It’s no secret that The Civic Mirror can bring out the best and worst in its participants. The game was given its name for that very reason: It provides participants with an experiential mirror by leaving them to their own devices, a mirror from which they can stop and reflect on their individual and collective thoughts, words, and actions in their simulated country and ask questions like:
“Do I like what I am doing here?”
“Am I proud to be a member of this nation?”
“Are the kinds of things I’m saying and doing going to bring me success in the real world?”
But here we have an unique case of student foresight and positivity. His name is Max, his country is the newly created Pangea (from Shanghai American School), and he’s countering his fellow-citizens’ predictions that their country is going to be a cut-throat nation by proposing a moral amendment to their country’s constitution. Check it out.
Max from Pangea writes:
“Christine, Cherise, Kevin (just to name the first three commentators) all predicted a dispute over resources between the rich and the poor, an example of which can be seen in the quote above;
‘The poor will suffer and possibly die, while the rich will be more likely to dominate the hexes.’
Here I would like to advocate what I would regard as a very real, valid solution to the grim outlook of ‘predictable’ selfishness so many forsee in the near future of yet-to-be-running Pangea.
Why do we expect the rich to ‘dominate’ the hexes (i.e. property)? What possible incentive could they have to do so at the cost of the greater ‘less wealthy’ majority of our young country? The obvious, jaded answer, is personal gain.
But what do they have to gain? How will control over production, large bank accounts translate into private benefits?
Looking over the ‘rule book’, we find that success in the game is quantized in the form of Status Points (SP), a numbered system to imitate the real life scenario of status, of respect.
But here lies the roots of the conflict of self vs public interest. Status points are to be obtained from 1) Meeting the yearly requirements 2) Acquiring the most number of Well-Being Points, but while it is a pretty accurate reflector of the effort invested by citizens, IN NO WAY DOES IT ACTUALLY REFLECT RESPECT.
Hence, it is very possible to become the leader of the scoreboard, the man/woman with the most status points while also being the most despised citizen of the country, a selfish pig whose (in)actions have been the cause of the countless deaths. (And, to tie this in with the current forum topic) Those with the most money are generally accepted to the ones best set up to become such an individual.
The original republic of Pangea was built upon the rock of Democratic Ideals in their purest form, that of country built by, for and of the people. We, as the founding citizens of this country, hold the obligation of perfecting its union.
In the spirit of justice, and with the future of Pangea in mind, I propose the consideration of a moral amendment to our constitution.
‘That the positions of respect and honor go toward, not the wicked, the conniving, those ‘citizens’ only by name who cheated their way to the top at others’ expense, but citizens of Pangea in the fullest sense of the word, who through tireless labor and selfless sacrifice, have enabled the greatness of our country.‘
