Stages of Impotence
J.A. Lake
I read a pretty good article in the media today entitled, Stages of Power Hungry by Kobble. While it was certainly well-written, I found it the same kind of listless rhetoric that BSP and SFP have been spouting for years (and yes, some of that rhetoric came from my own keyboard).
In my sabbatical from SFP, I've spent time with the Federalist Party. They're a cool group of people, and easily the most effective party in the country where it comes to electing Congresspeople-- they've sent double the delegation to Congress that SFP has, and more still than BSP.
Criticism is no doubt incoming that I've turned coat, that I'm one of the elite. Perhaps I've even graduated from PIG-SATELLITE, Rosa Harmony will no doubt inform us all in the comments. Maybe it's true, but I can write an entire article about why it might be better to be an elite than it would be to hide on discord and accomplish nothing.
Politics is a numbers game, though, so let us look at the numbers. Today we have 58 Congress people: 23 from the Federalist Party, 10 Socialist Freedom Party, 9 from each the Black Sheep Party and the United States Workers Party, and 7 from We The People.
Combined, the SFP and BSP might form a formidable voting bloc: 19 votes would command a lot of respect from the other parties were any legislation to come down the tubes. Yet... 3 Socialist Freedom Party members signed in to Congress on 18 December. No Black Sheep Party members did. Political power has finally come to the two parties who craved it most, and they squander it in an empty protest.
Let us step through the Stages of Impotence, then.
The game is unfair. The little guy doesn't get a fair shake in the revolving door of Washington politics: the same people take the same positions and do the same things months at a time, while nobody does anything about it! I will run for Congress and make my mark.
How... why can't the Federalists and USWP see things my way? I'm right, I've talked to the rest of my party. This is outrageous! My propositions were well-argued, and my positions tested and true. Still they shout me down!
I know.
They've all known each other for so long. I was stupid to think I could break into that cabal and change anything.
Elites! Those disgusting elites. They're afraid to change, they don't want to lose their power. They can't imagine living without those Congress buttons to press, or their meta-junk forum where they just agree with each other. Everyone in my party agrees, they're all a bunch of elitist losers.
I'm done. I'm not going to play their game anymore, I'm done with it. I don't want to talk to them, I don't want to vote, I don't want participate in their stupid meta-parliamentary garbage sign ins and PROPOSAL-DISCUSSION-VOTE nonsense. It's all built so that nothing gets done, and they hate my party and I. It's obvious now.
I find the SFP and BSP have retreated. In my time as SFP PP I wanted to undo this, at least for the SFP, and was refused unanimously by the Revolutionary Committee. I realized that none of us will make our mark on society if we retreat from it. I also realized that we'd been going about it wrong for years: expecting people to just know the righteousness of the SFP's cause was folly. Expecting anyone to agree with you for no reason and with no discussion is folly.
BSP, SFP: passive-aggressive articles about how much the "elites" are afraid to hand over their power have never worked and will never work. Targeting broad swaths of players who happen to run in different social circles and hurling insults at them is not socialist, is not free, and does not make you a black sheep. It makes you unpleasant.
Instead of raging against the majority of players for not handing over their power to you, why not use the power you already have? The irony that players who have left the eUS Forums and surrendered their voices are thumping their chests about "elites" keeping them down is so thick it defies words.
Get back into the game, friends. The only ones keeping you down are yourselves. You've got no right to complain about impotence that you've forced onto yourselves.
Comments
Stages of Impotence
https://www.erepublik.com/en/article/2659569/1/20
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You still write decent pro-elitist propaganda.
You are a reactionary: you don't have arguments, you use cheap political slander.
But in one point you are right: politics is a numbers game.
What you fail to understan😛 numbers are not written in stone.
You can gain or you can lose members, votes...
And the fact that a majority rules doesn't make them be in the right.
Let's see what happens on the 25th!
Nice Read!
You mean pig-acceptable?!
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It's the reversed/inverted article of Kobble, but it's good.
It's a horribad hit-piece, an elite-propaganda hatchet-job, don't be fooled.
Am I right when i read this as just do what you like (like making ingame proposals and accepting immigrants) or be impotence? Or is it better to be active on the eUSA forums and being insulted by some trolls that like to do that?
It is a game I know, but when I treat others with respect, I don't want to be insulted by others.
I agree that it is not helping to complain about who has the majority and insult the ones active on the forums. I don't regret not coming to the eUSA forums any more. My eLife has improved a lot because I don't come there any more. What I regret is that many new players that are elected in the congress are being trolled and stop being active. To many good people just stopped playing or did emigrate because of what happens on the eUSA forums. I know there are a lot of people active on the eUSA forums that are nice people, but a few rotten apples do spoil the basket.
I don't care on politics, I care about democracy. Democracy only works when there is decency and good information I think. Without decency I leave the field and enjoy having fun with others.
How is "blacklisting of SFP members behind open doors without an open debate, removal of candidates from the ballot and ignorance of their right to vote in primaries DEMOCRATIC?
No transparency about this procedure!
No public announcement!
No information to the public HOW A BUNCH OF YOU HAS CHANGED OUR GLORIOUS SFP PARTY CONSTITUTION WITH THE ONLY MEANS TO PROVIDE POWER TO THE PARTY PRESIDENT & LEADERSHIP THROUGH FAKE EXECUTIVE POWERS!!!!
Is the SFP Forum any better then the filthy rotten eUS forum?
You "blacklist" people, you just don't call it this way!
And you dare to speak about decency?? What a hypocrite you are, Niemand!
Please do come down from the cross Phillip.
People are tired of being harassed by you.
Your constant name calling,nasty comments. It is tiresome.
Anybody who does not get aboard your crazy train is placed under attack.
This is a game Phil.
People come here to have a little fun, not to be constantly bombarded with your garbage.
You have burnt bridges, not many places left for you to go.
Though I do here tef1 is looking for people to join his Party.
Who are you to speak for the people??
I had the support of over 1/3 of our fellow SFP members. This number is likely to rise.
I won't go anywhere, I will be your next PP!
[SFP] Will this political corruption ever end?
erepublik.com/en/article/2659605
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You make good points, but I see your sabbatical as the very "retreat" you've defined so sharply in this very article.
I know I wasn't around when all this transpired, but it still saddens me.
Well said, I very rarely endorse purple. I used to be very active in another party Top 5 party that no longer exists I even lead it for several months. The party was known to have its own opinions. When I came back from from my eRep leave I came back and saw the party no longer exists. I looked into the Top 5 options and where I should be. I realized that the landscape is not what it was and parties have little meaning now in current game mechanics. I joined the Feds because its where things happen, bottom line. Not because of friendships, loyalties, or anything else. I vote my conscience on all matters, and my opinions are mine to have and share.
The eUS forums are not the cesspool they once were. Doesn't matter if you like them or not if you want to make a difference that is where you need to be to influence others, and make change. Simply calling the process of how the e-country does business trash and refusing to participate will get you no where if you want to realize true change. You have to meet the masses of influence and power where they are and fight the good fight.
The future belongs to those with the most resolve. I will stick around for the good times and the bad ones.
"They can't imagine living without those Congress buttons to press, or their meta-junk forum where they just agree with each other. Everyone in my party agrees, they're all a bunch of elitist losers."
The irony here is perhaps the best part of this article. You make a good argument. Your leaving is SFP's loss.