The Journal - We Belong Alongside Friends

Day 1,846, 03:53 • Published in Ireland Ireland • by MR. HANK SCORPIO

The Journal – We Belong Alongside Friends

OVER the last four weeks there have been numerous calls from members of the public to leave EDEN. Boredom, corruption and elitism have all been the reasons from the Anti-EDEN side while all the Pro-EDEN group seem to be able to debate is that leaving the Brotherhood would discredit our international image as a loyal ally. Despite results of a recent Opinion Poll style Referendum on our membership status the margins between both groups are close with the leading two presidential candidates neglecting to side with the Pro or Anti EDEN camps instead promising to back the outcome of another Referendum. After today that Referendum will close and our foreign policy for the foreseeable future will be set, my own views are that we should stay in EDEN, we have gained far to many friendships during our time on the tree to turn our backs on them.

V1 seems like a lifetime away.
When I joined this game back in V1, Ireland was a far different nation that it is today. Our foreign policy revolved around befriending all our neighbours and aiding smaller nations overseas. Over time as alliances began to dominate politics and our neighbours shifted onto opposite spheres we were forced to pick a side and we did so moderately. Ireland opted to become Pro-EDEN and drifted into Brolliance, a North-American defence pact. Diplomacy with the United Kingdom became the vocal point for domestic politics. Eventually republicanism forced the Governments hand into taking Northern Ireland from the Norwegians (who had won it in a recent war against Britain). The British didn’t take this lightly; they saw it as taking cruel advantage of a fallen neighbour. The situation heated up as the majority of both nations called for war and we soon found ourselves in the hands of the Polish venturing into North America ourselves moving ever closer to EDEN membership.

That EDEN isn’t comparable with the EDEN we have today. Over the last 3 years EDEN has become a victim of her own mistakes, quite literally. Two of the Brotherhoods founding seven members have since moved onto a different axis forming ONE, now re-established as TWO a European-superpower alliance. The United States moved out of the Brotherhood early after its founding, she would later announce the establishment of TERRA which would cut North American dependence on EDEN damage. Bulgaria was the last high profile partner to walk out on the alliance, her departure cost EDEN a friendly boarder in the Balkans and a new arch enemy.


The recognizable EDEN logo, the alliance’s first image vs the present one

Of course it isn't fair to pin the formation of TERRA or TWO as results of EDEN mishaps, those nations left predominantly to serve self-interests. Bulgaria’s departure however is a different story. It is on this matter that much Irish resentment for the alliance stems. The affair detailed Turkey’s entry into EDEN and HQ’s drastic attempts to have them instated as a permanent member as fast as possible. Entry rules and procedures were cut short or dropped all in favor of getting the Turks to fight in ONE dominated battlefields. While the Greeks and Israelis let past grudges with Turkey die the Bulgarians couldn’t. There was too much bad blood between themselves and the Turks (a lot of it relating to real life). To them Turkish membership equated to Serbian membership or British membership, it respectfully could not be tolerated especially in the manner in which it was being conducted. The Bulgarians exercised their right to veto any moves in such a direction. Angered, HQ suspended both nations with immediate effect and, in the end, the Turks won the standoff. The loss was severe, not only did EDEN cripple her international image as a Brotherhood it also lost friendly boarders in Eastern Europe. The Bulgarians would continue to mature from a babyboom that occurred previous to this affair and would later found the Circle of Trust alliance, siding with Mexico and Chile who would both experience their own baby booms. The Turks meanwhile continued to engulf controversy onto HQ with an invasion of both Israel & Iran and their ever growing image as a multi harvesting state.


Bulgarian weekly & monthly damage vs Turkish weekly & monthly damage

So…Why Stay?
The Bulgaria – Turkey affair isn’t cause for our exit. A Referendum on our membership following this innocent was held during Irishbhoy1967’s second term as President and it showed that a clear majority still held trust with the Brotherhood. Furthermore blaming a lack of war for Ireland on HQ is simply unfair, shifting into the CoT or becoming Pro-TWO won’t change where we are on the map. It might in fact lower our chances for war, the United Kingdom have joined TWO whilst the United States are taking drastic measures to disassociate themselves from their Pro-EDEN stance. A sudden change in our foreign policy could see us jump ship with our neighbors and end up back in a V1 situation. All leaving EDEN will do is switch the side of the battles Irish influence is inflicted upon.

Above all else though Ireland has a history with EDEN, they were there when we on our knees fighting against the UK as they were when we were leading the charge on a British wipe. To turn our backs now when perhaps the biggest threat to the alliance is looming close by simply is not the Irish way, as Castaneda put it "amongst many other things being Irish means you're a rebel, you feel a throbbing ache in your heart when you witness people being oppressed". EDEN has paid for her past mistakes already, scapegoating behind boredom is disrespectful to the friends we've made over the past year and a half. Now at a time when superpowers are realigning we should cement ourselves onto the tree and show the world what being Irish is about.

Regardless of the results of this referendum I will be out fighting with my Greek brothers and sisters, fighting on three fronts proudly against TWO and CoT under one EDEN flag.

Fionn Mc Cool