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Fanfare for the Common Man

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Musical Interlude: Fanfare for the Common Man (video with text)


The Problem of Evil

My friend Zanmor recently wrote an article called There is a Tyranny in Emericka in which he sounds a warning bell about the tendency towards authoritarianmism in the eUSA. His critical appraisal of the role of "greats" in eAmerican politics pointed to S.E.E.S., which he sees as synonymous with the cult of Emerick, and Max McFarland 2 as examples of his concern.

The nub of Zanmor's argument is in the following statements:
"There are evil forces that seek their own amusement."

and
"There is no government outside the individual ideas that govern each of us. There is no world beyond yourself."

His zinger was:
"Greatness for individuals only means tyranny over the masses."

Carr de Vaux predicted in the first comment that fans of Emerick and MM2 would troll the article. There was a little of that, but also some positive comments. Even a S.E.E.S. loyalist like Candor -- who tends to mock everything and gratefully stayed true to form this time -- responded with "Tyranny is Bad" along with the somewhat predictable "Emerick is God". (Hmmm. Perhaps the timing of posting a comment like that on Easter Sunday is a little off-color? But, whatever. It's not like he nailed a crucified Easter bunny to a church door!)

Zanmor's article got me thinking (which is always trouble! 😉, particularly where he sai😛
"Remember the vote is always with you, both on elections days and in deciding how and when you work, where you fight and with what weapons. There is no authoritarianism in eRepublik. The great people are all those who make up a nation, and that is all of us."

And that's right. In terms of how the basics of the game work, it doesn't really matter if some party or another decides to go for that "authoritarian" or even the "totalitarian" label. It's always up to the voters to decide whether or not to elect them, and if elected, to impeach them or to throw them out of office next time around.

Personally, I'm a big advocate for finding lots of ways to have fun playing eRepublik. For me, that takes the form of exploring alternative economic and military structures, looking for ways to increase player-to-player or party-to-party co-operation across national boundaries, and making new friends.

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I'm probably tilting at windmills to some extent with that approach. But I don't care. Because, for me, that's how I seek my own amusement.

This question of authoritarianism isn't a right vs. left thing either.

Almost exactly the same arguments being made now by the SEESniks -- and in days past by formidable "greats" like Harrison Richardson/Franco -- have also been made by various left and far-left parties around the eWorld. It boils down to: democracy equals weakness, tough times require tough measures, the game is only about war, and so on.

The Theocrats probably expressed it best with their adoption of the Latin slogan...
Silent leges inter arma! (Laws are silent amidst arms)
...a legal nostrum that implies a state of emergency requires setting aside fundamental democratic priniciples in order to preserve a greater good.


Relax, the Kids Are Alright

In eRep, as in RL, this is a chicken and egg problem, isn't it? And that's what Zanmor's really getting at, I think, with his Obi Wannish observation about "evil forces".

If we start out from the perspective that democracy and freedom are core -- that is, that preserving a pluralist commonwealth based on constitutional principles that favor the common man are worth dying for -- then Silent leges inter arma can be applicable only in times of extreme danger. And only on a temporary basis, in order to prevent the destruction of those core principles and institutions.

As Zanmor correctly asserts, just such a state of emergency could well arrive in the form of another assault on the eUSA, possibly with the collaboration of some EDEN forces if Max's bombshell, With Friends Like These Who Needs Enemies, is not just clever Phoenix propaganda.

The chicken and egg problem comes in if we believe that certain individuals or parties seek to use -- or perhaps even to foment -- such emergencies in order to impose authoritarian or totalitarian controls, with the goal not of preserving a free way of life, but of destroying it.

In my experience, Max McFarland 2 does not fit this description at all.

Here is a quote from a comment that Max left on an SF Press article a couple of week ago:

No one person holds up any worthwhile venture. If any effort is held together by the efforts of one man, then it should collapse with him when he leaves, it does not have the self-determination to exist. The eUSA is not like this. The eUSA shall stand strong long after any of us move on.

Max also quoted Che Guevara:

"Above all, always be capable of feeling deeply any injustice committed against anyone, anywhere in the world. This is the most beautiful quality in a revolutionary."
~ Che Guevara

When it comes to S.E.E.S. and Emerick and the dada-quasi-fascist movement around them, I have a few more qualms. For example, I have more than six million reasons to be disconcerted with references to the S.E.E.S. mascot as the "Führer". And I don't expect that particular meme will play very well if they manage to take the reins of executive power.

But...

Though I'm not one of the faithful, I am well aware that Dioism contains multiple strands of wisdom, including an appreciation for the type of e-socialism that favors the common man. And I know for a fact that there are players who are part of or close to the S.E.E.S. milieu who have a pluralistic, open-minded and diplomatic attitude.

In other words, regarding Emerick-san -- though of course he's very popular and capable (and had my support in his Presidential campaign during the invasion of eAmerica) -- 1) in the end, despite whatever his cult believes, he's really just a funny and wacky guy who likes Zooey Deschanel a lot, has mastered the art of trolling in eRepublik, and enjoys pushing people's buttons; and 2) he's not the be-all and end-all of the S.E.E.S.-inspired movement.

So, to my friend Zanmor, while I appreciate many of your points -- and I'd agree that a large dollop of caution is in order whenever somebody wants to cook up authoritarianism into a permanent principle of leadership -- I would have to respectfully disagree with your characterization of S.E.E.S. as evil.


Which doesn't mean I support their candidate in the Presidential campaign...

CivilAnarchy for President!

First, let me say that Woxan and Bradley Reala would both make fine Presidents. They're experienced and level-headed players who, by all accounts, have eAmerica's best interests at heart. I particularly like the fact that Woxan is running on a Sixth-Party ticket, even if that Sixth Party is a bit of a Potemkin village.

But this election season -- and all of the ferment that ensued after the last round of party elections -- has brought forth a rare opportunity...

I would urge eAmerican citizens, when they vote tomorrow, to continue on the course that Max McFarland 2 set out on when he won (and then relinquished) the presidency of the AAP.

Let's shake things up: Vote for CivilAnarchy!

CivilAnarchy really is from "outside the Beltway". He's a guy who knows first-hand what it's like to pull together a team that has to struggle against the odds, that has to work hard to make a difference. He comes from -- (excuse the dig, SEESniks and Brolliance Party, luv u guys, rly! 😉 -- a real Sixth Party: the SFP. This party is not based on the force of one person's cult-like status or on recruiting "elites". Rather, it's always relied on careful planning, on innovation, and on widespread collaboration based on core principles.

The SFP has never been afraid to "swim against the tide". And CivilAnarchy has long been one of its strongest swimmers.

* As party presidentCivilAnarchy moved a small band of idealists into high gear, ushering in an expanded congressional caucus, a regular press, an awesome new forum, a dramatic increase in membership, and a heightened level of collaboration with other parties.
* CivilAnarchy followed up on ideas put forward by M. Leviathan, Lefty from Mulberry St., Max McFarland 2 and others for empowering Sixth Parties by working to pull together the Small Party Union.
* CivilAnarchy is a 3-term Senator who has worked hard to keep eAmerica safe from PTO threats and to improve government oversight.
* CivilAnarchy was the first Presidential candidate this round to encourage an exit from EDEN.
* CivilAnarchy's program, A New Era, is chock-full of pragmatic ideas for steering the country through the upcoming period of dramatic change.
* CivilAnarchy has already succeeded in waging the most successful Sixth Party campaign for President ever seen, winning multiple debates and polls, despite his "non-elite" status.
* CivilAnarchy's candidacy is endorsed by nine small parties and by President PigInZen.
* CivilAnarchy is the people's choice!

Plus, if you vote for CivilAnarchy, then you'll get one of these nifty t-shirts for FREE!...

...so that you can show your support for a golden age of civilized anarchism!
Availability of t-shirts may be limited to electronic sizes only.