HOPEing for a Better eBelgium

Day 2,164, 14:24 • Published in Belgium Belgium • by Konrad Neumann


The overall conflict between the community and the HOPE/ PANDA is over the issue of immigration. This single issue is driving the country apart. It is indeed a shame that there is so much dysfunction over this issue and I think it is indeed troubling. I have read the recent articles from the current HOPE party president Kiyonori Dragnier and I am relieved that many wants their reputation to improve. I think this is a good sign and I hope the party will pursue this path and do not allow the hardliners to hijack any peace process or process to improve your reputation.

eBE is a country of norms, laws and tradition. This is not much different from other countries. The law was voted by the congress and the purpose is to serve the community. eBE is a very democratic country in which all can debate and take an active role in politics. I think it is a lot more progressive than many other countries in this regards. In many other countries, the normal citizen cannot write in the congress chambers itself.

I think HOPE hardliners are being unfair and unrealistic.

lin0leum wrote

"the immigration stop was undemocratic decision carried out by the undemocratic body - "phorum congress". the ingame CMs had the mandate from their respective voters to accept new citizens"

I have a problem with this statement. First, it is very democratic. There is nothing hindering you from joining the eBE forums. All is welcome and many of you already have an account. You choose to boycott it. If you want to talk about democracy, the peoples of eBE rejected the idea of open borders. This is not only in the forum but via a ingame referendum in lin0leum's very own newspaper. So if you want to talk about democracy, you need to respect the will of the people. You can try to make new argumentation but what the hardliners in HOPE is doing is just ignoring the will of the people since they do not like the result. That is not democratic. You demanded direct democracy and then ignores it when it does not conform to your vision and ideals.

Lin0leum made a second point about ingame rights. eRepublik is a very limiting game. The game itself is bland and the main reason why most people play this game is for the community. If the game is solely in the game itself, why do HOPE have an outside forum? Why did they have IRC channels like #redbro (IDK does it still exist)? Why do HOPE run on Operator Rota? Why did you want direct democracy in the first place? Surely all of the above is not game rules but something outside the scope of the game. Ingame rules alone is not a good enough reason. You are an eBelgian citizen and there are responsibility, rules, and traditions that goes with it. Being eBelgian is not just a little badge next to your avatar but it is so much more. It is an identity of shared values, shared interest, shared traditions, comradeship, and shared struggles. We are a people, a brother/sisterhood. We have a bond that means so much more than ingame rules.

Marko Klis wrote:

Be honest, you want to decide who will come in Belgium or not! Every CS approved by HOPE congress you declare like PTO! There is no debate about it with you! But when you want to approve CS to someone from Macedonia, UK or Romania that is justified."

There is a fundamental lack of trust. One the one hand, hardliners in HOPE states they are for direct democracy and then break their words, how can we trust them? HOPE in the past has a history of letting in PTOers like G50, Libertad and others. This troubled history is the cause of distrust. So the combination of ignoring the will of the people as well as the troubles of past CS request, many have little to no trust in HOPE.

However, I do think that is changing. Having people like Yannis (Chihiroh) and Kiyonori Dragnier in HOPE shows that people are starting to have some trust in HOPE. They are optimistic people who do see some good in the party. Them being in it gives HOPE a lot more legitimacy and trust to HOPE. Trust takes time and it does not come overnight. It will take time for many on my side to trust you and I am sure it will take a lot of time for me to earn your trust. But I think it will take time and while there is still a lack of trust now, it is not a hopeless endeavor. With time if we work together in the forums (I think the only realistic place to really debate and discuss issues in a comprehensive way) I am sure we can work and resolve our differences and to have trust with each other.

ChristijanXD wrote the following:

" Dear eFinland Brothers ,
I come to this wonderful country because Finland citizents invited me , so I coming in Croatia because Croatian coumunity invite me , Belgium citizents is a very rasist and primitiv people and they hates others people(Who arent FYROM , USA or Belgium citizent).
Why I write article and What I need , first I would like to have a BIG THANKS others citizents who vote me in PP electrions and who says a big cultur , no primistivism and others.

Croatian people in eBelgium need help , need people who will help him in every Belgium day , people who will donate money for food because we will donate items a young players.
If you interesed for this please PM me , donate money , gold or come on to eBelgium and aplicate(first PM )
This is not article some for Finish people , this is article for every people in Belgium."

All I can say is the article is very hypercritical. You state the Belgian people are racist while you acknowledge that it is a very international country with many different nationalities like the USA, Macedonia etc. One must question why do they target the Croats? I find it ironic that he called the people of Belgium as primitive. Isn't that a racist connotation?

I will not use the word primitive but I will use the term crude and unprogressive and I think that is a good way to describe ChristijanXD. The only person of hate is ChristijanXD as he in the past treated MaryamQ with disrespect and made many sexist comments. These hardliners do no justice to the HOPE party.

In Closing

I would love it for there to be trust and a more unified eBelgium. I think HOPE really have a chance to do good for the country. I am happy that many in the party has express their desire to improve their reputation. I really welcome this direction. I hope you will go with it. I know there are hardship and anger on both sides. I believe if you ignore the hardliners and come to the middle, we can get a lot of things done. Boycotting the forums or shouting direct democracy does not help things. I invite HOPE to a dialogue to address our differences. I think the eBE forum is the best places to do it but if you want to do it via ingame articles in the beginning, No more rhetoric and baseless accusations. Lets come to the middle and address this issue. I am sure if we start communicating in a constructive way, we can resolve our differences and our community will be stronger. Let's all come to the middle together.