MDP - The Road To Somewhere
Muglack
Before I weigh in on the current leadership battle happening in the MDP let me throw down some history so that those of you who have only been here for about a week know where I'm coming from instead of just dismissing what I have to say.
Military Dictatorship Party - The beginning
When the MDP started there were essentially 4 members. Rylde, Powerown, Adasko and myself. The basic premise was simple. We'd build a party up to a point where we would be hard to ignore, and then use that sliver of relevancy to troll, attack, and erode our enemies until they capitulated or disintegrated.
The party's first real push came from Kilgore Trout. He made it his business to go on a recruiting drive like I had never seen. He added newbs to the party by the dozens. In a matter of weeks we went from just a small group of core players, to the 5th spot in the Top 5 parties.
The Early Congressional Elections
With our arrival in the top 5 we gained the right to run candidates for Congress. For a party who's sole purpose at that point was to attack and sling mud at the "infidels" in other parties, while focusing on our street credit this was virgin ground.
As was to be expected the first Congressional election was a disappointment. If memory serves we elected 5 congressmen. For other parties at the time that may have been par for the course on the 25th, but for the MDP it was unacceptable. We saw our potential even if no one else did, so we decided to change the way we operated.
The first step was to cash in some of our "Street Credit" for "Political Capital". We turned our personal and unorganized attacks into a unified front that was focused on other parties in our weight class. We knew we couldn't compete with the EPIC's, but parties like the UN and MOO were more than fair game.
Using this strategy the MDP was routinely able to capture the number 2 spot in Congressional Elections despite rarely being ranked higher than 5th. Our SVT was a thing of beauty. We'd make calls in the last minute that sometimes would steal us 2 or even 3 extra seats. When parties like MOO and the UN were getting 2-5 seats each we were pulling 10-12.
We were hitting above our weight and we made it look easy.
The Decline
The problem with the Dog Days of Summer, is that the cold fall isn't far behind, and the MDP learned this the hard way.
With Powerown's rage quit (and forum wipe), Adasko's first of many exits, and Rylde's "Swedish adventure" by the end of the Golden Days there was just me left from the original quartet.
While the first 2 leaving wasn't the end of the world (since powerown was never really a part of the "team", and Adasko, while valued, hadn't evolved with Rylde and I and remained the attack dog of the party) Rylde's departure for Scandinavia left a vacuum at the top.
I did what I could, for as long as I could, but eventually even I was overwhelmed. The summer of 2011 (June and July) were some of the worst months the MDP has ever seen. Despite my focus not being on the game at all, I was forced to maintain leadership of the MDP at a greatly diminished capacity because no one else was willing or worthy of taking my place.
A Derp in sheep's clothing
By the time the August PP election rolled around I was out of gas. The July Congressional election had garnered the MDP 4 seats, which in and off itself should have been grounds for my immediate removal (had there been someone left to remove me). In the two previous PP elections I had to step in at the last minute because other players who I had hoped would take some of the responsibility proved to be completely unreliable.
Then leading into the election I got a PM that would change the course of the MDP forever. Aeriala wanted a chance. In those days the CPF wasn't even close to relevant. What little there had been left was completely gutted by Addy and the MOO which was on an upswing with MDP's decline. So, Aeriala's PM promising an infusion of membership from CPF holdouts (most importantly Funky) seemed almost too good to pass up.
It was then that I made one of the only decisions I truly regret in the game. I stayed neutral in the MDP election. I told both front runners that I would stay out of it, and the party could decide. As it turns out a Party did decide, but it wasn't the MDP. In the first real act of PTO of a Canadian Political Party since JB_Divinus and I won the DAL by a single vote, the CPP pushed Aeriala to a victory in the MDP.
However in true MDP style, he may have won the battle but he certainly lost the war. By the end of last September (after using the MDP and the CPP to get elected Country President) Aeriala earned the distinction of being the only sitting CP in eCanadian History to get both a forum and IRC ban. As in most things, I laughed last and loudest.
But sadly the damage had been done. Soon after that I parted ways with the MDP, my heart just wasn't in it anymore. Rylde had re-emerged on the scene and tried to pick it back up, but it never became more than a shadow of it's former self.
So here we sit, 13 months after Aeriala's CPP backed power play. The MDP has come a long way since then while at the same time going nowhere. A Coalition of Convenience, Congressional elections that have been called "victories" that should of been reason enough to dismiss the Party President, and a list of "Victories" that in the old days wouldn't worthy of mention.
Which brings us to today.
I guess to me the question is simple. With the power struggle already taking shape there's only two things you need to ask yourself.
Is the heir apparent and chosen successor to an undeserving and under-preforming Dictator the right choice?
Or do you put your faith in what may be the second coming of Aeriala. Making promises he knows you want to hear so he can put himself half a step ahead before he does everything in his power to sell you down the river.
I'm glad the choice is yours, and not mine.
Although, there is another option. With all the references to the "Tenets of the MDP" maybe I should make public that unwritten tenet that no one seems to be talking about.
You keep what you kill. Which begs one final question:
Is there a hunter in your ranks?
Comments
Good read!
~hyuu~
Damn, I already voted.
I was there at the start, handpicked by none other than Rylde.
Therein lies another unwritten tenet.
Agreed, an enjoyable read.
Mary Chan is a sheep in wolf's clothing.
Mmmph.
Was this the Rosenberg CPP or the Jacobi CPP because I sure as hell didn't authorize any takeovers and sure as hell was against handing Aeriala anything remotely resembling power.
Adasko is a cat.
Ethel was at the reins.
This was the same CPP that you didn't trust to endorse you for CP, so you ran under the MDP because you knew I was reliable to keep my word.
We'd build a party up to a point where we would be hard to ignore, and then use that sliver of relevancy to troll, attack, and erode our enemies until they capitulated or disintegrated.
That is why you got PTO'd like it or not, you asked for it.
So your the reason I lost that election.
http://www.erepublik.com/en/main/party-elections/23/3372/1313391600
It also might surprise you to know that even in it's darkest hours the CPF was surprisingly strong on the eCan political landscape. I know firsthand those dark days with only 15 members I always had a plan up my sleeve every month. No matter our numbers we would do something no matter how crazy it seemed to make a difference.
I should not have resigned the CPP PP that summer.
Jacobi let it go, I did fine as CP, we had a snag near the end with sweden but I made the right choice. Otherwise things went great.
There is a reason your great job somehow doesn't even get you on the ballot in a country of 1400 people even though you're some sort of international superstar and goddess. I will allow you to suss that out for yourself.
LoL because i don't care. But atleast you recognize my international stardom and goddess stature.
Ahhhhhhh, merely a matter of you not trying hard enough! If you really wanted it why, the world would be your oyster! I suppose that's why you failed when you ran for POTUS and got 5.56%. Or when you tried a month later to get back into Canada and failed to get on the ballot. You just weren't *trying* hard enough. Yes, merely a matter of effort. Of course!
I recognize that you are "some sort" of international superstar and goddess. I will allow you to suss out what sort I think that is.
I like to think that a politician (or anyone for that matter, but a politician most of all) should know when to concede defeat and swallow his or her pride.
So i must ask: Is Aeriala so afraid of defeat that he will deny it every single time, or does he just have no pride?
holy sheeooot, Muglack wrote a great article. I think it's even truthful in a non-malicious way. Even that last taunt about the 'two choices' was just a tickle.
"LoL because i don't care. But atleast you recognize my international stardom and goddess stature."
This game really messes with people...
Muglack asks us,
"Is there a hunter in your ranks?"
http://www.geekyasianguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/milhouse.jpg
Why yes, yes there is. The Chosen One, he is called. Seek him, you must.
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/093/140/PTSD-Clarinet-Boy.jpg?1294953187
Just because I don't, doesn't mean I can't.
Some people may be onions but I'm a pineapple and browser games very rarely get past the prick on the outside.
But reading the back and forth the last few days, and contemplating my own return from self-imposed political exile the last couple weeks I thought it might be time to remind people that just because I'm long in the tooth and let less formidable pups take control of the pack, this wolf can still howl and if crossed remembers how to fight
Muglack for Clan Wolf PP!
"But reading the back and forth the last few days, and contemplating my own return from self-imposed political exile the last couple weeks I thought it might be time to remind people that just because I'm long in the tooth and let less formidable pups take control of the pack, this wolf can still howl and if crossed remembers how to fight"
Oh my...
We found him. It's him. It's The Chosen One.
Can i be the chosen ones chosen one?
I have no intention of running for PP of the MDP.
Those days are long behind me. I'm more interested in the support role or as an advisor in one of the other political parties that have an abundance of players and drive, but no experience to put it to work in the best way possible.
Clan Wolf would actually be a prime example of that, but they're all still drinking Tyrael's kool-aid so I don't see it happening.
good read except it attracted the likes of Aeriala
work on that
Yes, yes you can be The Chosen One.
But the journey is long and there are many hardships along the way. The wolf clan only accepts true disciples. You must learn to embrace the wolf. Be the wolf. You ARE the wolf danster. You ARE the wolf.
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/093/140/PTSD-Clarinet-Boy.jpg?1294953187
This why Muglack is one of the very, very few who holds my respect in this game, even though I don't like him at times. Don't you ever change.
There isn't a ROFLCopter big enough to carry Aeriala away in. It's almost becoming sad how he still tries to defend himself when the entire populace of not one, but four countries ridicule every word he says. Almost sad, but not quite. So I join in the laughter with everyone else.
Also, Jacobi's sarcasm is set pretty damn high. Can you turn it down? It overloaded my buffer and my browser froze for over 5 minutes. I tried to find an upgrade but they don't design software strong enough for sarcasm of that magnitude.
"Or do you put your faith in what may be the second coming of Aeriala"
This is the only part I disagree with, I'm the second coming of myself, not someone else.
@Jacobi "I should not have resigned the CPP PP that summer."
No, the fault lies with me, I never challenged Ethel for the PP of CPP that month, as I thought of doing. We were friends at the time and I did not want to interfere with her desire to be PP. It was a catastrophic mistake on my part. Not only did it lead to the destruction of the CPP but also lead to the decline of my 'influence' in eCan politics in general. I missed taking advantage of the zenith of my powers, now I'm nothing but..
a shell of my former political self, forced to fling mud in an effort to try and keep myself somewhat relevant in this game. It is truly sad and perhaps foreshadows another epoch of Leo-less eRep. You may all weep now.
*weeps*
This is the MDP we are talking about. A coup de tant should not only be expected it should be admired.
Addy's storm troopers are seizing the MDP's wheels of power as we speak!
This is an excerpt that is relative:
The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.
With this beginning my claim is laid. And it will be had.
Leo's speech...was very moving.
I dedicate this song to the full title of this article:
"A Road to Somewhere Over the Rainbow"
Someday I'll wish upon a PP star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like Lemon Party drops,
High above the fedora tops,
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby."
" Keep what you kill "
Trouble with ecan is the best killers don't want what they killed, just the thrill of the kill itself.
" Keep what you kill "
Trouble with ecan is the best killers don't want what they killed, just the thrill of the kill itself.
Indeed. And then blame everyone but themselves for the decline in the eCanadian population and accept no reponsibility for their role.
The Yellow Brick Road to eCanada is strewn with roadkill
&
our Predators are just glorified scavengers.
Tinman needs a heart. The Lion is full of liquid Courage. The Strawman is running for CP, again.
Good history lesson all though i would disagree with spring and summer aws being a shadow of our former selves.
You made a deal and took the short cut. That wouldn't have flown in the early days. Relying on others for success on the 25th, losing your balls in congress and letting lesser parties lead. I'd say that qualifies as a shadow.
You make the best of what you have as far as resources goes. I still disagree with you though.