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Nostalgic musical accompaniment: Free Bird

FREEDOM: No Time To Lose


The Recent Discourses
=====================


There has been interesting banter lately about Freedom in eRepublik. Most of it enlightening and heartfelt. Some of it otherwise.

The Presidential campaign of Joseph Dinero in the eUSA and its follow-on debates regarding eUSA leadership, as well as the anti-Norsefire movement in eCanada, provide us with interesting, entertaining and hopeful developments. On the other hand, the uninteresting whining of a well-known American con man represents the hypocritical expression of such discourse.

For my own part, I recently suffered a severe blow from the hammer of censorship, receiving a Freedom Point for my troubles. Just for posting this picture of naked boobies:


Boobies nesting on Howland Island

Ouch!



For a thoughtful perspective on the personal and the political, including an interesting sidebar on the relationship between SimCity and eRepublik, I recommend Plugson's recent piece Hell and Back.

In fact, I'd recommend anything written by the erstwhile Doctor of Canadian Relativism. He will make you think. And I always learn something when reading his stuff, which is fairly remarkable considering these articles are written for a rather silly browser game. That approach to writing articles is, in itself, a kind of performance art, if you like, which muddies the waters between work, leisure, art and play.

It is a refreshingly free way to approach the "culture" of the New World that I would encourage others to emulate.



The Nature of the Problem
==========================


What is e-Freedom? What exactly are we talking about?


Perhaps the most widely-held perspective on freedom has to do with one's understanding of inequality. This is a political and economic take on the topic. I would posit that it is very much a part of, and underpins, much of the recent debate, so it is important to take note of it.

I am referring to the inequalities of a civil e-society, which -- happily -- can be resolved by playing with a non-destructive sense of self-respect, combined with a dose of pity and compassion for one's fellow players.

Although supposedly writing about the "real world", Rousseau captured this perspective on eRepublik eloquently in his Discourse on Inequality (1754, which is very astute, having been published well before the Beta release):

"The first man who, having fenced in a piece of land, said 'This is mine,' and found people naïve enough to believe him, that man was the true founder of civil society. From how many crimes, wars, and murders, from how many horrors and misfortunes might not any one have saved mankind, by pulling up the stakes, or filling up the ditch, and crying to his fellows: Beware of listening to this impostor; you are undone if you once forget that the fruits of the earth belong to us all, and the earth itself to nobody."

-- Jean-Jacques Rousseau

A pretty sharp depiction of the New World, eh? It's a shame JJ is no longer an active player. But. Whatever.

Anway, I'd agree with JJ that compassion and self-respect, expressed through a wide variety of means, still seem to be the best antidotes to the underlying misery offered by the Dealer's software model. Whether those qualities are somewhat mysterious agencies that arise from a player's free will, or are a logical and rational conclusion drawn from the e-human condition, I will leave for the reader to ponder.



The Absurd Wheel of Dharma
==========================


But I would also ask if there is not another kind of e-freedom that we struggle to achieve? Something more akin to searching for a solution to the core existential problems posed by Camus, Sartre, Nietzche, Kafka, Kierkegaard, as well as the Tathāgata (तथागत) and many other former players.


As Camus poetically put it in The Myth of Sisyphus...

"There is no noble love but that which recognizes itself as both short-lived and exceptional.

"In a universe suddenly divested of illusion and lights, man feels an alien, a stranger. His exile is without remedy since he is deprived of the memory of a lost home or the hope of a promised land.

"Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being.

"At any street corner the feeling of absurdity can strike any man in the face.

"The absurd is born of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world."

Does this great struggle not continue on many levels within our beloved New World? Isn't it an even more fundamental problem than that of inequality? Furthermore, at root, I tend to believe that, at this level, there is only one road to complete e-freedom. As the great man put it, you got to emancipate yourself from the chains of mental slavery.


A real player




Art Should Not Tolerate Reason
===============================

The following is a little blueprint for acting freely in our absurd New World.

I can take no credit for it, as it merely follows the instructions of my guru, who in turn learned it from her guru, who in turn was merely reflecting the inner light that is your own e-birthright. Plus, I don't really exist.

At any rate, this blueprint will lead you to freedom in the New World. It may have some relevance to the Real World as well, but obviously that is not my concern here.


1. Develop a clear intention.

Nothing is able to withstand the great and overwhelming strength of evil, but great sins are utterly consumed by an awakening mind. The simple thought to be of help to others exceeds in worth all worship of icons and deities.


2. Prepare the ground.

Repeat this often: "I am empty-handed and destitute. I have been the cause of many evils and I will soon pass way. I offer lamps, prayers, prostrations and incense to confess my sins and to ask for help and forgiveness. But most of all I offer myself and seek refuge with my friends in order to rid myself from evil."


3. Don't hesitate.

The ocean of great good is a delight and filled with joy. Use this affirmation before logging in: "Beside myself with terror, I will give myself entirely. May I become the doctor, the nurse, and the medicine itself to heal the poverty of e-wanderers."


4. Use your intelligence.

Destroying the joy of a single being works for the ruin of yourself. Anger, lust and ignorance are your enemies. Filled with rancor, wage war against them and follow your doctor's advice.


5. Tame your mind.

Simply let the angry mind be overthrown. Long recitations practiced with a distracted mind are useless. Mindfulness is easily cultivated through fear and awareness of the dangers on the road.


6. Be vigilant.

Do nothing and be silent when grasping desire and wrathful hatred arise as mental urges. When mockery, pride and arrogance arise, as they will, be like a log. Don't eat the filth. Praise all who speak the truth.


7. Be patient.

A single flash of anger shatters good deeds. The cause of happiness comes rarely, and many are the seeds of misery. When sorrows fall, as they will, remain serene and undisturbed. Why resent our fellow players who are victims, too, of the same e-conditions?


8. Learn to work with anger.

Every injury is brought about by circumstances, by conditions, with no thought behind them. When enemies or friends act improperly, be calm and remember this lesson. Wanton children are prone to injuring others, so what point is there in being angry? -- it is like resenting fire for its heat.


9. Continue to be patient.

Scorn and hostile words cannot hurt your body. There is no reason for resentment. When a building is ablaze, fling away the straw and anything else that spreads the fire. When unhappiness falls on a enemy, what cause is that for rejoicing? The rigamarole of praise and fame bestows neither health nor strength. Children can't help crying when sand castles crumble. Our minds are like that. Doctor, seek to do no harm.


10. Show enthusiasm.

e-Death will quickly swoop in on you. Don't wait to banish laziness. Take advantage of this human boat, this particular social network. The time that you have now, you fool, is not for sleep! Start by giving food or little charities; aim to donate your entire e-being. Merit is the true cause of ease. Hapless creatures puffed up with conceit! If these you call the proud, then tell me who are wretched? Do not surrender to the host of afflictions. Be like a lion in a crowd of foxes.


11. Be prepared for heartbreak and solitude.

Search for calm abiding and joyfully renounce the New World. Treating infants and children like your best company will lead you away from virtue. Keeping company with the jealous and the proud leads to self-aggrandizement and scorn for others. Flee the company of childish players. Greet them with a smile, be courteous, while not inviting close familiarity. Be like an e-bee: gather only what is consonant with making e-honey.


12. Dissolve the barriers.

In joy and sorrow all are equals. Take other beings' pain for your own. It may seem irrational, but that is just your ego clinging to your avatar. There is no subjective suffering. Pain is pain, period. Dispel it. Tell yourself: "This avatar is not mine." All the joy the New World contains comes through wishing happiness for others. When others are at fault, I'll take and turn the blame upon myself, then confess.


13. Be dedicated.

Throw your fears into the recycling bin. May players everywhere who suffer torment in their minds and bodies have joy and happiness in boundless measure. May travelers upon the road find happiness no matter where they go. May multitudes of awakened minds arise in every e-nation.



XXX,
PQ