Post by Lüc da Schir on Feb 23, 2019 6:05:52 GMT -6
Azul everyone, I wanted to write a brief post that is the culmination of several weeks of soul-searching - maybe months, as this is probably part of the fallout from my semi-retirement of summer 2018.
Now, many of you will know that I have been pretty involved with Talossan politics over the years, and I’ve identified very strongly with my own party, the MRPT, ever since I joined it almost seven years ago.
Now, many of you will know that I have been pretty involved with Talossan politics over the years, and I’ve identified very strongly with my own party, the MRPT, ever since I joined it almost seven years ago.
However, during the last term, I came to the unfortunate conclusion that:
- The “second generation” MRPT (2014-2017/8) was a party that had its strength in a certain combination of people, and almost all of them are gone: some have left for other jobs or parties, some are semi-active and won’t take part in active inter-party activities for the foreseeable future, some have completely disappeared and don’t seem interested in ever coming back.
- Without them, all that remains is an empty husk that happens to have an outsized history of accomplishments, but that presently has no realistic hope of surviving except by inertia. The manifesto itself has almost exhausted its short-term usefulness, which is ironic, given that accomplishing stuff should be good.
- Today’s Talossa has different issues than 2012 Talossa or 2014 Talossa, and this party isn’t cut for them unless it radically reinvents itself. For that to happen, though, some effort is needed from its membership, and I fear I’m the only one left who would be prepared to put any amount of such meaningful effort in that. If the party isn’t willing to take a breath of fresh air, if no one in the party cares about that - it will die a slow death à la Progressives.
- Sadly, I don’t feel invested enough to sink more energies and personal time in the party’s organization and campaigning efforts. A long time ago, Hooligan was able to sustain the RUMP into successive governments even without being the leader himself; I don’t wish, want, or would be capable, to be such an eminence grise for whoever wins the 2019 leadership race. It’s not worth it. And that's only the day to day stuff! Imagine the campaign: actual good mailers, constant GOTV, vote projections... that was a lot of work, and we literally won all elections since the MRPT adopted this "modern" approach at campaigning. But I can't do it alone!
- TLDR: Either way the leadership race unfolds, the most probable outcome is that I will have to devote an ungodly amount of time into running the party myself, from whipping the party line in the Cosa to campaigning. A blunt TLDR would be that I have no time or willingness to babysit a party that has basically been on life support since last summer. I’m burned out. I’m fine with continuing to be a fairly independent senator for the upcoming Cosa, and to see where the future brings me, for the terms after that.
Therefore, and with deep regret and sorrow:
- My membership in the Moderate Radical Party of Talossa is hereby suspended with immediate effect. I’m not renouncing it for now, so I will still technically be a party member, but I will not engage in its party politics, campaign for the party or represent its platform throughout the duration of the suspension. My sister Erschéveþ, who has served as a MRPT MC in the Cosa for four years now, will do the same.
- I will sit in the Senate as an Independent Moderate Radical (probably, or something similar), and Erschéveþ will run for the Cosa under the same label. We intend to run on a fairly minimal manifesto, but that still hits all the major points of debate in today’s Talossa.
- IMR (or whatever it will be called) is intended to be a temporary arrangement; we don’t intend to campaign much and we won’t try to recruit anyone from any party, although I welcome anyone else who would be interested in running for the Cosa under that label.
- As a minor procedural note, Erschéveþ will be listed as Party Leader on the ballot. That's purely procedural: this is not a party and there won't be a leader, but is needed to comply with electoral law.
- Later in the term, we will make a final choice about our final destination - whether that involves lifting the suspension to rejoin the MRPT full time*, joining another party, or founding a new full fledged party, it will be pondered and decided over time. (*: if we haven’t been booted out in the meantime - I guess time will tell)
The MRPT of old, especially 2016-17, remains I think the happiest period in my Talossan life. I will forever think of myself as a Moderate Radical, even if I can’t bring myself to stay in the current party - moderate radicalism is now an actual political ideology, one of sensible politics and moderate reforms. I assure the rest of the remaining membership that I mean no ill will towards any of them personally: I simply don’t feel continuing to work inside the party is worth it. Talossa needs so desperately a governing alternative to the RUMP and the Free Democrats; the MRPT of early 2019 can't be it anymore and people who care about Talossa shouldn't accept inertia anymore as a viable survival strategy.