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#41
Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...
Last post by Sheilbh - November 19, 2025, 02:21:50 PMYeah it would be a big shift here because national service has basically always been temporary (conscription, like standing armies, are obviously historically associated with continental tyranny and Popery 
) - so we last had it from 1939 and started gradually getting rid of it in the late 50s and it was gone by the early 60s.
But I think there's reason enough - both Russia's behaviour in Europe, challenges recruiting into the forces, social divisions etc - that make me think it might be something we need to do. Hopefully, again, temporarily.
) - so we last had it from 1939 and started gradually getting rid of it in the late 50s and it was gone by the early 60s.But I think there's reason enough - both Russia's behaviour in Europe, challenges recruiting into the forces, social divisions etc - that make me think it might be something we need to do. Hopefully, again, temporarily.
#42
Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...
Last post by Grey Fox - November 19, 2025, 02:18:28 PMI think you should feel legitimised. The world has changed. Dictatorship and tyranny awaits them if they don't start defending it.
#43
Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...
Last post by Grey Fox - November 19, 2025, 02:13:04 PMSweden amazes me and really emasculates Canada. It's a country with the population of Ontario that does so much more than we do. Tanks, Planes, Submarines, actual technology companies.
#44
Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...
Last post by Jacob - November 19, 2025, 01:55:42 PMQuote from: Bauer on November 19, 2025, 01:49:19 PMFrom a geopolitical standpoint I think a Canada Sweden partnership would be huge. Small and medium sized countries can do so much more together without taking bad deals from the giants.
Not quite a movement of non-aligned countries, but a "hey we still believe in Western Democratic values and we'll do well to work together" type thing.
#45
Off the Record / Re: The China Thread
Last post by Sheilbh - November 19, 2025, 01:54:29 PMI think my big, still unresolved question is around "overproduction".
Personally I do not think such a thing is possible when we're talking about the technologies that will support energy transition whether that's EVs, batteries, solar or whatever else. I think scale of production in China is, in fact, exactly the scale necessary for the challenge on climate and getting to net zero. I've said before but part of the reason I like the framing of New Deal is that I think the rhetorical framing for climate should be, like the New Deal or the war, around huge mobilisation of state resources and productive capacity in order to reach net zero - this is also why I'm dubious around language of disaster and emergency which I think are rhetorically demobilising.
On other stuff that's not climate related. The thing I slightly wonder is whether it is "overproduction" or actually production at the scale of the new and emerging global middle class v production that is for North America, Europe and three or four APAC countries? I'm genuinely unsure.
Agree on a lot of the rest. I'd add I was recently at a conference of tech-ish lawyers in similar sectors to me. There was an audible gasp of horror (at the amount of complicated work coming) when one presenter ran through the 6-7 very significant European regulations working through the sysem on the digital economy (not least because a lot of them overlap, but don't really interact which makes interpretation/conflicts very challenging). There was also someone from the Commission saying they were taking the Draghi Report very seriously and then announced the next policy step (and I hope the first) which was basically changing references in European digital laws to "small" businesses (basically <50 employees or €10 million revenue or balance sheet) to "medium" business (<250 employees or €50 million). It's not nothing, but it's not much and certainly not on the scale of Draghi's report.
Personally I do not think such a thing is possible when we're talking about the technologies that will support energy transition whether that's EVs, batteries, solar or whatever else. I think scale of production in China is, in fact, exactly the scale necessary for the challenge on climate and getting to net zero. I've said before but part of the reason I like the framing of New Deal is that I think the rhetorical framing for climate should be, like the New Deal or the war, around huge mobilisation of state resources and productive capacity in order to reach net zero - this is also why I'm dubious around language of disaster and emergency which I think are rhetorically demobilising.
On other stuff that's not climate related. The thing I slightly wonder is whether it is "overproduction" or actually production at the scale of the new and emerging global middle class v production that is for North America, Europe and three or four APAC countries? I'm genuinely unsure.
Agree on a lot of the rest. I'd add I was recently at a conference of tech-ish lawyers in similar sectors to me. There was an audible gasp of horror (at the amount of complicated work coming) when one presenter ran through the 6-7 very significant European regulations working through the sysem on the digital economy (not least because a lot of them overlap, but don't really interact which makes interpretation/conflicts very challenging). There was also someone from the Commission saying they were taking the Draghi Report very seriously and then announced the next policy step (and I hope the first) which was basically changing references in European digital laws to "small" businesses (basically <50 employees or €10 million revenue or balance sheet) to "medium" business (<250 employees or €50 million). It's not nothing, but it's not much and certainly not on the scale of Draghi's report.
#46
Off the Record / Re: The China Thread
Last post by Jacob - November 19, 2025, 01:49:41 PMIt does kind of seem like the US, EU, and China all have some papered over fissures and some structural weaknesses; and that it's a race to not crack first for the US, EU, and China.
If the AI bubble does bursts it'll put a lot of pressure on all of these systems.
Do any of you have any idea of how exposed China is the the AI bubble. They're obviously heavily invested, but is it structurally different? Most of the AI bubble talk has been about the US, but what would the impact look like for China (or the EU for that matter)?
If the AI bubble does bursts it'll put a lot of pressure on all of these systems.
Do any of you have any idea of how exposed China is the the AI bubble. They're obviously heavily invested, but is it structurally different? Most of the AI bubble talk has been about the US, but what would the impact look like for China (or the EU for that matter)?
#47
Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...
Last post by Bauer - November 19, 2025, 01:49:19 PMFrom a geopolitical standpoint I think a Canada Sweden partnership would be huge. Small and medium sized countries can do so much more together without taking bad deals from the giants.
#48
Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...
Last post by celedhring - November 19, 2025, 01:47:20 PMI kept piling up deferrals for going to college and then I was lucky enough that the Catalan nationalists demanded its removal (since it was a Spanish thing) in exchange for voting in a conservative government in Madrid.
I previously tried to get discharged due to my hearing problems, but the only thing I got out of it is that I wouldn't do arms training.
Anyway, I don't feel legitimised to force onto our youth something I did everything in my power to avoid come hell or high water.
I previously tried to get discharged due to my hearing problems, but the only thing I got out of it is that I wouldn't do arms training.
Anyway, I don't feel legitimised to force onto our youth something I did everything in my power to avoid come hell or high water.
#49
Off the Record / Re: The China Thread
Last post by Zanza - November 19, 2025, 12:55:27 PMAs Sheilbh mentioned above, China is expanding in many of Germany's traditionally strong industries. This has already caused a lost decade (no growth since 2019) and together with the decrease in workforce from boomers retiring, there is not much to instill confidence in the German economy.
Merz' policy will not help. It needs further significant structural measures by the state (but Merz will not do these) as well as changes in German private economic actors, both companies and individuals. We have grown too lazy and bureaucratic. And while we are still innovative, German (or actually European) companies are not good at scaling new ideas (fractured market and too little venture capital).
That said, I doubt that China can keep its pace. Huge debt, rapidly aging society, little upward mobility, more hostile international markets, private actors cowed... But they will sustain their misguided capital allocation for a while longer so the pain they inflict on the world economy with overproduction will not fade yet.
Merz' policy will not help. It needs further significant structural measures by the state (but Merz will not do these) as well as changes in German private economic actors, both companies and individuals. We have grown too lazy and bureaucratic. And while we are still innovative, German (or actually European) companies are not good at scaling new ideas (fractured market and too little venture capital).
That said, I doubt that China can keep its pace. Huge debt, rapidly aging society, little upward mobility, more hostile international markets, private actors cowed... But they will sustain their misguided capital allocation for a while longer so the pain they inflict on the world economy with overproduction will not fade yet.
#50
Gaming HQ / Re: Victoria 3
Last post by Baron von Schtinkenbutt - November 19, 2025, 12:36:58 PMThe IGs modeling US politics was always kinda bad, but it seems so much worse than when I last played it (patch 1.4 or 1.5). After the ACW the Southern Planters effectively disappeared entirely and the Democratic Party became an alliance between the Armed Forces and Petit Bourgeoisie. I'm also stuck in limbo and unable to pass any more beneficial laws, because all I can ever get in government are the Yeoman Farmers and Industrialists.
On labor, I've already hit a crunch in Pennsylvania because my AI investors decided to stack industry there and clear out the labor pool. I had to switch to the labor-saving PMs already. Previously as the US I remember not having to touch those at all until the late 1860s at the earliest.
On labor, I've already hit a crunch in Pennsylvania because my AI investors decided to stack industry there and clear out the labor pool. I had to switch to the labor-saving PMs already. Previously as the US I remember not having to touch those at all until the late 1860s at the earliest.