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Cake day: 2023年6月15日

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  • The EEC is such an underexplored subject in the Cyberpunk universe. Member states are actually democratic (shocker, I know), votes in the European Council are allocated according to the member states’ wealth, a hundred million eddies per seat. Want to be a Merc? The European way is to go to a trade school which churn out licensed special force commandos. ESA literally rules space, even Arasaka has to bend the knee, there. Forget nukes if you try shit the EEC is going to drop a couple of asteroids on your head. Worker’s rights? Well yes your implants won’t right-out kill you if you quit your job, and the unions are probably just as capitalist as the companies, maybe reverting to a guild system (both are speculation, as said: Underexplored). Overall much more and much smaller companies, the EEC is actively working against Megacorps being a thing, though at least the Asian Megacorps have a solid position on the European market.

    In our timeline it’s often forgotten how the EU started out as a trade cartel and that this stuff is still very deep in its bones, yet somehow the Cyberpunk timeline also manages to capture the fall of colonialism. The EEC is more than powerful enough to take over lots of stuff without breaking a sweat but I guess the consensus is “why should we take over Night City then we have to rule it”.

    Regarding foreign policy: Canada indeed is the closest ally. NUSA relations are tense AF because Americans be jealous because NUSA politicians like to distract from their own incompetence and propagandise, USSR solid economical working arrangement (EEC can squeeze more productivity out of Eastern Europe than them and Moscow gets a cut), Asia in general, South America, Africa, generally solid relations but of course competetive, Japan, arch competitor. Also, ex-member of the EEC. Is it even possible to call Japan and Arasaka different entities.

    And, yes, the EEC controls the eddie. Primary or secondary currency all over the world with the exception of the USSR.


  • I guess at this point it’s a matter of numbers: Cases do exist and are egregious (especially because the US somehow doesn’t understand that light 24/7 constitutes torture), but compared to the total number of Germans crossing the border it’s not even a drop in the bucket, they can’t say “The US has a policy of making your life hell” based on pure factual data because “isolated cases”.

    So putting out a travel warning at this point would be Germany slapping the US across the face which, no matter how deserved or politically warranted or opportune, is not a thing mere civil servants are supposed to do.

    Meanwhile, the outgoing minister is going to say “nah let my successor deal with that shitshow”. TBH Baerbock has been awfully quiet ever since the coalition broke. I guess she might actually have caught a case of civil servant fiddlesticks (An actual term in German, “whoever moves first loses”).


  • It’s not an agency it’s the ministry of foreign affairs and right now they’re operating in maintenance mode as we don’t have a government proper, only a caretaker government until the Bundestag constitutes itself on the 25th where a new chancellor can be elected.

    The change looks like it does because it’s the kind of change a ranking civil servant can do without checking in with their minister, it’s considered non-political.


  • In ruins would mean the streets and buildings have decayed past the point of habitability and usability.

    You’re being overly literal. The standing of the US, its position in the world, all that is certainly in ruins. And, yes, so are plenty of buildings and infrastructure. Whole states are, economically, barely on the level of developing nations, if that.

    I live in a diverse multicultural community.

    Which is not the US. Your community might make up part of the population of the US, but what you have regarding the “more” part of “more than the sum of its parts” certainly isn’t shared with the rest. It thus isn’t part of the American civilisation, for that there would have to be a shared civilisation, a shared “more”.


  • Pray tell, how is that rule of law going? Constructive political discourse? Good relations with your neighbours and allies?

    “Not in ruins” my ass.

    We just have a bad government.

    Because you don’t care to have a good one. Because you don’t care to look over the brim of your burger, to connect with people who do not already happen to be in your in-group. None of those groups has any allies because each is saying “fuck you, got mine”. Solidarity is a curse word. “Solidarity”? Them marchers is all commies, tell me kid are you a red??!


  • How can you know you cross lines when you don’t care, are apathetic?

    First, I must confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Council-er or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can’t agree with your methods of direct action;” who paternalistically feels he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by the myth of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a “more convenient season.”

    Shallow understanding from people of goodwill is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.

    …I don’t think I need to attribute that quote.









  • And I’m referring to you consistently refusing to denounce imperialist aggression.

    The French (partly) dismantled their own bases, their own military infrastructure. Which is to be expected during a withdrawl, the rest has been transferred. Leaving when asked to is not an act of imperialism or colonialism, and neither is taking your stuff with you.

    If, for example, Russia were to withdraw from Ukraine and take all its tanks with them, that would not be an act of imperialism. Them staying, OTOH, is an act of imperialism: The have not been invited. You still have to denounce Russian imperialism.

    Did I already mention that you yet have to denounce Russian imperialism? You might want to do that if you want to have a conversation with the grown ups.





  • Chad, as in the country, no. Chad, as in the powers that be in Chad selling it out to foreign interest, yes, they’re very much at fault. The Déby dynasty (I guess that’s how it’s going to be now) is better than Habré but come on none of them are worth even a single clap of applause.

    Overall, that’s some real neo-colonial, infantilising, BS from you, there, “Oh these poor undeveloped countries can’t make decisions for themselves, they’re at the whim of foreign influence, they have no agency”. That’s like 1/1000th of a step away from “we should invade and rule for them because they can’t”.

    Does your script not cover Africa? Is that why you need to deflect to another place entirely?

    No, Tovarish Vatnov. That is not the reason.


  • I’m curious why you’re not giving specifics. Maybe because it’s part of the Russian colonial programme? France left, willingly, when those states withdrew their invitation. They didn’t force themselves in in the first place, they were there to fight Boko Haram and like ilk. The states had some reservations “The French are going to do all the fighting without developing our own military capabilities so afterwards we’ll still be vulnerable”. Germany said “yep we’ll expect the same that’s how they roll” so Germany went in together with the French, specifically doing training. Both left together once uninvited.

    And don’t tell me they should’ve left bases etc. for Wagner to use.

    I’m curious: Is Russia currently involved in an imperialist, genocidal conquest of Ukraine? Yes or no. Once that’s out of the way we can start talking about Africa.

    …and don’t fucking even begin talking about Uranium. Noone needs North African Uranium, Australia has everyone covered for millennia to come.