Friday, January 11, 2013

Opposing Voice

Today I want to post two comments made by the same anonymous member of the UAS. I don't agree with their view on most things, but I do believe it's only fair to give voice to reasonable discussion. Each comment is very long. I present them without comment of my own. 

The first was made in response to "Will Of The People", posted on December 31:

"I want it clear I don’t speak for the UAS or its policies. I’ll likely be reprimanded for commenting here as we shouldn’t stoop to engaging internet pundits, but I cannot continue to let the comments on this blog, which is truly a public service, go unanswered.

We’ve been called cowards for staying in our bunker. We used tools to survive the same as everyone else did. We had the option of a safe, secure location and we used it. That does not make our survival less than yours and it does not make us cowards. We’ve been called arrogant for declaring ourselves the legitimate government of this still-great nation. That is not arrogance. Our population includes lawfully and democratically elected officials. We were chosen to lead by you in free elections and we will not shirk our responsibility simply because the world has grown dangerous. That truly would be cowardly. We sent our declaration as a way to foster calm, to inform that this time of anarchy has passed. Yet it has been labeled entitlement. It is not entitlement for a doctor to state that he will treat patients. We are bureaucrats. We can create infrastructure and policy. It is our skill the same as your blacksmiths and sharpshooters. And you would wave us away and deny our worth? Truth be told I thought people would welcome the government’s declaration, would welcome the call to normalcy and to rebuilding this nation. I thought people would want the UAS to take over the infrastructure and the rule of law, allowing you to focus on the skills you’ve developed: farming, crafting, defense. But instead the UAS been maligned and declared impotent. We make overtures of medical care to show that we can in fact create this infrastructure, that we can rebuild, that we can care for all our people. And what is the response? Implications that we were involved in atrocities. How dare all of you frighten needy people away from needed medical care because of your own prejudice against us.

I’ve written far too much and do apologize. Not all us bureaucrats are demagogues after all. But I could not allow the insults against the UAS to go continually unanswered. The United American Survivors are here to aid because that is our duty as the lawfully elected government of this nation. And we will continue to carry out that duty even when insulted and maligned. God bless all survivors across this still-great nation. Out of the many, we are one."

The second comment was posted in response to "Cleaning House", and while I consider it well-written and thoughtful, just as the firs one was, it's also kind of funny and dirty. I can't help but be reminded of me. This one is pretty long:

"The powers that be in the UAS didn’t mind me posting before to defend our government and have told me that I may continue to do so at my own discretion. They did say that they felt my efforts were useless, that people’s prejudices would blind them to such an extent that they won’t be able to see us as anything but cartoon villains. Personally I have more faith in what remains of humanity. Incidentally, it was mentioned that my defenses mean nothing because I don’t speak for or create UAS policy. I would respond that if you only want to listen to policy creators, then why are you on this blog? Josh doesn’t create New Haven policy, but his opinions are valid. My opinions and defenses are just as valid. Also, I don’t need your approval.

I’m not going to address the kidnapping of our citizens as I’m not privy to what occurred to drive our people off course and into your territory. I’d imagine they were trying to avoid a zombie swarm. All I know is that we are not aggressors. Still, the government has been in touch with you regarding this, so there’s nothing for me to add. What I do want to say is that there’s been a lot of negative talk about our abilities to care for our people. And I know that this reflects on our plans for Farlane. It actually saddens me. We are creating something new here. Something exciting. And make no mistake, we do have the capacity, skill, and resources to follow through on this project. We are not only demonstrating that the government of this nation is not defunct but that it can take an active role in improving the lives of its citizens. Even an outlying settlement that was once filled with the sick and dying will thrive under the UAS. You may not believe this, but you will see it for yourself in the near future. With the hard-working heroes of Farlane we will raise this town up into a thriving metropolis. And make no mistake, the people of Farlane are heroes. Not only heroes that have survived this cataclysm, but they are heroes who stood up and took a moral stand and recognized the UAS as the proper and legal government. They did this even as their friends and neighbors continue to slander us. The strength of character that took is humbling and their bravery has not and will not go unrewarded. Farlane will be a thriving hub of commerce, culture, and education. And truth be told, for all the posturing, I don’t believe that everyone in this “Union” will boycott Farlane. Because even those that hate us will see that Farlane is a symbol. A clear demonstration that the time for fear has ended and that we are united underneath this great government once again. The people of Farlane will thrive, and through them, this great nation will follow and thrive as well. God bless us all.

Oh, there was also some talk about a week ago about small dicks. In the interests of diplomacy, I will dispense with the customary, “that’s not what your mom said” joke. I will note, though, that I’ve heard people write about what they know. Also, speaking for myself, when I unzipped to piss off our walls the other day, I accidentally bludgeoned three New Breed to death. So there’s that. Good day."

I'm not going to judge these here and now. I want you to read them and decide what you think on your own without my own biases interfering. It's so easy to fall into the group mentality so many of us live by, and of course we all feel that our own ways of doing things are the morally correct ways. These comments were refreshingly honest and straightforward, and I felt that deserved some consideration.

7 comments:

  1. This is a world where bureaucrats and lawyers have ceased to provide a currently useful function, where democracy on a grand scale no longer exists and where people learn daily to write rules and laws for a new way of living. Why would anyone feel that petty faceless officials who may or may not have been democratically elected by people long since dead or possibly leading a life with other priorities want to hand control to a group who at best would be due for re election in the old world and who are mostly redundant in the new, except in their own minds.

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  2. Anonymous, maybe you could help us understand your point of view by answering one simple question, "What has the UAS -built- that has improved the lives of ordinary survivors?" And by -built- I mean constructed; not co-opted (like Far lane), not taken (like the feul reserves), andnot merely utilised (like your bunkers) but actually assembled with blood sweat and tears as the mortar that binds it all together?
    You said that Josh's opinion is as valid as your own, but as the founder of New Haven, we know what he's has accomplished and sacrificed for his fellow man; we have nothing similar to go on for your leaders, which is the very real basis of our mistrust.
    If in fact your citizens did vote these people into leadership while safely locked away in your bunkers, this only legally counts them as your leaders, in the same way that many of the Union's own member communities have voted for their own leadership.

    I do however have one more question I hope that you can answer, and answer honestly, "How long have you known about this blog, and the struggles that we have all faced in our battle to survive in this world after The Fall, and why did you not announce your presence earlier than your manifesto declaring your -divine right- to rule this continent, which was clearly forced upon you when you were caught with your hands in the cookie jar?"

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  3. Squishy brings up a great point; While the writer from the UAS states that they are not cowards and merely used the tools available to them (and I'm not saying I disagree with that), did they not have an obligation as the "proper and legal government" to aid and protect all people they claim to govern for these last few years, not just now that things have become slightly less dangerous and/or their supplies have run low. And to that end, at what point does an elected position become abandoned?

    To expand on a comment I made the other day, I've never had a huge interest in politics, but I am pretty sure we have gone through at least 2 election cycles since The Fall, which would put 2/3 of congress and all the house, not to mention the president into the category of no longer legally chosen by the people.

    Without even knowing exactly what government officials run the UAS, their claim to be the proper government seems pretty thin. We have had our elections in the past almost 3 years, and replaced their abandoned positions with a system more in tune with life after The Fall. Maybe they could have participated if they hadn't been so busy only worrying about themselves, while letting we the people fend for ourselves.

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  4. The UAS wants to be the government, and governments run on taxes. Nothing is free, and they have nothing to offer. There is no need for anything even resembling the previous governmental structure. We need the hands on the front lines,and the food being produced, and the zombies being killed. We do not need culture and metropolis centers at this point in our building of a new society.

    I find it almost laughable that they feel they have any rights at all to govern anyone. The fall of the entire world must have escaped them while they hid in their bunkers ruling themselves.

    They have no claim on me, my people, or those that I have discussed this with from other groups.

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  5. The UAS has nothing to offer but a yolk, to harness us as cattle to feed them. It is nothing but a fancy form of enslavement. My group just destroyed the slavers of Phoenix, we will join not the UAS nor the Union (not that the Union would ask) and if we encounter any UAS forces and they try anything other than letting us pass then you will know what we really are capable of doing. We burned Phoenix to the ground you don't want to know what else we are capable of doing.

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  6. Someone please tell me when "the time for fear has ended" really did I miss every one of the new breed suddenly turning into vegetarians? Did every one of the undead get abducted by aliens. No, I didn't think so.

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  7. I failed to check this blog yesterday, so I missed all these questions and comments. Mostly, I want to thank Josh for posting my responses. I promise I'm not going to post a novel. Just some quick points:

    Yes, the government is aware that their terms have expired. Given the choice between shrugging their shoulders and saying, "Welp, not my problem anymore" and continuing the duties for which they were elected, they decided to take responsibility for themselves and this great nation. And make no mistake, politicians and bureaucrats do still serve a purpose. You've got your own governing bodies, that's true. But what about the future? What about creating infrastructure that will span the nation? What about relief efforts once we have rebuilt? What about eventual taxes, new laws, centralized government? You've all done this, but in a microcosm only. We are talking about rebuilding on a federal level. The greatest power of the UAS is that we've done this on a grander scale and we will again.

    What have we built? We are building now. You may laugh and scoff and deny, but we are building. But more importantly, we have been the architects of our own survival. You say that's not building, that's utilizing. Well, so what? Are you saying you haven't utilized? You don't use tools, at all? Do you kill the New Breed with your bare hands? Dude, stop doing that. You're going to break your fist. There are tools to help you. The survival of those in the vault was not some cushy time spent sipping cognac and listening as the people outside screamed and died. It was a time of difficulty, of planning, and of sacrifice. Why didn't they come out sooner? Because they had to prepare, to make a plan to rebuild this nation.

    I said I would be short, so I will stop. Look, I'm not trying to be some rah, rah, propaganda guy. I get that you've built something too and I deeply respect that. Personally, I think its stupid the government doesn't "recognize" you, just as I thought it was stupid in the world that was that governments wouldn't recognize each others' legitimacy while lobbing missiles and trying to overthrow each other. I personally laugh at the irony that these all-American politicians are going to have to rebuild using more of a communist model at first, since obviously there are no taxes to finance anything. That's funny as hell. But the UAS is the future. The government is here. I find that stability reassuring. I hope one day you will too.

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