Join the new world

Last night, Defense Minister and longtime community veteran exReality defeated Kokawayoshi Makoto, Emperor of Japan, for the eJapanese Presidency, by a margin of seven votes.

Supporters of the Emperor had claimed that he was needed to provide our e-country with long-awaited change. This argument has a lot going for it. Emperor Kokawayoshi is one of the most consistently positive leaders in eJapan. He was proclaimed Emperor by acclamation over a year ago, and has never wavered in his support for the eJapanese people. He promised a new kind of politics, where he would be less a President (although holding the in-game title) than a community leader, taking the action decided by the consensus of the community. Although he was not elected, in his own words, "If a critical discussion is spawned due to this Presidential race, then my campaign was a success."

There were many reasons, furthermore, to support the more conservative candidate, exReality. He has been Minister of Defense for over a month, and the most consistently active Cabinet Minister for months before that. His plan for foreign affairs makes our own national security a priority. And although the change promised by the Emperor makes beautiful sense, it might be truthfully said that there is more energy than common sense to be had from his promised change.

I voted for the Emperor. I did so even knowing that he had been banned from office by the Imperial Constitution -- even though in the past, I had said that the disregard for the Constitution is a danger. I was not wrong, I feel, to write those things. Even so, there is a price.

We have an Emperor and an Imperial Constitution. Both of those are treasures of eJapan -- valuable boons to the country which quite literally cannot be replaced. Even before anyone had conceived of our needing a Constitution, it was thought to be a shame that we had no Emperor. The monthly Empress Day pageant sprung from the colorful history of this position.

Not quite six months later, we adopted a Constitution, and with it, an Emperor. I voted against, for which I make no apologies. I am also glad that my side did not win. The acceptance of the Constitution gave us coherence, national energy, and a civic spirit that, with the help of many politicians of all stripes, led to eJapan's greatness on the world stage for the first time.

Words cannot quite speak what I wish to say, but to President exReality and the Imperial Sun Party, I wish the best of luck. They deserve the right to prove themselves. I believe, even though I could not believe myself enough to cast my vote for them--

I believe that the Imperial Sun Party has within it to lead us to a greater wisdom than even the Emperor has yet to show. We are all, after all, human.