Today we (cheesleton, domino1234, _domain, o_angelbitez, superphantom, intelligences and frozenfrosty ) went on an adventure to the SPQR and explored the wonders of the ROMAN ARCHITECHTURE.

Are you logging into the server or playing the game?

We can talk about war, about rivalries, about alliances, about standing up for what we believe in. But at some point, we've got to ask ourselves a simple question: if a war can be stopped before it's even fought, then what exactly are we doing here?
A war isn't supposed to be a performance. It isn't supposed to be two sides trading insults while everybody behind the scenes makes sure nothing really changes. At some point, the decisions we make have to mean something. How can decisions mean anything when the major powers on the server work together to prevent the status quo from changing? You can dress it up however you want; but the major powers work together to prevent anything from removing their stranglehold.
This is part my problem with people like BadShad or any other superfriend playing on the server. Whenever someone shakes up the status quo and threatens to loosen this grip; their opponents disappear. You cannot reasonably expect somebody to participate in the politics and warfare of this server and also serve as a neutral moderator over those same conflicts and players. When you're involved in a conflict, you have interests. You have allies. You have people you want to win and people you want to lose. And when you're also in a position to influence who gets to participate, people are going to question whether the system is fair.
Maybe an accusation of alting is legitimate. Maybe a ban is justified. That's not the point. The point is that nobody should have to wonder whether a war will be decided on the battlefield or in a moderation channel. If we can't separate those things, then we shouldn't be surprised that there will never be another war. CivMC is only as meaningful as the choices its players are allowed to make. If this autonomy is lost to make a cabal of megalomaniacs feel powerful. Will there ever be another war that lasts longer than a day or two? Do you want to play minecraft or farm materials for a fraction of what it’s worth? Do you work because you like it or because a 30 year old with no job told you to? Is a diamond even worth anything to a commoner? Is there even a system of government on the server that could function without exploiting its people? Are you playing the game or just logging into the server?

These people will try to downplay and discount my fat truths, but the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.