Join the new world

Someone has tried to stir up a new conflict.

I wrote a quick reply article yesterday titled 'so what?' It was an answer to someones attempt to stir up a conflict between Swedish parties FBS and FRONT since I could bet that the over tones in the article with Simcon accused to be a German spy (the same guy who declined access to Swedish Army HQ due to lack of time when I offered it to him) was ridiculous. I also said 'So what?' to the accusations regarding Germans who had voted in eSweden.

Wouldn't such a thing be a bit undemocratic? Yes, you can argue it would be. I agree.

So why the 'so what?' comment then? Why not be upset and call this an attempt to hostile Take Over by foreign power - as that article writer do. Well, so far no Swedish president has used the same tactic as much as himself did.

Citizenship will NOT solve this problem.

I know that foreigners during at least one of the last two elections have voted for FBS and that I might have caused them to. You can start scream scandal now if you like.
Here is the back ground, Sweden and other countries had voting squads ready to vote on foreign candidates to prevent a Take Over. Guys ready with Moving Tickets, waiting for instructions. When it was more or less clear these voters wasn't needed I once wrote; 'Okay, looks safe now. Can I call my guys back? We have a pretty close race in Sweden at the moment'.
I did get the green light to tell my guys their services weren't needed any more so they could vote on any party they liked.

So far nothing wrong. I have never instructed any soldier to vote or support a specific party or candidate in Sweden. So far so good.

The day after I received a PM in my in-box saying, "Me and a few lads voted for Algaroth, go Sweden!".

Apparently he thought that I was an FBS supporter even if I hadn't said anything or asked anything other than what you can read above. He wanted to do a favour and perhaps, he hoped to have one to collect later.
On the other hand he could just as well have written a similar PM to several others telling them he supported other candidates.

I wrote my first article demanding Citizenship half a year ago in this paper:
http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/implement-citizenship--689513/1/20

And for the first time I will say that Citizenship would NOT have prevented such a conflict as this. Because in this case the number of votes, I'm quite certain, was in the 'so what?' amount that both sides, intentionally or unintentionally ended up about same same.

Conflicts like this last one can't be solved by game mechanics and rules. Articles with accusations intended to make people up set will not disappear just because you put up a 'No trolling allowed sign'.

May he whom without guilt throw the first stone.

Thats why the 'So what?' comment. Toothpaste knew more than any one that he himself had no right to throw the first stone.
Toothpaste is a very intelligent young man. His articles are well written and his skills to write things that will make people up set, even when the real issue at hand is nothing more then a poke on a dead horse is very well developed. He usually get the horse back up on at least two legs before it falls down again. Quite impressive.

Reconquer the initiative.

If FBS and FRONT wants to succeed they must set their own agenda and not allow others to do it, this game is just like real life when it comes to dealing with politics. There are constructive forces and there are destructive ones.

There are groups and individuals who takes pride in build things up and there are groups and individuals who are fanatically obsessed with tearing things down.

Now and then I run in to persons who constantly attacks and criticize, they seem to have it like an autopilot mode with the goal set do destroy and create suffer. I always try to ask them what they hope to achieve with their attacks. Is it for the person they attack to step down from office, to make a change, and if so, into what?
I rarely get any response at all other than some kind of expression that my questions are strange, yes odd to ask.

Since they refuse to answer I have asked myself - no, not Plato - since I have made my part of bad taste articles and trolling in this game also. Not to mention 'unnecessary' comments in real life. Why? My answer is almost every time that I've been frustrated and or bored.

Fanatics on nuclear weaponed submarines.

When I discussed this topic with a group of friends of mine they agreed. One of them, actually a guy who has worked as speech writer (Political Secretary) to a Swedish Minister (RL) added 'some times I've almost felt its my responsibility to teach them'. He argued that some guys must learn not to overreact on every single piece of information written with big letters they receive.
'I'm pleased that we do not have nuclear weaponed submarines in Sweden' he summed it up with, meaning that lots of people can't be provoked without overreact or hit back.

How do we beat the trolls in a computer game then, I asked?
Ignorance or Fanaticism, was the short reply, followed up with: 'History has shown us that common sense and good arguments comes short against a nation with all bucket heads or all grown beards.'

He elaborated, we have both been working with politics in the big gray middle field. Real politics with messages which really doesn't make people cheer or cry. People rather like it, no, they accepts it - rather than love it. The broad masses don't care and a little few gets up set.
'You should be able to create fanaticism in a computer game quite easy, fanaticism is widely accepted in western Europe'. He made a pause there and smiled.

Thomas, another guy, was the first one to reply. 'You'll never walk alone' He said and I think we all nodded. And he was of course right. In sports in general and in arena sports in particular the whole concept is to create one fanatic mind of a large group.
A thousand men strong choir starting and stopping their song/shouts on the same second, against the opponent or against the judge.

From Submarines to Nietzsche, this is getting scary deep.

Being a sports fan myself I could only agree. When an opponent tackles one of 'my' players, especially if its in play-offs then I want that opponent sent off for his ugly tackling no matter what the rules or the judge says.

One of my favorite quotes is Nietzsche; "The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher regard those who think alike than those who think differently."

Since eRepublik is based on nations, a fanaticism based on the nation would be the easiest winning concept. And no doubt the greatest eRepublik baby booms have taken placed in occupied countries making revolt. But we shall also note what have happened later; when all regions are taken back the country has started to drop in population and activity.
We have seen at least one country with a role played fanaticism; /V/akistan, who was one of the greatest nations in the early Beta stages, only really beaten by eSweden. Today /V/akistan is totally gone as eCountry and only a few of its citizens are still in the game.
Norway one of the strongest and by by area the biggest country in Beta is now really struggling with low activity trying to hold hard to regions reminding them of glorious imperial days.

Luck!? Luck has nothing to do with it!

eSweden did manage to totally occupy whole Poland, Germany and Denmark the same time and hold them for several months without being politically Taken Over. Former Swedish president Danny has his theory why Sweden wasn't coupe😛 'It was nothing but blind luck.'
Here is another theory: eSweden never went fanatic. Nationalism was never put on first place and nothing in second or third. Sweden co operated with Poland and Germany and never taunted the Danes to the limit where they would stop eating Pölse and start rallying forces to revolt the Swedish oppressors.

Since eSweden never has put fanaticism and command and conquer in the first place but rather constantly developed other areas, more of social, economical and community aspect we have managed to remain as a strong player even after losing 2/3 of our regions and dropping from Nr 1 on the Population rank down to Nr 17.

It's thanks to #erepublik.se, erepublik.se, eNoble Prize, Swedes Abroad, eFRA, FBS, DNS, FRONT, MSAP, Pirat Partiet, Pansartrupperna, Fallskärmsjägarna, NCG, Svea Invest, Akelius, DRK Group, Sweden Strike, War Never Changes, Migrationsverket, Svenska Sjuhus, The Helping Hand, SweCorps, eSVT, Utrikesdepartementet, Finansdepartementet, Statens Informationscenter, Regeringen, Riksdagen, Riksbanken and so on we stay strong and remain active. Always with something to carry out, improve, develop or take down with a patented Q5 Flying Mutiny kick!

Swedish drunk calls to Grev Per.

Personally I have begun to enjoy the RL meetings in Stockholm, not seldom including a beer to many and a drunk call with Algaroth to Grev Per threatening to invade Denmark or asking Denmark to invade us. Always ending with an invitation to Copenhagen.

If these are the benefits of not having a fanatic player base in eSweden but rather a wide range of characters, each one contributing to the game in his or her way and while doing so accepted, liked and respected by I would dare say 99,5% of all others then I can accept to be flamed by that remaining 0,5%. At least as long as it is within the gray area of trolling. One tiny step on the wrong side of the line and I will report it and let Admin handle it.
Now when I just wrote that, I thought of Polisen and noticed that I hadn't listed it. Damn, eSweden is complex and we have built a lot of things to be proud of!

Let's congratulate ourselves for a moment, but not to long, since we always have more work to do!

The Army reform has had a great response - from now on everything regarding it will be seen as disappointments! 😛
We are still waiting for the correct distributions of Raw Material to come, hopeful this months.
We have a situation with central eEurope in fire with giants Romania vs Hungary and PEACE revenging the Austrian Germany Union.
We have our oldest ally Norway constantly fighting against Resistance Wars and lethal political Take Overs.
We have an eSweden ready to meet tomorrows challenges even if it means adding some regions and losing some others to our eNation.
We have a situation where lots of people think that Algaroth and Icehacker have hostile relations, nothing could be more wrong.
I myself found, to much joy, as being pointed out as a FRONT-supporter. It felt good since I've already been pointed out as / accused for / supporting FBS, DNS, MSAP and asked by Pirat Partiet more than once to become a member.

I like to support those who I think contributes to eSweden and the game, but I believe its important to also support those who perhaps haven't done their best but simply need a friendly support.

For me thats much of what being an eSwede is all about, or as Maximilian would have said 'to Take life's and chew gum'.

För eSverige!
/Misho