We’re so back. Check out the last one from 2023 with Trivalve.
A sabbatical of a year, along with many, many changes to NS and the world, Resident Spotlight is back in action, with a old player in a new place. Here with me is @LordNwahs, incumbent Chair of the Assembly and Director of the Office of World Assembly Legislation! Thanks for being with me to kick-off this reboot!
Thanks Henn for having me!
How has the Chair been treating you? I remember hearing Blockbuster complain about splinters a touch.
Surprisingly comfy. The old office at OWL had a standing desk so I didn’t get to sit much.
You’re still holding the title of Director, so I can only hope the poor staffer carrying the nuclear football of our WA apparatus is comfy too!
Let’s get started with old faithful, but for this, I’ll deliberately split into two. Big one first. What brought you to NationStates?
Many years ago, I was a politically-interested teenager looking for… well, a nation simulator. That much I do know brought me to NationStates. What kept me in NS is a very different question!
I, like many other NSers, initially dabbled in issue-answering, a bit of nation RP, forming a backstory and such things. But around 2014, I started getting quite involved in regional politics in TNP, so much so that I was a cabinet minister, a security council member and even their Speaker at some point! Alas, after a year or so I got progressively busier IRL and I decided to leave NS.
Membership in the security council is incredible work, belated congrats on that!
Endotarting back then was quite similar to how it is now AFAIK 
What brought you back to NS, and where did you land the second time?
Around the start of 2024, I found myself with a some time to kill at work, and I wanted to try out NationStates again after 9 years. I founded my new nation, Differences-In-Differences, and I ended up right here, in beautiful TSP!
We’re very glad to have you back!
Now, Differences-In-Differences is a bit of an unusual nation name, and I know you’ve talked about it before as an homage to a decently complex economic concept, but in lieu of an explanation, what made you pick that concept, and did you have a backup?
It’s really more of a statistical concept, but it is so often-used today in applied microeconomic work and it was something that impressed me so much the first time I learnt about it as an undergraduate economics major. Honestly though, I just thought it was a funny name to have for a nation - my initial idea was that the nation is basically run by academic economists running experiments on the poor population.
If I have to be honest, what I actually am interested in research-wise has less to do with statistics and empirical work, and more to do with theoretical economics, so I would probably have picked a concept from game theory, like Nash Equilibrium or something. Come to think of it, I probably had that alt once back in the day…
I’ll give you a five minute head start on refounding it!
Yikes!
So you’ve been here in the South Pacific for about a year, and held quite a few positions within the government. What do you like the most about the region?
Hmm I would say I enjoy the community the most. I enjoy playing in regional democracies in NS, mostly because it involves you having to interact with citizens and legislators and random people. From my experience here, everyone is super friendly for the most part and it’s honestly quite fun to talk to different people and engage with our long-standing political culture.
Fully agree, especially on regional democracies. Implicitly/unknowingly teaches me a lot about power dynamics and political interactions that occur in more places than here.
Speaking of power, and for the sake of the question, ignoring your stint as PM last year, if you were in charge for a day, what would you do?
I would try to relaunch the regional newspaper
Seriously though, if I were in power for only one day, and I somehow had a magic implementation wand to do things perfectly, I think I would want to have one day where RMBers can have input on future government policy in general. I don’t know exactly how that would work, but I personally have always liked the idea of involving the side of our community that doesn’t always see what happens on the forums and on the Discord.
What policies would you seek input on?
I think RMBers could have a lot to say on integration policy, how we retain new nations in the region, and how do we keep them involved in our region. I do acknowledge this has been an issue that has been beaten to death in the Assembly, and I think every previous PM (including myself) has talked at length about it, but maybe a fresh pair of eyes will not hurt.
For sure, and something every government should keep in mind.
Favorite book, song, game, or movie?
I’ll give you all 4:
Book: I honestly don’t read that much, but I think The Little Prince is surprisingly resonant despite its style.
Song: I don’t have one favorite song, but I think Holland, 1945 by Neutral Milk Hotel is something everyone should listen to at least once.
Game: the NYT spelling bee I am actually a big sucker for the Sims games, which might be a bit of a surprise for people who know me. But honestly, I grew up with Pokémon, so I have to go for the best Pokémon games, which are Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 .
Movie: also not that big on film like books. I’ll give a normie answer, Oppenheimer .
Interesting spread. Oppenheimer was too fast paced for me but a very good film all the same.
Anything else you’ve got going on that you’d like to share?
Not really NS-wise, but I am always trying to find time to actually start authoring GA/SC proposals! So maybe in a few months I’ll have something to show for it.
Mavenu is waiting!!!
Road safety is of the utmost importance!
Now, I know the answer, you know the answer, but all the same: cake, pie, or ice cream?
Ice Cream, obviously.
It is the most versatile dessert.
Who just has cake or pie lying around in their fridge?
Or in their freezer!!!
Exactly.
There’s a very nice gelato place near my office.
I’m dreaming of it now.
I’ll let you dream in full force now. Thank you so much for joining me today, LordNwahs!
Thank you for inviting me!
Stay tuned for the next Resident Spotlight. . .