Out of Pod Experience

Hello space friends

I have a question for all of you. It's the title of this thread. CSM candidates and political candidates in real life make speeches about how they think the game or the world should work, full of things they promise to do if they are elected. Once the votes are cast and the winners have been put in officer, we the people then quietly or loudly complain about the politicians we individually perceive did not give us what we want. Why is that?

In truth, politicians don't have the power to make sweeping changes because each individual politician is just one member of a group that makes decisions, or in the case of the CSM a group that hopefully influences decisions. Candidate X will promise you that he will advance Issue Y, knowing fully that he is literally incapable of doing so; but, he will say it straight to all of our faces, and we will vote for or against him based on it. I cannot be the only one here to think this is wrong! There is an alternative.

Candidates should plainly, earnestly and with open hearts ask the People what they want, and represent those desires.

For full disclosure, I am running for CSM7. But don't think of this is as a political advertisement for my candidacy. Think of this as a call out against every other candidate out there, and a challenge to every member of the voting public. Whether you vote for me or not, I hope that everyone reading this forum post will demand that the politicians they favor or oppose, in game or in real life, be held to the very simple standard of abandoning personal interests, abandoning lobby groups, abandoning power blocs, abandoning political or religious ideologies, and in place of all those abandoned things embracing their rightful role as a passionate advocate for the People.

No offense, but as a member of the ~most honorable~ Goonswarm federation there is really no point in giving you a vote. This is nothing personal, au contraire: your Apis melifera friends will guarantee that you will have the seat that you desire, so it would be really more economic to give out votes to candidates that may still struggle for every single vote to get into their desired position of power and influence.

But to answer your question: One wise man (unfortunately I have forgotten who exactly it was) once said that those people who desire power are exactly the same people that should be kept by all means from getting that power. Politicians want power over other people- the desire for power alone implies a desire to abuse that power. So they tell the people everything that the people wants to hear to achieve their goals.
The best politicians and leaders would be those who never wanted those positions, but got them by circumstances.

it's not that easy: there are always ~independent~ Goonswarm candidates that provide some entertainment if nothing else.

last year's favorite did emoragequit the race complaining it was rigged against him because he had forgotten to register for the vote match website despite several weeks notice.
of course quite a few people had already voted for him when he asked to be removed from the ballot

@Lyris Thanks for the clarification. One more question:
Do you think it is possible for the kind of politician you speak of to separate the private from the political?
Can he truly represent the people's interests, prejudices, biases, ... without living the people's life?

Oh...if this is the case...nice..has a touch of rebellion and drama... Now I am seriously considering to add you to my fantasy-CSM-roster




Why do more people watch Michael Bay's movies than Jim Jarmush's ?

I am reminded of those little sand-dwelling creatures from Niven's "Ringworld" novels right about now.

I dont make promises I just make road maps going somewhere. To bad other people keep drawing very distractive pit stops along the way.

Wow an hypocrasy mobius loop.

The sentiments in your final statment are ideal qualities for a candiate.

Shame your a Goon and cannot be trusted to fulfill the "ideal" for the very corrupt reasons you are trying to convey for which you are renowned for.

Examples below in context in responce to the claims above.

On gameplay:



On development priorities:



On power blocs:

Yea Disband the CSM

Lyris Nairn now has my full support for CSM, provided she shouts a lot at rallies and does hand gestures.