Put Up or Shut Up

Day 2,653, 10:30 • Published in Canada Canada • by Alias Vision
Be sure to thank Oinyo for this update... and while you're at it, better thank him for inventing the internet too!

We are at the Dawn of a New Age. The Age of Dictators. Even with the prohibitive costs of starting a revolution (one way or another), I suspect we will witness a number of "dictatorial events" in the short term.

I like this change for the sake of change itself. Whether or not it works as intended holds negligible appeal to me. I'm just happy to have something different to consider and talk about and hope that change engenders more changes (would be even better if we talked of innovation).

Like most changes to the New World though, what this means to one segment of the community vs. another will be dramatic.

You can't escape linear (progressions, consequences) in an environment like this one and therefore this will be the update of the big over the little. Again. This is not a failure on the part of the powers that be, it is just hellaciously difficult to steer clear of that cycle unless your design allows otherwise from the onset.

What dictators mean for Canada, domestically.

This is Cordis' play. By their numbers, organization, loyalty and sheer damage output, they are defacto kingmakers or guarantors of Democracy. This will be the case for most medium and small sized nations where influence resides disproportionately in the hands of key MUs.

It is important to highlight that this appears to be phase 1 of the dictatorial diagram but already there are enough apples dangled to be worth the while of charismatic leaders and warmongers. The calculations we will all have to make is whether or not 400,000 cc (because invariably you will encounter a want or a need to replace the person in charge) and lack of medal gold (presidential, congressional) is worth the gambit.

There can be incredible stability in a sole leader. There can just as easily be irreparable harm and chaos.

Perhaps the most tempting aspect of this update will be the opportunity of saying to your political opponents, put up or shut up. Think how motivating this module would have been during some of Canada's more tumultuous times and rebellion.

What dictators mean for Canada, internationally.

This is where I want to raise the red flag. As easy as it can be for individuals to raise the 200,000 cc and make a play for the big chair, it will be that much easier for organized foreign forces to do so.

From now on, every disgruntled MU leader becomes a National Security threat. Every wrong CS application could spell disaster.

Why?

Because money talks and bribes work. A foreign power with means can bribe a MU leader to start a rebellion. A single foreign agent gaining CS can create a MU and do the same. Dictatorial conflicts have the potential of becoming proxy wars. The initial costs are a little elevated but they would require much less organization and potentially have devastating effects.

This is in fact a winner take all proposition. We have been introduced to a new end game.

Life in Canada has just become a little more complicated.