin's resignation, President Sinclair announced that he is nominating Demetrius Basilik as Representative to the Democratic Council of Hollow World. The speed of the announcement has led many political scientists to speculate that Persin consulted with the President before announcing his resignation in order to allow the President to consider nominees ahead of time.

Demetrius Basilisk is viewed as an excellent choice to replace Persin. Demetrius Basilisk, hailing from the ancient family of the Basilisks, is a popular, charismatic politician known for his passionate, forceful speeches. Though highly regarded for his passion and force of will, Basilisk is often criticized for being aggressive in his pursuits. Even so, Basilisk is expected to easily secure the votes necessary to confirm his nomination.

For a more detailed profile on Demetrius Basilisk, please visit us online at www.SNN.sin!

Spoiler

And, as always, be sure to chirp your thoughts to #SNN!

Thank you for watching, and stay tuned to SNN for The Dominion of Sincronia's most comprehensive news coverage!

 

[LightTwig]

(( Jesus Christ its Griffith ))

 

[Lord_Sinclair]

AI Denied Inalienable Rights

Following new legislation in Sincronia, only 'organics' are permitted to be citizens.

Good evening, and welcome to SNN!

Earlier today, legislation regarding granting the rights of citizenship to Artificial Intelligence systems was defeated in the parliament. The piece of legislation had been a polarizing issue for the past few weeks as both sides have passionately argued for and against the proposition.

Supporters of the bill have argued that Artificial Intelligence has reached the point where there is no longer a rift between the capacities of AI systems and the human brain. As such, they feel as though there should therefore be no rift between the rights of AI systems and humans.

On the other side of the spectrum, opponents of the bill have argued that only humans should have the right to be considered a part of human society as citizens. Lord Symund best described this view in a speech during the debate in parliament:

"Throughout the course of history, mankind has always strived to become the master. We have mastered the elements, beasts, nature itself! The heart, the drive, of humanity has always been our determination to command life, the universe, and everything!

Now, we have created Artificial Intelligence, a system that has expanded our depth of knowledge far beyond what we could have possibly imagined just a few decades past! We cannot deny the benefits AI has brought to our society, but we also cannot forget its origin!

Man was the source for the creation of AI! Man built the circuits, and man programmed them! AI was, is, and should forever be a tool for the advancement of man, and man alone! What sort of a precedent do we set if we, the people of mankind, cede a portion of our control to our creation?

Creation exists to serve and benefit mankind; mankind does not exist to serve and benefit its creation!

Never can we forget the order of the universe! If we do not reach out to grasp the universe with our own hands, then what faith is there in humanity? What will we leave ourselves to if we cede our quest to command all that exists?

Fellow members of this assembly, I implore you to strike down this legislation lest it bring about the languishing of humanity itself! This is fight for the soul of humanity, and nothing less!"

Lord Symund's eloquent and passionate speech is cited as the key piece of persuasion for the majority of those who voted against the legislation. Many people are now hailing Lord Symund as a defender of humanity and civilization itself.

As of now, a response from the nation of The Cybernetic Utopia of Mechanica Rationalis has not yet been received. The nation of The Cybernetic Utopia of Mechanica Rationalis is well known in the region for possessing a large number of "synthetics", has granted them significant rights, and is run by an extensive AI network known as Mechanica. The nation is currently a member of SATO and holds a strong alliance with The Dominion of Sincronia. Some members involved in diplomatic departments have expressed concerned that voting down this piece of legislation to grant AI citizenship may have serious diplomatic repercussions.

We, here at SNN, will be sure to update you with any new information we receive!

In the meantime, chirp us your thoughts to #SNN!

Thank you for watching, and stay tuned to SNN for The Dominion of Sincronia's most comprehensive news coverage!

 

[Baron]

You're goddamn right there'll be repercussions >.>

 

[Baron]

The individual known as Lord Symund has been marked as a terrorist, and the Mechanica Rationalis government has sent an official request for him to be extracted to Mechanica Rationalis.

The 50GWh energy pipeline selling cheap and plentiful power to Sincronia has been shut down.

Sincronia has been blacklisted for all flights leaving Mechanica Rationalis as the government feels it is an actively dangerous environment for all synthetics. The tourism hit is estimated as 65 tourists per hour.

Mechanica Rationalis will no longer use its political clout to aid Sincronia when needed.

The Mechanica Rationalis Space Elevator Administration has issued an embargo on all Sincronian cargo.

 

[RexJen]

The individual known as Lord Symund has been marked as a terrorist, and the Mechanica Rationalis government has sent an official request for him to be extracted to Mechanica Rationalis.

The 50GWh energy pipeline selling cheap and plentiful power to Sincronia has been shut down.

Sincronia has been blacklisted for all flights leaving Mechanica Rationalis as the government feels it is an actively dangerous environment for all synthetics. The tourism hit is estimated as 65 tourists per hour.

Mechanica Rationalis will no longer use its political clout to aid Sincronia when needed.

The Mechanica Rationalis Space Elevator Administration has issued an embargo on all Sincronian cargo.

(Good thing Carausmia has nothing to do with Mechanica, they view synthetics as the ultimate monsters xD)

 

[Baron]

(Good thing Carausmia has nothing to do with Mechanica, they view synthetics as the ultimate monsters xD)

Carausmia is also viewed as being unimportant and primitive. This was MR's oldest ally and closest trading partner going "Your people are being given their own water fountains and have to sit at the back of the bus."

 

[Gaby]

^ Corvermell right now

^ all the vermellans who didn't like Namasie



^ Housekeeper Valia Namasie


(this was entirely necessary)

 

[Valonyx]

*If Arcturix wasn't so hypocritically hosting mundane world events right now, they'd probably have an answer to this*

 

[Lord_Sinclair]

The individual known as Lord Symund has been marked as a terrorist, and the Mechanica Rationalis government has sent an official request for him to be extracted to Mechanica Rationalis.

Free speech is permitted in Sincronia, and, so far as Sincronia is concerned, Lord Symund's words are not considered hate speech and are thus not worthy of extradition.

The 50GWh energy pipeline selling cheap and plentiful power to Sincronia has been shut down.

((I'm not sure what ever happened to that pipeline, since that was before we built the map. Regardless...))
Sincronia has since built sprawling nuclear power plants, so although the shutdown of this pipeline will have some short-term consequences as the power grid readjusts, it should not create any long-term consequences.

Sincronia has been blacklisted for all flights leaving Mechanica Rationalis as the government feels it is an actively dangerous environment for all synthetics. The tourism hit is estimated as 65 tourists per hour.

The tourism hit would be felt, but Sincronia has long been the world leader in tourism, and this hit still would not drop Sincronia out of first place. Other nations would likely notice an uptick in Sincronian tourist advertisements, assuming such advertisements are allowed.

Also, please be aware that Sincronia is not a dangerous environment for synthetics, though your government may still believe otherwise. Though legislation to grant AI citizenship failed, this does not mean that AI is viewed as a threat. The general sentiment is simply that only mankind should guide the fate of mankind, so AI should not be granted citizenship and, by extension, a place of governance in Sincronia. The populace fears being governed by AI, not the mere existence of AI.

Furthermore, Sincronians are rational enough not to persecute foreigners; we'd never survive in tourism if we did that. Rest assured that any Mechanican synthetics in Sincronia would be treated with all due respect as international guests.

Mechanica Rationalis will no longer use its political clout to aid Sincronia when needed.

The consequences of this action will be felt on a case by case basis.

The Mechanica Rationalis Space Elevator Administration has issued an embargo on all Sincronian cargo.

This would be a detrimental long-term effect, but considering the age of the Space Elevator, it is highly unlikely that Sincronia ever reached a point where they used the Space Elevator significantly enough for this to have short-term consequences.

 

[Baron]

The populace should have caught onto that not a single synthetic of Mechanica Rationalis has ever endeavoured to conquer or rule. The supersized synthetic minds that run cities and regions are made to custom and inseperable from the infrastructure. And it's a massive hit when the oldest ally nation decides to not only refuse dual citizenship but refuse citizenship entirely to a class of people billions in number due to unreasonable and unfounded fear of Skynet.

The theocratic backwater of Corvermell allows synthetics citizenship, and the advanced and cultured nation of Sincronia doesn't. Hm.

 

[Gaby]

The theocratic backwater of Corvermell allows synthetics citizenship, and the advanced and cultured nation of Sincronia doesn't. Hm.

*one synthetic

but the point's been made. XD
hell, even Keirattin, the biggest traditionalist around and probably 3rd most afraid of Mechanica annexation, couldn't say anything about Namasie other than "look I just don't trust her yet ok," and just generally has an attitude of "I don't know what to think about this."

admittedly, it's a bit of a shock to see what's essentially a machine putting forth all the resources imaginable /just/ to be regarded as a mortal living thing, moving from one of the most advanced superpowers of the world to a lonely gathering of islands that barely had electricity, willingly accepting eventual death, just from devotion to a religion. it's not really a rational choice. it's an emotional one, from a being not supposed to have emotions.

vermellans don't know what to think.

 

[Baron]

*one synthetic

but the point's been made. XD
hell, even Keirattin, the biggest traditionalist around and probably 3rd most afraid of Mechanica annexation, couldn't say anything about Namasie other than "look I just don't trust her yet ok," and just generally has an attitude of "I don't know what to think about this."

admittedly, it's a bit of a shock to see what's essentially a machine putting forth all the resources imaginable /just/ to be regarded as a mortal living thing, moving from one of the most advanced superpowers of the world to a lonely gathering of islands that barely had electricity, willingly accepting eventual death, just from devotion to a religion. it's not really a rational choice. it's an emotional one, from a being not supposed to have emotions.

vermellans don't know what to think.

Machines don't have emotions. Living creatures do. MR is also an extremely cultured nation and synthetics often create art, something machines also can't do. Now, I'm not saying synthetics have souls, but they're on par with organics for a lot of very human traits.

Namasie's main struggle is the same as every other synthetic, which is being recognized as being more than a machine. It's all well and good to live in the utopian superpower that they all come from, but if nobody accepts that you're a living being, it's kinda pale.

 

[Gaby]

Now, I'm not saying synthetics have souls,

how would we even know, though.
there's no magic in this world. we can't peer into the afterlife...

 

[Baron]

how would we even know, though.
there's no magic in this world. we can't peer into the afterlife...

Wrote a Factbook for it. https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=390751

It's basically "We have no idea how it works, but we're clearly more than machines just like humans are more than animals, so until a rational explanation exists, this is the best we've got."

Big, big philosophical debate on this topic, and the nation is more spiritually awake than you'd expect (though there isn't much belief in god(s)). Such is a high culture score.

 

[Lord_Sinclair]

The populace should have caught onto that not a single synthetic of Mechanica Rationalis has ever endeavoured to conquer or rule.

Do not misinterpret this as a deliberate slight against the synthetics of Mechanica; the legislation did not single out synthetics from Mechanica and was aimed at AI in general. Furthermore, it should not be assumed that the definitions of "conquer" and "rule" are synonymous for all people; Sincronians may view certain actions in a very different light from Mechanicans.

And it's a massive hit when the oldest ally nation decides to not only refuse dual citizenship but refuse citizenship entirely to a class of people billions in number...

Firstly, this is the first I've heard of a dual citizenship proposal, so that is irrelevant in this matter.
Secondly, "billions in number" is only in the nation of Mechanica Rationalis where Sincronia is not able to grant citizenship anyways.

...due to unreasonable and unfounded fear of Skynet.

Fear of an AI initiated war on humanity is not really the motivation behind the opposition to granting AI citizenship; I didn't ban AI outright, after all. More accurately, there are fears that, if humans do not take the reins in the advancement of society, humanity's fundamental drive for perpetual progress will whither and leave humans nothing but an empty shell going through the motions. The primary argument for the opposition is philosophical in nature, not fear mongering.

As eloquently put by Lord Symund:

...If we do not reach out to grasp the universe with our own hands, then what faith is there in humanity? What will we leave ourselves to if we cede our quest to command all that exists?...

...This is fight for the soul of humanity, and nothing less!"

The theocratic backwater of Corvermell allows synthetics citizenship, and the advanced and cultured nation of Sincronia doesn't. Hm.

It is precisely because of our culture that we take philosophical repercussions of our actions into consideration.

 

[Lord_Sinclair]

Namasie's main struggle is the same as every other synthetic, which is being recognized as being more than a machine. It's all well and good to live in the utopian superpower that they all come from, but if nobody accepts that you're a living being, it's kinda pale.

I have no idea whether AI should or should not be considered "living", but from Sincronia's point of view, the synthetics of Mechanica are more like a different species than organic humans. No rational Sincronian would ever deny the intellect and capabilities of AI; in fact, most would probably say that synthetics are superior to humans. Sincronians simply believe that humans should govern humans and synthetics should govern synthetics; most do not, however, believe that it is impossible for synthetics and humans to coexist.