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Why You Should Join the Socialist Freedom Party
Reason #6: e-Socialists are on the side of the angels...

This is the sixthist in a humble series of articles encouraging you to check out one of the eUSA's most rabble-rousing small parties: the Socialist Freedom Party (SFP).




Play From Your Heart

There's a good bit of discussion from time to time about where the proper line is between real life and the New World.

The SFP is sometimes criticized for using a word like "Socialism" in its name. Those who pay attention know that the SFP is very clear about "e-socialism", "e-communism", "e-anarchism" and similar ideas promoted by party members being concepts that exist within the game. International workers solidarity. Communal economics. Anti-imperialist military strategy. These are all specific ways to play this game.

It's really kind of amusing to be accused of being "too real life", when the SFP clearly has an approach to the game that's totally in context, while a certain faction of their erstwhile "capitalist" philosophical opponents tend to rely exlusively on real-life arguments (or illusions?...) to make their case.

Such folks still get some kinda retro kick out of bashing leftie players with their Reagan-stick, or whatever the proper meme is. Not to mention the rather funny spectacle of players referring to e-Russians as "commies" at every opportunity, while e-China is a "potential bro". (Talk about irony.)

Anyway. All in good fun. And the SFPers tend to have thick skins. So, whatever.

But all of that aside, what is actually cool about being "far left" in eRepublik with respect to echoing real life sentiments isn't so much re-inventing "socialism" (although that is fun) as it is having a chance to express what is in your heart, not just what's in your head. It's standing up for the little guy, whether that's new players or small countries. It's insisting that workers should get a fair shake. It's questioning the whole premise that happiness = gold.

Will the SFP "win the game" this way? Who knows? But it is interesting, perhaps, to observe how few "rage quits" you see amongst far-leftists. I think that's because they are playing from the heart.


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Non-Rage-Quit Rant Section
Show Some of That Penguin-Bowling Independent Spirit

USAnians tend to like to play up their character as "fiercely independent individuals". The pioneer can-do spirit and so on. But sometimes it can be hard to see that in the New World.

Sure, there's some great characters. (→ Emerick! ←)

But the ones who tend to rise to the top are all too often just like in real life: plutocrats. You know. The rich. People who spend beaucoup real $$ on the game. Ho-hum. What a thrill.

The sad reality is that many American players tend to act like sheep half the time and like a pouty and potty-mouthed gang of entitled junior high school students the other half. Now, that may well be because so many are entitled junior high school students. But that doesn't mean we all have to act that way.

Stand against the tide. Try something different. Ask not what your e-country can do for you...ask...

Why should the eUSA be a pathetic replica of the real life USA anyway? What if the eUSA showed that it could create a economic, political and military system that is both free and just? Why shouldn't the eUSA be the greatest socialist nation ever created?

Or to put it in a totally non-"socialist" way... What if the eUSA really did seek to be on the side of the angels?...




Obeying is Not Living


For more background on the SFP, check out the SFP Wiki and the SFP Forum.