TITO, TRR, And Ideology
When Extremism Reigns
When Extremism Reigns
The views expressed herein are solely those of the author, and not those of the Rejected Realms, the Rejected Times, or any other body.
In the past twenty-four hours, the Rejected Realms has seen the Ten-Thousand Islands Treaty Organization (TITO) decide to close its borders and ip-ban some prominent members of its society. I do not dispute the right of TITO to do something like this; I dispute the wisdom of it.
I have heard TITO described as an organization which "sets itself apart" from others by holding true to its ideology even in the face of staunch opposition. It also sets itself apart from other regions by enforcing this ideology on its members; indeed, in TITO, things can be very accurately, if cynically, described as "Grub's way or the highway."
This status is not widely questioned in TITO. The sense I get is this can best be explained by mixed support for the strong ideological bent, which is somewhat ruthlessly enforced, and some degree of trepidation with regards to the consequences of questioning it. A prominent TITO Knight was recently released from his service and his name wiped from the records in disgrace because he became too closely associated with a prominent invader. Private support for the action was, sources tell me, mixed, but publicly nearly all of TITO stood behind the decision.
Keeping the above in mind, lets turn our attention now the address presented by TITO Officials in closing the Embassy. It should be noted that in recent weeks, a number of invaders and invader-sympathetic persons have joined the Rejected Realms, myself among them. Grub speaks of "a cancer" which has been allowed to grow in the Rejected Realms; he means us. He also cites the Rejected Realm's history of neutrality (with strong defender sympathies), and claims that we have lost our way and drifted into the mire of invaderism.
I have to question the worldview which is expressed here. It's absurd to tar the whole of TRR with the same brush as Sedge. It’s absurd to suggest that the Rejected Realms can be as picky as TITO would be about the people it lets in. For my readers who are not aware, the Rejected Realms cannot eject or ban any nations from its shores. So while the faceless masses stand behind Grub and say we should not let such people stay, I have to ask: How can we make them leave?
Distressing also is the concept that the government of the South Pacific, a game-created region, has the same sense of ownership and sovereignty territory as Ten-Thousand Islands, a user-created region, has over its. The circumstances are different, but TITO applies the same criteria to each. This is the very definition of folly. Different circumstances require different points of view.
In the end, it comes down to ideology. Ideology will cause TITO to call TRR to jump through hoops which make no sense; TITO has called for TRR to abandon the invaders, and abandon Sedge and Crazy Girl, while positing that the issue of Sedge and Crazy Girl being our Forum Admins should be no barrier to action. We have been called, indirectly, to change forums to please TITO. It is not reason which calls for such things, but blind adherence to an ideology which is ill-formed for situations of this nature. But still the faceless masses stand behind Grub, and raise their fists, and cheer.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs in the South Pacific, one HEM, has given us this statement: "Mistakes have been made by both sides, but I truly believe that talking -- not turning backs -- is the way to a long term era of progressive cooperation." TITO will not heed this warning. Ideology will get in the way. The very victim of the coup for which TITO is beating its breast and howling bloody murder counsels diplomacy and conversation. And yet the faceless masses will stand behind Grub, waving their fists and cheering, because their ideology says that Grub is right. And if they disagree with the ideology, then TITO doesn't want them.
Ideology, and the blind adherence to it, leads people to act irrationally, and it leads people to do damn silly things, like taking a former ally and rejecting them without speaking to them, condemning them without trying to redeem them, and pulling away when one should be moving closer. But TITO won't learn this lesson; their ideology prevents it.
--Written by Oliver Dion-Grey
