Josh Frost: Thoughts on US-AIM....
Josh Frost
No... I’m not dead. Let’s talk about something interesting that happened Friday. Friday, an organization of Independent Military Units called AIM conducted a military operation against Spain freeing two captured territories. You can read all about it right here:
http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/-us-aim-taking-the-war-to-two--2255537/1/20
http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/-us-aim-why-is-the-table-round--2255943/1/20
Now I can’t say what they did is right or wrong. I’m not privy to any super secret stuff that the government has in store for us. I’m just an ordinary citizen like the rest of you. The question you have to ask yourself is: Why did they do that? Why did they just go out and conduct their own military operation without anyone’s approval? Well there are some simple answers in my mind at least. Please allow me to elaborate:
1. They are self funded and therefore independent. Which means they can do whatever they want.
2. I’m guessing they are dissatisfied with the course that the eUSA has taken.
3. They feel disenfranchised and that their needs as players within the game are no longer being met.
4. They have learned the ultimate rule of eRepublic: Damage is Power and Power is Damage.
See the remarkable thing about government in eRepublic is this: The government needs you, but you do not need the government. For most players, the government no longer pays the bills, their Military Unit does. What ties us to the countries we are in more often than not is our real life nationalism. We choose to be Americans because we are in real life. However there is now a problem.....
What happens when the needs of a large section of the populace are no longer being met? What happens when one or two people are allowed to dictate the course of policy completely through fear and intimidation? Ronald Gipper Reagan has essentially been allowed to dictate elections for quite some time now. Granted, he never wins, but his presence creates an atmosphere where true democracy cannot be used to express the will of the people. People are left with no real options on who to vote for. Every election is: Government Candidate versus Reagan.
Inevitably people get tired and give up hope. They isolate themselves from the political community and become disgruntled. A disgruntled citizenry is a dangerous citizenry. If the government and elected officials within political parties are not meeting the needs and ideals of the people, then the people are less prone to listen to them anymore. When your options are limited your choices and actions inevitably become more desperate.
So what needs to be done to make everyone happy and create an inclusive atmosphere within the game? The solution is simple but “dangerous”...
1. Eliminate the cause of Unity Elections. (You know what I’m talking about America!!)
2. Join a party and support candidates that promote the goals and objectives that you feel are important to yourself and those you identify with.
3. Let Democracy flourish.....
Now, I’m not a smart guy or so I have been told. I have no office, no power, and I don’t run a Military Unit. I’m just a regular John Q. Kitten that has an idea. The real question is... What do WE want America?
Comments
First, cause cats are cool
Hey JF, how do you plan or suggest to accomplish #1?
second, because the kitteh is right
For the RAWR. US-AIM, Fire!
Voted.
US-AIM is the the American way o7
Baaaaaaaaa o7
you must take care, it's never appreciate to see a private MU from a country fighting against the alliance of this country.
Several players don't see a difference, because armies are a representant of a country.
Indeed voted.
Americans rise up!
US-AIM Baaaaaaa o7
Yet another boring election day - the kitteh is right.
Influence is your voice
Your voice is your power
Best of luck US-AIM o7
exactly
The reaction from our soon to be president (from the forums)
"Let's get one thing straight, any organizations who fight against the Foreign Affairs interests of the whole country are rogue. No. I'm not going to dress that up and make it look fancy, I'm going to tell it plainly and how it is. That action by AIM has set back Foreign Affairs work that was ongoing. Attacking random places because you feel like it is not the way to gain any credibility. If you want exciting places to go fight at least check with the damn executive first so you don't undermine work in progress!"
Or the exec could give us exciting places to fight. It's not like we haven't been asking for this for months now.
Or the exec could actually listen to the people who play the game rather than just the 12 people they surround themselves with. But, we both know that won't be happening.
The really hilarious thing to me is that the conversation on the US forum is all just bitching about JCS. They really seem blind to the fact that this is far more widespread than just JCS.
Guess you cant reply to a reply so this is at AH.
What's even more hilarious is that I was told, multiple times, late last year, that the JCS, as an influence force, was entirely irrelevant in terms of the nation. When I noted that multiple private groups if they were to coordinate easily outweights the USAF, the same was said. Looks like pissing off a bulk of the heavy hitters who can actually coordinate militarily isn't so irrelevant now huh?
Lol' 12 people? You mean one person, pfiffer
The US Forum community may be mostly against AIM, but the sentiments seem largely reversed in the in-game shouts and media. Different people focus on different areas. One constant problem is that forum-centric people often forget the game-centric crowd, therefore disregarding those thoughts and opinions when making policy decisions. Same goes for players who focus even more exclusively on private forum boards, versus public forum boards.
Been waiting for the Exec to give me an interesting fight for 6 months now, I'm done waiting.
I'll be happy and excited if The Exec would finally give Pfeiffer the boot.
we know that won't be happening either
Why Animis? He seems to have faded into the background mostly on all games but especially eRep.
He is not in power in the USWP, not a forum admin in any way.
Does he have control of UM?
Is he in the cabinet Rainy?
I don't know if he retained his super sekrit CIA post or not and LITERALLY give no fucks. He retained control of USWP irc channels and abused those privileges repeatedly. Intrusive and controlling for being retired and a self-proclaimed non-member.
Don't judge an incoming President on the previous ones : )
then don't act like the previous ones Artela. or you will be judged as the previous
I don't know, Ronald Reagan said you're an evil brit coming to take our freedom, and we all know Reagan would never lie.
We do as we please sorry 😉. For one the leadership of the U.S is the same old group of tyrants that's been in power for years. We fight for true allies and friends of the U.S. That the tyrants threw under the rug to join up with the enemy because their sissies afraid of being wiped. It's the same group that tried to dictate to the JCS their agenda and not that of the citizens of the U.S.. They then got mad and ran a sham vote amongst themselves to create another militia separate from the true and rightful Military of the United States. This group dictates our president each month and everything else.
We don't have to and sure as hell won't listen to you or anyone else. We have our own leadership.
I want blood. They shall pay.
Voted hard.
"1. Eliminate the cause of Unity Elections. (You know what I’m talking about America!!)"
Can you please clarify this point? To me, it's to kick PTO parties out of T5, but I don't know what you mean by it.
Never mind him Kemal, just another disgruntled guy who didn't get to be President. No wai...
Your sarcasm is truly burning Candor. Teach me how.
At some point, rather than minimizing other peoples thoughts, respecting the merit's of their position(s) becomes a better starting point for eventual resolution to the problem(s). You minimized quite a lot of unhappiness by suggesting that unhappy folks were election losers. I'm sure some are lol, but certainly JF isn't. Labeling a wide swath of folks is generally a bad idea, imo. However, while interpersonal relations isn't your strength, I do know you are quite capable of coming to these same realizations wrt other peoples opinions and your reactions to those thoughts. As to my sarcasm, I rather thought that statement conveyed the same message with quite a lot fewer words! Honestly no hostile intent, smile occasionally!
I think JF is pretty cool, and I would never classify him along with those who you are talking about Candor. That's why I honestly asked him what he exactly meant.
post deleted before I could comment.
Voted! I could not agree more! This game was way more fun when we took chances.
If we're not careful, our egovernment will take away our second amendment rights. 😉
As far as elections, my preferred candidate is not the Unity candidate, so I'm not voting.
Great article Josh. Voted.
just happy to hear again from you mate ...... o7
Guy knows what he's talking about.
Voted.
Voted damn hard.
The exec seem to think that this came out of nowhere.
There has been complaints and disatisfaction in the way the country is run for months and months. But hey, apparently we were not significant enought to actually be represented or taken in consideration by the group of people that rotate on the CP chair month after month in the name of Unity. Well I guess now they will listen more.
We are not TWO's bit*** and it's about time we take the fight to them for real. That's way more significant that an our previous military campaign... the 2 month stretch on which we exchanged meaningless blows with Taiwan.
Spain is our enemy, always has been and always will be, how did liberating regions under spanish control affect ongoing foreign affairs to begin with?
Also foreign affairs has sucked balls in these past months anyway.
Look at what the world map looked like one year ago and look at it now...
Spain is at our doorstep, controlling all of canada and eUSA seems perfectly fine with that...
Or does our president perhaps have a plan for USA to join TWO?
In that case i understand how the current situation can be accepted and how a future president could talk about this as "undermining foreign affairs work". Any president loyal to the eUSA and its allies would applaud these actions, as do i.
Go for it AIM!!
"Spain is our enemy, always has been and always will be"
It's funny how people seem to think the present status has always been the status. At one point Spain was a staunch ally of the USA.
one of the best articles I read in a while. and YOU want to have fun, Im sure, thats why you play
Got it from VC,but read it for myself...Great article
I would like to vote this 10 times.
But i am not Pfeiffer.
So have my 1 vote 🙂
voted hard
democracy is hard to 'flourish' in this game as there are only so many ideas the opponents can come up with, as time go on they just say the same things and you are voting for the same ideas just being re branded.
Strength and Honour US-AIM
"For most players, the government no longer pays the bills, their Military Unit does."
Great insight into the main issue with the political module. fF my loyalty lies with my MU (because they have a commune system and I get free guns & food), then the country needs to have the MUs on board in order to project power. Obviously if the eUSA is attacked, the MUs will rally to the home front, but absent that why should an MU do the bidding of the government? Where's the quid pro quo?
Give them a reason.
your thoughts..
"1. They are self funded and therefore independent. Which means they can do whatever they want.
2. I’m guessing they are dissatisfied with the course that the eUSA has taken.
3. They feel disenfranchised and that their needs as players within the game are no longer being met.
4. They have learned the ultimate rule of eRepublic: Damage is Power and Power is Damage."
my thoughts..
1. yup
2. CoT's definitely better then TWO (or independent atm)
3. Bored off my @$$ more then anything.. Game's are supposed to be fun, we had some
4. I give a rat's @$$ about power... from the biggest to the smallest in any game, a game is supposed to be fun, or why bother to play one at all
I do enjoy reading your articles though, even when I disagree with something mentioned, it's always done in a way to be enjoyed by a reader. I'm a bit shocked I wasn't already subbed, but that's been remedied lol.. looking forward to your next article, and those afterwards as well.