Explanation of the Diagram of the Supreme UltimateThe Supreme Polarity that is Non-PolarTaijitu is Non-polar (wuji) (無極) and yet Supreme Polarity (taiji) (太極)! The Supreme Polarity in activity generates yang; yet at the limit of activity it is still. In stillness it generates yin; yet at the limit of stillness it is also active. Activity and stillness alternate; each is the basis of the other. In distinguishing yin and yang, the Two Modes are thereby established. The alternation and combination of yang and yin generates everything.
Taijitu is neutral and it is democratic and supports the rights of nations and sovereignty of regions. Taijitu lives and sleeps. Taijitu is an RP region. Taijitu is a Gameplay region. We are many kinds of region but we are one region.
Active InertiaWe are an active neutral. We are a connected isolate. We are our own community, we do not represent other regions to us. Our army will go forth in the spirit of the Dao and restore balance. Our diplomats will go abroad and speak of the Supreme Polarity that is Non-Polar, introduce the once again awoken Taijitu, and bring back their impressions of the world around us.
I have appointed Funkadelia to be Deputy Minister of Defense. I hope that the amendment to allow overlap between Senators and Ministers will pass soon, allowing for his promotion to help lead the first part of this. We will seek guidance from the citizens on how best to name the new, reborn army. Personally I favor Taijun but there are plenty of other ideas. The new military will follow the laws of Taijitu in that it will defend and liberate, though it will also pursue our regional interests as they may arise. The wider world is out of balance, perhaps we can help restore some.
The second part will require a competent and engaged Minister of External Affairs. I understand that in the current state, asking people to resign their Senate membership is asking too much. I will be listening for applications for this position through Sunday, of course, and possibly will solicit such applications. I will be seeking the advice of the citizens in pursuing an active foreign policy. We will seek out possible partners who can work with us on an equal footing.
Dual DualityThere are two kinds of Duality in our world. The first, from our perspective, the most obvious, is the duality between the person behind the nation and the nation in Taijitu. The actions of that nation in pursuing trade, war, et cetera should not be motivated by the person behind the nation's desire, and need not reflect that person's real views of what nations should do. Indeed, the interaction between our nations is most interesting when we guide them in a manner that will be most interesting for us all, working together to spin a good fabric of interleaving stories.
The second is more subtle, it is the duality between the person behind the nation and the persona(s) in regional and interregional politics. In this region we are not purely a community of real persons, we also form an overlapping community of personas. Here in cozy, comfortable Taijitu, this subtle distinction is very thin. In other regions it can be thicker, more solid. We must be mindful of this duality in order to protect ourselves and to protect any immigrants we may see who expect it. In contemporary time this duality may even have been split into a triad of the person, the nationstates wide persona, and a set of regional personas. I remain skeptical of claims to separate regional personas however, and Taijitu law correctly does not recognize such, as this could too easily be abused.
We will promote RolePlay by encouraging good duality in roleplay. We will protect our politics by seeking approaches which recognize Gameplay duality without opening the door to unwanted mischief. We can be the twice-dual region again which is both an RP region and a GP region, harmoniously intertwined.
The resumption of roleplay will require two initiatives. Firstly, our RP elders who know how to do it and love to do it must RP. I will begin by example by revising and then posting a new opening to the tale of Petei Tar-Ilium and Fredrika Quarrovth, and Eluvatar and Myroria. Secondly, we must create an easy path to join the RP. We should be clear that we do not insist on nations to build up a detailed setting with interconnection to the other nations before joining in the RP, but that this can be built as wanted over time. We must however allow an easy way to get on the map and begin one's wiki articles.
In terms of Gameplay, we must carefully consider what we should expect of those who are also active in other regions. Perhaps we may want to look into disclosure and conflict of interest rules. We will also need consider in what (few) cases we would not welcome someone to our community. If we do not consider it early, we will end up arguing about it with greater immediacy later.
Already Fording |¦|¦|¦The Taijitu is the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate. Taijitu is whole and yet diverse. We have been active and inactive, I think we can live with these cycles and grow into an active phase. We can have presence in NationStates as both something to do and an oblique way of inviting more to join us. We can pursue our traditional dual nature of Gameplay and Roleplay as a community. We will have more politics, but I think we can promote civility and pursuit of the region rather than personal glory. We can be the very best, like no region ever was. Yes I'm joking around, but I'm deadly serious.
If any metaphor or even direct declaration is difficult to decipher, don't despair, direct at your Delegate a question, directly here!
