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Bill: The Abolition of Civilian National Service Act
Details
Submitted by[?]: Aldegar Soviet
Status[?]: passed
Votes: This is an ordinary bill. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: May 2182
Description[?]:
| The Republic of Aldegar is considered to be free and democratic. We have regular, fair elections and the people feel well represented in the grand council. But can we truly consider our country to be a terra-liberty as long as we force our countrymen and women to do time in Civillian National Service? The answer, I fear, is no, we cannot. Our people need the freedom to choose whether they serve in the millitary or civilian services or not, otherwise our nation is not a land of the free, our leaders are not protectors of democracy; we are totalitarian despots, ruling over a military dictatorship. Thank you. |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change National service.
Old value:: All adults upon completion of schooling must serve a term of civilian national service.
Current: All adults upon completion of schooling must serve either a term in the military or a lesser paid term of civilian national service, at their option.
Proposed: There shall be no mandatory military or civilian national service.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 22:15:37, February 05, 2006 CET | From | Aldegar Soviet | To | Debating the The Abolition of Civilian National Service Act |
| Message | The Karskist-Soviets look forward to reading any criticisms you may have over this bill, so please make your feelings known. Thank you. |
| Date | 23:25:28, February 05, 2006 CET | From | Progressive Conservatives | To | Debating the The Abolition of Civilian National Service Act |
| Message | The link to civil liberties makes sense, to an extent; however, the rest of the KSP's allegations are hardly understandable. In fact, the KSP's preference to use exaggerations and overstatements in an attempt to induce fear and to scare legislators and citizens is quite appalling, and invokes a logical fallacy called argumentum ad metam. Compulsory civilian national service is not an infringement upon the democratic institution. Democracy is the process whereby civilians may elect a representative and accountable government. Having compulsory civilian national service does not encroach on democracy in this state, or anywhere, for that matter. The very fact that the KSP has the power to introduce this piece of legislation testifies to the healthy state of our democracy. Having compulsory civilian national service also does not make us totalitarian despots or a military dictatorship, especially considering that civilian service has nothing to do with the military. The PC Party is otherwise neutral on this piece of legislation; however, given the KSP's poor presentation of this legislation and the KSP's usage of unsound tactics in misrepresenting the implications of this legislation and of compulsory civilian national service, the PC Party will vote against. |
| Date | 23:52:32, February 05, 2006 CET | From |  Ducal Delegation | To | Debating the The Abolition of Civilian National Service Act |
| Message | His Grace is opposed to this reform, because he believes national service is good for keeping the peasants in line. Percy Waterman (Personal Secretary to the Grand Duke of Hikirena) |
| Date | 04:29:19, February 06, 2006 CET | From | Aldegar Liberty Party | To | Debating the The Abolition of Civilian National Service Act |
| Message | Support fully, we can hardly understand anyone's support of the current laws. Might we remind the Mr. Waterman that the Grand Duke and his family are not immune from these laws either and surely, they, like everyone else, know how to better spend their time than completing some arbitrary governmental service. |
| Date | 08:29:23, February 06, 2006 CET | From | Fenner Brockway Socialist Party | To | Debating the The Abolition of Civilian National Service Act |
| Message | We support this bill. |
| Date | 12:13:16, February 06, 2006 CET | From | Aldegar Soviet | To | Debating the The Abolition of Civilian National Service Act |
| Message | The Karskist-Soviet Party would like to respond to a comment the Progressive Conservatives made about democracy being 'the process whereby civilians may elect a representative and accountable government'. This is inaccurate, elections are only a part of democracy. Democracy is freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom to choose whether one joins the military or civillian services or not. Thank you. |
| Date | 21:52:05, February 06, 2006 CET | From | Ducal Delegation | To | Debating the The Abolition of Civilian National Service Act |
| Message | His Grace can buy his children out of national service, just like he bought himself out of it. Percy Waterman (Personal Secretary to the Grand Duke of Hikirena) |
| Date | 01:06:06, February 07, 2006 CET | From | Progressive Conservatives | To | Debating the The Abolition of Civilian National Service Act |
| Message | Re: KSP's Comments Actually, democracy is simply a political system like the one the PC Party described. Most credible political scientists and almost all dictionaries agree. Those things that the KSP describes are, as we've already stated, connected to civil liberties and responsibilities, not democracy. Once again, the KSP's blatant attempt to misrepresent the implications of civilian national service are absolutely appalling, and the PC Party's disgust of the KSP's unethical and equivocal tactics is the primary reason for which we will vote against this piece of legislation. |
| Date | 12:47:43, February 07, 2006 CET | From | Aldegar Soviet | To | Debating the The Abolition of Civilian National Service Act |
| Message | The Karskist-Soviet Party would again like to inform the Progressive Conservatives that democracy is not, I repeat not, simply the act of voting in parties or people to represent you. It is, however, about having civil and political rights. If a person lived in a country where they could elect representatives to parliament, but could only do so if they were white, in that black people, Indian people and mixed race people would not be able to, this would not be a democracy, but some people, at least, would have the opportunity to 'elect a representative and accountable government'. If one lived in a society where their was no parliament but the the people where free to change laws themselves, this would be a direct democracy. You see voting is only a slight aspect of this system; democracy, you see, is very much about how many rights, civil and political, a person has. Thank you. |
| Date | 22:20:53, February 07, 2006 CET | From | Aldegar Soviet | To | Debating the The Abolition of Civilian National Service Act |
| Message | The Karskist-Soviet wish to thank all parties who participated in this vote, but main ly those who voted yes. Thank you. |
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Voting
| Vote | Seats | |||||
| yes |
Total Seats: 272 | |||||
| no |
Total Seats: 229 | |||||
| abstain |
Total Seats: 0 |
| Random fact: Particracy allows you to establish an unelected head of state like a monarch or a president-for-life, but doing this is a bit of a process. First elect a candidate with the name "." to the Head of State position. Then change your law on the "Structure of the executive branch" to "The head of state is hereditary and symbolic; the head of government chairs the cabinet" and change the "formal title of the head of state" to how you want the new head of state's title and name to appear (eg. King Percy XVI). |
| Random quote: "If democracy is ever to be threatened, it will not be by revolutionary groups burning government offices and occupying the broadcasting and newspaper offices of the world. It will come from disenchantment, cynicism and despair caused by the realization that the New World Order means we are all to be managed and not represented." - Tony Benn |