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These are merely my thoughts.

I feel pretty uneasy with our recent decision to make an 'enemy' of France. It is true that, unlike its real-life counterpart, war in eRepublik is often considered trivial and even socially desirable. But I would like to (gently) challenge this assumption.

In my eyes, the costs of war go beyond the simple depletion of money and resources. It can be diplomatically devastating. In fact, this is probably the single greatest kind of damage that occurs in the wake of a declaration of war. Trust is broken and useful relations are swept away, not to be recovered for a huge amount of time. Where solidarity and confidence could have been nurtured, offence and suspicion dominate. Cross-border relations become unstable. Transparency gives way to secrecy between neighbours, and we have begun to cast our own shadow. I see an opportunity wasted, and a dark cloud created for no good gain.

The 'boredom' factor is often brought up. We must entertain our people, some say. The way I see it, by relying on this excuse we risk creating a war-mongering citizenry and a government that constantly feels pressured to draw the sword against any and every sitting target. It makes clumsy strategy. As a "young citizen" I am already more than satisfied by just fighting in allied wars given under the 'daily orders' or 'campaign of the day' panels. Years ago, these features never existed in eRepublik; back then it was much harder to quickly find a battlefield. Further, unless you're a hardcore patriot, you are less worried about 'blood & glory' for your own country than you are about the personal skill and expertise that comes from fighting whatever war you can individually get your hands on. And this is already provided for by in-game mechanics. We now do not need to sacrifice good diplomacy for entertainment's sake.

On a positive note, I have nothing negative to say about our current government or cabinet. We are led by experienced and capable people. Germany is not destined to be an underling, nor should we turn our backs on military prowess. We should be strong & proud, but committed to wisdom too. We shouldn't be afraid to use force when necessary, but such times should indeed be necessary, diplomatically appropriate and highly considered. Only then can we be an effective Germany, a reliable friend, and a nation of great repute.

I will finish by reminding you that these are merely my general thoughts on the matter, and I am more prepared to discuss this with you, as a friend, rather than to debate it. As we have been thwarted by an ally in our attempt at war with France, now is perfect the time to stop and really consider the situation with the benefit of some hindsight. So if you have constructive thoughts and/or critique to offer, please do comment as I would be happy to hear your own opinion.

Yours,

Trusty