Permanent Reunion: Beta-giants and Boomers

Day 481, 17:59 • Published in USA USA • by Ananias

My fellow eMericans,

I am no one of importance or influence, I am simply an citizen of the eUnited States of America. If you review my profile you will find no medals for Battle Hero or Resistance Hero or Country Presidency or, ever-elusive, Media Mogul; I have my Hard Worker Medals for which I am very proud and I was fortunate enough to be elected to Congress for two terms representing Oregon. For the most part I stumble though my days working and training, seeking opportunities to fight and working to keep my wellness high enough to do well.

I cannot afford more that Q1 weapons when I do buy weapons, and I have to receive gifting through an org or by request. Like I said, I’m no one of importance nor particularly special, but like most of you I have invested time and treasure into eRepublik, and more specifically the eUS, because, on the whole, I cannot imagine living (even virtually) in any other nation on earth.

There have been many calls recently, from all quarters of our society, to reunite for strength in the face of the advancing armies of Portugal and Mexico. I believe that is a valid reason for the short term, but the challenge with temporary unity is that, when the threat is reduced or removed, then our reward becomes only the return to business as usual…and it is that very “business as usual” approach that places us in the position of weakness we strive to put to rest.

For those of you that are too “new”, or too “old”, to recognize it, the greatest impediment to the integrity of our union is the existence of a class struggle that is as ubiquitous as the phrase “pertamaxx” in the media. The class struggle to which I speak is the, all too common, dominance and perceived authority of those that joined eRepublik during its “beta” phase (I refer to them as the “beta-giants”) over those that had the misfortune of finding their way to eRepublik only after the advent of V1 (I have heard them, us, referred to as V1 Baby Boomers, or simply as “boomers” or “noobs”).

See, the administrators of eRepublik made a decision as they deployed the beta-tested product of eRepublik not to provide for equity of opportunity. The beta’s retained their status, and, perhaps more profoundly impacting, the mechanics of the game only provide for improvement or inactivity. So the strong grow stronger, and even the strongest of the boomers will likely never catch up with active beta-giants.

Therefore, to those beta-giants that choose to approach us like chattel to be moved, or sheep to be herded, we often have little recourse but to follow blindly or be isolated by ridicule from those that have established their persona months before our arrival, or have received the favor of those same individuals.

This class struggle, in my opinion, fundamentally reinforces division. Boomers are not considered equals to many of the beta-giants and our willing contributions avoided unless we show willingness to be pawns. Anyone that has been told that the do not have any idea what they are talking about, or has had their opinion ridiculed based on their experience level, or is ignored in debate understands the consequences of the eRepublik class system.

We live in a virtual nation which is ostensibly managed and directed by those that often feel the necessity of telling boomers where to go, what to buy (or not buy) based on personal agendas for virtual success.

What they so often miss is that there is an interdependence that exists in which beta-giants depend on the boomers for support as much as the boomers rely on the beta-giants for guidance. I believe it would be fair to say that, if united, boomers could make many changes in the eUS geographic, cultural and political landscape…however, without the experience and wisdom of the beta-giants, many, if not all, of those changes would be detrimental to the eUS as a nation.

The first step required to obtain permanence in the reunion is a basic change of priorities that is not based on when someone joined eRepublik or how many experience points they have racked up but, instead, is based upon leadership and engagement. I have been fortunate to have met many beta-giants that value leadership, and I have been fortunate to meet many boomers that may lack experience but excel in the leadership qualities and active engagement in promoting the interests of all the citizen of the eUS.

If this game is to be, or can be, won, it will be won through the promulgation of equality of ideas apart from the length of participation. If this game is to be, or can be, lost, it will be lost through the continuation and increase of barriers to sound ideas and beneficial change based on length of participation rather than merit.

In short, the way to unity in the face of the current threats, and future threats, to the nation is the fundamental commitment we must make to value one another beyond the rhetoric and platitudes of electoral campaigns, and, instead, to the very core of our identity as a nation…both virtually and in real life.

Thank you for your time, together we can accomplish that which only a few short months ago could have only been imagined. Let us endeavor to seek a more perfect, and permanent, reunion, together in the coming days...as dark as they my seem.