The American Morality that Once Was
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by WmQ374
In the coming days, the eUS will invade and conquer strategic regions in the eNation of Japan. Our citizens will heed the call to arms and will fight powerfully, our newspapers will trumpet the nationalism that runs deep within many citizens, and our leaders will claim the foreign success that has so often evaded us in the history of this eworld. While I believe that this success is inevitable, this country’s resolve seems too great, and our armies are far too powerful; I cannot sit idly by and watch our country make what will not only be a strategic mistake, but most significantly a profound moral mistake.
For those of you who were not yet born, and for those of you who were alive, please read or remember a different time in the history of the eUS. While our resolve may be strong now, it was even stronger then, we were united under a common and moral cause. Our cause was the survival of our country. This country had been invaded, betrayed, and nearly conquered yet we stood strong and fought to regain those regions that we had lost.
This countries’ power in those days, when the war looked worst, not only came from the level of our strength, the quality of our guns, or our capture of the imitative; it came from the simple fact that this country unquestionably held the moral high ground. There was a constant refrain heard by the citizens of this country, that the nations of PEACE were hypocrites. What was founded as an explicitly defensive alliance for all of its members, had become an international imperialist machine culminating in the invasion of the eUnited States.
With this knowledge we knew PEACE was wrong and we knew we were right. So for every strategic loss in this war, for every set back large and small, we gained something far more valuable, the moral high ground. We were beaten back territory after territory but the ground we occupied only became taller and our moral force only stronger. In the darkest days of the invasion, it was our moral cause that fueled the lights of hope and kept us marching on.
The eUnited States is now fighting a different war against the new and old enemies. There are new citizens who were not around during these days, citizens who have died, and citizens who can still remember the cause which we fought for. I call on each of these Americans to ask them how this invasion is different than the invasion of North America. Whether it is for the purpose of revenge, justice, or strategic gain; each side has used the same motives to justify their invasions. We cannot trade the liberation of one nation for even the temporary occupation of another. For these reasons I cannot support this invasion...for however short or for however long, for any past injustice committed or for any future justice ensured, for any strategic gain or for any resource captured, and for any enemy destroyed or alliance kept.
I stand today in somber repose, for I fear for the strenuous and steep slide we are about to take from the American morality that once was.
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First DENIED
Good article Tep.
I respect your point Tep, but I disagree. This is not a war of conquest, it is a war of liberation in Asia. Japan will get their regions back. China will get their regions back. North Korea will get their regions back. Three high iron regions will shift out of the hands of Phoenix and back into the hands of their rightful owners. This is not a betrayal of our principals. It is living up to them.
The invasion is meant to allow us to help our Asian allies regain their lost regions as far as I understand it. We do not have a problem with the eJapanese except for the fact that they refused to allow us through their lands to help eChina, even though they did land-swap with PEACE to allow eIndo's attack against us. We're only attacking them to push them aside so we can get to where the real fighting needs to take place.
"The American Morality that Once Was"
Read good articles, we're still moral. Your propaganda does not phase me.
P.S. I don't give a Dan even if we're not moral.
I guess we should continue to let the Huns and Indos members keep their lands they've conquered in Asia. Better to keep the moral high ground over them.
If you think it's propaganda, you clearly didn't read it or at least understand what I'm saying. I've been a citizen of this country since my ebirth and I wanted to voice what I think is the wrong move. I appreciate the comments here and I've heard them before, I understand that it is our desire to liberate another country but it's my view that we're trading one liberation for another.
Well we tried vigilantly to convince Japan, a so called Neutral Nation, to swap Kyushu so that we may liberate their Asian brothers. However, Japan in keeping with their, "we are neutral only when it suits us," ways refused to allow us to do exactly what they claim they stand for! Now with heavy heart this battle is taking place, not because we have lost our moral values, but because we have our moral values! We do not do this for money, nor for fame, glory, or imperialism. We are doing this because it is the right thing to do. Now is not the time to question whether or not this is right! Now is the time to grit your teeth and weather through the bad so that the greater good may prevail!
Tep, At the moment I am giving our leaders a chance. I am fighting as ordered and I hope for the best.
I do fear that you may be right however. Our actions could unite the neutrals and independent nations againt us and allow PEACE/Phoenix to gain the moral high ground. I think the case is made easy for them by our actions and the actions of Spain against a newly neutral France.
For our own safety and for the safety of our allies, Phoenix countries must be weakened. This is self-defense.
Tep is not using propaganda...his points are well constructed. I do not fully agree but they are valid on logical points. His comparisons are the thoughts of many who would normally be fearful to state their opinions. I give him credit for that.
Do I think this invasion is imperialism? It better not be. Whatever the US takes should be returned to their original owners. If this is strictly a liberation war, then this would be the only good way to carry it out.
Tep... I did not know you could write like this. I will expect more articles in the near future.
As for Japan, ya, it sucks, but I think it might possibly outweigh the alternative. That doesn't, however, mean that we should remain silent with regards to our views.
It really has more to do with eReps concept of "neighbors"; in order for us to free the eChinese occupied territories we need to be able to attack from a bordering region. Much like Kyushu was allowed to be a portal to the eUS in WWIII, so it will now be used to undo the wrongs done by PEACE in their occupation of various eAsian countries.
Good article Tep..
Good opinion - I'm glad you're talking. However, agreeing with previous comments, I am of the opinion that this doesn't compromise our moral integrity. We'll liberate regions of great value back to those who deserve them and in the process remove them from our enemies. Assuming success, our allies will thank us in the end.
Morality? No one gets hurt in wars. Japan allowed Indo free passage to attack us, we have no intention of occupying Japan, but if they won't let us through to neutralize our enemies we have to force them aside.
We need to liberate China, right now Hungary is strangling them and using their resources to attack us and our allies. Japan could have let us through, because they're NOT neutral, they're spineless puppets of PEACE.
Excellent article.
A most interesting article, and certainly not one that you would typically see at a time like this. All conflicts have their naysayers, yes, but most of those critics cannot legitimately articulate their arguments into coherent articles. I've mentioned a few of the same ideas in my own paper [http://www.erepublik.com/en/newspaper/duo-truth-takes-no-sides-195745/1] over a couple recent articles, if you would like to take a look and discuss the conflict with me further.
Sydiot's comment is solid and factual in my humble opinion. Still can work with tep's statements though!
Right at this moment we cannot say with any certainity how pure or impure actions the eUSA and Jewitt's actions are. We will only be able to say after the battle is won and we see where the regions go.
Is the eUSA and Jewitt wrong for doing this? Perhaps immoral? No. I am sure Jewitt has his reasons, and while we should have dealt with UK, imo, we will get to them..
I appreciate that position Pike but I'll repeat the point I made in the article "For these reasons I cannot support this invasion...for however short or for however long". Even if I knew we were going to conquer Kyushu, Japan tomorrow and then quickly retreat, I would not support it. Even if we could liberate China and NK in the course of a week and then give Japan back their regions, I would not support it.
Unfortunately, I can't comment. But you know how I feel.
We invaded Japan over their objections. Now they hate us. We ARE Indonesia now. We ARE nothing more than a mirror image of PEACE.
Now I hear we want to hold on to high iron in China...oh, with their "consent of course".
That's called a protection racket, friends.
Fight your stupid war without me, for one.
I will see how this goes.. If it looks like we have become PEACE, I will make a decisions then...
Yankee go home!
As President of Japan, I disagree with this article.
Good to know^
I can understand your concern tep. It certainly does seem at first like we're becoming a bit morally lax. But I am of the opinion that this will work out for the better. We're not conquering Japan, we just want them to move so that we can help nations like eNK (who gave everything for us) and China and India (which have been under the gun for too long). And debilitate Hungary and Iran while we're at it. I'm sure we will accomplish our goals without sinking or becoming PEACE-like. That said, I still respect your decision b/c it is well expressed and not accusatory in tone. I wish others would learn form your article. I, however, will take up my rifle and march on Japan and then Asia. I believe this is for the best.
Excellent article. V+S (I'm with Kaz, I am pleasantly surprised also. You should write more.)
"I will see how this goes.. If it looks like we have become PEACE, I will make a decisions then..."
How long 'till you make that assessment? I'll do it each step of the way. And this sure as hell looks like PEACE. Perhaps tomorrow will be a brighter day.
Dokomo, retreat the battle. You will save much eUSA gold which will be needed for the liberation of the rest of the captured Asian povinces. Perhaps Jewitt will reward you for such a great decision.
Morals are there to make people feel better about themselves. Be it invading a dictatorship, burning houses and blowing up cars to get at governments, or dying in a suicide mission because you believe it better to die fighting than submit. Those are universal - Nazi Germany, Feudal Japan, the IRA, Iraq and Vietnam.
Realistically morals are just ideas used to make people do what you want because they wont question it if they fall for your moral ideals.
The Moral High Ground was used by the Nazi Party, Cuba's Castro, Winston Churchill, the IRA - terrorist and patriot are the same.
You think you're right because your morals are right - everybody thinks that. Your argument consists of an appeal to people's preferences, not logic.
Sorry Tep, but you do what you have to do. This is a well-written article, but in order to save our allies and ourselves from Phoenix nations, we must get those high-iron regions out of their hand and into the safety of their rightful owner. China, North Korea, etc. deserve this from us! They were our allies when we were oppressed, and now it's our turn. Japan should have figured out that this was for the good of their neighbors and helped us out, but they didn't so this is what we must do.
Eli, yes I am appealing to people's preferences, and not logic. That doesn't mean you can't write an article based on the logical, strategic, and rational reasons for not invading Japan. I just chose to take a different path, but moral arguments are not any less relevant just because they're not logical.
Through out this war we believed that that the US was right because PEACE was so obviously hypocritical. They were a defensive alliance invading another country. We constantly framed the struggle like we were different from PEACE because we were not hypocrites. I understand that we have noble intentions in this endeavor, the desire to free China and North Korea is great. Yet, I feel like we are going back on the idealism that drove us (or at least I perceived drove us) during the past months.
Ridiculous. We made generous offers as incentives to Japan to let us through, as they had done for Indonesia who offered only threats, and they outright denied us. This is after the fact that Japan assisted Indonesia in attacking Hawaii, by letting them through Kyushu. Japan is not an innocent nation who has never wronged us.
They have clearly chosen a side, but even so, we're not attacking them, we're NOT conquering and keeping their land. Kyushu will be returned to them, which is far more than they deserve for allowing Indo to waltz in and destroy California (even if Japan was bullied into it, they could have taken a moral stand for something, but they did not. Standing by doing nothing while a crime is committed still makes you an accomplice.)
We're not hypocrites, nor like PEACE. Once we're through Japan, we'll go on a spree of liberating lands to their original owners. We have the moral high ground on every single angle in this, unless of course you're the kind of person who doesn't like attacking our enemies or those who align themselves with them, in which case that explains everything.
Insinuating that we have lost some of our morality, in your article title, does nothing but harm our country when we need to be unified right now as we are entering wartime.
We have not lost any shred of our morality, as we have done nothing wrong... You're simply a worried bleeding heart vying for attention and dividing our country.
I also find it hysterical that the President of Japan posted disagreeing with your article.
Excellent article and well written. Voted and subbed.
Thanks Aerofluff, I can guarantee you that I am not a "bleeding heart vying for attention and dividing our country". Offering an alternative opinion regarding current events should not qualify me as un-American. No where have I accused the administration or our people of wrong doing, in fact in this article I criticize PEACE and laud the US for our past efforts. I also find it funny that he disagrees with the article but he didn't give much of an explanation.
And thank you Michael.
@Aero - I believe you're the one who needs to calm down. Tep has taken a stance and has done so in a proper manner. I believe he has earned the respect that he has shown to all of us by taking time and constructing a strong argument and not going crazy like Arjay. If anyone could cause a rift in the American public, its not Tep, it's you by pointing fingers and grouping such people as possible compromises in our ideology. We already have a rift and ignorant writers flooding our media. Let us not fan these flames and encourage any more internal strife.
Hells yea ^
So long as people don't confuse feeling guilty in place of a conscious decision I've made my point.
The article is well written, regardless of whether I agree with the means you use. I could argue the actual relevance of morals but it would be a waste of time. I may not actually be in the Indep party but it is as close to an actual political group that I fit in.
If anything I consider this move to be morally superior in that it would do harm if we did not take immediate and direct action.
"moral mistake" ROTFL
Who cares if they let Indonesia through their territory and helped you to be nearly erased from map, who cares they deserve revenge, who cares this open door to literally destroying economies of Hungary, Indonesia, Serbia, Iran... But this is NOT revenge. Only a door to Asia.
This may be the most important battle for EDEN, ever. If those 3 High Iron regions fall, then today's strongest countries are crippled. Indonesia is no more. Hungary is no more. Just as Serbia with companies in Hungarian HK. Iran is no more.
One of the more thoughtful responses to this article^ Thanks Aurelius.
I think my biggest question to the "true friends vs. enemies" strategy is where do we allow for gaining the respect, admiration, and hopefully eventually alliance of neutral nations? I think you make a strong case that Japan has had PEACE tendencies and now is definitely more aligned with Pheonix. But if we don't come up with a more nuanced approach than either everyone is either EDEN or PEACE, do we have a chance of changing the geo-political dynamic? If we do not find a way to bring neutral nations or EVEN PEACE leaning nations under our wing, how are we going to change things in our favor?
I have found the moral, imperialistic line of thought a convincing line of thought as a way for bringing these more "middle of the road" nations around to a more friendly set of relations to the United States.
That was a very good exposition. I enjoyed your article a lot.
Voted.
I enjoyed reading your views. I must say that this citizen does not care in the least what the morality of our war efforts is. Furthermore, any attack on any country that is not our ally is completely acceptable to me. I am sick and tired of caring what other countries think of eUS or even RL USA. Our morality will not prevent us from being attacked in the future, nor does it matter to other countries with just the same lack of morality. It is just a another way to keep us worried about what others think when they don't care what we think.
The moral issues in this game that do concern me are things like staying true to your allies. Also, I find that any hacking of accounts to steal gold is crossing the line. We can also include multi accounts in there too.