The Story Of The Little Red President

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The Story Of The Little Red President
By HEM

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A Little Red President lived on a Farm called "Europeia". He spent almost all of his time going around the Farm in a picketty fashion, trying to improve life for everyone. Sometimes he planted seeds for crops, sometimes he pulled weeds out of the dirt, sometimes he made sure everyone had enough food.

He dearly loved the Farm and his fellow barn animals. He enjoyed the magic of seeing a group of people come together and build an active, social, fun farm. Nothing made him prouder than seeing all of his fellow citizens together having a good time.

A Horse usually napped lazily in the Spam Zone, not even bothering herself to scare the rat who ran here and there as he pleased. And as for the Pig who lived in #eurochat—he did not care what happened so long as he could eat and remain idle.

One day the Little Red President realized that so much more could be accomplished if he had some help. After mulling around the farm and thinking about it, he decided that he would appoint some assistants. A Cabinet, he would call them.

So he thought of the Pig—upon whom time must hang heavily and of the Horse who had nothing to do, and of the great fat Rat with his idle hours, and he called loudly:

“I need some assistants! Who wants to help me build this farm??”

Initially nobody stirred.

“Come on friends, we need to keep this farm together for people to enjoy!” The Little Red President yelled again.

Slowly, a few bodies came shuffling forward.

“Excellent!” The Little Red President said.

He pointed at the Horse, “You will be Minister of Fun!”

The Horse nodded, proud of his new title.

“You will be Minister of Responsibilities!” The Little Red President said to the Pig.

The Pig looked proud, and began walking around with a distinct strut.

“You will be Minister of Excitement,” The Little Red President told the Rat.

And the Little Red President sent them on their way, with a promise that they would help him build a farm that everyone could enjoy.

The Little Red President resumed his current tasks, and while he got occasionally distracted by more important matters, he mostly remained focused on the farm.

Then one day not long after, the Horse came to the President.

“I’m afraid I stubbed my toe when trotting around the barnyard today!” the Horse told the Little Red President.

“I’m sorry to hear that!” The Little Red President exclaimed.

“Yes, yes,” The Horse said contemplatively. “I’m afraid I will have to resign my position.”

“Resign?” The Little Red President said. “Surely you might consider continuing after taking a few days to nurse your toe!”

“No, No,” The Horse responded deliberatively. “I’m afraid I cannot.”

“Very well then,” The Little Red President responded. “I wish you the best.”

A few hours went by, and the Little Red President resumed his review of the grounds. He walked past a field where he saw some animals playing. He smiled, he loved the sight of his friends having a good time.

Then in the distance, he saw the Horse. The Horse was galloping down the Spam Zone fields, seemingly without a care in the world. He was making joyful noises as he played with his fellow animals.

I thought he had a toe that was hurt beyond repair, the Little Red President thought to himself.

Before he could think another thought, however, the Little Red President was interrupted by none other than the Pig.

“I’m afraid my voice has gone hoarse while yelling during the games today,” the Pig told the Little Red President.

“I’m sorry to hear that!” The Little Red President exclaimed.

“Yes, yes.” The Pig said contemplatively. “I’m afraid I will have to resign my position.”

“Resign?” The Little Red President said. “Surely you might consider continuing after taking a few days to nurse your voice!”

“No, no,” The Pig responded deliberatively. “I’m afraid I cannot.”

“Very well then,” The Little Red President responded. “I wish you the best.”

A few hours went by and the Little Red President was inspecting the facilities in the #eurochat barn. He was making sure that the foundations were secure and that there was a fresh coat of paint on the south side when he heard a noise.

Peering into the barn he saw The Pig, shouting excitedly with his friends. He was engaged in a heated debate, where the Pig’s crystal clear voice pierced the air at a frequency above everyone else’s.

I thought he had a voice that was hurt beyond repair, The Little Red President thought to himself.

Before he could think another thought, however, the Little Red President was interrupted by none other than the Rat.

“I’m afraid my tail was injured while hanging out in the Republic Square chicken coop,” the Rat told the Little Red President.

“I’m sorry to hear that!” The Little Red President exclaimed.

“Yes, yes,” the Rat said contemplatively. “I’m afraid I’ll have to resign my position.”

“Resign?” The Little Red President said. “Surely you might consider continuing after taking a few days to nurse your tail.”

“No, no,” the Rat responded deliberatively. “I’m afraid I cannot.”

“Very well then,” The Little Red President responded. “I wish you the best.”

A few hours went by and the Little Red President was finally heading to bed when he found himself surrounded by a crowd of his friends.

“Why has the farm been so quiet?” a crowd of horses, rats, cows, and pigs demanded. “Why hasn’t the barn been painted? Why are the fences in desperate need of repair? Why aren’t the other farms showing us the respect we deserve?”

“I’m sorry,” The Little Red President said. “I’ll try to take care of it tomorrow!”

“You better!” The crowd said. And off in the distance, the Little Red President saw the Rat, the Horse, and the Pig playing scrambling off to the #eurochat barn where they would play games that involved yelling, running, and hanging from one’s tail.

 

[XIV]

The point of this article seems to be "people who resign are lazy and don't want to work", which I don't think is what HEM was aiming for, so this article seems to be a swing and a miss.

Alternatively the point of this article could be, and if it is it isn't made very well, that when people resign the President is forced to pick up the slack and extend themselves further and further, which means they are able to accomplish fewer and fewer of the things they set out to accomplish, and people aren't very understanding of that.

I think the idea is...sometimes people make excuses for why they need to resign when they really just don't want to do the job anymore. Or whatever their reason is is something that could be fixed by a brief vacation. But the crux of it is that when things get difficult, even for a moment, the solution is to quit. Of course, we give people the benefit of the doubt, but I think we all know that this happens in some cases.

I would be lying if I said I hadn't done this myself.

Do I think we should accuse people of lying and giving up anytime they resign? No. Because we have no way of knowing what each person is actually going though. We should take them at face value. Real life, our health, our families, etc always come first, and we shouldn't make people feel bad for making tough decisions.

But it's important for us to realize that sometimes we should try to tough it out rather than quit at the first sign of trouble.

See, I didn't get any of that from reading the article. Which only reinforces that this article doesn't make it's point very well. Perhaps instead of semi-snarky-and-not-really-satirical-satire of children's stories, our highest executive officers could write speeches, or actual articles, that address their point in a much more upfront manner than this did.

 

[JayDee]

Well the good news for you as that I'm a terrible editor so we always have extra eyes on it anyways. That means it could be about how rainbows are the best and we would still have extra eyes in it.

I'll let the rest speak for itself. One article does not define the nature of the EBC.

So more than one pair of eyes saw that article and felt it was appropriate?

DH is on a special "list" of people who do not need editing. He pas proven his talent to Europeia so we let him post articles a bit more freely. If you have a problem with that, then I invite you to bring that up. DH has never had a problem like this before so I'm not going to change a bunch of stuff about the EBC for one overreaction.

 

[Drecq]

If you don't swaddle it in metaphor it essentially becomes:" sometimes people resign because they say they don't have time or for other reasons and then pretty much immediately do other things because it turns out that the issue was something that didn't actually require a resignation, which makes me wonder why they resigned in the first place."
Doesn't really fill out as well and invites increased comparison to actual situations HEM might not actually have meant. I like the barnyard metaphor. It's clear enough. It invites thought. And it has obviously caused discussion.

 

[Kylia Quilor]

On the other hand, being a Minister is a very stressful, draining job. Once someone no longer has the responsibility, things free up, both time and mental energy-wise. I mean, I had the time to have been a GA this term, had I had the energy and focus for it, but I made sure I let everyone I could know that I wasn't interested because I couldn't spare that mental capital. I've remained an active member of Europeia despite that. The same can hold true for resigning ministers.

Granted, the times when I've resigned (as Senator in 2011, as Senator and GA in 2014) I've departed Europeia more or less immediately thereafter, but that's because I'm a workaholic who burns out and dies, when it comes to NS.

 

[Drecq]

I do agree that in many, perhaps most or even all, cases a resignation can be the right move even if the circumstances dont necessitate an immediate and total withdrawal from the region, but I honestly dont have the numbers on that. If HEM has noticed a trend I havent in which people resign due to issues that likely forseeably would not have had the impact to necessitate a resignation, and then indeed turned out not to have had that impact, then I dont have any proof showing that is the case or that isnt. Hes brought up the issue, and I think he did it in a good way which didnt point at a specific person or incident while still bringing the topic up for discussion, so lets discuss the possibility. If the issue exists I certainly dont know what there is that we can do to stop it. So Im out.

 

[Darcness]

The motto of our story, as Sopo and others have pointed out, came to me immediately. We've seen instances of it this term.

Take some pride in your work. Part of that pride means that it is something that is difficult for you to let go of. There are few enough Cabinet positions. Perhaps we should expect people to fight for them instead of giving up when they stop being easy.

 

[Mousebumples]

I don't know the answer to this - and I've been removed enough from active involvement in Europeian politics as of late that I can't even give actual examples of who (recently) HEM may be alluding to with this piece. However, I can think of a few scenarios that may or may not have occurred recently or in the more distant past.

1) Newer player or a newer ministry - or both. Less established, less well-trained deputies in place. Something comes up and the Minister feels it's better to resign and pass the administration over to a new Minister going forward rather than to delegate responsibilities to one or more deputies for the coming week or whatever. I'm not sure how many Ministries have solid deputies - or how many Ministers actively feel comfortable delegating tasks and responsibility to said Deputies. For me, I know that I tend to be more "hands on" and want to have my hand in every pot when I'm actively doing Minister of Interior (for example). It was an adjustment for me to go away on a planned vacation and not be there all the time "in case I was needed," so I can't imagine how I would have responded if I had been blindsided by an unexpected RL development.

2) Younger player. This might just be me, but I remember high school (and even parts of college) as being a hot bed of drama and periodic chaos. I didn't have NS in high school, but there were definite, "OMG, this is such a big deal" moments for me in high school that I thought would take forever to fix ... that in retrospect weren't nearly as complicated as I'd anticipated. We're all aware that RL > NS, and I could see some younger players taking that to heart and not wanting to take up a Cabinet post (for example) when their attention will be divided "for the foreseeable future" with whatever drama is on-going.

I don't know how to fix these things, other than trying to offer an ear where and when I can to help out with brainstorming and suggestions. Leadership training and experience (in life and in NS) can help with all of these things - but it's understandable and arguably even expected to have at least 1 Ministerial resignation (or firing) per term. The terms without are rare ... but then you get the counterweight of a crazy spate of resignations in one fell swoop.

Anyhow, interesting starting point for discussion. Thanks for writing this, HEM.

 

[XIV]

My resignations came from medical issues; namely my suicide attempt and the fact that I was facing a surgery I was told might take me up to a month to recover from (because the spine is a tricky area), and I know some recent resignations have come because people aren't feeling mentally up to the task of being a minister; or they've got their own health issues or sicknesses in their families that they've got to deal with, and some people have resigned because their coursework or their jobs are taking up too much time and they don't have the time they thought they did to contribute. It's unfair to chalk that up to 'not wanting to do the work' or 'not having pride in what they're doing'.

And in every case it's much easier to take three five minute periods a day and "pwn the spam zone", or to hang out in discord on your phone during your free time to chat with your friends; it doesn't mean that person is lazy because they're doing that instead of dedicating time they don't have, or which they can't dedicate, to massive projects in Europeia.

It's no surprise to me, because I've heard this on multiple occasions from newer members, that the legitimate reasons for resigning are also compounded by the fact that even 'okay' terms are often derided and looked down upon by Europeia; who would want to stay on in a position where they know they're not going to amazing and the end result is going to be people telling them that they should have resigned or been fired? Nobody. Now, on top of that, when they do resign we're telling them that they're lazy and don't want to do the work.

 

[Skizzy Grey]

My resignations came from medical issues; namely my suicide attempt and the fact that I was facing a surgery I was told might take me up to a month to recover from (because the spine is a tricky area), and I know some recent resignations have come because people aren't feeling mentally up to the task of being a minister; or they've got their own health issues or sicknesses in their families that they've got to deal with, and some people have resigned because their coursework or their jobs are taking up too much time and they don't have the time they thought they did to contribute. It's unfair to chalk that up to 'not wanting to do the work' or 'not having pride in what they're doing'.

And in every case it's much easier to take three five minute periods a day and "pwn the spam zone", or to hang out in discord on your phone during your free time to chat with your friends; it doesn't mean that person is lazy because they're doing that instead of dedicating time they don't have, or which they can't dedicate, to massive projects in Europeia.

It's no surprise to me, because I've heard this on multiple occasions from newer members, that the legitimate reasons for resigning are also compounded by the fact that even 'okay' terms are often derided and looked down upon by Europeia; who would want to stay on in a position where they know they're not going to amazing and the end result is going to be people telling them that they should have resigned or been fired? Nobody. Now, on top of that, when they do resign we're telling them that they're lazy and don't want to do the work.

I doubt you were one of the folks HEM had in mind. You left for a time, then eased back into regional activity gradually.

When someone runs for office or accepts an appointment soon after citing RL pressures as the reason for resigning from public office, it invites questions. Maybe the person just didn't want to do the first job. Alternatively, he/she may be too quick to make commitments that he/she cannot keep, such that we should expect the second engagement to end similarly to the first. Or maybe there are good reasons for resigning one position and accepting another soon after -- but we would never know, because some people pitch a fit when we discuss this issue even in general terms, let alone ask pointed questions to a nominee or candidate, so we let it slide. And the region suffers. And newer members are denied a chance to contribute, because when we have an unexamined problem with people not being sufficient committed, we instinctively default to on old hands whom we assume have proven their mettle -- even though some of them are really just deeply experienced at making commitments and not following through!

Kudos to HEM for sparking a much-needed discussion.

 

[Aexnidaral]

Fantastic post, HEM.

 

[XIV]

My resignations came from medical issues; namely my suicide attempt and the fact that I was facing a surgery I was told might take me up to a month to recover from (because the spine is a tricky area), and I know some recent resignations have come because people aren't feeling mentally up to the task of being a minister; or they've got their own health issues or sicknesses in their families that they've got to deal with, and some people have resigned because their coursework or their jobs are taking up too much time and they don't have the time they thought they did to contribute. It's unfair to chalk that up to 'not wanting to do the work' or 'not having pride in what they're doing'.

And in every case it's much easier to take three five minute periods a day and "pwn the spam zone", or to hang out in discord on your phone during your free time to chat with your friends; it doesn't mean that person is lazy because they're doing that instead of dedicating time they don't have, or which they can't dedicate, to massive projects in Europeia.

It's no surprise to me, because I've heard this on multiple occasions from newer members, that the legitimate reasons for resigning are also compounded by the fact that even 'okay' terms are often derided and looked down upon by Europeia; who would want to stay on in a position where they know they're not going to amazing and the end result is going to be people telling them that they should have resigned or been fired? Nobody. Now, on top of that, when they do resign we're telling them that they're lazy and don't want to do the work.

I doubt you were one of the folks HEM had in mind. You left for a time, then eased back into regional activity gradually.

When someone runs for office or accepts an appointment soon after citing RL pressures as the reason for resigning from public office, it invites questions. Maybe the person just didn't want to do the first job. Alternatively, he/she may be too quick to make commitments that he/she cannot keep, such that we should expect the second engagement to end similarly to the first. Or maybe there are good reasons for resigning one position and accepting another soon after -- but we would never know, because some people pitch a fit when we discuss this issue even in general terms, let alone ask pointed questions to a nominee or candidate, so we let it slide. And the region suffers. And newer members are denied a chance to contribute, because when we have an unexamined problem with people not being sufficient committed, we instinctively default to on old hands whom we assume have proven their mettle -- even though some of them are really just deeply experienced at making commitments and not following through!

Kudos to HEM for sparking a much-needed discussion.

I realize I'm not one of the people HEM had in mind when writing this post, the people HEM had in mind were Kaboom, Sam, and Siol; the fact that he didn't name them directly doesn't stop people from drawing the line to the three resignations that occurred this term. One of which occurred only hours before HEM was "inspired" to write this piece. The fact that I'm not being directly targeted by the Vice President's frustration and venom doesn't mean I can't sympathize with people who have chosen to put their personal lives before service to the republic; even, and especially, if they've chosen to stay active in the community following their resignations.

I've said this to several people who've approached me in private about my reaction to this, but I would have had a much different reaction had this not been framed in the narrative of a condescending children's story laced with personal attacks and defended by the shoddy 'lol satire' tactic. If HEM had taken the time to write an actual article addressing the problem and trying to understand why people feel compelled to resign en masse almost every term, I would have applauded it. Heck, even if it had been framed as a speech calling for understanding for the fact that resignations hamper an administrations ability to complete all of the projects it aimed to complete, that would have been a step up from what this was.

 

[Boomer]

I'm with XIV on this one. I resigned because of real-life issues that were causing me too much stress and anxiety to focus on the job. The issue blew over after a week or so, but I'm not yet ready to jump back into active Ministry work because of being extremely busy in real life, so is it a sin if I just want to be a more casual player for a bit?

 

[Rach]

So which one is the horse, the pig and the rat? Personally I'd want to be the horse in HEMs story. Maybe it's the order they resigned in?

 

[Aexnidaral]

So which one is the horse, the pig and the rat? Personally I'd want to be the horse in HEMs story. Maybe it's the order they resigned in?

Can I call dibs on the rat? But only if it's the rat from Beast Wars.

 

[Skizzy Grey]

I get XIV's point. And I disagree with HEM to the extent he thinks we should criticize people for remaining active socially following a resignation.

But we have gone way too far in terms of letting people resign without consequences. We just elected a President who had resigned two different Cabinet posts in the preceding six months -- how did that work out? Or how about Boomer standing for Senate just seven days after he resigned his Senate seat? Of course RL comes first, and resignation is sometimes the best option, but we would do well to ask more questions when someone who steps away from a post abruptly seek to reassume major responsibilities within the region.

 

[Rach]

Cats resignation as President had nothing to do with her previous resignations as you very well know.

 

[Skizzy Grey]

Cats resignation as President had nothing to do with her previous resignations as you very well know.

The point is that I don't recall any significant discussion about Cat's prior resignations. Certainly, we knew a lot less about them than we did about Brun's extended absence.

Would an examination of those prior resignations have caused us to question Cat's seriousness of purpose and dedication to the region? I don't know. But with the way our culture is, it would've seemed rude to pry into such matters. I'm suggesting that should change.

 

[Deepest House]

I've personally felt that "real life concerns" have been used as a crutch often when one is not up to the job. Clearly, I don't think it's the case all the time, but I'm positive that it is some of the time.

When people cite "real life issues" as their reason for resignations, it is often treated like the third rail and not touched, for better or worse.

We will likely never know when one is really affected by real life issues versus using it as a crutch. Habitual offenders are more likely to be guilty of it, but the truth is we will never really know.

 

[HEM]

My resignations came from medical issues; namely my suicide attempt and the fact that I was facing a surgery I was told might take me up to a month to recover from (because the spine is a tricky area), and I know some recent resignations have come because people aren't feeling mentally up to the task of being a minister; or they've got their own health issues or sicknesses in their families that they've got to deal with, and some people have resigned because their coursework or their jobs are taking up too much time and they don't have the time they thought they did to contribute. It's unfair to chalk that up to 'not wanting to do the work' or 'not having pride in what they're doing'.

And in every case it's much easier to take three five minute periods a day and "pwn the spam zone", or to hang out in discord on your phone during your free time to chat with your friends; it doesn't mean that person is lazy because they're doing that instead of dedicating time they don't have, or which they can't dedicate, to massive projects in Europeia.

It's no surprise to me, because I've heard this on multiple occasions from newer members, that the legitimate reasons for resigning are also compounded by the fact that even 'okay' terms are often derided and looked down upon by Europeia; who would want to stay on in a position where they know they're not going to amazing and the end result is going to be people telling them that they should have resigned or been fired? Nobody. Now, on top of that, when they do resign we're telling them that they're lazy and don't want to do the work.

I doubt you were one of the folks HEM had in mind. You left for a time, then eased back into regional activity gradually.

When someone runs for office or accepts an appointment soon after citing RL pressures as the reason for resigning from public office, it invites questions. Maybe the person just didn't want to do the first job. Alternatively, he/she may be too quick to make commitments that he/she cannot keep, such that we should expect the second engagement to end similarly to the first. Or maybe there are good reasons for resigning one position and accepting another soon after -- but we would never know, because some people pitch a fit when we discuss this issue even in general terms, let alone ask pointed questions to a nominee or candidate, so we let it slide. And the region suffers. And newer members are denied a chance to contribute, because when we have an unexamined problem with people not being sufficient committed, we instinctively default to on old hands whom we assume have proven their mettle -- even though some of them are really just deeply experienced at making commitments and not following through!

Kudos to HEM for sparking a much-needed discussion.

I realize I'm not one of the people HEM had in mind when writing this post, the people HEM had in mind were Kaboom, Sam, and Siol; the fact that he didn't name them directly doesn't stop people from drawing the line to the three resignations that occurred this term. One of which occurred only hours before HEM was "inspired" to write this piece. The fact that I'm not being directly targeted by the Vice President's frustration and venom doesn't mean I can't sympathize with people who have chosen to put their personal lives before service to the republic; even, and especially, if they've chosen to stay active in the community following their resignations.

I've said this to several people who've approached me in private about my reaction to this, but I would have had a much different reaction had this not been framed in the narrative of a condescending children's story laced with personal attacks and defended by the shoddy 'lol satire' tactic. If HEM had taken the time to write an actual article addressing the problem and trying to understand why people feel compelled to resign en masse almost every term, I would have applauded it. Heck, even if it had been framed as a speech calling for understanding for the fact that resignations hamper an administrations ability to complete all of the projects it aimed to complete, that would have been a step up from what this was.

There seem to be a fair number of people here who actively wish to find ways to affix malicious intent to this article. That makes me sad, because I guess it means there are people here who are predisposed to dislike me and want to believe the worst? (This does not refer to objective criticism I have received, of course).

There is no direct line between this fictional satire and real people in the region. That's why the "Little Red Hen" parallel was a good vehicle for discussing the problem. There is no barn. There is no farm. The extent to which "real" Europeia was incorporated was in the most banal and generic ways imaginable (i.e. "eurochat" or "spam zone"). That was intentional.

I don't have the numbers on whether people are resigning more today than they were five years ago. I have sensed a definite uptick over the last half year, however, and I'm not the only one. That could indicate a number of things. There are plenty of valid points of view. Mine is that our region would probably be in a better place if some Ministers could hold the fort through some minor RL turbulence.

Am I right? Maybe not, I have no clue because we aren't allowed to talk about it. It seems that even those who breach the topic in the vaguest, most opaque terms are fair game to be labeled "venomous" and god knows only what is being said behind the scenes.

I'm not perfect. I don't have all the answers. But I think we should be able to talk about it, because no member will be able to enjoy the more casual sides of this region if nobody is left to serve the region.

 

[Boomer]

I get XIV's point. And I disagree with HEM to the extent he thinks we should criticize people for remaining active socially following a resignation.

But we have gone way too far in terms of letting people resign without consequences. We just elected a President who had resigned two different Cabinet posts in the preceding six months -- how did that work out? Or how about Boomer standing for Senate just seven days after he resigned his Senate seat? Of course RL comes first, and resignation is sometimes the best option, but we would do well to ask more questions when someone who steps away from a post abruptly seek to reassume major responsibilities within the region.

I thought I was well enough to get back on the horse and run again, and also I will admit that I was somewhat pushed to run by the CRP. I dropped out because I realized that I was too busy to write a platform and because I didn't really want to be a Senator again after my bad term.