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ON SOCIALISM AND NATIONALISM IN eIRELAND

Day 4,032

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Good evening comrades, enemies, and the still undecided -

There has been a lot of talk about about xenophobia, racism, and nationalism lately. Since the beginning of eRepublik every nation deals with its own nationalism and foreign nationalisms. eRepublik is an international game and thankfully you are not bounded by your real life nationality because if I had to stick to eUSA I would have quit the game by 2012. Firstly I am going to cover philosophical questions about nationalism and eRepublik. Second, I will talk about my Party - EIRE - position on nationalism. Lastly, I will summarize how eSocialism ties into all of this. Please note I am talking about nationalism in eRepublik, I could write essays on real life nationalism.



PATRIOTISM BEYOND NATIONALISM

eIreland has a rich history of patriots - like the notable Brian Boru and the old Labour Party from back in 2009-2010. During the Great December Wipe of 2010, in which eUK wiped us off the map and back in those days your political parties would be deleted among other things, we organized into the Sons of Eireann and others into the Fenian Brotherhood and united as a nation to free our lands from the eBrits. One could call that a nationalist struggle, but I saw it more as our patriotic duty.

Nationalism tends to be ethno-centric and lends itself toward uncritical support of the State. Nationalists like to play eRepublik, this game is conducive towards nationalist tendencies. Play as "your" nation, be proud of "your" nation, and fight for "your" nation. However, eRepublik also is conducive towards a more internationalist tendency because it allows players from all over the world to join any country they choose! This leads to players from differing countries to join players who may be real life natives.

I am truly thankful for this because when I was young and first joined I honestly didn't know much about real life Ireland. I had loosely supported Irish republican movements, but my knowledge was shallow. I only joined eIreland because eScotland is not yet its own independent country. I joined my celtic brethren over the sea. 8 years gone by and here I am, still in eIreland, and don't plan on ever changing that. I have learned so much about Irish history and culture, talked to many real life Irish folk, and even written several academic essays focusing on Irish political economy, history, and resistance to British imperialism. I am more eIrish than Irish people who don't play eRepublik, but I am not more Irish than any Irish.

It is from my own experience that I understand that players can come from anywhere in the world and be just as eIrish as me - they just need to prove that they are loyal to eIreland, contribute to eIrish society, and be helpful in creating a society that real life Irish can be proud of. We need eIrish patriots, not eIrish nationalists. This brings me to my next section ~

AN eIRISH PARTY FOR eIRISH PEOPLE

EIRE is a far-left political party that is rocking the foundations of eIreland. There is no Party like it in existence. We are currently undergoing the process of our First Party Election, have 6 elected congress representatives for the second month in a row, and are in the process of drafting our first Party Constitution!



I should explain what our slogan "An eIrish Party for eIrish People" means in the context of the topic being discussed. We are a Party whose sole existence is to build a richer, prosperous, united, and better eIreland. We see ourselves as one day becoming thee Party of eIreland united under the same goals and principles.

Under the Principles of Unity in our draft Party Constitution there is a section called Socialism which states:

"We proclaim that eIreland belongs to no individual player, foreign nation, or corporate dictatorship. The wealth and prosperity of eIreland belongs to all eIrish both new and old players, patriots and newcomers alike."

A legitimate concern about foreign players moving into a country is, of course, the threat of Political Takeover (PTO). That happens when a large amount of players move into a foreign country, usually in a short period of time, with the intention of taking over their host country and seizing political office to disrupt or sabotage the native community. If it does not meet that definition it is neither a PTO or an invasion. I do believe we need to be careful about who we let hold political office and moving to eIreland from another country certainly raises suspicions, but does not condemn anyone or any immigrant group. We judge loyalty by their actions, not their identity.

SOCIALISM AND NATIONALISM

"...socialism in eRepublik is about refocusing national resources to the social sphere and fostering social development. Socialism seeks the empowerment of the community over individual tyranny, not to suppress the individual but to not be dominated by any individual or foreign oppressor."
Section: Socialism, EIRE Party Constitution

The way forward in eIreland is to embrace EIRE's socialism. As a society we still remain fragmented and have yet to unify into a mass Party. What has been missing from the political sphere in eIreland is a Party that acts as a party, parties that stimulate activity and projects, parties that demand their members share common clearly stated principles. Socialism in eRepublik is not about dictatorial regimes, forcibly collectivizing the economy, or destroying the diversity of ideologies and political parties that exist. Socialism in eRepublik is simply about valuing the social sphere and understanding that the greatest value our nation should share is that of community. What keeps you logging into eRepublik - clicking work, train, fight everyday? Probably not! You log on because you know there is a community here that interacts together through an online browser game. I know if the eIrish community wasn't so eIrish (oldies should know what I mean) I would have stopped logging on many many years ago...

Éirinn go Brách

- Party Chairman,
Mike Bane

"Ireland, as distinct from her people, is nothing to me; and the man who is bubbling over with love and enthusiasm for "Ireland," and can yet pass unmoved through our streets and witness all the wrong and the suffering, shame and degradation wrought upon the people of Ireland-yea, wrought by Irishmen upon Irish men and women, without burning to end it, is, in my opinion, a fraud and a liar in his heart, no matter how he loves that combination of chemical elements he is pleased to call Ireland."