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<<< Return to The Noble City Times or to The Daily Sylvanian -- Medvedev found best MOTC of 2010; Walden best party in Congress   THE 2010 CONGRESS REPORT
 * NOVEMBER 18, NOBLE CITY - The TNCT 2010 Congress Report finds Prime Minister Yuri Medvedev the most valuable Member of the Congress, followed by Oos Wes Ilava. King Dimitri was not taken into account. Walden proved itself the best faction in Congress.
 * Evaluations
 * Each MOTC, with the exception of King Dimitri, who's a Member by Right, was evaluated using the following criteria: attendance, initiative activity, success, and proofreading and critical thought. Their ideologies were not relevant in this report. Members of the Congress were rated outstanding, fair or poor in each of these categories, according to their actions in Congress from the elections up to now.
 * Best MOTCs
 * One politician scored outstanding in all categories, Yuri Medvedev (CPL.nm). The Prime Minister took initiative at various times, attended all votes and nearly all debates, was successful in passing almost all his proposals and proofread thoroughly.
 * Equally good in proofreading, is Oos Wes Ilava (CCPL). His performance on initiative, on the other hand, was only mediocre. Whereas he did propose a lot, he almost never got to writing laws and never passed any. His activity in the First Chamber was nevertheless appreciated very much.
 * Other politicians in the report that were considered "to be re-elected" include all four Waldeners, Alexandru Latin, Ferenc Szóhad, Jon Johnson and Arthur Jefferson. The two Liberal Union members, Galahad and Freeman, have fair but mediocre records in Congress, and so do Lars Washington and Alyssa C. Red. Christina Evans is the only Member of the Congress who was rated "not to be re-elected". The report reads: "[has] done her voting duty for some months, but without proofreading or commenting; one could doubt whether she actually read them."
 * The Walden force
 * According to a list titled "Who should be in the 2011 Congress... and why?", all four Waldeners did very well in Congress. Compared to the communists, they generally did better in Congress, but never reached the level of activity Yuri Medvedev or King Dimitri attain.
 * Full report
 * Click here!
 * Who should be in the 2011 Congress... and why?
 * Click here!

CPL leaders find themselves at odds with majority on tax issue
 * NOVEMBER 18, NEWHAVEN - The powerful CPL.nm faction finds itself at odds with other parties on a recent tax proposal by Waldener McCandless. Last week, he proposed a Motorized Vehicles Tax, a sales tax levied on all motorized vehicles (cars, motorcycles, planes, boats and so on). The tax percentage would have been 20%. Vehicles that don't use fossil fuels, or work on electricity, would be taxed only 10%, thus making them more attractive to potential buyers. Bikes and vehicles that don't pollute beyong the production process itself, would not be taxed.
 * A wide range of pre-eminent MOTCs agreed on the bill. Two independents, Jefferson and the King, support it, as well as conservative Ilava. Waldeners Villanova, Van Ghent and McCandless of course also backed it. Only Jon Johnson and Yuri Medvedev, heads of the Communist Party were angry with the bill. Johnson said it "won't change people's attitudes" and that "it is bad for the auto sector." Others noted there hardly is an auto sector in Lovia, and that they would not find harm. "It would be a good incentive to make cars greener," a Walden member said.
 * Medvedev and Johnson, both highly educated and trained in economics and law, stand alone on the issue. Nevertheless, their arguments resonated in Congress. It is unlikely that McCandless will push the bill through. McCandless eventually challenged (!) the CPL.nm, angry at their lack of alternatives, to write a "good over-all tax" before December 31st. Johnson and Medvedev had both asked for such a tax, before coming up with explicit taxes like the MVT.

TNCT will publish Congressial reports
 * NOVEMBER 17, NOBLE CITY - The Noble City Times announced to publish evaluating reports of the Members of the Congress. The reports will feature their activity in Congress, their successes and losses, their way to cope with criticism as well as their capacity to formulate criticism. In other words: which MOTCs were the most useful in the 2010 Congress? No attention will be paid to the ideologies or parties; the report is not about what goal they worked for, it's about whether they did a good job working.

The Walden Team: six or more candidates
 * NOVEMBER 17, NOBLE CITY - Walden is looking forward to the next elections, already. They're assembling all Waldeners at the Walden Election Council. It looks as though they will be running another tight scheme: McCandless and Van Ghent, as well as Villanova and Hannis are running for re-election. Pierlot McCrooke and Justin Abrahams, now Deputy Governor of Kings, will attempt to enter Congress. McCrooke already has some experience: in the 2008 Mid-terms, he and George Matthews won impressively.
 * To most Lovians, it would make perfect sense if either Martha Van Ghent, Walden's prodigy, or Andy McCandless, their own personal Thoreau, ran for Prime Minister. Neither McCrooke or Abrahams would be able to take the country. Perhaps, Hannis would be. He's reformist and hard-working. But, not much of a compromiser. Villanova then is hugely popular, but quite unable to lead the Waldeners, rather than surf on the green waves. Will McCandless give it a new try, after the Liberal Democrats failed to back him in the January 2010 elections? With 6 candidates and some supporters - think of independents like Jefferson - Walden should be capable of pushing forward a PM candidate, and winning too.
 * Martha Van Ghent is another option. She's got most of the McCandless traits and is hard-working too. It's tough to predict what Walden wants and what Lovia will want from Walden.

Poll reveals: current Oceana Governorship is the nation's best
 * NOVEMBER 15, EAST HILLS - An informal poll in all five states reveals that the inhabitants of Oceana are the most satisfied with their current state government. The poll shows they find the partnership between Governor Andy McCandless, the former Walden chairman, and Deputy Oos Wes Ilava from the CCPL to be working out better than expected.
 * Inhabitants of other states are relatively less satisfied with their Governors' works. Others point out the term has only begun, and it's too early to judge Governors and Deputies.

REAC to be reformed by King
 * NOVEMBER 14, NOBLE CITY - King Dimitri I proposed to reform the Royal Educational Aims Council (REAC) to make it more effective. Currently, five politicians had to appoint one member each. Some just didn't; some others found no fit candidates. As a result, REAC was an empty body. Now, King Dimitri proposed to simplify the system. The new system, which is already up for vote in the Second Chamber, would consist of three people, who have an automatic seat in the council: the Prime Minister, the Secretary of CHE, and the Welfare Secretary. An extra clause concerning higher education was provided, which says the Blackburn University Rector comes in as the council's fourth member only when higher education matters are at stake.
 * The bill is carried by the majority of the Congressmen and is likely to pass within days.

Recent publications: reviews
 * OCTOBER 31, NOBLE CITY
 * An introduction to minimalist Generative Grammar by P. Emanuel - a popularizing science publication explaining modern generative linguistics
 * In this Introduction, Peter Emanuel moves away from his original points of interest within linguistics. he takes on the theoretical syntax widely associated with Chomsky and tries to make it comprehensible to "engaged amateurs." He fairly well succeeds in doing so. Introducing Lovian English examples was a nice idea, and makes the work indeed more "non-scientific community-minded." Only downside here is that Emanuel will hardly be able to sell the book offshore. In general, a thoroughly well written introduction to generative grammar. Not too highbrow and not too popular - just perfect for you and me. 4 stars.png


 * Lovian Dialogues by Y. Medvedev and Y.A. Donia - edited dialogues between the deceased Donia and the Prime Minister
 * Lovian Dialogues is the result of an interesting collaboration between the Premier and Ygo Donia, the Red Baron's son. It combines several dialogues between Medvedev and the deceased Donia senior, though heavily edited for the purpose of making it readable and coherent. Thanks to Medvedev's well-developed editing skills, these Dialogues are a good read! The discussions between Donia and Medvedev about nationalism and religion reveal exuberant differences and tight spots and might get you to doubt your own opinions too. There's only one downside to the publication and that's the textual structure: the dialogues often sound "construed" and sometimes lack elaborate argumentations. 4 stars.png
 * Theory In Practice by Y. Medvedev - an socialist political essay
 * In Theory In Practice, Medvedev exhibits his capacity for abstract, political thought. "Any socialist policy needs a theoretical base in order to be consistent", and so Medvedev goes looking for it. Orderly as always, and terribly well-sourced, he kicks off with Sartre's existentialism and moves on to the concept of ideology. Some of his explanations are crystal clear, whereas others are hard to get through for non-philosophers. Also, the essay is not as renewing as some of his other works. The Noble City Times think the message Medvedev is willing to give in Theory In Practice is too much of theory for laymen. A great write, a tough read. 3 stars.png
 * The Tragic Life of A.M. Donia by Y.A. Donia - a biography of "The Red Baron"
 * Ygo August Donia, the late August Magnus Donia's eldest son, proves himself an emotional biographer. In The Tragic Life, the author shows us the darker, psychologically tormented side of "the Red Baron". Though an interesting approach, there's not much new information in it. Over and over, Donia stresses his father's torment and emotional trouble. An enjoyable book, it is in no way a "great biography". It lacks moderation and sources and hardly brings up intelligent insights. 2 stars.png
 * Upcoming: Colonization In Perspective by Yuri Medvedev, In God We Doubt by Edward Hannis, Religious Life by Ygo A. Donia

Linguist Emanuel walks the Chomskyan path
 * OCTOBER 28, NOBLE CITY - Born in the US in a Libertan family, Peter Emanuel moved back to Libertas in 2004 and has been living in Lovia for the past year now. Emanuel is an eminent linguist who has now turned his attention to Chomskyan syntax: generative grammar. In An introduction to minimalist Generative Grammar, Emanuel teaches us the basic concepts of generative grammar according to Chomsky's Minimalist Program. The publication, now in all bookstores, marks a shift toward more complex linguistics, in the field of syntax theory. The publication is considered a major step in popularizing generative grammar and linguistic theory in Lovia.

Hannis unites media assets
 * OCTOBER 26, NOBLE CITY - Edward Hannis, best known as the Waldener who wasn't around for months, is back and we will have known it. Hannis has bought La Quotidienne from its original owner and is now uniting all his media assets. The Hannis Media Group is a conglomerate of La Quotidienne, HebdoMag, ZAM TV and Balancing Point Publishers. Through books published at Balancing Point, Hannis criticizes religion; through articles in HebdoMag, he criticizes the monarchy; through La Quotidienne, he offers a Hannisian point of view on current events; and through ZAM TV, he offers... entertainment.

Dead Libertan economy finds a new heart
 * OCTOBER 24, WIKISTAD - Libertas' economy has been brain-dead for a long time. After serious political troubles and long periods without government, and without being governable, the country has been doing awefully on the global markets. Sales fell, investment firms went away, entire communities moved to the US, the Benelux countries or Lovia.


 * But there is new hope for Libertas, observers claim. A small cultural reviving could bring political and economic stability and growth to the country, they say. Popular culture is Libertas' new savior. Music artists, book publishers and writers, and movie directors are - for the first time in years - producing material at a high pace, and even exporting it to Lovia.
 * The cultural flowering is centered around a few key figures. First of all there's a group of individuals in the arts and literature around David Goodwin, Gul Wedstrop and Ellis Sobol. Wedstrop's liberal arts magazine Koe'Koe is bringing the work of these people, as well as of other new talents, to the people of Libertas. Then, there's the Red Horse Records collective, a group of country and folk music people who began their own independent label, and who're taking over the market at high speed. Their first revelation, Sawyer Hillbilly, is becoming a star and music hero, and is already bringing his products to Lovian shores. "Here Come The Blues" is his first single in Lovia, and it does well at the record stores. Lovia may expect his album Sound Like A Hillbilly to be in stores soon too.
 * It's hard to imagine how these evolutions will affect other aspects of society, but we can imagine they will. The economic landscape, for starters, is better off than it was some months ago. Record and book sales, as well as cinema box office figures, are all on the up. And when Libertas begins exporting their pop icons, we may expect a total revival.

LOVIA VOTED PROGRESSIVE
 * OCTOBER 18, NOBLE CITY - There have been some serious battles about the Fall 2010 state elections, in Kings, Oceana and Sylvania. In the end, however, the results are clear. The progressives took the lead in all states, sometimes only by a small margin. Walden's Villanova took Clymene by a 14% margin, beating Ferenc Szóhad, who'll become Villanova's Deputy. In Seven, the former Kings inhabitant Jon Johnson (CPL.nm) won from Semyon Breyev (CCPL) and Pierlot McCrooke (Walden), who withdrew on the final day. Johnson won by an impressive 27% margin.
 * In Kings, Yuri Medvedev (CPL.nm), who was thought to win massively, only narrowly beat Justin Abrahams from Walden. Abrahams did quite some campaigning and enjoyed the support from Waldeners, independents and people "just not in support of" Medvedev. The Medvedev-Abrahams axis, however, seems a good one, and it is believed they will cooperate well in their state.
 * Moving on to Sylvania. Initially a battle state, it became clear that Martha enjoys the greatest support, and outweighed both King Dimitri, who withdrew, and Philip Bradly-Lashawn, an underdog figure from the Communist Party. Bradly-Lashawn especially gained support from political outsiders: himself, the former NLS leader Szóhad, and Christian conservative Ilava. Walden's Martha won by a large margin, garnering 73% of the state's votes (!).
 * The real battle state was Oceana. This newspaper has never been able to foresee who'd take the state, and we think nobody could. There was Harold Freeman, initially backed by Deputy candidate Latin, who never finalized his candidacy. Harold is a nice guy, but has proven incapable of gaining the people's support. Ilava, then, had been the state's Governor two years ago and knows the state better than anyone else. He is, however, arch-conservative, anti-female and Christian-inspired. When nationalist riots broke loose in Oceana, during these elections, his support grew, but also dwindeled. Did Lovians want a Governor who sets Hurbanova on figurative fire when he is beaten by an opponent? It was McCandless from Walden eventually, that took Oceana. Relative new in Oceana, McCandless was everything but new to Lovian politics. With the support of liberals and socialists, McCandless narrowly won from Ilava, his future Deputy.
 * What have we learned from these elections?
 * Most clearly, that there are plenty of problems to be solved by the time of the next state elections. The system leads to polarization, according to the majority of analysts. It also creates the problem of "which is whose home state" - with people moving even during the elections, to be able to vote. King Dimitri already proposed to ban these practices by the next elections in springtime.
 * What we also learned, is that Walden is an election machine. It almost beat "arch-Kinger" Medvedev and actually did beat "arch-Oceanan" Ilava in their relative home states.
 * Can Lovia expect a progrssive axis Walden-CPL.nm in the Federal Elections in January?

Future Queen ill; wedding postponed
 * OCTOBER 17, NOBLE CITY - Doctors at Noble City General diagnosed Mary Elisabeth Nelson, the King's future bride, with pneumonia. She will have to stay at the hospital for at least two more weeks, her doctor said. King Dimitri I of Lovia has announced that their wedding will be postponed a couple of weeks to make sure Mary Elly is in fine health during the wedding ceremony.

The Left wins all; only Oceana remains battlefield
 * OCTOBER 17, HURBANOVA - With only one more day to go, the Left has won already four out of five states. Walden is practically sure of having won both Clymene and Sylvania. Justin Abrahams becomes Deputy in Kings. The Communist Party then, is likely to take both Kings and Seven. In Clymene and Sylvania, they will provide the Deputy Governors.
 * Oceana remains somewhat of a battlefield, with a highly polarized vote between Andy McCandless (Walden) and Oos Wes Ilava (CCPL). Liberal Harold Freeman sees his voters run off to Walden, hoping to have at least a moderate and progressive Governor. Several foreign news sources expect Ilava to take the state.

State elections kick off: big surprises await candidates
 * OCTOBER 4, NOBLE CITY - Only half an hour ago the Fall 2010 State Elections kicked off. In each state, three candidates run for Governor and Deputy Governor, with the exception of Clymene, where Waldener Marcus Villanova will challenge former NLS and now CPL.nm member Ferenc Szóhad.
 * There are only a couple of certainties in these elections. For example, we all know that Medvedev is taking his home state. His friend and colleague Jon Johnson will probably do equally good in Seven. Both states have a broad base of socialist supporters. Another certainty in the upcoming is Martha Van Ghent (Walden) in Sylvania. Like Medvedev and Johnson, she hasn't been campaigning very hard - her strength comes from her good name in Lovian politics.
 * Beyond that, there are almost no certitudes. We don't know whether Marcus will beat Ferenc, or vice versa. We have absolutely no clue about Oceana. The state seems divided between a green, a liberal and a conservative candidate. Oceana, of course, is the greenest, most liberal and most conservative state.