Raven

Day 2,064, 09:07 • Published in Ireland USA • by Raven Anarcho

In this issue, my one year anniversary of playing erepublik, I'll recap some of the music and legends of the month.I'll also give a short bio of myself. I noticed some time ago that many players let everyone know a little about themselves. I decided to put it off until now, my 50th article.

THE MUSIC AND THE LEGENDS

8. Poison Girls– Persons Unknown
9.
10. Cock Sparrer – Take em All
11. Elektroduendes – Salgo a la Calle
12. The Pogues – Sunny Side of the Street
13. The Briggs – Charge into the Sun
14. Forgotten Rebels – In love with the System
15. Angelic Upstarts – I’m an Upstart
16. Butt Trumpet – Kill Yourself
17. Screeching Weasel – My Brain Hurts
18. Dead Milkmen – Moron
19. Mischief Brew – Roll Me Through the Gates of Hell.
20. Eskorbuto – Historia Triste
21. Operation Ivy – Jaded
22. 4 Past Midnight – Fuck Them All
23. Dead Boys – Sonic Reducer
24. The Humpers – Up Yer Heart
25. Flema – Nunca Sere Policia
26. Youth Brigade – Sink With California
27. Balzac – Wall
28. Cock Sparrer – We’re Coming Back
29. The Adicts – You’ll Never Walk Alone
30. Defiance – No Future, No Hope
31. Dead Kennedys – Kill the Poor
32. The Valves – It Don’t Mean Nothing At All
33. Leftover Crack – Gang Control
34. The Vines – Factory
35. The Wolfe-Tones – Some Say the Devil Is Dead
36. The Misfits – Hybrid Moments
37. Attaque 77 – El Cielo Puede Esperar
38. The Forgotten Rebels – England Keep Yer Stars
39. NOFX – Linoleum
40. Angelic Upstarts – Solidarity
41. Across the Border – Reclaim Our Needs
42. Eire Og – Bring Them Home
43. Youth Brigade – Sink with California
44. The Mob – Our Life, Our World
45. Colera – Adolescente
46. The Clash – Pressure Drop
47. Commandantes – Bandiera Rossa
48. Kathleen Largey – Only Our Rivers Run Free
49. Across the Border - Loyalty
50. Dead Milkmen - Big Lizard in my Backyard

Legend of the Months:
February: Jon Riley – Irish
March: Emma Goldman – Russian
April: Grutte Pier – Dutch
May: Buenaventura Durruti – Spanish
June: Albert Parsons – American
July: Rosa Luxemburg - Polish

RAVEN

For starters, I'm 24 and live in the US. I was born in the south, an only child. I never knew my father, lost my mother when I was 9, and ended up living with my biological grandparents shortly before I started highschool. In highschool I was involved in theatre, chorus, and was an avid chess player. At the time, I wanted to major in Musical Theatre one day, while minoring in business management because it was a safe backup plan.


I was a small kid and an only child.

My sophomore year I picked up a book that held short biographies on all of the Soviet leaders. I had never been interested in history much, but felt strongly moved by Vladimir Lenin's life. I particularly respected the way he had turned his hatred and anger into something hopeful and just, and through it attempted to better mankind. Many debate on his and Trotsky's methods used, or any secret motives but due to his early death, he left his dream unfinished; a mystery of what could have been. It was this book that really started my interest in academics all together, and history, particularly radical history.

I had considered myself, both before and after reading about Lenin, simply a liberal. Before highschool I never thought much of politics. I was raised religious and as a child said a prayer every night, however my prayer on the morning of my mother's death remained unanswered, and became my last. In highschool I never knew what religion, or lack of religion, i belonged to. I often took to the sidelines when the few intelligent students at my school would debate athiesm and religion. Eventually I decided that I was neither, and have been agnostic to this day.


Me being an annoying liberal and debating in highschool.

I joined the military shortly after highschool. I joined for travel and financial aid for college. It was a decision that I would not make again, however still bettered me. While in, I had a Top Secret security clearance and worked primarily with computers and communications. My first two years I was stationed in Italy. Aside from different Italian cities, Paris was the only other city in Europe I visitited. I did, however, visit my friend in Seoul, South Korea, who was teaching english. I always say that if I had extra money to travel, I'd go to places I haven't been yet. South Korea, however, is the only place I enjoyed to the point that i'd pay to travel back to. It was incredible.

I spent my next two years on a ship. It was an annoying and stressful experience to say the least. In Italy, I saw the money being wasted by the military, while the rest of America was in a deep recession. I knew shortly after joining that I would not reenlist. Eventually dealing with the arrogant and egotistic leaders in the military became too much. I began to despise the art of doing things one way simply because "it's the way it's always been done". I found that traditionalism changes when people stop celebrating it and start enforcing it. I could list over 30 reasons why I didn't re-enlist. However I'm irritated at even mentioning the dysfunction of the military , so I'll move on.


An average day for me in the military.

Eventually, while still in the service, I decided to read about anarchism. This is of course when Emma Goldman and more so Albert Parsons became huge impacts on my life. Beforehand I had hated anarchists and thought them to be naive. Eventually I realized, however, that many of them fought more so for the principles behind anarchism than the implementation of it. For example, they fought for workers rights, womens rights, and civil rights, long before the majority of citizens had evolved to support their causes. I came to see that although anarchy couldn't be achieved by this generation, due to the lack of social maturity of the human race, it could be achieved far in the future. I hold on to my beliefs that capitalism inevitably leads to socialism, and socialism leads mankind to a more anarchistic government, if not to the abolishment of government all together.

Right now I'm studying business in college. I've decided that to truly make a difference in this world and country, you have to be an artist or a businessman. Politicians are simply pawns in the pockets of the rich. I hope to own my own business chain some day, a vegetarian restaurant perhaps, where most of the profits go to rebuilding neighborhoods and helping those in need. I'd like to open the eyes of Americans to just how much money could be spent to better this world, yet politicians and businesses do little more than can be written off their taxes. Hypocritical no doubt, but i've accepted that i'll leave behind a legacy as either a hypocrite or a legend. I'm content with the risk.


Me yelling at the water.

I don't want kids, nor do I wish to be married. These things will only hold me back or slow me down, which given only 40 more years of an active life, I can't afford. Not to mention I feel that humans are capable of achieving much more in life, but we are raised as the lower classes to feel that reproduction is the primary function of our existence. I would, however, be more willing to adopt some day if my finances would allow it. Fortunately, the girl I'm seeing right now doesn't wish for marriage or children either, so I'm happy as it is.

In my spare time, I play a handful of online games. I've played Guild Wars 2, DC Online, SWTOR, WoW, Aion, and many other smaller MMORPGs. Console wise, i only watch netflix, replays of soccer games on ESPN, and sometimes sports games, such as FiFA or Madden. I'm a huge soccer fan, which started when I was in Italy during the last world cup. Although not fond of nationalism government wise, I pull for the US, South Korea, and Ireland Internationally. Club wise, I like Seattle Sounders.

When I joined erepublik, I was finishing my last couple months in the service. I joined out of the US, but immediately assumed (incorrectly) that they were led by the same types of morons that lead the US in RL. I was wrong, however decided to move after only playing a day or two. I chose Ireland because I'm Irish and Scottish on my mother's side of the family. (Dutch and German on my father's) It's tough to choose which heritage I'm more proud of because both the Scottish and Irish have led proud existences of rebelling against tyranny. Being that Scottland is a part of one of those tyrants in game, I chose Ireland. I must say playing in Ireland and meeting players here has sparked a huge interest in Irish history for me. I'd only go back to Europe with the intention to visit Ireland.

So I've been playing on here, while working two jobs and going to school full time. That's my life for the most part right now. I've been on my own for a while, but hopefully I'll have my upcoming roommate, a friend of mine, start playing here soon. I'll be playing this game for a while, that much I'm sure. I won't settle until Ireland becomes one of the strongest nations in the game. Till next time. o/

MY CURRENT MISSION

I'm still fighting against TWO at every chance, for the most part. I've been working on a babyboom operation behind the scenes, but I need more interested volunteers. I have a festival targeted next year, so if anyone is good at designing, I need a design for an ad and a t-shirt. Pm me if you are interested.

-R.A.

Dead Milkmen - Big Lizard in my Backyard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k68Uz3w3x8

"If men cease to believe that they will one day become gods then they will surely become worms." - Henry Miller

The Irish Radical issue #50