Why Is Everyone Hiding Behind Puppets?

[Escade]

Only defenders get to pick the names and labels for people? Self-determination means nothing apparently. Escade, Tim and Ike are probably the closest people I have met when it comes to people who most resemble 15th to 19th century imperialists with their philosophy on groupings and picking peoples groups for them. This would explain their obsession with imperialists.

No. You don't get to pick what I am and you do not get to pick what Balder is.

Yeah, it's not like for about two years Balder was part of the imperialist sphere and referred to in that manner by anyone. I guess you upgraded or maybe downgraded?

You're definitely not independent because Balder has taken a stance that can be summed up as "defenders are like so cute therefore they're dangerous and must be prescribed."

[Onderkelkia]

Yeah, it's not like for about two years Balder was part of the imperialist sphere and referred to in that manner by anyone. I guess you upgraded or maybe downgraded?

What exactly happened "about two years" ago that meant Balder suddenly "upgraded or maybe downgraded" into an Imperialist region?

If the people you speak with have been casually referring to Balder as "part of the Imperialist sphere" since August 2015, then I would submit that this tells us more about the mentality and prejudices of the people you speak with, and that it tells us very little about the actual direction of Balder foreign policy.

There is no strict hierarchy of foreign policy frameworks along which a region can "upgrade" or "downgrade". Different foreign policy approaches are more suitable for different regions depending on their historical traditions, range of allies and the instruments available to them. I do not believe that there is anything wrong with being an Imperialist region. I have been among the foremost advocates and practitioners of Imperialism in the LKE and TNI for over a decade. If Balder was an Imperialist region now or elected to pursue an Imperialist foreign policy in the future, I would have no problem saying so. In reality, however, Balder has never been "part of the Imperialist sphere" in the same way as the LKE today, or TNI, GB&I and Albion in the past. Balder does not come from that milieu. Balder's mode of foreign policy has more in common with Europeia and the other game-created regions than those regions.

Imperialism is a distinct historical tradition and ideology predicated on aggressively expanding and projecting power. Balder foreign policy is much less aggressive. The military and intelligence services play a much smaller role in Balder life, and other concerns drive diplomacy. Balder has never issued a declaration of war against another gameplay power, let alone dedicated its military, diplomatic and intelligence resources to fighting such a war over many long years as its primary foreign policy objective. Balder has never used military force or the threat of military force to compel compliance with its demands and policies. Balder has never formed an Imperialist alliance network with the intention of dominating the rest of the gameplay world. Balder has never been party to military action in a game-created region with the main goal of increasing its power. Balder has never even founded a colony. At times in the past, Osiris has come closer to the characteristics of Imperialist regions than Balder has, though it has never really followed through in the long run.

You're definitely not independent because Balder has taken a stance that can be summed up as "defenders are like so cute therefore they're dangerous and must be prescribed."

Firstly, if Balder had wanted to proscribe defenders, then The Rejected Realms, 10000 Islands, Spiritus, Wintreath and Renegade Islands Alliance would all have been banned. They were not. Instead, we proscribed two regions which we judge to be hostile to Balder. If you think that decision has the effect that everywhere important in modern defenderism is proscribed, then that says more about the character of modern defenderism than anything else.

Second, proscribing particular regions is primarily an internal security measure rather than a foreign policy action. It is not therefore good evidence of an Imperialist foreign policy. Inevitably, the move has implications for relations with the regions concerned, but we had already terminated ties with TSP and we have never had ties with TGW. So the main effect of the decision is internal rather than external. Imperialism is fundamentally a foreign policy framework. While some internal elements are relevant, you should not classify Balder or any other region as Imperialist on the basis of its internal policies.

Third, as you would appreciate already if you were familiar with the ideological tenets of Independence, an Imperialist region is also an Independent region. Even if Balder was an Imperialist region - which it is not - it would still be an Independent region. Please consult The Independent Manifesto:

III. An Imperialist region is functionally also an Independent region in terms of possessing the characteristics outlined in this statement. However, Imperialist regions have additional characteristics that do not apply to all Independent regions, and Independent and Imperialist regions have had at periods separate historical traditions, despite sharing common origins.

[Solorni]

Balder is part of two multilateral treaties; WALL and GCR Sovereignty. WALL is an alliance with two of our closest allies, TNP and Europeia (as well as IDU). GCR Sovereignty is with the NPO and TWP. Neither of these multilateral treaties are with imperialist regions and WALL in particular is the most influential in determining Balder policy.

If you wanted to make more salient albeit still ridiculous points Escade, you could try attacking Balder as a puppet of TNP and Europeia. I would recommend like Onder said, reading articles on how the GCRs work (their alliances, who's who) and structures so that you can make more effective points. If you want, I could write your debate points for you so that you are a more effective NSer. This will help you with things like trying to mediate between Funkadelia and the resistance. I could teach you how to do foreign affairs so that sort of thing works out rather than ends in disaster.

[New Rogernomics]

Pretty much always posted Gameplay stuff with my main, even if it gets me some flak for it.

Probably people just don't want to risk their main nation, through warns or what not, or just want to get their view out without having their main identity responded to.

Personally, I don't worry about being viewed as an ass over some things, as it is better to make mistakes and have fun, than hide away in a closet - unless said closet has some awesome authors or actors in it.

[Fauxia]

Pretty much always posted Gameplay stuff with my main, even if it gets me some flak for it.

Probably people just don't want to risk their main nation, through warns or what not, or just want to get their view out without having their main identity responded to.

Personally, I don't worry about being viewed as an ass over some things, as it is better to make mistakes and have fun, than hide away in a closet - unless said closet has some awesome authors or actors in it.

Curious Observations said it was to protect his main's associates, which means they were a defender, basically admitted it.

[Marilyn Manson]

Everyone is hiding behind puppets because they are afraid to release their opinions, and be disliked. Tis quite sad.

[Swarshengaggen]

Everyone is hiding behind puppets because they are afraid to release their opinions, and be disliked. Tis quite sad.

If that was true, I'd already have released my identity on my puppets.

Not that I'm busy with puppets or anything.

[All are Equal]

I created my puppets to experiment with extreme political opinions. I'm fairly open about them being puppets.

[Fauxia]

Everyone is hiding behind puppets because they are afraid to release their opinions, and be disliked. Tis quite sad.

If that was true, I'd already have released my identity on my puppets.

Not that I'm busy with puppets or anything.

Hehehehehe. Hehehe... I definitely don't hide behind puppets. No. It's not like I have a puppet who talks to the creator of this thread a lot. No...

[Fauxia]

Everyone is hiding behind puppets because they are afraid to release their opinions, and be disliked. Tis quite sad.

If that was true, I'd already have released my identity on my puppets.

Not that I'm busy with puppets or anything.

We're talking mainly about on the forums. Also, to United Mass...

OK, so here's the count of all of the puppets I've found recently on the gameplay forums:

1. Defender Conscious
2. The Honest Defender
3. Defender Memelords
4. Lazarus Free Press
5. Defender Memelords
6. The Lazarene Guardian
7. Curious Observations

What in the world is going on?

Why is Defender MemeLords listed twice?

Also, that nation is in Kantrias, which is Kylia Quilor's, perhaps they're the same person? Not accusing, but investigating a bit.

There is also Curious Observations, who started this recent epidemic.

There have always been posts by anonymous puppets, but the proliferation of such posts has gotten really obnoxious. People should honestly just stop paying them any attention in the hopes of encouraging people to actually put their names to their opinions, and their bad satire.

Nobody important in gameplay pays any actual attention to puppet accounts. But then again, that can go both ways. Nobody cared who I was, until I put on the mask.

Oh, I guess this changes things.

[Kylia Quilor]

I didn't even realize Defender Memelords was in Kantrias.

I don't use puppets as part of my gameplay- once in a while, in the old days, I would be accidentally logged into another nation and make a comment here in GP, but I would sign the post 90% of the time. Hasn't happened since my return. I create puppets for raiding or for one-off gags, not for hiding my opinions in GP behind masks.

The only time I ever used a puppet was the brief period when I was using the nation named 'Amy Madison', which was created when I was unsure if I was going to be coming back to NationStates or not, but had a few specific people I needed to contact via TG and a few questions I needed to ask in GP, but I didn't want to use a nation that was 'me' because I didn't want any sort of 'return of [Kylia] Quilor' to be a thing.

And at that point, I wasn't actually playing the game.

So no, I'm not Defender Memelords.

[Fauxia]

I didn't even realize Defender Memelords was in Kantrias.

I don't use puppets as part of my gameplay- once in a while, in the old days, I would be accidentally logged into another nation and make a comment here in GP, but I would sign the post 90% of the time. Hasn't happened since my return. I create puppets for raiding or for one-off gags, not for hiding my opinions in GP behind masks.

The only time I ever used a puppet was the brief period when I was using the nation named 'Amy Madison', which was created when I was unsure if I was going to be coming back to NationStates or not, but had a few specific people I needed to contact via TG and a few questions I needed to ask in GP, but I didn't want to use a nation that was 'me' because I didn't want any sort of 'return of [Kylia] Quilor' to be a thing.

And at that point, I wasn't actually playing the game.

So no, I'm not Defender Memelords.

I said in the post never mind, of course,'Defender MemeLords could've been lying... of,course, so could you, but Kantrias is fairly large anyway

[Kylia Quilor]

I didn't even realize Defender Memelords was in Kantrias.

I don't use puppets as part of my gameplay- once in a while, in the old days, I would be accidentally logged into another nation and make a comment here in GP, but I would sign the post 90% of the time. Hasn't happened since my return. I create puppets for raiding or for one-off gags, not for hiding my opinions in GP behind masks.

The only time I ever used a puppet was the brief period when I was using the nation named 'Amy Madison', which was created when I was unsure if I was going to be coming back to NationStates or not, but had a few specific people I needed to contact via TG and a few questions I needed to ask in GP, but I didn't want to use a nation that was 'me' because I didn't want any sort of 'return of [Kylia] Quilor' to be a thing.

And at that point, I wasn't actually playing the game.

So no, I'm not Defender Memelords.

I said in the post never mind, of course,'Defender MemeLords could've been lying... of,course, so could you, but Kantrias is fairly large anyway

When you edit a post while the person is writing a response, they don't see the edit.

[Solorni]

Everyone is hiding behind puppets because they are afraid to release their opinions, and be disliked. Tis quite sad.

I did it to see how defenders would handle an honest defender. The answer was; not well lol.

[Kylia Quilor]

Everyone is hiding behind puppets because they are afraid to release their opinions, and be disliked. Tis quite sad.

I did it to see how defenders would handle an honest defender. The answer was; not well lol.

There's honest and then there's a sad-sack parody of honest. Rach, no, the Defender Elite, even the ones that play the GCR game, don't think like that.

[Minoa]

Apart from promotional purposes (like a dedicated account for a regional newsletter), the challenge with raiding and defending so to speak is that unless it is a warzone region, raiding and defending can go wrong with the raider or the defender being ejected and banned by whoever is in charge.

That is why raiders and defenders create alternative accounts so that they can try again if they don't succeed the first time.

[Consular]

I did it to see how defenders would handle an honest defender. The answer was; not well lol.

There's honest and then there's a sad-sack parody of honest. Rach, no, the Defender Elite, even the ones that play the GCR game, don't think like that.

Wow careful there Quilor. That's a far too reasonable outlook.

[Kylia Quilor]

There's honest and then there's a sad-sack parody of honest. Rach, no, the Defender Elite, even the ones that play the GCR game, don't think like that.

Wow careful there Quilor. That's a far too reasonable outlook.

You wouldn't think it was quite so reasonable if you realized half the reason I said it is because Rach and I don't get along and I take any opportunity to snark at her.

[Consular]

But you're both imperialists! Aren't imperialists all part of the same boring hive mind who have no differences in opinions and outlook?

[Kylia Quilor]

But you're both imperialists! Aren't imperialists all part of the same boring hive mind who have no differences in opinions and outlook?

One, she's Independent, and two....

I respect her, to a great degree, but personally and politcally, we rarely get along. At least these days.

[Tinhampton]

Apart from promotional purposes (like a dedicated account for a regional newsletter), the challenge with raiding and defending so to speak is that unless it is a warzone region, raiding and defending can go wrong with the raider or the defender being ejected and banned by whoever is in charge.

That is why raiders and defenders create alternative accounts so that they can try again if they don't succeed the first time.

That's always happened, and nobody questions that. The big issue here is with anonymous puppets publishing news articles, much like the dedicated newsletter accounts you mention, but more to do with Lazarus these days, mostly unofficial and anti-Funkadelia (the WA Delegate), and with the account owners choosing not to reveal the main nation(s) that operate the account.

[Fake News Sad]

OK, so here's the count of all of the puppets I've found recently on the gameplay forums:

1. Defender Conscious
2. The Honest Defender
3. Defender Memelords
4. Lazarus Free Press
5. Defender Memelords
6. The Lazarene Guardian
7. Curious Observations

What in the world is going on?

I can't believe that there would be accusations of puppets posting in this forum.