[Beyond the Borders]Social Liberal Union Couped by Founder






Social Liberal Union Couped by Founder
Understanding Ainland's decision with the help of founders

Written by SkyGreen24




On December 13, a major event shook the Social Liberal Union (SLU). Ainland, founder of the nearly ten-years-old region, began dismissing the officers of the region, and stripping the World Assembly Delegate Helvurium of their executive authority.

Within a day, the democratically elected government of the SLU released a statement on the event and their regional parliament called a vote on an emergency resolution to trigger their Comprehensive Union Defense Act and activate their backup region, The Social Liberal Union. Alongside this, they also released a dispatch detailing the legal procedure that allowed them to do so.

Two days later, on December 15, Ainland released a statement regarding the ejections from SLU. In it, the founder explained his vision when founding the region, and how the region shaped to become the community it is today. He, however, claims they noticed issues with the region’s government. Ainland stated that regarding its democracy he “[..] came to realise that the SLU was not as democratic as it may seem” as it was allegedly run by an “inner circle”. This "inner circle" includes several high-ranking members of the government, though exact details are unknown.

The statement then elaborates on what ultimately caused Ainland to go ahead with the coup by stating that “[...] the final straw was the SLU defining itself as communist and allying with North Korea, explicitly endorsing and supporting the “real-world government of the DPRK”.” Highlighting this major issue with SLU’s government, it was nothing that could, allegedly, be solved by communicating with the leadership.

Ainland’s overthrowing of the government was condemned by regions such as the Union of Democratic States and The East Pacific.

In order to make sense of this major event, the Europeian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) sought contact with the government of the SLU and was able to create a timeline of events leading up to the coup.

SLU is a member of NSLeft, an alliance of several left wing regions, having been a member since May of 2020. Foreign Minister Goncar of SLU explains that after joining NSLeft “Ainland was CTEd. He didn’t have a reaction until he returned a week ago or so”

A misunderstanding of SLU's ideological stance was created because one of the members of NSLeft was also North Korea, a region that thematically draws from the real-life country, Goncar continues to explain:
“I think I can safely say for [the] government and for everyone in our membership, that we don’t support the irl [real life] DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea]. We do however support that region as they aren’t the DPRK and [are] actually very decent people. Ainland didn’t take two seconds to notice this and instead was very adamant about the fact that was nothing [sic] to do with people who support the government of the DPRK”

Furthermore, though Ainland has overthrown the SLU government, Ainland has decided to found the Liberal Democratic Union (LDU) and abandon the region he left in ruins. As Ainland's statement on the ejections came prior to his migration to the LDU, the EBC decided to investigate further by reaching out to the founder himself. Since the North Korea issue was the "final straw" as mentioned in his statement, we asked Ainland to respond to claims that North Korea and SLU aren't supporters of the real-world DPRK. Ainland responded by citing Article 1 of the constitution of North Korea:
"Our purpose is to;
b) - Represent the real, socialist DPRK, government, people and culture on Nationstates as well as provide a home to revolutionary socialist nations"

Ainland further went on to say that "Your readers can decide whether the above is compatible with support for irl North Korea". Ainland, when asked why he had couped his region, causing a regime change though he ultimately abandoned the region, elaborated that he wanted to "[...] move on and try to build a better region". He further explained that "Making ejections had never crossed [his] mind before that point", that point being "[...] the true nature of the North Korea embassy [...]"

Finally, when asked what the goal he wished to achieve with these ejections was, the couping founder responded that "A very key part of this for [him] was a refusal to be associated with such actions." This also prompted a question, "If the platform was being run by an inner circle which had a culture of personally mocking and ridiculing people, pushed people out, and proclaimed itself communist and supported irl DPRK - if you opposed all this, would you just let it go on? Or would you say no, this is not happening under my name?"

Ainland stated that TSLU "encouraged destructive behavior" such as spamming the Regional Message Board and sending "erratic telegrams" to nations in SLU and LDU. He claims that "The removal of the communist oppressive government will be an important part of its history, but I hope it can become a more open, democratic, liberal region."

Though his move has caused a commotion among left-leaning regions he defends his action by declaring that it "has made many people very happy." Ainland proclaimed boldly that "To the true democracies of NationStates [sic], this is good news."

In order to make more sense of this decision, the EBC interviewed several well-known founders, asking them two things. First of their opinion of Ainland's actions, and second, when, if ever, a founder couping their own region can be justified.

The first founder interviewed was Europeia's King HEM, who described Ainland's actions as "very disappointing", explaining that "As a founder, when you make a decision to commit your region to democracy, you are giving up the reigns to the people to make choices for your creation. People are investing time and energy with the assumption of these rules of democracy, and it's usually a betrayal to rip the rug out from other people." He does add that he was not in the region so cannot speak on the seriousness of the DPRK accusations. Regardless of whether these allegations are true, HEM says that "It's possible that this support got so problematic that it had to be addressed -- but that doesn't really seem to be the core of the Founder's statement".

As for the second question, in HEM's view "Founders should only seize power like this, and topple the democratic rules they set out, as an act of last resort (deathly inactivity, support of fascism etc.)"

The second founder questioned was Altino, long-time Pharaoh of Osiris and founder of Karma who also disapproves of Ainland's decision, adding that she "talked to Ainland for a long time trying to understand why he did what he did there, but he didn't really seem to have a reason." She further went to remind us that Ainland founded LDU and was moving on. She then explains that he "suddenly turned around one day and decided it was his job to clear the place out and lock it down." Altino goes on to declare that SLU "survived for years without his attention" and made the following statement regarding Ainland's role in SLU and the justification of his move " I don't feel like it was really his region anymore and he would be hard pressed to justify such a heavy-handed response even if it were."

Not unlike HEM, Altino believes that "it could possibly be justified, but it would be a very hard sell," further clarifying that "The IC [in character] government would have to be doing something pretty heinous and unforgivable for you to justify booting them all and starting over." Altino also emphasizes trust between founder and region, describing it as a sort of contract. Once entered, she says, "you have the power to subvert any rule they [a region] make, but they can trust you not to do it." Altino also says that founders "should be skilled enough to maneuver a political system and whack it into shape if [they're] gonna found a region," and that "being that heavy-handed" would break a region's trust in their founder, which she describes as "the last thing [founders] need."

Aynia, founder of Caer Sidi, was the last founder interviewed.

On the first question, Aynia does not see a proper justification, though her answer came before Ainland's statement. Nonetheless, she cited recent discussion among founders regarding the "right of absolute control". Due to the way NationStates game mechanics function, Aynia says that founders "have all these tools given to you that make it possible to do what Ainland did" and going further to remind that "They didn't exploit any game mechanic, they didn't cheat, they just... did what the tools let them do for... some reason." While game mechanics allow them, Aynia's views are against such actions nonetheless. She says, "I've always said that once you open a region to a community, it isn't just your baby anymore." and that founders should have "[...] a limit on your own power otherwise why would anyone stay with that threat hanging over them of power abuse?"

This also served as a segue to her second answer, replying in a similar vein to the previous two founders that "It is a big, big stretch for [her] to think of any reason that it would be justified to wipe your own region" and supposing that "Maybe if the founder came back after a long stretch of time and terrible ooc [out of character] people were in charge that needed cleared out" it might be justified. Otherwise, she clarifies, it would be hard to find a justification.

There appears to be no definitive answer to these questions, and while the SLU's legitimate government continues as The Social Liberal Union (TSLU), and Ainland attempts to create a different community in LDU, only time will tell how all three of these regions will fare.

And while there is no definitive answer as to why Ainland did what he did, those interviewed did reach a consensus on the extreme situation that would warrant a founder coming back to the region to kick people.
 
An excellent article with a lot of work done on not only getting all of what occurred, but also in interviewing so many people! Great job!
 
I can only echo what Kura said, a lot of research went into this and it shows!

Great job, Sky!
 
I now understand something related to NS affairs. Wow. Thank you.
 
Nicely done Sky, thank you very much for this! I now feel a whole lot more informed on the issue.

That was really quite a weird incident overall ...
 
This is a very solid article, you've really put a lot of work into it! And beat NST too. An exemplary FA article, made me understand the whole situation better too!
 
Nicely done Sky, thank you very much for this! I now feel a whole lot more informed on the issue.

That was really quite a weird incident overall ...
I’d actually been in the SLU for a month or so too, earlier in the year. I’d joined as I wanted to find a group of like-minded people ideologically and I was rather disappointed to find out that the SLU were not social liberals or social democrats. While I don’t agree with what Ainland did from a purely regional government perspective and believe that what he did *is* deserving of condemnation, in the end, he is within his rights to form his own community in the LDU if he so chooses. I can only hope that the SLU continues to thrive in the future-while I don’t particularly care for NSLeft as a matter of ideology, I didn’t ever find that community anything other than welcoming.

[As a matter of record: while I don’t agree with Ainland’s actions, I did want to find a community that would embrace my ideology of liberalism (which I hold IRL) and I think Ainland is at least _attempting_ to do that. I do have a puppet there and unless they acquire the reputation of a CCD, or other OOC fascist regions, I don’t intent to move it, no matter what I think of Ainland.]
 
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