Recent events surrounding GATO have been met with celebration from both involved parties, as well as from numerous uninvolved parties, and rightly so. But it has been equally interesting to see the identities of those opposed to unfolding events: those who have spent the most time calling for them. The reason for this is, on the surface, inexplicable. Why would one call for X to happen, see X happen, and then denounce X happening? Such a contradiction baffles the mind. But going under the surface to get at the root cause, we quickly find that the only possible explanation is that, whether consciously or not, X was never truly the aim.

This investigation could be aimed at a multitude of individuals, but unsurprisingly the primary culprit has been the wannabe anti-Pacifican vanguard, Vox Populi, and so it's them that we will focus on. For months they have been among the most outspoken opponents of the GATO Viceroyship, placing it as the central plank in their political crusade against the NPO. As the story went, the Order was wrong to be compromising the sovereignty of another alliance, and so lifting the Viceroyship and allowing GATO to make its own sovereign decisions was acceptable. Of course, the Order didn't disagree with this in the longer term, and so it has finally happened.

Where it all went wrong was that the new sovereign entity decided not to run into the arms of Vox as they had smugly predicted, but instead, after months of cooperation, turned around and signed a treaty with the Evil Empire itself -- the NPO. Que a tirade of abuse from Vox, as they spat on GATO and its sovereign actions, branding it weak, pathetic, brain-washed, and all number of other things.

So here we have a sovereign alliance taking sovereign actions, while the self-proclaimed champions of sovereignty mock and shout at it all. While a sad turn of events for any fan of Vox, it is remarkably telling of Vox's view of the world. When they discuss sovereignty, it isn't the sovereignty to do as you please: a sovereign alliance signing a treaty with the NPO isn't sovereign. The reverse of this is that an alliance is only sovereign when it is in agreement with the foreign policy goals of Vox: freedom is not the freedom to your own opinion, but the freedom to agree with them -- to allow their opinions to dictate your actions. Thus any alliance that is in disagreement with Vox is not sovereign and open to ridicule and attack until they fall into line -- disagreement will not be tolerated!

In this way Cortath has hit the nail on the head when he speaks of Vox being outright afraid of the new GATO and its implications. Not only does it fly in the face of the way they think the world works, but it highlights the contradictions within their dogmatic view of sovereignty. If a sovereign alliance can be opposed to Vox, then what is the point of sovereignty? This is the underlying question going through their minds. Ultimately they cannot support sovereignty, for anyone who takes a different view from them is by definition an NPO agent and an enemy.

So what do they support? As already outlined, the goal was never sovereignty, nor can it be said to be a move towards a less harsh world, which this announcement was. Sovereignty to Vox means doing what Vox wants: opposing the New Pacific Order. If you're sovereign, and don't oppose the New Pacific Order, you're "brainwashed" like GATO, or "controlled" like IRON or GGA. In the Voxian world, there can be no sovereign state that does not oppose the NPO.

In framing the debate in terms of sovereignty they have either been clever or self-deceptive, but evidently the cracks cannot survive the real world. If sovereignty only exists when in agreement with Vox, and if sovereignty is the ultimate goal, then the ultimate goal is to have the entire world rotating around their internal structure; something akin to balancing the globe on the head of a very confused pin. It is not about 'peace' or 'rights' or 'multi-polarity', or any other such things that they throw up. It is, and always has been, about the pursuit of pure, unadulterated power.

To put it in a more concise form as Triyun did: "They want GATO free but they don't want it to be able to make its own decisions." Welcome to the freedom of Vox Populi -- the freedom of a pawn on their global chess board. Or, as their propagandists may prefer to put it: the freedom to be enslaved.

However, there is a second side to this coin. Why was the sovereignty movement so strong to begin with, before it so indignantly collapsed? This I believe has already been excellently covered by Alterego, and as such I publish the entire content of his post below:

The alliances involved in the free GATO movement yesterday then the insult GATO movement today had selfish reasons for their wanting GATO “freed”. Earlier today I mentioned that it was a way to oppose NPO and while this is true it was, more accurately a way to indirectly attack NPO. This gives them the impression they are freedom fighters without the risk of having to take any risks. The very idea of going directly head to head with NPO would require courage that is in short supply with their enemies. The very fact that these same alliances who harass NPO indirectly at every opportunity lack the courage to directly attack them on the OWF or in game, while at the same time calling themselves friends or non enemies of NPO reinforces this truth. These people had a cash cow and it was GATO and EZI. In the stroke of a pen that propaganda tool was (mostly) taken from them, make no mistake these issues are nothing but a way to indirectly attack NPO. GATO was merely a pawn in their insidious plan.

Upon being released from their terms GATO signed a PIAT with NPO. This treaty is insignificant except for the message it sends about the former enemies new non threatening relationship. Instead of rejoicing at their success, the free GATO movement couldn't insult GATO quickly or harshly enough. Having succeeded in their endeavour one would think they would have spent some time basking in the warmth of their success and congratulating GATO on their release from terms, but something appalled them and sent them on aggressive rampage against GATO & to a lesser extent (unsurprisingly) NPO.

The aggressive reaction against GATO throughout the day today can only be explained by the signing of this PIAT. The aggressive reaction against GATO throughout the day today bears all the hallmarks of an unfulfilled project. This leaves us with one question: what were the expectations of the free GATO movement beyond wanting GATO freed from terms?

Assuming they wanted GATO freed in the first place, something that looks unlikely after the reaction today they appear to have wanted GATO to break all ties with NPO. If this is the case, treaties with the free GATO movement alliances seems to be the next logical step. I don’t believe they would have wanted GATO to isolate themselves from the world after all the work they put in, it was job done, time to collect. This is the logical conclusion when the question is posed. It is apparent that these alliances had plans for GATO after they were freed, they were to give up the freedom they received to a cabal who had already decided GATOs future and were furious when their plan didn’t come to fruition.

Congratulations GATO. You were released from one set of terms and avoided a second set in the same day. Enjoy your freedom and continue with decisions by GATO, for GATO and not the fraudulent free GATO movement