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Recap

Last time you would have read this amazing publication you will recall a vision of Parliament and reform that would rejuvenate both Congress and our Domestics. Within this article I indicated that domestic were being neglected and how party politics are being channeled in an altogether negative way; and how reforms suggested by myself could set this straight.

You will be happy to know that since writing that I have drafted legislation and put it to party members to discuss. There are still issues that have now been highlighted which I need to iron out but it is important to remember that the proposed plan need not be legislated or taken up entirely in one go; as far as I am concerned Congress could begin working towards reasserting their relevance tomorrow.

Things have slowed slightly due to me having to use pay as you go internet (I know right, and to think it’s the Jubilee) but my activity has plucked up around the fifth as I always like to see who is running for president and what ideas they have.

This month, a debacle unfolded and the election promises that have emerged as a result of this are somewhat lacking in anything new, and in some cases seem quite silly. I have decided to offer a commentary on this, because I feel it perfectly illustrates some of the reasons why our Congress ought to be reformed in the ways I have previously outlined.


King Woldy’s Jubilee yacht

Party Politik in motion

It can be argued that from the word go it was all a tad suspect. In a true tedious fashion it was all vs. one, taking the form of Greatmoff running for TUP, versus Rawdon running for ESO. I really like Rawdon. He and I are chummy. VERY CHUMMY. Greatmoff and I are merely pally. So I don’t think I’m being biased or that it’s unfair to say that Greatmoff’s recent experience in higher echelons of government hugely outweighed Rawdon’s long period of doing nothing. That isn’t to say he had no experience, but a knowledge of current events is vital when it comes to running for president. Without meaning any offence to ESO and whichever parties are currently significant enough to support candidates, it was perhaps a poor choice.

This I take to be a fact. Rawdon would be a lovely president, I am sure. But he needs to ease into the role first, although he has an impressive CV, so too does Greatmoff and therefore we can only distinguish them by their current involvement in politics and unfortunately G somewhat trumps R on this matter. I cannot believe those who blindly follow like sheep were not conscious of this fact. It is quite unwise to run someone without contemporary knowledge and I believe we see here an example of how party politics could have worked to the detriment of the country. A group of parties through an imagined disliking of a dominant party oppose them with a weaker candidate for no other reason than because they ‘don’t like those other guys’. This problem persisted and has been somewhat elevated by the fact that after Rawdon had to resign his candidacy, in a last-ditch display of their disdain and irresponsibility those parties have decided to run someone else. Within the space of around 3-4 days, this individual has to form policies and a cabinet - from what I’ve seen so far his attempts haven’t been all too impressive. And that is without touching on the fact that the new ESO candidate is a very dodgy character. I don’t like mudslinging and don’t want this article to appear as a political doctrine in favour of either candidate but I certainly frown upon parties who run people who have fought and led our enemies and stole from our very own country for no other reason but avoiding a slight knock to their e-pride.

I strongly feel these party rivalries shouldn’t be fought out in the arena of the CP election. Of course it will always be a competitive event, but when it gets to the point where a group of people are comfortable with running and campaigning for people who have in a very direct way damaged the eUK, I think it has gone too far. I therefore feel that these rivalries and pointless peen waving pride showing events should be done in Parliament, as outlined in my previous article. This showmanship and bravado can be channeled into working towards domestic bliss and productive debate, rather than simple NEVER BACK DOWN bulldog mentalities that parties such as ESO appear to be displaying over CP elections, and which I am sure will one day lead to our downfall. How far is any party willing to go before they elect someone who robs us silly? Why not simply shake hands with people they dislike (for no real reason) and back a different parties candidate? What does it matter if someone is from TUP or UKRP? If they are good, back them, don’t run second rate candidates simply out of stubbornness. There are countless dodgy opportunists out there who might just take everything and leave, which is exactly what happens in countries such as Canada, where party politics has gotten out of hand and where they practically expect their treasury to be robbed every other month.


An artists interpretation of UK national progress should we continue to degenerate at the hands of party politics

Domestics

The insistence of ESO to push out a candidate in time for elections has led to some interesting domestics. I believe Greatmoff wishes to move us to a position where my plans can be implemented (hurray etc) and is splitting the MoHA into two departments, possibly in preparation for Congress taking up the roles of the MoHA. He goes on to explains the how’s and why’s and all that boring stuff which you can read here. Jamesw, the ESO candidate lists his domestic ideas here, and his formatting skills are always to be commended; in true jw style he has taken somewhat boring and old ideas and dressed them up as new and flashy. All in all in makes for an interesting read, though there are one or two points which I simply couldn’t keep quiet about.

The big problem is this large expansion of not only the MoHA, but the entire Cabinet. The introduction of new ministries can be fun, but to be frank when we’re in a situation where we can hardly fill up the ministries we have, making new ones is only going to hinder their progress. Last month a crisis emerged when Applemac struggled fidning ministers and filling ministries, and it already appears as though Jamesw is struggling to find all ten of his ministers. Every time new ministries have been introduced they have been removed simply because it’s inefficient. It’s not new nor it is it a fundamental change.

An idea I did like was to have people contact us, by us I mean the forum using élite, via mediums such as skype or email. (it is interesting to note that although the article says throwing food and money at people isn’t what reforms are about, the reason for doing this is in order to make it easier to throw money and food at people) Again these ideas aren’t entirely new. I have a horde of new players in my skype contacts, and from my experience people can often be -and rightly so- somewhat apprehensive about giving out their skype and email addresses to random eRepublik geeks online. Furthermore his plans for a ministry of retention offer no retentive ideas whatsoever. Money and weapons are readily available as it is; that simply isn’t what retention is about. As someone that has been involved in domestics since like, forever, I can say that retention is much more about making the game appealing and enticing people to engage with the community through the medium of games general niceness, gaming communities ETC, handouts don’t cut it. Handouts don’t make eRepublik a better game. What needs to be done is encouraging people to engage with the community and that can’t be done over email or skype half as effectively as it can be done through parties and MU’s, Jamesw himself says as much but offers no elaboration. In fact he somewhat shoots himself in the foot when he says that fundamental change is required, because he offers no such thing. I’m sure he could do much better if ESO et al weren’t rushing him. The sad reality is this is the calibre of article you can expect from anyone who is made to produce them at short notice.

In other words we now have an example of how Party Politiks can seep into different areas of government and make them a little naff. Party pressure has lead to a rushed manifesto which offers very little, and those ideas that do exist are either as old as I am or simply uneffective. As I say this is no slight against James, it’s just the position he’s been put in. Similar events come to mind, I once ran for President, and my opposition gave cabinet positions solely to those who had supported him. Fortunately he lost (duuh) and a crisis was avoided, because they were all more or less crap. These are the risks that party politics impose on CP elections, and although we cannot eliminate them, we can help tackle them through diverting party rivalries and increasing accountability and competency, as (no surprise) I outlined in my previous article. That is to say, I am always right. 😉


We need to make this game cheesily magnetic

I suggest you go through either candidates manifesto’s with a fine comb. It isn’t up to me or your party president to choose who you vote for but these decisions are important, and I hope the fundamental changes I have proposed are adopted, and anyone who makes a move to adopt them shall have my big ol’ kingly vote. Be sceptical, ask questions, and think critically.

In the mean time,

WOLD-OUT

Thanks for Reading,
HRH King Woldy I,

OBE, KCVS, MC, HRH.

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To apply for the ‘Woldy’s Young Achievers’ Scheme, simply pop your name in this thread on our external forums:
http://forums.erepublik.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=588&t=75411

Happy Jubilee \o/