Legitimacy: In Defense of the Wipe

Day 2,224, 14:21 • Published in Belgium Belgium • by Konrad Neumann


Looking at the media today, we see a few articles from members of the Head Hunter MU in regards to our wipe. Most of them are bashing the Poland occupation and you have PTOers spreading lies about the government trying to steal money during the wipe in the form of government program. I found that point extremely funny as it is such a lame and stupid. If money is the goal, there are many more direct and efficient means to obtain it.

But is money the goal? Let's look at players like Elynea MaryamQ, ThomasRed and many others. They are the players who spend real life cash for gold. These gold are used not for personal profit, but that of the wellbeing of the eBE community. Their cash went into gold which fund many of our social programs from citizen packs to boost your strength. These people spend their hard earn cash for the community. If they really cant in game cash, they can buy it. If in game cash is their goal, they would never sponsor one of the most comprehensive social welfare programs in eRepublik. So, the purpose of the wipe is not to "steal cash" but to project the state from political take overs (PTO's)

Many of the players know what PTO's are, but I think we need a comprehensive analysis of it. For I have seen some of the PTOers are saying things like "The government is undemocratic" and the government themselves are PTOers. We have seen the older generations of the PTOers like Lin0lium who believes the democratic process itself is a PTO. To him, any contestation of political power is a PTO. To him, the combating of PTO in itself is undemocratic. However, this view of PTO and democracy is deeply flawed. For both PTO and democracy has more than one variable. It is not as simple as contestation so much more.

What is democracy? Is it just votes? If your definition is so simplistic, then many tyrants and despots in RL are democratic. Saddam Hussein with this definition is a fine democrat as he won his elections with 90+ percents of votes. Democracy is a comprehensive term. It is not simplistic and contains many variables. It deals with social equality, rules of the game, elections, among other variables.

In a democracy, all members needs to agree to be playing by the same rules. That means rules of immigration needs to be respected. For ignoring the rules of immigration, the violating members are rigging the system for their benefit. If they can get players with the only function to promote a party, that no longer is fair and democratic. The purpose of an immigration policy is to create a fair and equitable environment where democracy can flourish. These PTOers prevents this from happening as they are going against the will of the Belgian community (as there are a few votes and plebiscites done but each one was rejected in a fair and democratic vote in game and forum) as well as rigging the system making it unfair for those who follows the rules and laws of eBE and democracy itself.

I refer to Cika's articles for these hostile force for evidence for their attempts at PTOing the eBE state.
The truth about PTO! PART 1
The truth about PTO! PART 2

In the end, it comes to the issue of legitimacy. It is a social acceptance of customs, tradition, norms, and accepted right to power. I recall one of the PTOers Thorin Oakenshield said something to the effect of "If we (the PTOers) win, it is a PTO, but then you (the government) takes over a party it is not a PTO" and I would agree with him 100 percent. It deals with the issue of legitimacy. We have laws, tradition, and conduct that are years old and they are made for the betterment of the eBE community as a whole. As stated above, such laws allows democracy to exist. However, this PTO group seek not to play fair but of total political domination. When a group (internally and externally) challenge and seek to overthrow the government and the means of the community to have the means of governance, the state must act to combat such threat. For as Max Weber states, the state is the holders of the legitimate means violence and force. Because there is a PTO force in eBE in the Liberation Front and PANDA (now LION) party, the state with the legitimate acceptance of the eBE people to use force to commandeer the PANDA party. In my past article, I wrote about PTOs as a form of war. Please read On War if you want to read more.

With that said, eBE is reacting to the threats of PTO. Before this threat exist, eBE is very democratic. People are equal and aid/ social spending was for all. Great leaders like Elynea and MaryamQ who spent so much of their time and personal resource (both in game and real life) for the betterment of the community. The community as a whole voted and accepted the laws and tradition of the land. It is not until the arrival of the PTOers who poisons our democracy with their PTO attempts on our country. It is sad, but the state needs to be pragmatic against this threat.

To combat the PTOers, the wipe is necessary as it is the only real way to combat the PTOers. With no land, there is no congress. There is no land where foreign PTOers can apply for citizenship. Being wipe is the best long term policies against the PTOers. I am not going to lie and BS you evoking pride and nationalism. Policy is cold and rational and it might not be the most sexy thing to do; however, this action is needed. With time, the PTOers will get bored and move on. The wipe is done for democracy. As it is the only way that we can still have a legitimate democracy with fair and proper elections in the form of CP elections. It is to stop the influx of foreign PTOers and illegal immigrants.

So it is not about some nonsensical ploy for the state to get money. It is not because we are Poland's lapdog etc but this is for democracy. This is for the protection of the state and means of governance. This is for the defense and protection of legitimacy of the eBelgian Constitution and rule of law. This is for the protection and defense of eBelgian sovereignty and this is for eBelgium and its citizens.

Vice President of eBE
Konrad Neumann