Teacup Journal

I took the above picture a while ago in the American Museum of Natural History. Earlier in June, I traveled in NYC, and I spent a day in that museum. Amazed by its collections, I was even happier to be inspired by Theodore Roosevelt, one of the greatest presidents in the history of United States, naturalist and a great friend of the museum.

During my interview with our nation's Number 1 player, Josh Frost, he stated that Theodore Roosevelt is his favorite president IRL. "He was a reformer and at the same time he was a transformative president. He transformed the presidency from essentially being a rubber stamp and used the bully pulpit to set a nationwide agenda on a variety of topics" said Josh Frost. It is always a joyful thing to share a common favorite or a role model with your friend, and it is even more joyful to discover his insight and character inspired by that role model.

The interview with Josh Frost was conducted 2 days ago (eRep Day 672) via eUSforum PM.
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Yang Wenli:
To begin, I am curious about your kitten (LOL). There is always a kitten in you avatar, your in-game newspaper is named "The Angry Kitten" and your articles always start with an image of a kitten. What is the special connection (or love?) between Josh Frost and a kitten?



Josh Frost:
Well, the kitten started for a simple reason, I think lolcats are funny. Usually I would alternate between a wide range of avatars during my time in the game. I started out as JFK and then General Patton, and moved on to a variety of different things. Finally I settled on a cat because I thought it was funny to fight and see a kitten flash across the screen. When the war broke out every time I switched avatars to something non kitten related we'd get our ass handed to us. Finally tdwester, a friend of mine told me to put "the damn cat back on" for luck. When I put it back on we went on a winning streak and I never changed the cat theme. I am a little superstitious, so I kept it. I am therefore firmly convinced that lolcats were the reason we won this war. Just kidding.

Yang Wenli:
About a month ago, your newspaper released its first article "Rebuilding America One Brick at a Time". I can hardly believe that the Number 1 player of eUSA, an eCitizen with almost 1 full year of experience started his newspaper just 1 month ago. Was there any special reason behind this first article?

Josh Frost:
I wrote a lot of articles prior to that. Some dealing with PEACE, others with national politics, and some were for recruitment for the Air Force and Airborne. Being the XO in the Air Force at the time meant having to try to PTO countries or stop PTO's. Having 5 or 6 articles endorsing the Airborne tends to be a dead giveaway about your intentions, so I had to delete all of my articles two or three times. I wish I had kept some on my hard drive though.

Yang Wenli:
In that first article, you specified 2 things, in your words: "primarily sealed America's fate even before this current war began: Foreign Policy and rampant partisanship." In your opinion, are we making any significant progress in altering that fate? And, if you become the president of eUSA, is there anything specific that you'd work on our foreign policy and domestic partisanship?

Josh Frost:
First off, lets tackle rampant partisanship. Everyone (even myself) in this game has been a perpetrator of this. In real life the United States is full of it and everything is politicized and every person's proposals are questioned no matter how good their intentions. This game is no different. Prior to this war every party was preoccupied with cutting each other's guts out for even the smallest reasons. It blinded us in regards to the PEACE threat. We ignored the world stage and were preoccupied with fighting over which candidate would win Wyoming. I think PEACE took advantage of that and exploited our ignorance. Truthfully, if I were in their position I probably would have too. Since the war started I think the parties have made great strides in putting petty differences aside and working together on projects and common goals. Ultimately I think we have to realize that his is a global game and if there is going to be partisanship in the United States then you can have healthy debate without being uncivil.

The foreign policy thing is a completely different story. We believed errantly that our MPP's would protect us and that we could open wars up without any type of repercussions (France, Mexico, Portugal, and Russia). We were wrong. Only one of those conflict actually had any tactical purpose and that was in Russia. At the time, if we secured the Far Eastern Region we could then secure Heilongjiang and have a high iron region. It was a good theory if you don't have two open wars already. Having three open wars was catastrophic.

If I became president I would try to normalize relations with what I consider fringe PEACE nations and try to break them away from the alliance so at the very least they could think and act independently. That said, it is going to be tough, some of them without getting specific have a habit of speaking out of both sides of their mouth. I think if the United States stays true to its allies, and most importantly expels Hungary from North America it is going to show that we shouldn't be trifled with. We have to toe a fine line, I don't want to turn this nation into an war monger, but by the same token, I want the world to know that if you decide to screw with us that you are going to have to pay a hefty price.

Yang Wenli:
A little more about partisanship: within the comments of one of my previous interviews and in many occasions, I can smell a very similar argument: Gamers bashing Politicos and vice versa. While gamers tend to believe that politicos ruined the game, the politicos tend to believe that politics is the game. Any comment?

Josh Frost:
Both sides have to accept that neither philosophy is going anywhere. Politics is not leaving this game, it is ingrained into the American psyche. That said, when the chips are down and important things have to be done that require sacrificing political ideology for the chance to protect the nation and defeat our enemies, everybody needs to tone down the rhetoric and get down to business. So far we have and I hope the trend continues.

Yang Wenli:
Do you think that the argument between politicos and gamers will likely divide our nation even worse than ridiculous numbers of parties?

Josh Frost:
No, as long as everybody has their priorities straight I think everything will work out fine.

Yang Wenli:
What do you like to say about finding the right balance between autonomous or party-based organizing on the one hand, and government- and military-based organizing on the other? Could you please illustrate "an ideal eGovernment" that fits eRepublik mechanics and can maximize an eNations success in general?

Josh Frost:
I think the two institutions that organize people towards a common goal in this nation better than anyone are our political parties and our military. They both stress common goals, teamwork, orders, communication, critical thinking, and most of all personal discipline. Sometimes, as I have stated, the parties can go off the deep end and lose touch with reality, but overall I think they can be a positive force in the eUSA's culture. I like the initiative many of them have shown as of late. Government organizing is a different story in and of itself. I don't think we are nearly as organized as we could be and I don't think we push the value of civil service enough. We need to foster a spirit of volunteerism and mentorship in this country if we are going to reach our maximum potential. If we had properly taken the time to educate our newer players and endorse the idea of public service. We would probably have a population of 25,000 strong and this war would be very very different.

Yang Wenli:
In your previous interview with Speedcat McNasty, you remarked: "in terms of citizen orders, the USA has done the best it can do." However, 4K DoD Orders subscribers comparing to 17K of total population doesn't seem like a satisfying statistic to me. By saying "training our newer players better on the ins and outs of the game", are there any specific additions that you want to add to our current Mentorship Program and other newbie training / welfare services?

Josh Frost:
One thing we could do in terms of orders is to have citizens directed to the DoD site in the welcoming message. If that isn't feasible we could explore other avenues by using the DoE to make sure our citizens knew where the orders where at and what they meant. When it comes to education, I think we should do a variety of different things. First the Department of Education needs more mentors. As a government we need to promote that program almost continuously. New players need direction and they need to be taught. I want to emphasize that again. WE NEED MORE MENTORS!!! Contact Jasper Ferguson or Bill Brasky if you are interested. When I was a new player I didn't know jack and had to learn a lot on my own. Believe me it wasn't fun. Another thing we need to consider is how we teach our new players. I see some new changes that I like. The use of YouTube videos is promising, but we can also have Google PowerPoints (Sam Kraus thought this up) that break down simple aspects of the game for new players so that the learning process is easier and to a certain extent entertaining. Another idea I am tossing around is getting eNOVA involved in some way with educating players. I am willing to work with private organizations if they can get the job done. If we are going to thrive as a nation we must get our new players educated and retain them in the game. It's one of the key issues facing this country as far as I am concerned.

Yang Wenli:
I know you are managing a USWP version of Mentorship Project, do you mind giving us a brief introduction about it, and if you became the President of eUSA, are you going to implement some ideas from that project as a supplementary to DoE Mentorship Programs?

Josh Frost:
The USWP mentorship program revolves mainly around a gifting program, an eventual USWP version of North American University (the USWP version was thought up by Ian John Locke IV), and lastly some type of military training division for new players currently unable to get into the military. Essentially our program will focus on wellness, education, and military training. I'm not entirely sure the military training division will get the support of the United States Military, but I hope it goes forward in some form just for the sake of increasing player knowledge and providing a hook to keep players interested in the game. As far as getting these programs instituted in the government, I think they already are, we just need to publicize them more and get new players interested and older players volunteering.

Yang Wenli:
As of today, we restored 37 of our states, and eFrench invaders are literally stuck in a "box" since they have no where to go further in our land without anticipating a block-attack from our allies. The situation looks pretty positive for us now. Do you think there's a chance by the time of our next presidential election, all of our states are restored?

Josh Frost:
I think the potential is there. France looks finished and it appears Russia is more interested in their lost territories. All of this said, don't underestimate Hungary. I don't like them, but I respect their military power and considering this war over just because we expel France and Russia would be a bit presumptuous. I never like to count my chickens before they hatch.

Yang Wenli:
If so, as a "post-WWIII" presidential candidate, what'd be your priority?

Josh Frost:
I am going a bit long on answers so, I will keep it brief and to the point. In no particular order:

A. We need to work on closing open wars. Victorious or not, they are still a problem.

B. We need to continue to take the fight to PEACE by all means necessary.

C. We need to work on educating our new players and making them productive citizens. This is one of the things that should be our top domestic priority. We succeed at this and the eUSA has a long bright future.

Yang Wenli:
What PEACE countries do you see as a potential future ally? What are your views on relations with countries that backstabbed us like eMexico, eColombia, and eFrance? What about other alliances such as SOL and AHA?

Josh Frost:
PEACE nations generally respect power. In order to get them to leave PEACE and become an ally we need to show them that we are not some big lumbering giant. It sounds like a cliche but you need to achieve peace through strength. There needs to be some sort of consequences for attacking us. That said we shouldn't just attack everyone with impunity, because that is what got us into this jam in the first place. I am going to be honest about my feelings on this. I am not pleased with Mexico and Colombia at all. That said there is nothing to be gained by attacking them militarily. I think we should have friendly relations with SOL, but we shouldn't try to influence their decision. I don't want the wrath of Indo to come down on some of the more friendly countries. With France and AHA, I think anything is possible, but let's be realistic, about this. We hear that both France and AHA are questioning their alliance with PEACE, we have tried to talk to them and try to negotiate some sort of detent and they turn around and attack us. I think we need to look at everything some of these countries say with a jaundiced eye. They speak out of both sides of their mouth.

Yang Wenli:
Who is your favorite eUSA President and favorite USA president in real life?

Josh Frost:
Scrabman for domestic policy and organization and Emerick for foreign policy. They will both kill me for mentioning them in the same sentence. My favorite real life president would have to be Theodore Roosevelt. I think he might have been one of if not the greatest presidents the United States ever had. He was a reformer and at the same time he was a transformative president. He transformed the presidency from essentially being a rubber stamp and used the bully pulpit to set a nationwide agenda on a variety of topics.

Yang Wenli:
In your opinion, what is the most important character that makes a qualified President of eUSA?

Josh Frost:
I don't think you can really nail it down to just one. You need a variety of things. Probably the most important three are vision, determination, and organization. As president you need to set a clear agenda, have the will to carry it out, and the organization to make sure that people are doing their part to make sure that agenda succeeds.

Yang Wenli:
As a player who intends to assume the highest governance of our eNation, how would you take side or balance the following perspectives: an experience eRepublik game player motivated by fun, or a devoted eRepublik community leader / worker motivated by taking responsibilities and solving problems? Do you think that the above 2 perspectives may sometimes alter your decisions and approaches? Do you have a personal preference between the above perspectives?

Josh Frost:
I think everyone should have fun in the game and I find my fun by trying to find solutions to problems. They aren't always popular solutions but I think it encourages intellectual debate and that is always a positive. As far as other game players go, I encourage them to find their niche in the game and enjoy it.

Yang Wenli:
Give us a quote as your campaign slogan, could be as unofficial and personal as you like.

Josh Frost:
"Progress towards a better tomorrow" is the catch phrase a friend came up with. I try not to focus on that type of stuff too much.

Yang Wenli:
Worst case scenario, if real life issues or other unexpected incidents stopped you from playing eRepublik during your presidency, like what happened to Emerick, how would you cope with that situation and who would be the top on your list to be the substitute?

Josh Frost:
If I suddenly had to quit the game, I would survive. I enjoy the game, the competition, and the people but I don't seek validation from it. I would make sure that the government's ducks were in a row before I left office though. As far as a replacement goes, obviously the person with the second highest votes should get the office. That is the democracy in this game and you ultimately submit to the will of the people.

Yang Wenli:
And finally, is there anything that you'd like to add from your side?

Josh Frost:
First I want to thank you for the opportunity for the interview. I enjoyed it and you asked some very good questions. Secondly, I just want to remind people to get out and vote in all elections. They are all important. I look forward to a competitive and civil race for the presidency. Right now it appears that there might be 3 or 4 candidates and I think that will be good for America. Regardless of who wins, it increases debate in the country and fosters new ideas. Even if I lose, I'll consider this campaign a success if it makes people think a little more and if it spurs some sort of government activity in other areas and increases peoples' contributions to the country.

Yang Wenli:
Thanks so much for your time.

Josh Frost:
No, thank you and good luck in your congressional race.

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Acknowledgements:
Some of the questions above were contributed by the following citizens about a month ago for the last presidential election. Due to various reasons, that interview didn't happen, but I am happy to see them valuable and inspiring here. Thanks to Daniel Hawkins, Moot, Phoenix Quinn, Max McFarland 2, Jahadyn, and Myles Robinson.

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Editor's note:
The congressional race mentioned by Josh Frost is finally coming to its end tomorrow. Once more, let me add a little ad here: Vote for me in Virginia, you won't be disappointed! Find our more...

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In other news:
No more Russian annexed state in eUSA as we retook New Jersey 5 minutes ago! I'm happily giving that "GET OFF MY PLANE" quote for the fourth time! LOL!

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Previous articles:
> Teacup Special: Campaign Article: Yang Wenli for Virginia
> Teacup Announcement: My Announcement as a Candidate for Congress
> Teacup Guide: A Guide to Civilian Fighters
> Teacup Special: New Border Connection Maps Released
> Teacup Guide: A Protective Guide to Job Hunting
> Teacup Special: A Month to Remember; A Map to Remember

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