[The Ronin's Voice] Things that need saying
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by Angrr
I have several things I wanted to type up, and hate spamming multiple articles, so this one contains them all. Unfortunately, I am tired and it seems like the article wanders back and forth between these topics in a slightly less-than-stylish manner. I would re-write it, but the frog doctor is writing articles again, so his use of grammar has probably lowered peoples expectations a bit. 🙂
The future of Japanese politics
Given the current state of affairs regarding Japanese politics and the ever-increasing threat of PTO – a threat that has grown even larger due to the recent decision to take to the warpath – along with the new, possibly destructive direction that national policy has taken, I believe that it is time for certain members of society to step up to the plate and lend their voice in order to provide some balance.
I do not claim that the current administration is incapable, or that the current congress will not oppose that which it doesn’t agree with. I think merely that a trend is developing where the days of someone standing up for what they believe in – going against the grain and risking the storm of dissent from opposition - are gone. I know this because I myself felt precisely this a couple of months ago. To stand apart is to be cast out. Opposition is vocal, support is silent.
How do these two topics come together?
I think it is time to finally make something good come from our enforced 5th party.
The Scorpion Clan’s reasons for being are fully justified, but I cannot join the party, as I disagree rather strongly with many of their ideas and policies.
I have given this some thought and believe that the time has come to combine some of the smaller parties into one entity, but figure out some way to keep each of their identities.
I propose that the new 5th party have no image/policies of its own, merely be a shell to house and manage the various members – allowing a unified congress lock-out against PTOs, and hopefully opening up communication between these unique parties.
A few things would need to be sorted out beforehand. Some kind of command structure would be required where all represented parties have equal opportunities regarding running for congress etc., and there would have to be a certain set Rota for which party’s representative is in the big seat each month. Whether a straight-out PP competition is best, or a separate administrator is voted each month keeping the individual party Presidents being voted internally and forming a council of elected officials can be looked into later.
One thing is certain – we need to stop the infighting and bickering which blocked a move like this before by doing it properly. When this has been taken care of and we are stronger against the potential PTO threats, then we can work towards discussing our nation’s future.
Goku Jones recently sent me a message regarding the future of the 5th party, and I am more than happy to join any discussions about it.
The war and how it affects our country.
Call me old-school. Call me an idiot. In fact, call me whatever you want, but listen to what I have to say first.
Let’s take a look at the situation as it stands now. In what light do current events shed the nation?
Public Image (Japan)
Low. The population seems to be split. It is not an even 50-50 split, but enough to notice. The split is along the lines of –
War is fun!!! / Unjustified, imperialistic, unprovoked war sucks.
All citizens would likely accept the fact that a “lulz” war shits all over the righteous nation policy and - by extension – our constitution. What we have worked long to build up is undone with very little chance of returning to the previous position we held.
Public Image (International)
Hypocritical, self-righteous bastards heading for a fall with no-one left in their corner to catch them.
This is no exaggeration. This is pretty close to how many other nations view us now. Before we were the plucky little guy who stood up for what we believed in and respected his neighbors. Now, we are the little guy who hit a growth spurt and thought it meant he was tough, so started picking on the little guys he used to hang around with. There is no respect for that type of character, and everyone is expecting – if not hoping – that he will get his comeuppance.
Some may question my return at this point. I was basically dragged back in due to these events.
As a former MoFA, I made a lot of contacts internationally. Several of these contacts forced me back by sending me emails regarding clarification on eJapan’s position or an explanation of the actions taken. Some of these people I was speaking to about “Asia First” and the creation of an Asian Alliance – including South Korea – about 2 months ago. Now, they understandably have questions about this nation trying to take another Asian nation by force for no reason.
What do we need to do now?
I would start by ending the war. Fun is fun, but this is doing (in my opinion) irreparable damage to our nation, and we will have to pay the piper at some point in the future.
Look at the constitution again, and if we are done with the righteous nation policy, rewrite it again.
Find better outlets to channel this desire for “fun”.
Try to repair the damage done through diplomatic means.
Angrr
Party President, the Ronin.
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Comments
An article pertaining to the big, bad monsters under the bed and the Theocrats weren't even mentioned?
I am disappointed.
Very well written, Angrr. I agree totally with you, Japan needs to return to its old ways.
>>combine some of the smaller parties into one entity, but figure out some way to keep each of their identities.
Agreed, at least until we get more people ~which isn't coming soon, I guess...
>>Look at the constitution again, and if we are done with the righteous nation policy, rewrite it again.
Why had the gov. broke the constitution anyway?...
I'm working in a ekorean company ,and it's so weird for us to have war with them, but orders are clear and despite I don't like the idea of war with eSK , I fight as the orders say, because I think we must act united ...
Voted!
Totally disagree.
First off, you have been mislead if you believe Japan is in a worse shape NOW then before the war.
Like you've said yourself, you haven't been around. Japan was cracking at the seams with bickering and infighting. The War has brought people from almost every party together.
Sure, there are dissenters. These dissenters are few but loud. That is why you perceive a breaking of Japan. Look at all the high-profile politicians that use to be at each other's throats whom support this war. You've got KITA, Akki, the Emperor, Reiji, the majority of the Godzilla Party, and ISP and many many more.
Internationally of course the same people & countries that hated us before will hate us now. Nothing new there.
Again, try being back for more then a day before going off on wild tangents. Japan is at war.
The vote in congress for supporting the war was 31-8, with 30 congress members, including myself, voting yes (Danyeo likely voted YES since he proposed it and has an in-game vote, too).
I cannot speak for everyone, but some of us who supported the war still believe in the Righteous Nation philosophy and think that it applies here as well. After hearing the arguments from President Danyeo and others, I checked the eSK media as well. Aside from the usual bickering (not necessarily unhealthy for politics), there were deeper problems. Many of the old eSK community had left, and this article from prominent eSK member of congress, Athasnim, was the evidence that moved me to a YES vote:
http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/-tol-happy-100th-birthday-esouth-korea-q5-house-gift--1330526/1/20#comments" target="_blank">http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/-tol[..]ents
(scroll about halfway down, read about problems with congress, etc.)
Some of the Theocrats are still there as is Carlos Bianchi. The Righteous Nation philosophy has been stretched in the past, but I do not believe this is such a case.
That said, I appreciate lively dissent in the in-game media, particularly from Sophia Forrester and other long-time members of the community. At the very least, I hope this war promotes increased activity from them and from the eSK community and makes our national politic more interesting to new citizens.
I think that with respect to our image abroad and within the nation, you are projecting your personal feelings rather than what other nations believe about us. Different nations view us differently, according to their own allegiances and interpretations of our actions. With the war we may have lost status with some nations, and gained with some others. Ultimately the international communtiy does not really care, because South Korea is inconsequential and the only impact any of this will have outside of the Koreas and Japan is via the German MPP.
Certain Japanese have a habit of framing our image in terms of what they would like us to be perceived as. When in reality, nothing could be further from the truth. What the outside world sees is our media, our political infighting, the occasional in game event, etc. The concept of the Rightous Nation is not well known outside of eJapanese scholars and annoying opinion journalists with no regard for the truth. Even within our nation, the Righteous Nation philosophy is not well understood by large segments of the population, some also do not care.
There are many reasons for the war beyond kidnapping SNSD and finally making Yuri my joint bride to be shared with Erumaron. You should come on the forums or talk in IRC with supporters of the war. While I may not be a war supporter, I can certainly understand the reasons behind it and the positives it can have for the country.
As mentioned by KITA, the reason I too voted 'yes' was due to the problems eSK has been having. Admittedly, I would have liked it if this was planned beforehand with the legitimate rulers of eSK (Athasnim and his gang, who've been doing nothing but GOOD for their country)... but things just turned out like they did and there's little that could be said or done once the vote was started. Danyeo's been a very great president, and it would have taken too long and been too difficult to sway common opinion against him in any case.
I wish to convey my deepest respect for legit eKoreans and all they've done. As for you goons and puppeteers, you will all burn under the fury of the Rising Sun. Good day.
The problem in eSK has not been and never will be solve by smashing what they have into pieces. We can't solve the problem for them, it is up to them to make the necessary effort and compromise with each interested parties. If this is the goals we are trying to achieve (which we are not), our method is completely wrong.
Wow this article actually has meaningful discussion. I am pleasantly surprised.
The threat of a PTO is well taken, since as I understand it, more regions will make it harder to defend all the congressional seats. That said, I am not sure that I agree with stopping the war. While the absorption of SK's malcontents is looking less an appetizing with each newspaper article and has definitely increased the trolling and general atmosphere of "lulz", it has increased citizen participation which is clearly needed.
Is there a way we can have the increased citizen participation without the war in Korea?
The comments above are a tiny example of how one aspect of the country has changed since the introduction of the citizenship module. With a few notable exceptions, active members of our community are receptive to criticism and can hold a decent argument. Can the opposition, if it exists, produce the better argument? Do they possess the knowledge and skill to carry through with their promises? Failing all else, do they have the means and the numbers to get what they want by force? I do not believe that thoughtful players have fallen silent; rather, they have grown to become more pragmatic.
Ideals and lofty notions are one thing, game mechanics and necessity are another. If you are ambitious, you may be asked to strike a balance and fulfill either of the three scenarios mentioned earlier. Articles like those published by Grain of Sand can put a smile on your face but how many countries in this game are governed by players like its author?
It was not bickering that blocked the move to merge the smaller parties. It was debate; until the day you can convince citizens to put aside their individuality is the day that the idea might come to pass. People do as they will - just like in this war. And just like the war, the outward appearance of a country can easily be manipulated by propaganda, so it would not be difficult for a future administration to return to the Righteous Nation Philosophy at all - that is, if they still want to after seeing how the concept is thrown around like a rag doll by political opponents.
eJapan made a decision and should be well aware of the potential consequences. No one is running away, yet. We may be stepping on some toes and might get slapped around a bit but I think we'll preserver, don't you?
I agree we should take another look at the constitution after all this is said and done. 🙂
I think that you are exaggerating a "split" here. Before the battle eJapan was splitting into two. Now those cracks have been plastered over with a cross party consensus on this war. You didn't see that because you weren't here.
At most 33% don't agree, and those that do are not criticized. The only people drawing anger are the ones fighting against Japan.
Your perception of what the eWorld thinks of Japan is drastically wrong. When everyone is rushing to defend/liberate Lionking, I don't think that some multi hunting in South Korea registers on ANYONES radar.
Anyway I'm glad that you liked my PM and posted my idea here 🙂
^ Lol...
Anyway, good read, Angrr. I like the part on the status of the 5th party spot; it's definitely an area that could use some exploring / discussion among our political leaders.
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As for the war; I'm still a relatively new player (by comparison) and don't see this war as negative in any real way: I wasn't around for the Kyushus, writing of the constitution, the goal of unified Asia, etc. All I see are the handful of legitimate reasons for war (as given by Dokomo, Danyeo, and others) and see nothing but good. I don't think the intent of the conquest is to take all Korean regions... but to shrink the number of seats to aid in getting legitimate eSK players elected.
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I don't have the contacts you have, and I'd find it sad if other nations looked at Japan's actions negatively.
I appreciate all comments, even TATU songs. 🙂
Regarding the righteous nation policy - Look at the first points it touches upon - go way back to Reiji's original articles.:-
"– The Righteous Nation is not a conqueror.
While by no means a pacifist, the Righteous Nation exists only within its own borders. The spread of righteousness happens through diplomacy, cultural exports and trade, never through strength of arms. The Righteous Nation is proud of its culture, its language and its people. It has no need to absorb others."
How can our recent actions not go against the very fabric of this philosophy?
http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/the-precepts-of-the-righteous-nation-philosophy-842243/1/20" target="_blank">http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/the-[..]/1/20
Reiji might want to re-insert the Japanese in that article. It seems eRepublik used to be a bit bad at UTF-8....
Voted, subscribed, and befriended. Anyone who has the audacity to step up and speak his mind when it's unpopular, anyone who will shout down the drums of war, and anyone willing to suffer the insults that comes from going out on a limb, is a friend of mine.
Angrr, it all depends on your interpretation of events and of the words in the Righteous Nation philosophy, as it always has. Back when the Righteous Nation philosophy was written, Japan controlled all of SK's territories, and in months after fought to maintain that control. Some people stated that this was a violation of the RNP. I do not agree, on either that or this most recent scenario.
The precept of the Guardian to me is the primary function of the righteous nation. Which we have enacted in the past with SK and many people believe the current war is an example of. It's all important, but the one precept that fundamentally defines our foreign policy actions as a nation would be the Guardian precept.
Does that include protecting nations from internal threats? I believe it clearly does. Does this current situation fall under that same category? It would seem to. We have limited options for assistance, and cannot offer ATO assistance given our limited population and our own PTO issues that pop up every single election.
I don't think the RNP is violated given our past interpretation and application of it. But again, these are concepts that are only important to a select few within Japan. To others within Japan, and almost all outside of it, the concept of the righteous nation is either meaningless or just a slogan for them to repeat without serious thought as to what the words mean and how to translate them into action (see above).
Our focus, I believe, should be on whether or not we really want these people integrated into Japan. Which is what will happen, should we conquer SK. Given the path we are on, what does this do for our nation in the long term? Is there a plan for SK beyond the immediate "lulz" and is there a plan for player retention in Japan once the war cools down?
We will have to agree to disagree on how the Righteous Nation Policy applies here, but you raise interesting points about integrating the South Koreans into our nation - I too had given that some thought.
I presume that unless we conquer the entire nation (not likely, but not impossible) then those citizens will remain in SK. I expect that the regions will very quickly be RW'd back by eSK citizens or wealthy individuals seeking medals (I can think of one person who fits both bills with a proven track record for doing just that). We put effort and money into this, so would the orders be to keep the regions then - even if it is against the native South Korean citizens wishes? How does that fit in the RNP? And if the order is to keep the territory, then how far do we go? do we tank and use gold to achieve this?
I have no doubt we would be able to conquer all of SK if we wanted and defend against RWs. Our military is not as weak as it once was. And consider, beyond the hype, where the damage for SK came from in that fight and you will quickly see that they would not be able to repeat their performance consistently. Especially as world events call friends away, some people who tanked run out of money, etc. And the German MPP... I think that will be seen as the biggest blunder in this whole thing, if we utilize it to assist our allies as a damage drain.
I think the key here is defining what "South Koreans" want. Not individuals in South Korea. That's beyond me, I'm just a citizen/soldier now.