His Own House

Day 1,609, 06:59 • Published in Canada Canada • by Sperry
Dum Spiro Spero

He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the win😛 and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.

Sunday, April 15, 2012. A lot of things happened yesterday in Canada. Party President elections continued with their regular frequency, and England conquered Newfoundland with their regular frequency.

First some thanks are in order. Thank you to the folks in EPIC for accepting me back into your ranks after such a long term in slumber. This is my 5th mandate for EPIC, and I want to earn that on your behalf. Also, thank you to Rylde for once again offering your thoughts on all things political. I've missed having you on the scene, and hope that you can defy gravity like you usually do. Third, thank you to Goran Thrax for your encouragement, as well as your recent boost in activity. You made a very big difference in my eLife when I first joined, and I think you can do the same thing for new players today if you keep your drive.

Now to matters of yesterday. Mia and the New Power Generation faced their first real test: a broad assault on Norsefire that more than miffed dear Rolo. The election, hopefully, presents a few lessons.

First, that the NPG movement has caught attention - they picked up quite a few votes. Second, that not everyone trusts a movement. Plenty of Canadians who support the idea of Mia are wary of the players leading the fight. This follows with every movement Canada has face😛 it took DAL months to overtake the CSD as the #1 party. Many of the players who today praise TFD once doubted his intentions. Movements gain support with their drive and hard work. Obstacles and failures do not destroy movements: apathy does.

Perhaps the greatest lesson, something many of us have yet to learn, is that not everyone thinks as we think. Not everyone believes what we do, or wants what we want. "We" has rarely included all of Canada - it's just too big. Some people genuinely support Rolo. Some of them genuinely don't care that he failed in his first term, and that he and the country suffered for it. If your "we" is with Mia or the EPC, coming to terms with that is important. Some people won't agree with you - some never will. What you do in lieu of that is what matters. If your "we" is with Rolo and Wally, the same lesson applies. I remember the Pre-theft Rolo. I remember how he was perceived. And while the 18 months since then have been painted as serenity, I remember different days. Better days.



Two years ago, I made a mistake. It wasn't my only one, but it was certainly one of my more foolish. As I came up against someone who did not think as I thought, who did not seem to have any sense simply because we disagreed, I decided they were out to ruin everything good and dear in the world. I hated talking to them and hated that they had supporters. I was glad when they quit. This was a mistake.

Players are a finite resource in eRepublik. They are less common than tanks and more valuable than gold. A player can be an honoured rival, a staunch supporter, or just a trusted friend. But they should not be a bitter foe. And if they are a foe, and if they are bitter, they should not make the same of me.

Yesterday Trenton took time out of his day to have some lulz with EPIC's name. He changed it several times, and yes, I was annoyed. But in the end, Trent is not a bitter foe. He restored EPIC's name before his term had ended. He also did not meddle with the name 30 days ago, as many players feared he might. For everything you might say of Trenton, in the end, he did what was right. He settled on a respectful exit, and for that I thank him.



Britain has reached Quebec. Newfoundland fell like grass, and our second region does not fare much better. It resembles both the PEACE invasion of 2009 and the ONE conquest of 2011. Talks of a wipe are brewing and we haven't heard much from Congress or Trenton since the war started to go in England's favour.

With so many different sides - within and without - calling for our destruction, I wonder: what home have you built for yourself? How is it treated, and how should it be? Who has been left outside, abandonned, when they could find warmth indoors?

Canada is not lost until you allow it to be. Canada is not corrupt unless you make it so. Canada is not defeated until you abandon your post, and spend time warring on one another instead of building a country.

Dum Sprio Spero, eCanada. I refuse to abandon this country and the people I respect for easy days and better bribes. "Rewarded activity" and "raised indifference" are not my path, and I urge you to consider that. Some of you will not - some of you will always buy votes and some of you will always hound Canada's gates. But I will stand with the players who build hope, instead of crush it. Who offer kindness and guidance, not fear or belittlement. And I will thank them for their work.

Canada is in need. Its players are in need. And so long as I am able, I will answer that call.
Here's to Summer 2012, Canada. Let's make it a good one.