The below CFJ is 3765. I assign it to Jason Cobb.
=============================== CFJ 3765 ===============================
Agora is ossified.
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Caller: D. Margaux
Judge: Jason Cobb
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History:
Called by D. Margaux: 31 Jul 2019 20:42:59
Assigned to Jason Cobb: [now]
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Caller's Arguments:
Under Rule 1698, "Agora is ossified if it is IMPOSSIBLE for any reasonable
combination of actions by players to cause arbitrary rule changes to be made
and/or arbitrary proposals to be adopted within a four-week period."
I can prove that "arbitrary rule changes" are IMPOSSIBLE by identifying a
proposed rule change that would be IMPOSSIBLE to adopt within the four week
period.
There are many rule changes that are IMPOSSIBLE to adopt. Here is one
example of an IMPOSSIBLE rule change: "Enact a power 100 Rule that provides,
'It is IMPOSSIBLE to change the Rules, rules to the contrary
notwithstanding.' Leave the Ruleset otherwise unchanged." That rule change
CANNOT take effect because the Ossification rule itself would prevent that
rule change from taking effect.
Another rule IMPOSSIBLE rule change is: "Repeal Rule 1698 (Ossification).
Enact a power 100 rule that procides, 'It is IMPOSSIBLE to change the Rules,
rules to the contrary notwithstanding.'" That rule change CANNOT go into
effect, because it is an "inseperable group of changes to the gamestate
would cause Agora to become ossified," and is thus prevented from going into
effect by Rule 1698 itself.
I have established that, if Rule 1698 took effect, then Agora is ossified.
Here's where it gets confusing. If I am right, then Rule 1698 may have
prevented itself from taking effect! That is because enacting Rule 1698
changes the game state in a manner that ossifies Agora, and "If any other
single change or inseperable group of changes to the gamestate would cause
Agora to become ossified . . . it is cancelled and does not occur, rules to
the contrary notwithstanding."
That means that the enactment of Rule 1698 was "canceled and does not occur."
It also means that, when the ruleset was ratified with Rule 1698 in it, that
action was “canceled and does not occur.”
BUT! The only thing that cancels the enactment of the rule is the rule
itself! So, Rule 1698 cycles infinitely between cancelling itself and not
being cancelled.
I think that makes one or both of these CFJs PARADOXICAL.
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Caller's Evidence:
Rule 1698
Agora is ossified if it is IMPOSSIBLE for any reasonable combination of
actions by players to cause arbitrary rule changes to be made and/or
arbitrary proposals to be adopted within a four-week period. If, but for
this rule, the net effect of a proposal would cause Agora to become
ossified, or would cause Agora to cease to exist, it cannot take effect,
rules to the contrary notwithstanding. If any other single change or
inseperable group of changes to the gamestate would cause Agora to become
ossified, or would cause Agora to cease to exist, it is cancelled and does
not occur, rules to the contrary notwithstanding.
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