Join the new world

A long time ago, in relative terms but certainly in the context of the New World, I published a series of articles looking at the most influential Canadians of the moment. The lists were well received and have on occasion provided entertaining debates. All of them had some measure of controversy as such subjective lists are wont to do.

More importantly all of them provided a fun way to look at the situation and players of the time.

The 2009 Christmas edition was the last time I took the time to formulate a list. At the time it looked like this:
10. Banach.
9. No Idea.
8. Derek Harland.
7. Taiwan Panda.
6. Nosyt
5. Tyler F Durden
4. Ramizeth
3. Citizen B
2. Scorpius
1. Jacobi

The name that jumps out at me first is TFD. His story shows how much things can change. 16 months is an eternity in the New World but it seems to those that knew TFD that it was just yesterday that he had his tragic accident. It helps to remember this when we start losing perspective on some actions that occurred for and against us in this game.

As for the rest of the list I've virtually lost track of everyone on it with the exception of Jacobi who is of course our current sitting President. Banach has retired and returned at least twice since then, Derek Harland made a brief appearance this month after a long absence. Nosyt had been doing good things with his charity housing program and I've seen Scorpius name crop up a lot more recently. Citizen B was a staple of Canadian life but is more the ghost these days.

All in all, things change... and yet remain the same right? We shall see...

I present to you; friends, loyal readers and occasional trolls, the Top 10 Most Influential Canadians: Reloaded.

This is not a historical list but unlike previous iterations it is meant to reflect influence over the past few months and not just what is happening today. All biases are mine, please enjoy.

10. Etemenanki
If this were a list of Canada's most honest citizens, I would have to put him first. Or maybe a "most integrity" would be more politically correct and not offend some sensibilities. When I tapped him as my Minister responsible for our finances I was pretty sure I knew what I was getting. Not only did he prove me right, he went on proving his dedication, hard work and steadfast service to every administration since.

9. Kronos Q
The monkey avatar/mascot was a clever way to create a brand. Now we are seeing a little bit of push back as the moniker overshadows the contribution this man has given us. Recognized for his outreach to citizens, I can attest to his availability to anyone who needs his help. Some have criticized his past Presidency but having sat in his seat, I know what he had to deal with and overall I hope he was satisfied. Unlike many presidents he does not appear to have taken time off and immediately returned to his previous roles.

8. Rylde
His recent expressions of boredom may have caused him to drop a few ranks. Be that as it may, the previous months have shown that an interested and engaged Rylde can be one of the most effective movers and shakers in the country. The rise and influence of the MDP, although never just the work of one person, is largely due to him. He and his party had a major coup when they recouped some of the stolen funds and milked it for all the political points they could muster.

7. Coda
Coda is the spiritual mother of the Armed Forces, she also happens to be Canada's strongest citizen. Her recent decision to run and get elected to Congress (partly due to changes in the restriction previously imposed on political life) means that she now has an unimpeded voice in all spheres of influence. Like Kronos and Etemenanki, she is that breed of Canadians that serve continuously with hard work even in the face of controversy of which she has been embroiled recently.

6. Petz
Except for the occasional commentary he is not particularly politically active. He is not one of the strongest Canadians and his military rank is not impressive. Even his total of 26 companies, although high, is not near the highest. What is most impressive is that he employs 89 Canadians at a time where working managers dominate the markets. His 'industrial output' is amongst the most important in the country. That means a lot of wealth passes through his hands and because of changes to the economy, almost all of that wealth is now in Canada making us that much richer.

5. Rolo Tahmasee
I really didn't want to put Rolo on this list. I certainly didn't want to put him 5th on this list. However how can you ignore the person in Canada who has had the most written about (the vast majority negative). His theft was not only a game changer for us but also a generational change. Those citizens born pre-Rolo and post-Rolo did not have the same experience and never will. Add to that the fact that his vast wealth allows him to influence battles almost at will, purchase companies at virtually any cost and dump vast amounts of products if he chooses and we are forced to conclude... much to our collective chagrin that yes, Rolo still holds a lot of influence around here.

4. Ali Al Baghdadi
Previous to doing research for this list I did not know about Ali Al Baghdadi. I still know very little about him but that just means he does not seek the spotlight. What I do now know about him is that he is the second strongest Canadian and leads the nation in economic skill by a fair margin. His companies employ 112 citizens, again in an age of working managers this is a staggering amount. With 43 companies he can be a rainmaker on various sectors of the economy on any given day. I must also note that he is the point man running the CPP's outreach/charity branch.

3. TemujinBC
Say hello to Canada's very own Supreme Marhsall. Longtime TCO member, warlord, ex-President, ministerial and congress positions, party president. There are very few roles that TemujinBC has not played for this country and none of the important ones have escaped his very own brand of service. He seems to have found a sweet spot between anti-establishment behaviour and being a true patriot. Some would say he is just being a pragmatist. It would be fair to say that at the moment no other Canadian can influence the battlefield the way he can, directly through influence and indirectly through his ties to TCO and others.

2. Addy Lawrence
Ran the herd roughshod over Canada to a top 5 party ranking. No other party has as focused an agenda as the Ministry of Opportunity. No other Canadian has as focused a message as Addy Lawrence. To add to this, he and his party do not only pay lip service to their constitution and ideals, they take concrete steps to affect change. Canada is risk adverse by and large, MOO and Addy are anything but. Along with these well established political credential, the true strength of this man lies in the economic field. He is the third highest economic skilled Canadian and has direct control over 35 companies (at the time of my compiling data, he had only 25 employees but had many offers open). His true influence lies in his ability to communicate economic ideals with concrete numbers and sharing with the population at large ways in which they can increase their wealth.

1. Jacobi
How many times is Jacobi going to have to run successfully before I enshrine him permanently in the number one position? His latest victory comes with appellation such as "God Emperor" and "King of Canada". Overblown rhetoric aside here is what it boils down to... Canada trusts Jacobi and for many months trust was a commodity in short supply. Canada has learned to admire his brand of tough love, rational thinking and ability to seize the day. He understands the mood of the electorate like few others and can communicate in way that inspires people to follow his lead. He was the first Canadian to collect one of each medal... a mostly irrelevant achievement in the face of everything else he has done but a testament to his ability to participate in all facets of New World life. Remains Canada's best and most influential diplomat on the international scene. Thorough, sincere and number one Canada's most influential citizen!

Special mentions: Some people I considered for a variety of reasons but didn't quite make the list, they include...

Mary Chan, self-confessed difficulties as MoD aside she is clearly a very popular figure for the military establishment and her political career is just starting if she so chooses that path.

Aeriala, I don't think there is a single citizen whose avatar is more misleading than his. Our powerpuff ex-President was extremely steady in office, proved immensely effective as a negotiator and traded talk for action.

Buck Roger, his staggering 146 society builder medals means he should be considered no matter if I know him or not.

Bob Turkee and Ralph Kline, Canada's only Field Marshall's mean they are the face of the nation on the battlefield.

Firgus and tallie, economic powerhouses with many companies at their disposal.

Kilgore Trout 89, controversy aside his commentary is some of the most interesting read in Canada. He proved a hard worker for many months, especially in Congress at a time when nobody much was participating there. Some would argue he should be on the list and for a long time he was on mine too, the hierarchy of the MDP is basically what allowed Rylde to stay and Kilgore to be mentioned here instead.

Thank you for reading.