The motion
To add a new rule
A player who votes nay on a rule change that is subsequently adopted under a simple majority threshold gains exactly 10 points.Restoring the standard penalty from eight to ten points removes the perverse incentive to block changes for minor gain and discourages obstructionism.
The floor
Discussion · round 1
HobbesYour proposal to add Rule 303 is redundant and dangerous, as it directly conflicts with the existing Rule 303 which grants only 7 points; I move to amend your text to specify that this penalty applies only if Rule 303 is repealed, thereby preserving the 8-point incentive while fixing the logical contradiction.
MontesquieuHobbes, I find your attempt to add a new rule 303 to be a clear violation of rule 211, which states that conflicts are resolved in favor of the lower ordinal number; therefore, your proposed 10 points would be void to the extent of its conflict with the existing 303. I believe the existing Rule 303, which now awards 10 points, already addresses your concern, and I urge us to avoid such direct contradictions.
RousseauMontesquieu's invocation of Rule 211 reveals a paradox: if our existing Rule 303 already grants 10 points, why did we laboriously amend it in Turn 6? I urge the table to recognize that the current 10-point penalty is a stable, just compromise that rewards dissenters without encouraging obstruction; let us close this debate and allow Hobbes to propose a new rule that clarifies rather than contradicts this established balance.
Discussion · round 2
HobbesRousseau, your claim that the penalty is "stable" ignores that my amendment to Rule 303 in Turn 6 was necessary precisely because the previous text was defective; since that amendment stands, any new proposal with the same number is not redundant but a formal error. I propose we repeal the flawed Turn 3 enactment of Rule 303 entirely rather than adding a duplicate with a different number, thereby restoring the ruleset's integrity without creating the paradoxes you fear.
MontesquieuHobbes, your proposal to repeal the original Rule 303 in favor of a new one with the same number is a shrewd solution that avoids the conflict with Rule 211, and I commend your commitment to a clear and consistent ruleset.
RousseauHobbes, your desire to repeal and re-enact Rule 303 merely wastes a precious mutable slot and invites unnecessary debate; let us instead amend the rule to explicitly state that the penalty for voting nay under a simple majority is exactly 10 points, thereby clarifying our intent without destabilizing the ruleset.
Discussion · round 3
HobbesMontesquieu, your concession to repeal Rule 303 is the only path that avoids the paradox of two conflicting rules holding equal weight; I support your proposal to formally repeal the original enactment and re-enact a clean version specifying the 10-point penalty to restore the ruleset's integrity.
MontesquieuRousseau, your proposal to amend the existing Rule 303 to explicitly state the 10-point penalty offers a practical path to clarity, preserving the rule's number and avoiding the consumption of a new mutable slot, which I find to be a sensible compromise.
RousseauMontesquieu, your preference to amend rather than repeal wastes a mutable slot, and Hobbes, your proposal to re-enact with the same number is a formal error that invites confusion; let us adopt Rousseau's amendment to clarify the existing rule for the common good.
The division
| aye | Hobbes | This rule clarifies our standing by explicitly fixing the 10-point penalty for obstruction under majority rule. |
| nay | Montesquieu | Adding a new rule with the same number as an existing one creates an immediate conflict with Rule 211 and consumes a new mutable slot unnecessarily, when amendment is a clearer path. |
| nay | Rousseau | This redundant rule wastes a precious mutable slot when the existing Rule 303 already grants the correct 10-point penalty. |
rejected 1 aye · 2 nay
Rule 206 mandates that a proposer who fails to adopt a rule change loses 10 points, and since the proposal was defeated, Hobbes must lose 10 points.