Thoughts on Dreams and War
Day 3,806, 00:36
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Published in USA 
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by
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by MaryamQ
For as long as I can remember, there has been a tension in eRepublik between those who focus on role-play, and those who eschew role-play in favor of game mechanics. To me, this is a false dichotomy; after, all, we all are engaged in role play, whether we are journalists, fighters, politicians, or business people, but we also need at least a rudimentary understanding of game mechanics even to two-click our way through eLife.
Personally, I have always had a soft spot for the quixotic idealist. There is something appealing to me about those who fight for what they believe in, no matter how great the odds against them. I am naturally drawn to those parties and social groups that have high ideals. This has sometimes led me to join parties that placed a heavier than usual emphasis on ideology. Unfortunately, ideals do not win battles or allies.
Many moons ago, I was startled by an article comment labeling me as pragmatic, but pragmatism is what we need in times like this. It is good to dream impossible dreams, but we are only functional in this world if we are willing to deal with the possible. To move forward, we need fewer archetypal rugged individualists and more people willing and able to work with others toward common goals. If we want to be a strong nation, we must learn to play nicely, not only with those within our own country, regardless of politics and personal preferences, but also with other countries. This war has given us an opportunity to begin anew, to re-examine our long-term beliefs about who we are, and to forge a new vision of who we can become.
Let us go forth, then, with high ideals about our national identity, and a realistic vision about how we can become better. If you don't like what we are now, don't stand on the sidelines and complain about it. All the armchair generals and Monday morning quarterbacks in the world cannot change what is past. We must face the mistakes we have made and learn from them, but only those who are willing to work together will change the future. Which do you choose to be?
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Comments
07
I am an idealist but I focus on what is possible. It has no use to try something that will fail because it isn't possible because of how things are. So an idealist that wants to improve the world must only try possible things otherwise all will stay a dream. That is said also in this article.
However I will stay an individualist, I will work together with the ones that work on things I approve but I will not work together with those that are banning people just because that is made possible in some kind of agreement on the eUSA forums about the congress of eUSA. War or no war, I stick to the belief that freedom comes before any law.
Respectfully, I think your kind of individualism is different from the rugged individualist popularized in American culture, and in fact, it maybe an opposite to it. You think for yourself, but you work cooperatively for the common good, and unselfishly serve where you see a need.
I think you are right in that my friend. I hope that I am not too selfish. Serving needs gives a lot of pleasure because than you meet so much different and nice people beyond expectation. Communication is the key and that is what you are doing. o7
There is another axis: democratic versus oligarchic. You can be role player or a player of mechanics of game,... but you live with other players in a democratic (egalitarian) or oligarchic (hierarchical) way.
That is a good point. I think your axis aligns fairly well with libertarian-authoritarian, and there are advocates for both in the game, but again, axes need not be polar. There is always a place in the middle where people can meet.
The problem is that our current leaders are unwilling to work with others if those others disagree with how they wish to play the game. It was stated in Congress in no uncertain terms that it was a huge mistake to attack Croatia. It was sold to the majority as a TW and look where it has led us.
Have you checked who our current leaders are?
Know what? I would be very interested to see who has the 'gonads' -since women have those too- to put together a flowchart of the Political Command Hierarchy...and I don't mean the mechanical positions within the game. I mean the one which runs the meta-government on the eUS Forums in the meta-Congress.
Expecting other type of article from eUSA SecDef :/
What were you expecting, just out of curiosity? This is a personal article, not an official one.
No, i totally get that this is a personal article. Just with such a headline i was expecting more war and problem solving and less dreams. 🙂
I personally had such a dreamy note and idealistic view on this game and communities while EDEN was a thing. I lost that when EDEN fell apart. Consider myself a realist now days and a fool back then.
Bad article, got me thinking now about the past. 🙂
Sorry about that. 🙂
Apologies for my bluntness but this article is the equivalent of thoughts & prayers. Have you any concrete ideas for a path forward to correct the ship? How would you implement them?
Ouch! I guess that is a fair comment; however, I am still trying to feel my way in this situation, as much as anyone else. I regard this article more as trying to prepare people to consider that there is more than one "right" path possible. What I see happening is that there are segments of the community who feel unheard, and segments unwilling to hear them. I see this going in both directions - each side claiming moral superiority to the other. Until we can get these poles talking to one another, and more importantly, listening, there is little chance that we can work together to make or implement any plan at all.
dont trust that guy in an armor, he's crazy