[Vote for Me] I have Money
Sir Humphrey Appleby
So apparently this is a bit more commonplace
Good afternoon chaps o/,
I’m sure you’re all perfectly distracted by the on-going election which, though close, is not conclusive (yay an actually fought election for once). I would just like to make a few comments in general about the state of eUK politics that have been bugging me for some time, and which I feel the debate yesterday highlighted but did not address (whether or not this is actually read given the sheer constipation of our top 5 remains another matter).
We are in a huge rut. We have got it all wrong. Rahahahahablahahahaha. Quite.
It is as we go to the hustings, for what seems like the 100th time, the media is again clogged up, with an entire campaign eclipsed by funds spent with the soul aim at keeping it safely out of view. No political party is innocent from this tactic, but it is clear from the last few elections (particularly congress) that this is a recurrent theme that only a few are happy with and only a few are probably going to repeat. You need only ask the voters club moderators to get a handful of names that are personally squaring up their retirement fund. And is it this votes for money sort of ethos that has taken over the eUK that I would like to focus this article on.
Mainstream political parties have lost their nerve because they are no longer about policy but fighting an unwinnable front of free stuff. This means that actual contributions and ideas for community, genuine loyalty and identity – in fact, willingness to participate truly at all; is based not around ideological correspondence or individual fervour; but the highest bidder. ‘Our policy, in reaction to your policy of upping your supply, is to up our supply. Join now for your membership bonus.’ And it is in the history and intent of these puppet masters with their rl funds do we see a permeation of fundamentally negative anti-community policies and a commitment to continue poaching, spamming and division until they get their way.
The NHS was founded so that the first month of a New Players life would be supported by the community, not a single political party. This, supposedly, would form the main bulk of their main needs for what is often cited as the hardest time in eRep, and let them get a feel for the place and making considered decisions non-biased rather than rushed ones on a fancy Q7 tank. When I started out on eRep all those sorry years ago, I got a grand total of sod all –anything that was thrown my way I was grateful for. But above all, I wouldn’t have particularly known if the bloke handing me this free stuff’s intentions were genuinely towards the betterment of the nation. Nor would I have known today if that’d been the case (I’d have probably quit when the metaphorical tap was turned off). However, the NHS is now a lone voice among a huge chorus of party-political bidders – and those not willing to melt rl funds in the process of it will never be able to compete and are doomed to stagnation and regular poaching by those that will.
A party should not be an organisation that can simply offer the most amount of free stuff. Sure, free stuff is great – but on a new player basis it should be mainly a community activity rather than a party one. Having outrageous handouts based on party membership destroys whatever community aspect that could’ve been a part of it. The true success of a party isn’t the number of weekly claimants it boasts, but the enjoyment of the conversations you have, the time you spend in it, the collective effort you make rather than simply rallying around a single one or two people. One of the main reasons I’m still here isn’t a handout scheme, but the value and fun from my friends in my own party in UK Reform. They’re all crazy bastards and I’m not sure where I’d be without them (probably the Hague).
Yesterday’s debate proved that policy is largely irrelevant in UK politics nowadays (not that this is anything new). I will say honestly that I feel neither candidate did particularly well in their duty of creatively regurgitating old ideas (a crucial skill in modern CPism). But I feel it is more disappointing that it isn’t this lack of real new policy that has been the deciding factor here, nor will even 80% of the eUK electorate be concerned about it (and they are more than entitled to not be). Rather, when we see the creation of new parties that doesn’t even bother to hide up its policy about not having any policies (bar a few tonnes of free tanks) – when we will finally get to the point where, as a country, how much do you value your vote at? How much do you value your own participation in the game at? To what extent are you prepared to allow yourself your own identity to balance out against the wishes of our dear residential paymasters?
Just imagine the potential, as a nation, if these giant pots of rl money were redirected by their host few to the efforts of a national community rather than a narrow party political movement (with more than a few strings attached). I think you may be able to get your rubber then.
Yours, as always,
Appleby
You would be surprised just how rubber some people of the eUK want :3
Comments
Great article \o/
o7 v6 thanks
Supported. The Vote Buying and Membership Buying arms race has to stop for the UK to progress.
However as a PP, if I don't do these things then my party falls behind and that's my responsibility. I feel compelled to do so as it DOES work.
All UK Parties need to stop at the same time and maybe we could get agreement on this. There are issues though, like legit foreign votes from big countries biasing our media to one party or person, or forum censorship forcing the isolated to vote buy.
If we do manage to stop, then we can pump these funds into a neutral newbie scheme and battle on policy instead - AND we would save money without it being an arms race.
voted 8D
YAY A CONDOM!!!
Never brought votes either for articles or elections. Never will start either. I do find it funny when one side takes the high ground though when every party does it...FOR SHAME. I blame their parents.
I agree 100% with what is being said.
Buying members...no matter how you disguise it as 'new help scheme' is still buying members. If you really, really, really wanted to help newbies, you would assist the NHS and help to fund that. Ive got no problem with high wages, thats fine, but when you just pour a ton of stuff on them in exchange for a vote...then there is a problem. I'd like to point out that TUP does not actually buy members, nor does the leadership buy votes, or even agree with it.
V27 S743. Just an excellent article. I'd love to see the money spent on this pork-barrel going towards the benefit of the nation. o7
Have you read the article this time Jardon? You'll see I mentioned your point : p
Maybe eRepublik is in a state that the only interest is now personal advancement and battles for a home nation. Less players, less possibilities to economics and less political power. Concluding more brute force (real life money involved) and less intelligence.
Voted, you never know it can be changed.
I spent thousands on the NHS and the country, but yes even TUP has to sometimes do this sort of thing, or we'd be falling out of the top 5.
If all parties got together and agreed to stop all financial membership incentives and all vote buying, we'd happily sign up, and donate the money we would have spent to a non-political NHS. The problem is that this doesn't exist, and I expect this month it will be used as last- as a recruiting base for political parties.
SHAME
Shame you couldn't of earned some CC with that vote Niemand.
voted, good article !
Love you Minecraft ❤
: )
Was thinking this the other day;
One of the only ways to truly combat this is to bring it to light; to have all parties agree not to do it and to bring it out as a 'shameful' thing to do, rather than the norm. This will, of course take time and people won't agree. It'll take a lot of work and a lot of time to change the political system and the 'bribery' based membership system in this country but it has to change eventually.
Not a bad article, well done!
CLAP CLAP CLAP
Oh, wonderful Appleby. Your words melt souls and bring tears.
-Wig xoxo
Voted.
I see this as only slightly more subtle than offering bribes for votes in an election, something that thankfully seems to be less common in the eUK than in some places. Perhaps a summit of PPs and some sort of treaty would help, but as long as there is so much distrust, it seems as if we are stuck with this system. It is a pity.
voted
If you want to supply your chosen few at least do it in an MU, and make it not related to parties. A lot of it is reactionary (party X is offering YQ7s, we'd better offer ZQ7s or we'll be kicked out of the top 5), so if we could get a list of everyone doing it together we could progressively tone it down over the course of a month or so, with the money going instead to either the NHS or to a MU that supplies you regardless of party (or just not being spent at all).
mates are cheaper
that has 2 meanings btw
@Mr Woldy - I've heard you can get them for free nowadays... Mainly from health clinics and bars. ; )
Rewarding my party members for their efforts supports both my political belief and my belief that new players shouldn't give something for nothing.
I also try to mentor newbies, and so due to perception bias, I feel a small party like mine is a good place to teach them and get them involved.
"Rewarding my party members for their efforts supports both my political belief and my belief that new players shouldn't give something for nothing."
Yes but we giving out free stuff for the sake of gaining members is stupid and that money should be going to national programs that will out new players and the national as a whole, such as the NHS.
Any player that stays in the game is helping the nation. Don't matter how and why...
Great article!