Marxist-Dilemmism
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Marxist-Dilemmism
Marxist-Dilemmism is a Piratist-Communist theorised by the the political philosopher Elfeesh on the eve of the Malachite-Viridian ocean merge. It loosely follows an amalgamation of various Marxist, Maoist and Leninist theories adapted to allow the nuances of the game whilst trying to retain its Communist base.
Marxist-Dilemmism, as posted by Elfeesh on Viridian Parley
As our beloved ocean finally edges itself over the borders into the world of Meridian, I shall present to you all a most intriguing theory that I think will strike accordingly with most people who read our wonderful parley (after all, we are supposedly the most intelligent, political and well informed pirates on the game).
This wonderful vision came to me as I was still in Legacy, contemplating the tyrannical despotism displayed by Qvintus. I sat there, thinking of the historical examples. All Communist states have eventuated from a fascistic reign by a single ruler;
USSR - Tsarist Russia PRC - Imperialist China North Korea - Imperial Japan Vietnam - Colonial France Cuba - Colonial Spain
I could see the potential within Legacy, where a people has been oppressed endlessly, they find a sudden will to fight, for they have nothing to lose anymore. With the way the flag was setup, there would be no way for anyone to have a say in what was done - opinion counted for nothing, and those whom disagreed were briskly expelled. It was the most totalitarian flag you could be in, given the confines of the game.
However, before my ideas could come to light, my hand was forced. My good friend and fellow comrade, Whitehaze, was found out by the oppressive Legacy-gestapo, and expelled. I later attempted to rejoin Legacy and undermine them from the inside, but alas, I was found out and had to return to the safe liberal haven that is Dilemma.
Of course, what is the point of a single Marxist-Dilemmist flag, what impact can this have on the vast ocean? Indeed, what even is Marxist-Dilemmism? For so far I have merely been waffling on giving a light background to the inner workings of my theory. Now I may present to you....
The Dilemmist Manifesto
Marxist-Dilemmism is, as you may have guessed, a type of piratist communism, it loosely follows the theories put forward by Marx. It is realised that many Marxist theories don't at all apply to the game, for example, class struggle is non-existent, though I personally put that down to a lack of knowledge that the in-game proletariat have. However, it is indeed applicable to the game in general.
Look for yourselves, good citizens. Look at the capitalist greed that affects us all. Many people and flags ruin the natural beauty of our pixel islands in money-grabbing schemes to further their wealth. Wars are waged to secure meaningless territory for personal glory or, in some cases, a bit of extra PoE in their pockets. Our society whores itself out to capitalist ideals, we dress our pirates in useless outfits purely to show off to their friends, whilst the bourgeois shoppe-owners sit on their profits, laughing at the poor, bedraggled masses that crowd our docks. Watch as the people stare as a black-clad "celebrity" strolls past the docks, as they send pathetic /tells in the hope of being noticed by the wonderful Cairna or Whiterose, Qvintus or Brisky. We must pity these people, not despise them. For they are simply uneducated. Unaware of the awful conditions they are forced to live in. They spend weeks saving for a new sword, or for the ship and Officer badge they don't need, meekly hoping having such items will create opportunities for them in life.
I have drawn parallels of the conditions in this game to that of the conditions in real life. Outlined below are the in-game comparisons to the six (one transitional) stages that Marx considered:
1: The early days of Puzzle Pirates, where the only way to play the game was through subscription. People paid for the greater good, willingly giving money to enjoy a basic game, where there was close comradeship and no competitive markets.
2: Of course, this was too good to last. Slowly as the game got more "sophisticated", so too did its players begin to know greed. Shoppe-owners learnt the ply of their trade to the extent they could make vast sums off the ready-to-please consumers. There was, admittedly, a basic form of meritocracy, he whom worked hardest profited most, but during this stage came the evolution of elite pillages - self-proclaimed masters of the sea alleviating themselves above the rest. A form of pirate aristocracy that pushed away the masses and accepted few into their ranks.
3: These "elites" become have by now become politically aware, they run the flags and crews, sneering at the efforts made by the less powerful or intelligent's attempts to mimic their actions, they wage wars for islands, dropping shoppes in order to gain wealth, power, recognition. Wages are low for the jobbers in blockades, rarely exceeding 1,500/seg as is so often proclaimed by the older players. Merely stingy capitalists holding the wealth for themselves whilst they exploit the toils of the proletariat, using the sheer mass of jobbers to attain their goals whilst secretly despising them for their lack of skill or fame. The rich slowly start to get richer, the poor are still hated and used, then discarded on a whim. No-one fights for them.
4: The introduction of poker. Need I say more? The rich swarm over this, their greed fueling them as they grab more and more money, they get richer and richer. Soon 1,500/seg is nothing to them. This is cheap change. They have more money to waste, to throw at the little guy to buy his loyalty. Rich flags get more powerful, own more islands, hold more members, have more money. The poor stay poor, tricked into using the money they have worked to hard to earn to buy useless items such as clothes and boats they'll never use. Occasionally a pauper is able to buy themselves a parrot, though no doubt they are outrageously ripped off by a money-grabbing capitalist. Yet still the balance of money is top heavy. Have we known any different for four years, after all?
The last two stages are a result of the growing consciousness of the proletariat. Of course, this is unlikely, for most readers of these forums are the bourgeois rulers, the politically powerful or famous, self-proclaimed leaders of the pack, unwilling or unable to fathom their insignificance in the face of what could be a wonderful, single entity capable of taking this game by the scruff and beating it about the head until it is once more able to grow some sense.
Look at the state we are in now, I feel slight hope in the knowledge fascist flags such as Legacy are found out for what they are - liars greedily feeding off the toils of others, ruining islands simply to get more money. What other comparison for industrialisation is there but paving? Paving is the epitome of self-serving, ignorant boorishness that is synonymous with the Industrial revolution. In the same way over-industrialisation and extreme capitalism has doomed us in real life, so too will the constant stream of new shoppes ruining the economy of our islands.
There are many ways to achieve the perfect pirate-world, but it is a long and trialling journey, just as all other worthwhile things. It requires unity, strength of character and the ability to surpass large challenges that cross the path of ultimate pirate equality and fairness.
The biggest challenge of all is the Ocean Masters. They are, in themselves, a fascist force imposing their will upon us. They have the powers to ban, suspend, manipulate and aid to their smallest whim, and they will, of course, choose the wrong side in an attempt to hold on to their tiny world of power. The only possible ways to overcome this barrier is by turning them to the side of fairness, or by forcibly taking their powers from them. If this is done, the road to Marxist-Dilemmism is a much easier one to travel.
The ultimate goals of a Marxist-Dilemmist Ocean?
After the Ocean Masters have been successfully turned or their powers revoked and given to more sensible users, we will be able to more easily control the capitalist class-enemies that will challenge our every step.
1) All PoE will be taken from every single pirate and assembled into a single pile, accessed by a small group of pirates only, whom shall be known as the "Piratburo" - 5 main members, Head of Meridian Ocean, Head of Ocean Finance, Foreign Affairs, Culture Secretary, and Minister of Defence. These 5 pirates will control the ocean whilst re-education is administered. They shall all have the ability to ban, unban and give/take PoE. Anyone that resists unduly during this phase will be euthanised, as they have no place in our ideal Ocean.
2) All shoppes, ships and items will be taken from every single pirate. Ships and items will be re-administered fairly. Shoppes will be handed over to the Head of Ocean Finance, where all production will be focused upon making life more enjoyable for every pirate on the ocean. First everyone shall have a sloop, then everyone shall have two sloops, everyone shall have a sword, etc. The more willing the populace is, the faster they will achieve total equality.
3) After total equality is achieved, all surplus shoppes will be destroyed, leaving a total of 10 of each shoppe type in each archipelago. There will be no stalls.
4) The Dockblockers will be reinstated as a type of police force intended to keep the population in line. The leader of the dockblockers will have major "admin" powers. Their officers will have minor "admin" powers, ie the ability to move pirates. There shall be no dock-humping in the ideal world.
Once all this has been achieved, and the population has submitted willingly to the overhaul, the Piratburo will step down and relinquish power to the masses. This is when the state will have achieved its ultimate goal: A totally equal Ocean.
