NPO Treatise
From Breanet
Contents |
Introduction
When analyzing power in the realm of Cybernations it is impossible to ignore the New Pacific Order and futile to pay attention to anything or anyone else before a full analysis is complete. I do not feel the need to argue that the Order is the most powerful entity on Cybernations and that they have driven the history, culture and evolution of the political scene. The arguments for that are well made, however there is still argument over the nature and scope of this power and that is what I hope this piece will at least begin to shed light on. There are four key, general questions that I will wrestle with here. 1) How powerful is the New Pacific order? 2) Why are they so powerful? 3) Is this power temporary or permanent? 4) Is this a good or bad thing for the international community?
The traditional explanation given across the Cyberverse (Or Digiterra, etc) is that the New Pacific Order is simply stronger. Be it in terms of military, diplomatic skill or any other measure, some propose that Pacifica’s dominance stems from their ability to impose their will on weaker entities and that existing in a state of international anarchy the strong prevail. All of these arguments, while beautifully crafted at times, always boil down to a version of “Might makes right”… I reject this and will offer a much more elegant, complete and satisfactory explanation for the nature, scope and implications of the entity we know as The New Pacific Order.
The Nature of Order
Pacifica is Order
The first thing that must be dispelled is to confuse the type of power the New Pacific Order holds with the power other alliances hold. Power can be roughly defined as the ability to influence the behavior of others. More specifically to influence the behavior of others in ways which advance your alliance’s goals, in this case. Many alliances hold power in Cybernations, to varying degrees, but the New Pacific Order is an entirely different sort of case.
The New Pacific Order not only holds this traditional form of power, and vast amounts of it at that, but also a more fundamental type of power which does not influence behavior but the actual realm itself. To use an analogy, many alliances can influence what the actors do, Pacifica can change the stage. While other alliances may be good at playing the game (that being the game of politics, not the OOC game), Pacifica has the power to make the rules. Understanding this difference is key in order to perform a proper analysis of Pacifican power. They’re not just one of several alliances who just so happens to be the strongest and most powerful, they’re a unique entity wielding an entirely different sort of power orders of magnitude above everyone else.
It’s easy to see evidence of this trough out history. Think of any significant alliance and their rise or fall from power and you will quickly find that all these shifts in power are always relative to the Order. If your alliance is growing in power it is because your alliance’s relationship to the Order is shifting in some way. Think of the LUEnited Nations, gained power by opposing the Order and lost it when the Order took it away. GOONS gained power by allying with the Order and lost it by opposing them. The list goes on and on. Power does not shift on Cybernations unless it’s due to a relative change in the Order’s position. By definition, power on Cybernations is tied to the New Pacific Order. They are both the source of power and its mightiest wielder.
Might does not make right
Pacifica is the source of power, period. This is completely independent to the snapshot of strength they may possess at any given time. Even after the First Great War (Or Great Patriotic War) Pacifica was still the source of power on CN and its most powerful actor, with all of politics revolving around them and with the New Pacific Order still being the key actor in their own play. Might makes right implies that Pacifica is only powerful due to their strength, so if a stronger entity ever comes along they could in theory replace them.
This has proven false and is absolutely absurd. Pacifica has, for very brief periods, fallen in strength and at times their position as the strongest alliance has been up for argument. This has had absolutely no impact on their power and on their central role as the source of power of CN. So I submit to you my alternative to “Might makes right” as a guiding principle for Cybernations: Pacifica Makes Right.
Why Pacifica?
It’s clear by now that Pacifican dominance is not a stage in the political history of Cybernations, it is an inherent quality of this realm. To ask “When will the NPO fall from power?” is the same as to ask “When will up be down?”. This leads to perhaps the hardest question of all: Why? This is not entirely clear. My guess would be that the root lies in the structure of the New Pacific Order. As anyone who has read up on their Vladimir knows, one of the key features of the New Pacific Order is that they are a democratic autocracy. This seems to provide the framework for an entity which is ruled with both absolutely efficiency, devoid of uncertainty, but with all decisions rooted in the collective will and conscience of hundreds. Given that the title of Pacifican is benevolently not only granted by birth but also by application, it is fair to say that the population of the New Pacific Order is a fair representation of the population of Cybernations as a whole. What does it all mean?
Simply put, the New Pacific Order is the will of the collective conscience of Cybernations expressed in the most powerful incarnation possible. It is the highest form of moral might and appeals in a deep sense to everyone. The wicked cannot help but oppose it, the righteous cannot help but support it. This is why we see that all power shifts and moves are always tied to the New Pacific Order, they are all that is good and right within us expressed in the loudest of ways. It cannot be ignored.
Implications
I believe reading this essay should put a smile on the face of anyone who values virtue and strike fear into the heart of those who wish the world to be in disorder. The New Pacific Order stands, perhaps ironically enough, as a beacon of order. They guide our game, our actions, everything. They provide us with something to love, hate, follow, fight against, admire, etc. In this realm, conflict exists between those who see the Order for what it is and those who in futility see it for what it is not.
After the Unjust War it seems people are finally opening their eyes and realizing that the Order is indeed order. While there will always be rogue states and alliances, criminals and thugs, it looks like the age of grand scale conflict is slowly coming to an end and Pacifican Peace shines trough. However, to the war lovers, do not fear. The only thing greater than Pacifica’s power is the capacity for fools to be fools and I guarantee you new fools will eventually come. But when they do we can all rest safe knowing the outcome is secure, Pacifica Makes Right.
