Eleven Points for Dio Soryu to Consider

Day 2,839, 18:20 • Published in USA USA • by Silas Soule

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Eleven Points for Dio Soryu to Consider





The charming and honorable Dio Soryu has written a thoughtful critique of the Socialist Freedom Party. You can read it here. She argues that the SFP is not really "socialist", and instead has "sold out" to something called "conservative populism".

Her critique is amusing and well written, though from my POV maybe a bit turgid and hum-drum in its analysis. To its credit, I'd say it hit, albeit somewhat obliquely, on a few legit questions. Most importantly it raised the question (for readers who think beyond the cheap smackdowns) about "What is e-socialism, really?", "What does revolutionary game play actually look like?" and in particular, what does the type of "e-socialism" generally espoused by SFPers, actually mean in game terms?



There is a deep and rich e-literature on this question. Writers and thinkers from the SFP, and players internationally who are interested in questions like what is a "revolutionary" or "transformative" style of game play, what are the limits of Marxian socialism in-game, is there a way to overcome the built-in nationalist-imperialism of the default game model, and so forth, have written lots of interesting materials on this and related topics. Konrad Neumann's piece "Marx Kant into eRep but Hegel Can", which basically outlines a possibility for a style of "global democracy" and denigrates the concept of "revolutionary crisis", is a recent example of this genre.





Dio Soryu mentioned several SFP brothers by name. I will not attempt to speak for them, as they are quite capable of speaking for themselves. What I will do is try to address some of the broader political, philosophical, semantic and perhaps even aesthetic points which, it seems to me, were alluded to by the article.

I should also note that these Points are entirely my own (well, with a big tip o' the hat to French philosophe Alain Badiou). Members of the SFP may agree, disagree, partially agree, or partially disagree with me. I don't know. I didn't ask them. The SFP is a "big tent" party with no political litmus test.

If Dio Soryu is implying that the SFP is not a Marxist-Leninist organization, she is quite right. I would even say that, consciously or not, by making an earnest attempt to "reinvent" the New World, the SFP is finding it necessary to demolish the entire concept of "left vs. right". But I am getting ahead of myself...






I have numbered my points for convenience.

1. It is urgently necessary to internationalize the cause of the Socialist Freedom Party. Only the total elimination of oligarchic-dictatorial game play globally could bring a meaningful "ideological blow" to the fascistic game model embedded in the default eRepublic mechanics.



2. Dio Soryu makes jolly of the fact that some political positions espoused by SFP members appear to align with some demands associated with the Rightist group in the RL USA known as "The Tea Party". In particular, she focuses on complaints raised by SFP and BSP that the current e-income tax rate is too high. She seems to believe for some reason that all "socialists" are automatically in favor of "higher taxes" under any conditions.

Well, yes, it's true that any discussion about tax rates will be partly confused. And it has always been the case that at certain times the far Right will sometimes reject certain things that the far Left also rejects. The clear thing here is the affirmation of what is wanted. Everyone knows what the SFP wants is opposed to what uber-e-nationalists and e-fascists want.

The discussion and debate in Congress centers on the current tax rate of this Government, and the purposes for which it is raising these taxes. Opposing this tax raise is clearly a vote of no-confidence in the current dicta-government.



3. The fact that this "revolutionary situation" is occurring in the eUSA and not -- as ought to be the case -- everywhere in all the nations of eRepublik, indicates that the e-International "Left" has largely sunk into an irreversible coma. "Left" and "e-socialist" and "e-communist" and "workers" and "labor" parties everywhere are now, like the US Workers Party has always been, overtly the managers of globalized dicta-fascist imperialist-corporatism.

There is a smidgen of hope, poorly defined, in the wholly disruptive political formations linked to "power from below" game play, like the SFP and, I would say, pretty much the Irish State as a whole, which was long ago militarized along popular-socialist lines.

As it happens, the Socialist Freedom Party repudiated the "Left" distinction some time ago. It's official in-game "flavor" is "Anarchist" and its Constitution speaks of "anarcho-syndicalism", not "socialism". SFPers are happy to call themselves "socialists" mainly because the word still has a more disruptive effect on the North American psyche than "anarchist" does. So it is a badge of honor for the SFP for that reason.

But the whole 20th century construct of "Left" and "Right" belongs to the old world of parliamentary-oligarchy, which simply must be destroyed.




4. The fact that the SFP finally reached Top Five status after all these years offers encouragement to all new propositions in the political field. The dicta-congress and the unity-parties have been in an endemic crisis for some time. The SFP's success -- however temporary and limited -- is part of the "Awakening of History" in the New World. This awakening will carry the SFP, or its descendants, over the ruins of classic parliamentary and pseudo-"democratic" cretinism.




5. In my opinion the situation with the SFP remains a very difficult and fragile one. Dio Soryu is right to call SFPers to account on particular matters. It's now that its true difficulties will begin. The minions of the Admin and the acolytes of the Way Things Have to Be may alter their tactics in light of tactical successes by player-power movements like the SFP. But it is necessary to act without paying too much attention to them. Our destiny is mainly in our own hands. The crucial point, now, is to know whether the SFP's breaking into the Top 5 will expand into a powerful popular movement, exercising acute pressure on the government itself, regardless of what any SFP personages say or do.



6. Indeed, how should we judge the SFP today? Several months ago Jude Connors, Wooky Jack, Artela and others decided to build on the radical legacy created by Osmany Ramon, Civil Anarchy, Vincent Nolan, Mark Valshannar, Ghost of Tom Joad and many others by creating a savvy political team that would propel the Party into the Top 5. I might have preferred a different way: with an immediate appeal for a mass, global, extended popular mobilization to demand an end to dictatorships. And also through an intensive struggle against VISA-oligarchs, bot farmers, and those who bring RL nationalism and religions into the game....

But I am just a lazy old fart, and I don't want to give lessons. I don't know if an action so centered on popular mobilization -- in a sense, a rather dictatorial action aimed the Admin himself -- was possible. For the moment, after several months of work, there has been this interesting development and the situation remains completely open. That is already a lot.

And with all due respect to the Honorable Dioist, it is really much more interesting than calling the SFP "conservative populists". (Yawn.)



7. I continue to think that the hardest ideological blow against the entire eRep Labs system is represented by a global demand for the complete elimination or transformation of the Dictator module. Objectively it is possible to do so without even changing the software. I suppose eRep Labs is opposed to such a change, since it opens the door ludic design where entertaining and perhaps even instructive game play trumps a purely money-oriented scheme.

And so the Admin's minions want to punish the SFP, and ultimately punish the international community of players too, rather than resolve the fundamental problems with the game model. The best way to punish the punishers would be a global general strike, whatever risks that would entail.



8. There seems to be a certain amount of agitation over the possibility of the SFP -- and even the SFP and the BSP -- being Top 5 parties. Let's be clear. It's only a FN game. None of this is meaningful in any really meaningful sense. But within the aesthetic constraints of the Game Life, there is some degree of hope amongst reactionaries that the rise of the SFP will frighten people.

The correct line, which is the one the SFP has taken, is to say: "We are staying within the system. We only want -- as is our right -- a chance to change the rules of this e-country. We want it to stop being a transmission belt between oligarchic corporatism and the continuation of the players' suffering. We want a really free, people's eUSA".

It's up to various reactionaries to say what they think of that. If they want to chase the SFP out of the game, let them try! On this point, the ball is in their court. I can affirm that the SFP, for its part, keeps its powder dry and well-guarded.


9. We also hear whispered geopolitical fears in the background. It is no secret that the SFP is an internationalist party. It always has been. The first Commander of the Bear Cavalry was an Australian. If I remember correctly, Legendary SFP leader Osmany Ramon was the first Chair of the first e-Internationale.

Of course all the governments of the New World have an independent foreign policy and many cultivate entirely cynical friendships. Some hypocritical reactionaries want to the paint the SFP as "friendly to foreigners", another title we wear with pride and honor. The SFP has always sought to build the unity of the "awakened" players of the world; to "accuse" them of the same is the height of silliness.


10. But whatever comes of all these things, the situation with the SFP will be resolved mainly by the Freedom Socialists themselves, along with their friends, partners, allies and dancing partners. We can feel the old political forces engaging in intrigues behind the scenes.

But even beyond the fact that state power very rapidly corrupts, when it is acquired in regular and non-revolutionary conditions, we must obviously pose the fundamental question: is the SFP today managing foreign affairs, the budget office, the armed forces, the congressional procedures and offices, and helping to direct the nation's economic and financial system, including setting tax policy?

Obviously not. What will make them ready? How will they behave with some degree of e-power in their hands?

In this context, in my view nothing changes. It is the popular movement and its grassroots organizations which must keep a constant watch over the government's actions. To repeat -- the "revolution" in the SFP's ascendancy will only be a true force when it continues to develop into very powerful independent movements.


11. International popular support -- one that catches the media's attention -- should devote forces to the SFP's possible call for mobilization. This has nothing whatsoever to do with "PTO". The goals of the SFP are well known. Its methods are entirely above board.

A fraction of the New World population possesses the lion's share of its resources. The e-world's capitalist oligarchy is very narrow, very concentrated, and very organized. Faced with this, dispersed peoples lacking in political unity and closed off within their national borders, will remain weak and almost impotent.

Everything today plays out a global level. Transformation of the SFP's cause into an international cause of very powerful symbolic value is a necessity, and, therefore, a duty for all free people.










XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO,
PQ