The Man Behind The Mask

Day 2,334, 13:24 • Published in United Kingdom United Kingdom • by The Equalist


I wish it did not have to happen this way, but I was left with no choice. To be honest, I thought this day would never come, but the impossible has been achieved. After many years playing this game, it is time for a final goodbye. As I graduate from university and face the real world, I simply do not have time to play eRepublik anymore. But before I leave, I have a few things that need to be settled and I will reveal a major, earthshaking confession. This will be the last article I write before I leave eRepublik forever. It’s time you know a top secret project I have been working on for a long time, simply known as Operation Golden Bear. Today, you are going to read a true story about justice, democracy, betrayal, forgiveness, determination, and revelation.


My true identity shall be revealed.

My story does not start on September 9th, 2012, but rather February 2nd, 2009. My interest in politics had spiked, and discovered this site through an advertisement on another site that actually had nothing to do with politics. I do not play online games, but I thought this would be different. So I gave it a try. The eUK was in a right mess I remember. Wages were so low, you couldn’t even afford food. This was a time when you had to take a trivia quiz to work and train and the number of questions you got right determined your output. This was also a time when regions were much more important. While the mayoral elections were recently scrapped, many regions had their own council. Living in the South East of England, it was their council that helped me on my feet with their food program. After joining the forums, I got involved in the South East Regional Council, working my way up to chairman of the Council. I also joined The Unity Party, where I ran in the South East, and in April 2009 won the first of many Congress elections.

Obviously times were different back then. The Unity Party was ranked #3 at that time, with the United Kingdom Reform Party the powerhouse of eUK politics and the People’s Communist Party ranked #2. Older citizens will remember such parties as the Radical Freethinkers Alliance and Movement for Democratic Unity. The population of the eUK, and the rest of the eWorld was far greater back then, and Congress elections were much more exciting. Being a smaller party than what it is now, TUP was able to fight against the ideas of elitism and encourage new players to join and become the leaders of tomorrow, including myself. I could continue describing the way the eWorld was many years ago, but this is not the story I am here to tell.


At first times were good.

My climb up the political ladder continued as I got involved in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Eventually, I would become Minister in December 2009, ushering in a new era of international relations with the formation of the new alliance, Phoenix. A month before, I ran for my first term as Party President of the Unity Party. I ran for a total of two terms, helping lead our party to win the closest Presidential election in history. I had actually spent much gold on those advertisements this site used to have, and it paid off. The party continued to grow, becoming one of the most influential parties not just in the country, but throughout the world. Over the next year, I would hold onto other Minister positions, including Home Affairs and Communications (now known as Education).


Fast forward to 2011, the year that everything changed. I successfully ran for a third term as PP in February. Having served in multiple ministries, and many terms as a Congressman, the time had come for the next step in my eRepublik career: The Presidency. In late May, 2011, I announced my intention to run for President for the June 2011 election. In the primary election, I was resoundingly democratically chosen to represent The Unity Party. The Unity Party had become the uncontested political giant of the eUK. You’ll be surprised at the similarities of politics between real life and this game. Having gotten involved in real life politics, fighting for the opposition group, here is a major lesson that can be applied to the game: Power corrupts. The Unity Party, once an opposition party, had become the very monster it once attempted to defeat. There is a quote from The Dark Knight that perfectly describes this: “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” TUP had changed. It was no longer a party for the people, but rather a party for the elites. After spending countless hours working on my campaign, writing multiple manifestos of great length and sending out hundreds of campaign messages, I was betrayed by the very people who I helped to gain all this power.


They said I cannot become the President.

I was forced to resign my candidacy at the last minute. It soon became clear that it was the elites, not the people, who had the control of policy. Eventually, I was forced into exile because my democratic views posed a risk to the elites. Two and a half years of work were shattered in a matter of days. I had been used. I helped build the party to its status of power, and when I was no longer needed, I was thrown under the bus. You could say it was like a scene from House of Cards. Despite this, I was determined to fulfill my democratic vision of providing a voice to all people, so I created my own party, the Dharma Initiative.

Here, at the Dharma Initiative, I was able to provide a democratic voice to the people, focusing on helping out the newest players, just like I did in my early days as Chairman of the South East Regional Council. However, some people could not tolerate the creation of a new party that strived to continue the original legacy of The Unity Party. So members of TUP’s elite joined DI in an attempt to stage a coup. National outrage at this blatant attempt to crush democracy resulted in the suppression of this TUP backed PTO. But the attacks from TUP continued for many months, including sabotage of the welcome basket and food programs.


Contemplating my plan for justice.

Despite the great successes of the Dharma Initiative, it was apparent that TUP was too powerful to be able to provide the national change of democracy I had envisioned. So I slowly drifted off to the shadows, becoming increasingly inactive. This was not a sign of defeat, but rather the beginning of a new plan, known as Operation Golden Bear. And so a plan many months in the works was implemented, a plan that would take over a year of patience to complete. Today, Operation Golden Bear has ended in success. The plan was simple, yet effective. Phase out the old account and create a new one. Start from scratch and work my way up to the top, and claim the position I was unjustly denied many years ago. Why the name Operation Golden Bear? Because Operation Phoenix was too generic. Actually, it was because I created my new account around the same time I started a new chapter in my real life, attending the University of California, Berkeley, whose mascot is the Golden Bear. It marks a new beginning. A new potential of opportunities. A second chance at eLife.


Operation Golden Bear.

The name The Equalist is a symbol of my ideology, my aspirations for a brighter future where everyone can be treated as equals. My avatar, who is Amon from the TV show The Legend of Korra, exemplifies that ideology, as the leader of the Equalists who fought against the elitist government. The mask was also symbolic, as it was a way to hide my old identity. But today, that mask is removed, and all secrets have been revealed. My original account, for those who are new and don’t recall any of the events I have described, is Stefan1992.

Perhaps you have heard stories of Stefan1992. How he was a crazy fanatic bent on destroying The Unity Party. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have always been a supporter of the true ideology of the party, although this ideology was corrupted by the rise of power and elitism. So I advocated for reform within the party. When this reform was shot down, I was branded as insane, and as someone that must be stopped at all costs. They had created a propaganda machine that led people to believe that if I had become PP of TUP once more, I would destroy the party. And yet, as The Equalist, I became TUP PP not once, but twice. Did I destroy the party? No. Did I have the opportunity to? Yes. So why didn’t I destroy the party? Because I never wanted to. It has never been about seeking revenge or retribution, but rather finding justice. Besides, the party is not to blame, only a few people who created this mess in the first place. Instead, as PP, I continued to build the party and shift it towards its original purpose, a party for the people.


Tensions had gone too far.

Why? Why go through all this trouble? If there is something you should know about me, it’s that I never give up. As my original avatar, John Locke from the TV show Lost would say, “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” Even in the face of defeat, even when the odds are completely against me, I fight on. Because it’s not about me, it’s about something much bigger. Like in real life, I fight for what is right, what is just, what is best for the people. Several years ago, democracy was denied, so I have spent all this time restoring what should have rightfully been done a long time ago.

Turns out my term as President was very successful. We stopped our country being wiped off the map from attacks from three different countries at the same time, and we stopped a major PTO threat. My multi-party cabinet, including some of the very people who betrayed me, worked together to solve the pressing problems we faced. There never was any reason to prevent my presidency back in 2011, and I hope that this proves my point. Justice has been served. It may have been long overdue, but that makes that reward so much sweeter. This is not just a victory for me, but a victory for all people who believe in equal access to democracy.


I’m pretty sure they stole the idea of this character from V for Vendetta.

There is one more thing that must be done before I leave. I believe it has been long enough since I was betrayed to reflect and genuinely say what I am about to say. To the people who backstabbed me: I forgive you.

Instead of holding onto our past, we can learn from past mistakes and look to the future. I hope that my time as The Equalist over the past couple of years serves as a lesson to all of us. What I want you to take from this is that we must not let the past define who we are, but rather what we do today. I believe that this is an appropriate time to reflect on the past. I have done so, and have come to terms with the past. Will you do the same?


Reconciling and looking forward to a brighter future.

The moment I publish this article, I will leave eRepublik forever. I will not read the comments, I will not be on IRC. So say what you want. I sincerely never wanted to go to such lengths, and I apologize if you feel like I have deceived you. This was never my intention. My intention was to restore democratic justice. To right the wrongs that have occurred. To rebuild friendships needlessly destroyed. To end the tyranny of elitism. My job here is done.

Needless to say, I have had good times and bad times on eRepublik. I’ve laughed and I’ve cried along the way. While this is the end of my story, this is not the end for TUP or the eUK. Let’s face it. This is the Internet. It’s not a nice place. People tend to be even more hostile and abusive to others under the veil of anonymity. But it doesn’t have to be that way. This is just a game. There is no need for all this arguing between parties. Work together, and you will succeed.


It’s time for the sun to set on this chapter of my life.

I think later today, I’ll walk to my favorite spot in Berkeley, the city I live in. It’s on top of a hill. There, I’ll watch the sun set behind the Golden Gate Bridge and reflect the end of an era, both in eRepublik and in real life, and contemplate the bright future that lies ahead.

Goodbye,
Stefan1992/The Eqaulist