The Swiss National Army: Make It So, Congress!
Day 1,089, 19:07
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Published in Switzerland 
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by
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by Switzerland Armed Forces
Hitch a Ride with the Swiss Armed Forces!
We'll pick up your game-- come play Army with us!
Ctrl+Click to see where this photo came from in another Tab
Dateline : Late Saturday November 13 (Day 1089 19:30 hours)
Location: Federal Palace, Bern, Switzerland
Reporter: Colonel George Armstrong "Old Man" Custer
This is the third article in a series, Introducing your new Swiss National Army to you.
In Part One, Switzerland Will Have a National Army, I outlined why this Army is being formed and some of its goals.
Part Two, Switzerland's National Army is Non-Political, explained that this National Army must be non-partisan-- this word is actually more specifically correct than the word I used, non-political.
Today, Part Three will present my concept, or vision, of how to make this Swiss National Army truly enduring, so it will continue to serve the people of Switzerland, through any change in President and balance of power in Congress (Parliament).
Swiss Parliament in Session
I hope there's not always this many empty chairs! This isn't how our eSwiss Parliament works, is it?
I only know my own experience to share as an example, which is how the eUSA does it. There, there are three branches of government, each with specific rights and responsibilities, creating a system of "checks and balances" so that no one branch can hold undue influence over the way the country is run. The eRepublik setup emulates, or imitates, the RL USA system but of course it's adjusted for the difference between RL and Game.
These three branches, along with a summary of their responsibilities, or realms of influence, are:
● Executive: The President, his appointed Cabinet, and the various Departments (Diplomats, Interior, Media, etc); The President's power is limited by game mechanics to declaring War and Proposing a New Citizen Message. He strongly advises Congress on Alliances and Embargoes, based on consult of his Advisors, and Congress generally Proposes and Approves these things unless the President is being nutty with silly New Citizen Messages (NCMs). One past US President had a thing for proposing NCMs completely comprised of "Top Gun!" or "Praise Dio!," I suppose just for the XPs or just for laughs. Very rarely does a President declare War without Congress understanding what's going on, but there have been instances of an outgoing President declaring ill-advised War on Russia or England just to stir things up.
But mostly, the President is the CEO of the Company that is this nation, the face of the nation to our neighbors and friends and enemies. He has a team to help get done the many jobs the Executive branch must do to guide the nation and run its programs.
The President takes advice from not only his appointed Advisors and Department heads (Ministers, here), and from Congress, and from the Military, but ultimately makes the "executive decisions" because that is his job as the head of the Executive Branch.
● Legislative: Congress, or as you call it here, Parliament; Congress presents and discusses, formally Proposes, then votes to Approve or Not, changing the various Tax rates, Alliances (Mutual Protection Pacts or MPPs), Trade Embargoes and other in-game functions which control the quality of life for a nation's players. Congress generally approves what the President asks for, not because the President is a dictator or because Congress is a bunch of blind rubber stamping sheep, but because the President communicates with Congress and joins in Discussion threads so the reasoning behind his requests is understood.
Congress not only controls the economy of the nation through Taxes, it also runs a Budget Office which holds and dispenses funds to the Executive's Departments and to the Military according to a monthly or bi-monthly Budget Vote. The nation's ability to run programs like Meals on Wheels and other Department of Interior "newbie welfare programs" or cover its share of MPPs or help finance Military operations is all outlined in a formal Budget. The Budget is discussed to death, comprising much of the Congress' actual function and time, and finally voted on, and the funds are sent out to the budget-lineholders every week through the period till the next Budget.
There is a Constitution for the country, which defines and specifies the names and jobs descriptions and powers of the three branches of government, much as I am doing here. The Constitution is very set but unlike the RL US Constitution it is not quite set in friggin' stone and there are adjustments made to it as it becomes apparent that some decisions were not correct or game mechanics change around us-- it is not a copy of the US Constitution at all, that would be absurd to apply in a game.
● Military: Hey, that's us! woo-hoo! The head of the Military advises the President on strategic matters, based on keeping abreast of wars and diplomatic events in the eWorld. Neighboring countries at war with each other may affect us, or there may be some country "cutting as path" to somewhere else and we should be aware and prepared for how this may affect us.
The Military does not have the game mechanics to declare War. The Military fights where the President says to fight, its leadership determining through learned counsel exactly which battles to engage and what resources to expend doing so.
Military leadership runs its branch as it sees fit, as far as owing and operating commune Companies for self-sufficiency (as well as possible) and internal matters such as Boot Camp, Officer Training, promotions and demotions, acceptance and discharge, Intel, Public Affairs, etc.
The Military serves largely at the discretion of the President while maintaining autonomy as an independent and equal partner in the nation's government. Being Constitutionally mandated as a non-partisan entity assures continuity as the other two branches of government change in political nature and composition.
Okay.. that covers the general concept of a three-branch government which includes the Military as a partner in the business of running a nation.That's a basic overview of how the eUSA does it, and I hope the Swiss Parliament can see themselves adopting some form of system like this.
The main thing, and I think a concern to all Swiss citizens and I'd be willing to bet we don't much care how you (Congress) do it, is that the Military needs to be stable and permanent.
This is a way to make it so.
Don't dick around, Congress!
Make it so!
A formal Proposal is being drafted, to be presented to Swiss Parliament, to stimulate discussion and consideration of exactly this matter. It is hoped that all Congressmen, of both rival factions and any independents, will get over themselves and their Partisan Politics and come together to do something right for their Country.
The fact that players will choose to live in an eCountry where they can advance in the game is a constant, and they will leave a country that does not provide the means by which to advance.
eRepublik provides modules which make up the game and players choose to live where the eGovernments are run effectively so they can enjoy their game play.. enjoy by advancing in the mechanics of the game. A country whose government cannot figure out how to provide an economic environment beneficial to players who wish to run Companies will not have Companies, and its citizens will suffer, and either die off or leave. A country whose government ignores an entire module of the game, the single module upon which the game revolves for economic and personal gain, sees its citizens die off or leave.
As mentioned in the first article in this series, a National Army will improve these aspects of game play for our citizens:
● Citizen Recruitment
● Player Retention
● National Morale
● Economic Stimulus
● International Respect
If a President and Congress should choose to align this way or that, to take on any number of MPPs or not, this is going to change with every Presidency and session of Congress.
Switzerland has had an Army before, but it was disbanded with a change in the Executive Branch because the Legislative Branch had failed to Constitutionally Mandate it as a legitimate and permanent partner in an ongoing government process.
This cannot stand. An Army cannot be formed and disbanded at will like that.
If each successive political regime, for whatever reasons, feels it must maintain its own complete set of Organizations including the National Bank itself, these being activated and deactivated at will by each opposing faction's President... that is quite bizarre enough. But this cannot happen with a National Army which provides the means by which to play the central operating module of the game.
This article has reached critical mass, that is, it's quite damn tl;dr long enough.
I will follow with another, in which I will discuss a couple remaining topics which should clean up and complete this series about Switzerland's new national Army
[SAF Orders] - Day 1090 Updated 1700 Hrs 11/14: [North Rhine - Westphalia].
These are Civilian Fight Orders, for all Swiss citizens who choose to participate in the war module through the battlefield activities provided by the MPP with Poland.
When the Army is formed, its fight orders will be separate and private, classified and secure.
Recommended Reading: Please read these newspapers, vote them up and consider subscribing.
Switzerland's New Citizen Message (in Approval process)
and in a "why am I not surprised" eRep glitch,
Swiss President's latest progress report to the nation
yields an Error notice, claiming an "Unauthorized Link."
http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/time-to-get-serious-presidential-address--1571251/1/20
So here's President Paul's main newspaper link, just click on the article title of your choice.
http://www.erepublik.com/en/newspaper/good-bye-blue-monday-223587/1
And FINALLY: We have developed a "Pre-Application Survey Form" you should look at. If interested, fill it out and we'll get back to you within a day or so. This is not the actual Application to Join, but it is a mandatory screening form. The actual Application will be sent out by Invitation Only to those who survive this first cut.
George Armstrong Custer
Colonel, Swiss National Army -|- Editor, the Swiss Armed Forces News
Captain, US Cavalry -|- Editor, the Cavalry Saber
Crabby, Opinionated Bastard -|- Editor, Custer's Stand
:::
:::
We'll pick up your game-- come play Army with us!
Ctrl+Click to see where this photo came from in another Tab
Dateline : Late Saturday November 13 (Day 1089 19:30 hours)
Location: Federal Palace, Bern, Switzerland
Reporter: Colonel George Armstrong "Old Man" Custer
This is the third article in a series, Introducing your new Swiss National Army to you.
In Part One, Switzerland Will Have a National Army, I outlined why this Army is being formed and some of its goals.
Part Two, Switzerland's National Army is Non-Political, explained that this National Army must be non-partisan-- this word is actually more specifically correct than the word I used, non-political.
Today, Part Three will present my concept, or vision, of how to make this Swiss National Army truly enduring, so it will continue to serve the people of Switzerland, through any change in President and balance of power in Congress (Parliament).
Swiss Parliament in Session
I hope there's not always this many empty chairs! This isn't how our eSwiss Parliament works, is it?
I only know my own experience to share as an example, which is how the eUSA does it. There, there are three branches of government, each with specific rights and responsibilities, creating a system of "checks and balances" so that no one branch can hold undue influence over the way the country is run. The eRepublik setup emulates, or imitates, the RL USA system but of course it's adjusted for the difference between RL and Game.
These three branches, along with a summary of their responsibilities, or realms of influence, are:
● Executive: The President, his appointed Cabinet, and the various Departments (Diplomats, Interior, Media, etc); The President's power is limited by game mechanics to declaring War and Proposing a New Citizen Message. He strongly advises Congress on Alliances and Embargoes, based on consult of his Advisors, and Congress generally Proposes and Approves these things unless the President is being nutty with silly New Citizen Messages (NCMs). One past US President had a thing for proposing NCMs completely comprised of "Top Gun!" or "Praise Dio!," I suppose just for the XPs or just for laughs. Very rarely does a President declare War without Congress understanding what's going on, but there have been instances of an outgoing President declaring ill-advised War on Russia or England just to stir things up.
But mostly, the President is the CEO of the Company that is this nation, the face of the nation to our neighbors and friends and enemies. He has a team to help get done the many jobs the Executive branch must do to guide the nation and run its programs.
The President takes advice from not only his appointed Advisors and Department heads (Ministers, here), and from Congress, and from the Military, but ultimately makes the "executive decisions" because that is his job as the head of the Executive Branch.
● Legislative: Congress, or as you call it here, Parliament; Congress presents and discusses, formally Proposes, then votes to Approve or Not, changing the various Tax rates, Alliances (Mutual Protection Pacts or MPPs), Trade Embargoes and other in-game functions which control the quality of life for a nation's players. Congress generally approves what the President asks for, not because the President is a dictator or because Congress is a bunch of blind rubber stamping sheep, but because the President communicates with Congress and joins in Discussion threads so the reasoning behind his requests is understood.
Congress not only controls the economy of the nation through Taxes, it also runs a Budget Office which holds and dispenses funds to the Executive's Departments and to the Military according to a monthly or bi-monthly Budget Vote. The nation's ability to run programs like Meals on Wheels and other Department of Interior "newbie welfare programs" or cover its share of MPPs or help finance Military operations is all outlined in a formal Budget. The Budget is discussed to death, comprising much of the Congress' actual function and time, and finally voted on, and the funds are sent out to the budget-lineholders every week through the period till the next Budget.
There is a Constitution for the country, which defines and specifies the names and jobs descriptions and powers of the three branches of government, much as I am doing here. The Constitution is very set but unlike the RL US Constitution it is not quite set in friggin' stone and there are adjustments made to it as it becomes apparent that some decisions were not correct or game mechanics change around us-- it is not a copy of the US Constitution at all, that would be absurd to apply in a game.
● Military: Hey, that's us! woo-hoo! The head of the Military advises the President on strategic matters, based on keeping abreast of wars and diplomatic events in the eWorld. Neighboring countries at war with each other may affect us, or there may be some country "cutting as path" to somewhere else and we should be aware and prepared for how this may affect us.
The Military does not have the game mechanics to declare War. The Military fights where the President says to fight, its leadership determining through learned counsel exactly which battles to engage and what resources to expend doing so.
Military leadership runs its branch as it sees fit, as far as owing and operating commune Companies for self-sufficiency (as well as possible) and internal matters such as Boot Camp, Officer Training, promotions and demotions, acceptance and discharge, Intel, Public Affairs, etc.
The Military serves largely at the discretion of the President while maintaining autonomy as an independent and equal partner in the nation's government. Being Constitutionally mandated as a non-partisan entity assures continuity as the other two branches of government change in political nature and composition.
Okay.. that covers the general concept of a three-branch government which includes the Military as a partner in the business of running a nation.That's a basic overview of how the eUSA does it, and I hope the Swiss Parliament can see themselves adopting some form of system like this.
The main thing, and I think a concern to all Swiss citizens and I'd be willing to bet we don't much care how you (Congress) do it, is that the Military needs to be stable and permanent.
This is a way to make it so.
Don't dick around, Congress!
Make it so!
A formal Proposal is being drafted, to be presented to Swiss Parliament, to stimulate discussion and consideration of exactly this matter. It is hoped that all Congressmen, of both rival factions and any independents, will get over themselves and their Partisan Politics and come together to do something right for their Country.
The fact that players will choose to live in an eCountry where they can advance in the game is a constant, and they will leave a country that does not provide the means by which to advance.
eRepublik provides modules which make up the game and players choose to live where the eGovernments are run effectively so they can enjoy their game play.. enjoy by advancing in the mechanics of the game. A country whose government cannot figure out how to provide an economic environment beneficial to players who wish to run Companies will not have Companies, and its citizens will suffer, and either die off or leave. A country whose government ignores an entire module of the game, the single module upon which the game revolves for economic and personal gain, sees its citizens die off or leave.
As mentioned in the first article in this series, a National Army will improve these aspects of game play for our citizens:
● Citizen Recruitment
● Player Retention
● National Morale
● Economic Stimulus
● International Respect
If a President and Congress should choose to align this way or that, to take on any number of MPPs or not, this is going to change with every Presidency and session of Congress.
Switzerland has had an Army before, but it was disbanded with a change in the Executive Branch because the Legislative Branch had failed to Constitutionally Mandate it as a legitimate and permanent partner in an ongoing government process.
This cannot stand. An Army cannot be formed and disbanded at will like that.
If each successive political regime, for whatever reasons, feels it must maintain its own complete set of Organizations including the National Bank itself, these being activated and deactivated at will by each opposing faction's President... that is quite bizarre enough. But this cannot happen with a National Army which provides the means by which to play the central operating module of the game.
This article has reached critical mass, that is, it's quite damn tl;dr long enough.
I will follow with another, in which I will discuss a couple remaining topics which should clean up and complete this series about Switzerland's new national Army
[SAF Orders] - Day 1090 Updated 1700 Hrs 11/14: [North Rhine - Westphalia].
These are Civilian Fight Orders, for all Swiss citizens who choose to participate in the war module through the battlefield activities provided by the MPP with Poland.
When the Army is formed, its fight orders will be separate and private, classified and secure.
Recommended Reading: Please read these newspapers, vote them up and consider subscribing.
Switzerland's New Citizen Message (in Approval process)
and in a "why am I not surprised" eRep glitch,
Swiss President's latest progress report to the nation
yields an Error notice, claiming an "Unauthorized Link."
http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/time-to-get-serious-presidential-address--1571251/1/20
So here's President Paul's main newspaper link, just click on the article title of your choice.
http://www.erepublik.com/en/newspaper/good-bye-blue-monday-223587/1
And FINALLY: We have developed a "Pre-Application Survey Form" you should look at. If interested, fill it out and we'll get back to you within a day or so. This is not the actual Application to Join, but it is a mandatory screening form. The actual Application will be sent out by Invitation Only to those who survive this first cut.
George Armstrong CusterColonel, Swiss National Army -|- Editor, the Swiss Armed Forces News
Captain, US Cavalry -|- Editor, the Cavalry Saber
Crabby, Opinionated Bastard -|- Editor, Custer's Stand
:::
:::
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Comments
the Pre-Application Survey Form:
https://spreadsheets0.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dHRBYXNGVk1LMmdyeFRkX1JSWE9uMEE6MQ#gid=0
hey, Congress! Don't dick around... Make it so!
second?
VOTED!
And thank you for setting the example of including the "Need help" link!
Again, MAKE IT SO!
voted
Voted, extremely well told article!
Your forgot something. eSwitzerland is a little country around only 100 active swiss Players. The National Council needs 40 persons, this goverment has 10? persons so you say you need for your third branch 30 players. Oh fine 80% of the aktive swiss people "works" for the "goverment" branches.
But who will pays the taxes? And who will run the private companys?
Three different and independent branches are a good think for big countries but not for the little eSwitzerland.
Any government of us has desperately searched for but never found enough employees. Why do you think with even more bureaucracy would that change? Such ideas are making all well and good but only from about 500 active players sense.
Why would we need people who pay taxes if we all work together for free and for the good of our country ?
And as it is sai😛 the army is non partisan but that doesn't mean the people in it can't be in political parties. They only have to let them aside while fighting.
Omagad, too many words
Awsome!
But as Only a german Landser said, we are so few to have this big politic organization!. If this "three branches" scheme becomes true in the future, we will run out of active players!
I think we are enought (or so few) to have a complete democracy like in ancient Athens. The goverment should do a populatoin census to see which playeres are able to participate (and this could fit to see the active players we have) and everybody will give his or her opinion. (of course the congressmen will have the last word)
WOW!! what a crazy idea I've just made up!
what are you people talking about? it's as if an Army "uses up" people like they're fuel or something.. players can be in Congress and in the Army. players can run a business and be in the Army. players can even be 2-clickers and be in the Army.
francio223, you called this a politic organization-- are you not reading these articles at all? no politics, that's the point of it all. be in any Party you like, vote how you like, have a newspaper and write what you like, just work in the Communes to help produce supplies for the Army and show up for meetings and coordinated attacks..
you have submitted the Survey form expressing interest and desire to join, yet you come here and say it cannot work and should not exist. I don't understand you.
Three branches means that the politics of the army are separate,
not that you can't be in the Army, and Congress,
We encourage all Swiss citizens to sign up for the army, congressional or not