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For a Kiwi Peoples Militia

Hi there! PQ here. Reknowned cantankerous windbag and busybody.

I've been on a bit of a sabbatical lately. Had retreated into the forests of the Czech Republic for a month or so. Now I am hanging out with my new friends in Otago..
[img]http://neon.polkaroo.net/~papadop/australia/pics/hoiho_0020.JPG[/img]
...and enjoying the possibilities for a fresh start here in the land of the long white cloud.


On the eve of our first election cycle, with all the fears and joys bouncing around like mad in the NZ press and forums, I thought I'd emerge from splendid isolation long enough to share my thoughts on a modest proposal on how to preserve eNZ's community. This is just an idea at this point. It kind of got sparked off from MachtGeil's announcement about the Kiwi Peoples Party and summarizes, to some extent, my experience in playing eRep for a year and half.

So. Anyway. Here goes... Hope you enjoy it. Ideas and feedback welcome!




Based on the following analysis, the progressive, democratic and honest Kiwis -- in or out of government, participants or not in the nascent NZ Army -- should consider promoting, building and maintaining a unified Kiwi Peoples Militia that is independent of both the Government and the currently quasi-official NZ Armed Forces.

eNew Zealand is a unique kind of place, bringing together strong players from around the world, with many experiences and perspectives, to create a new kind of unity. This idea for forming an autonomous Kiwi Peoples Militia is aimed at putting in place a longer-term strategy to preserve and protect eNZ for all Kiwis.





"The contradiction between the vast majority of players and the small nations of eRepublik on the one hand, and the oligarchical capitalist-imperialists backed by Admin on the other, is the key strategic contradiction of eRepublik." -- PQ, from "Long Live the Victory of e-Peoples's War!" (Yes, I am quoting myself. Get over it. I told you I was a windbag.)


All patriotic players within a nation share a common interest in fighting off invaders and defeating hostile political take overs. This interest forms the bedrock of our national unity. But there are degrees of firmness in such types of patriotic resistance and conflicting motivations. And underlying those conflicts are class contradictions, as well as disparate interests amongst the "bosses" (or wannabe bosses) themselves.

This becomes particularly evident when super-alliance politics come into play.

For example, the majority of players naturally resist the idea of giving up one of their regions "for the greater good" or in order to provide resources to another country, even if it is an ally. When such situations arise, tensions mount between the government and military leaders on the one hand, and the citizenry on the other. Such "swaps" tend to cause friction between the allied or friendly countries as well.

We have seen over and over again that a big bourgeois oligarchic class tends to develop within each nation. And we've seen that this class is out only for itself. And that this often leads to trouble for smaller nations in particular.

This doesn't happen because people are "bad". It happens simply because the game encourages such behavior. It's built-in.

The "chiefs" of Country A criticize the ruling class of allied Country B if they choose to support another nation in trouble rather than A's favorite, or if they pursue obtaining resources for themselves rather than helping Country A obtain the resources they need. It turns into a catfight and all too often the resources of a nation get drained defending the personal ambitions of the oligarchs.

Such cases test the resolve of the proletarians (those who mainly just work and train) and the fun-seekers (those who mainly just like to write, chat and publish) and all honest players. They grow bored with the never-ending game of "top dog".

The good news is: there is another way. The not-so-great news is: it takes both imagination and work to make it happen.




It is my contetion that the on-going regeneration of and ever-incresing ambitions of the capitalist-imperialist class, or "big bourgeois" game mechanic, or "top dog" psychological imperative, or whatever you want to call it, are what ultimately puts the nation at risk. Until the game itself is modified to provide counter-veiling classes some real power within the game, this "problem" will likely never find a truly satsifactory resolution.

But when it comes to dealing effectively with the capitalist-imperialist element, the thing to remember is that unity sought through yielding perishes, while unity sought through struggle will live. In other words: 1) Don't ask for a better e-world. Demand it! And 2) Don't mourn, organize!.. Always put something practical on the table to work towards. Always offer an alternative.

Favorably resolving the contradiction between Admin-promoted capitalist-imperalist aggression and national ruin vs. a crating a better quality of e-life for the majority of players, especially in smaller countries, means finding ways to empower the majority of workers, soldiers, small business people, intellectuals and artists within a nation. It means creating institutions that can outwit the "matrix". It means finding ways to promote, protect and support commonly-held assets that benefit e-society, like cooperatives, communes, progressive companies, smart newspapers, outreach and mentoring programs, and state-owned companies and organizations, plus the organizations, treasure, forums, guides and tools managed by the honest parties and individuals.




The winning strategy (imho) regarding matters of national integrity is one of both unity with and independence from the oligarchic, nascent oligarghic, or quasi- and wannabe-oligarchic forces. Creating and maintaining an independent "center of gravity" provides a constant, on-going political check against the development of oligarchical tendencies in the first place.

This political-military formula of Unity and Independece is not a simplistic one, nor is it by any means achieved by simply repeating slogans from one RL ideology or another. Rather it is a strategic point-of-view on how to "win" playing eRepublik for players who are bored with the same old sheep-dip over and over again.

Pursuing such a strategy requires careful balance. It's like eRep kung fu. There is always a temptation to take an opportunist path of "all alliance, no struggle" with respect to the bourgeois-nationalists, which effectively means abandoning the cause of the common good. But it is also a mistake to take an "ultra-montane" path (i.e., "going up into the mountains" at the first sign of friction) of "all struggle, no alliance", particularly when the integrity of the nation is at stake.

Creating an independent grassroots unified peoples militia provides a place to rally from when some cliqu of ultra-nationalists or capitalist-imperialists or Stalinist goom-bahs have seized power. Maintaining an organized force for democracy requires a strong degree of independence from the the game's pre-fabricated and "traditional" national models, which inevitably tend to promote the development of a self-interested bourgeois-nationalist elite.

A quick word regarding political labels before I get much further along...

In case it isn't already entirely clear, the class of players who play a role I prefer to name as "oligarchs" or "bourgeois-nationalists" can and do call themselves anything they like, including "socialists" or "libertarians" or "patriots" or "all powerful hot dogs with spicy mustard". And as for the Democratic National Defence Model I am proposing, you could call this little theory of mine regarding "unity and independence" with a peoples milita at its core a "councilist" approach to e-politics, or maybe "anarcho-syndicalism", or any number of other things.

But in the end it doesn't matter what we call either one of them. And it doesn't have much of anything to do with RL politics. It's a question of applying system dynamics to game mechanics. A network with multiple strong nodes is harder to take down than one with only one or two strong nodes.




Independence means that the democratic nationalists (those who favor an open, free and prosperous New Zealand) and revolutionary internationalists (those who seek to transform the entire game in favor of the majority of players) should emphasize first and foremost an alliance between the majority of workers, soldiers, small business people, intellectuals and artists within a nation, on the one hand, and the progressive political leadership on the other. Whether the democratic nationalists and progressives are in government or out of government, they should form and maintain an independent, principled, non-partisan, and pluralistic citizen-oriented armed force (and the organizations to support it) that contributes to the national-democratic defence.

Unity means a secondary, but honest and transparent, emphasis on alliance between the peoples' forces and the national big bourgeoisie and other parasitical classes.

In eRepublik, the capitalist-imperialists or nascent capitalist-imperialists within a nation tend to split into two camps -- the big businessmen and the elected officials who are in their pocket, and the reactionary, fascist and irridentist elements within the autonomous or quasi-autonomous "national" military organization. The progressive forces should support and participate in the government and the official military when it acts correctly, and should make every effort to steer the nation's organizations in a direction favorable to the majority.

But should also always be prepared to provide an alternative when the oligarchs inevitably begin to act against the interests of the nation.

The alliance between the peoples' real political leadership within a given nation and the great majority of everyday workers, soldiers, small business people, intellectuals and artists is the foundation of a national-democratic united front that will preserve the independence of small nations and provide a hotbed of resistance should the imperialists temporarily succeed in military or political take overs. A strong peoples militia helps to cement this relationship in a form that cannot easily be undone via PTOs since it doesn't rely primarily on in-game mechanics.

The foundation of the peoples' real political leadership becomes self-evident and can go by many names. No particular party has a de facto hold on that role. Actions always speak louder than words.




The everyday players constitute the overwhelming majority in all nations. Even honest and hard-working progressives, democrats and internationalists sometimes miss this point, focussing too much attention on the national governments, national militaries and other institutions of the capitalist-imperialist states.

For its part, the Kiwi provisional government is off to a bumpy, but promising start. It deserves credit for pulling together a diverse group of people. The question, however, is not so much who will get elected in the next round as it is how to preserve the independence, initiative, freedom and unity of the Kiwi players over the long haul.

All successful national-democratic and revolutionary organizations rely on supply lines that are based in autonomous organizations and progressive collaborative networks. When elected into government or participating in the national military structure, there is the opportunity to enhance and build up peoples organizations with state support. And such opportunities should be taken. But in the end it is the people-oriented base organizations -- not the governments or ministries -- which provide a solid foundation for on-going and sustained support of national-democratic defence and liberation.

The formation of a Kiwi Peoples Militia would help give shape, form and sustenance -- and political clout -- to such institutions.

Particularly in smaller countries, there is a constant threat of take over with respect to Parties and Governments. While ATO efforts are vitally important, the institutions of the state offer only the first line of defense. It is much harder for invaders and nefarious nabobs to disrupt a communal, grassroots network, especially if workers and organizers are cooperating and coordinating globally to support them.






Many of the peoples of the e-world already support each other in their struggles against imperialism and oligarchy. Those countries and organizations which break away from the imperialist paradigm of the game are duty bound to support and aid the peoples who have not yet done so. Nevertheless, even in the case of such friendly forces, foreign aid can only play a supplementary role in the defence or liberation of a country.

Our fundamental policy should rest on the foundation of our own strength as a community, as a people.

Only by relying on our own efforts can we in all circumstances remain unbreakable.




For Freedom, Independence, Democracy and National Defence: Support and build up a Kiwi Peoples Milita!





OK... that's it. Thanks for reading. Back to the wilderness...

By the way, don't vote for me in the elections. I'm just a blocker. I tried changing my avatar a bunch of times to indicate that, but the eRep gods seem to be angry with me.

Do vote and subscribe to this paper though!