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I honestly like that. Getting foreign-sourced economic equipment, such as computers to build a database (proper taxes, efficient bureaucracy, catalog our library) or any number of industrial equipment would be huge.

!

> : O

!!!!!!

If we're rebuilding from scratch. And we have a number of democratically run firms... while we reindustrialize we can use networked computers for decentralized democratic economic planning.

!!!!!!!!!

CHICAGO CYBERSYN!!!

[MACHINE STATE INTENSIFIES!]
 
That makes it more exciting to see what's in store~

They invaded parts of West Malaysia to ensure that the big metropole remains fed and as dead as international trade could be, the Malaccan Strait is way too lucrative as a trade route that it couldn't be fully deadened. As for the `how`, the tag `37 OWE` is a good summation ;v
I reread the politics part and it seems Malaysia got dissolved during the collapse, falling to Indonesian and Thai land grab. Singapore might have had the political power to unite with Johore in the wake of such a crisis but with Climate change ravaging the areas sending refugees everywhere ?

Singapore is now sick merely because of China US trade war. We survived the contagion of the Asian Financial Crisis only because we remained politically stable during the second phase, as Indonesia,Thailand and Phillipinea government fell apart and Mathathir capital controls attacked the West.

No matter what foresight we pull to survive the collapse, we definitely a mere junior member of the PACs, reliant on their aid and hence without much of a voice there. So yeah, I applaud the portrayal of us barely containing the straits free from pirates , but I doubt that any member of PACS will listen to us other than out of courtesy.
 
You call that pizza? Jesus...

@Pittauro, maybe this'll make you happier after you wake up.

California focaccia. It's not exact, but it's hopefully better than whatever the hell Detroit makes.
We have something that looks a lot like that too. If the focaccia before was mostly southern Italy, this is more or less the northern version


 
So... I infer that this guy is an officer who managed, somehow, to make the overland march and escape from the encirclement that bagged the bulk of the southern army?

That's right. I know it's slightly unrealistic but I wanted to show what the aftermath of something like the Raisin and Monroe would really look like for the side getting hammered with shells. One thing the Victorians are good at is scattering and regrouping, so I hoped it wouldn't sound too far-fetched.

This is powerful, and in its own sad way beautiful.

Thanks. I wanted to come at it from two angles: One, Charlie is the sort of officer that Lind's system is designed to produce: a good old country boy with drive, aggression and someone who actually read and enjoyed the classics rather than just learning them by rote (as well as more obscure and less "Victorian" material like Remarque), though I'm not sure how well I was able to portray that last bit. The war, especially the Victorian way of war, essentially threw away all that potential away. Had he been born in another time and place, he might have done great things. But instead he wound up in an army where you're taught that you can go right through artillery if you want it badly enough.

Secondly, his obvious mental health issues are weighing down on him, but Victorian understanding of PTSD and its treatment has regressed to the days where doctors told you to sack up and get on with it. He's in a place where masculine stoicism is exaggerated to such a degree that even telling his own father that he's tired and desperately in need of help would mark him out as a coward or worse. His father wants to help, but he's essentially got the same upbringing and toolkit so when what empathy he is allowed to express fails, he resorts to just telling his son to stop being a pussy and snap out of it. They both want to say more, but Victoria's idea of masculinity and mental health is such that they just stay silent and hope cod cakes and mashed potatoes can fix post-traumatic apathy.

...nice.
This is incredibly well done. Bravo.

Thanks Poptart, it's always nice to be made canon. Shoutout to Sadr City for fitting well in my head as Charles' theme song.
 
We have something that looks a lot like that too. If the focaccia before was mostly southern Italy, this is more or less the northern version


You forget about "Pizza in Teglia" from Rome.
Is what resemble the most the Chicago squared pizza.
 
!

> : O

!!!!!!

If we're rebuilding from scratch. And we have a number of democratically run firms... while we reindustrialize we can use networked computers for decentralized democratic economic planning.

!!!!!!!!!

CHICAGO CYBERSYN!!!

[MACHINE STATE INTENSIFIES!]
Only if you can guarantee the machines in the network cannot be readily compromised. Otherwise you're asking for Russia to kindly take control of the economy by way of election machine hacking.
 
Only if you can guarantee the machines in the network cannot be readily compromised. Otherwise you're asking for Russia to kindly take control of the economy by way of election machine hacking.

So the Victoria strategy of no computing in our factories then?

Edit: I apologize if that came off a bit rude. But *obviously*. If we want any sort of computer network we're going to need security for it. I doubt we'd implement a comply naive internet apparatus as well when we start buying computers.
 
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So the Victoria strategy of no computing in our factories then?
psht :lol:

Rather a different thing that national economic planning. Also, those computers don't tend to require networking to anything else.

Anyway, my argument was more along the lines of "Okay, if we're doing this, we need for it to be, in essence, a closed network not to ever be connected to anything aside from itself." or that it ought to be semi-computerized with heavy parity-checking by humans in the loop. Redundant systems to make it easier to spot compromised machines (thus raising the difficulty of compromising the system as a whole). That sort of thing. I probably should have included that previously, though.

Edit:
Edit: I apologize if that came off a bit rude. But *obviously*. If we want any sort of computer network we're going to need security for it. I doubt we'd implement a comply naive internet apparatus as well when we start buying computers.
Nah, it's fair -- I should have made it more clear in my comment that the issue was one more of "properly securing that would be difficult". Your snark was warranted, with that poor of a rebuttal on my part, and I didn't take it personally.
 
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All for Victory

"Sarah, did you touch my radio again?"
A familiar salvo, a familiar war.
"No dad. But only you would listen to that Unionist crap. "
" As if your New Democrat is any better."
" You liked the Devil's brigade."
" I like what the song talk about. That doesn't mean I like the song. "

Chicago jazz and Gothic architecture had been one of the subterfuge of the war against a Nazi. The neo Nazis were in no hurry to move against a pirate station that appealed to retroculture. To the resistance, it had been a prank run wild, for the twin elements of black culture and foreign immigrants, sworn enemies of the Nazis being purged was ironic. Hidden amidst it broadcast had been the stirring tales of the crows, codes for meeting or safehouse wrecked or founded.
Located on top of the Tribune Tower, the station was protected by history. With victory, the protection will last a bit longer, as the public lay aside cries of recriminations against the enemy within.


"Why are you here anyway dad? Aren't you running the delivery for Mr Smith ?"
"Can't. Don't have the gas. Don't have the diesel. Don't even have the charcoal. Unless you want us to freeze this winter. "
" The power....'
" The power will be on at the factories. At the homes... But here at the warehouses ? Can't bet on that. It just take one bad storm and we might have to use our generators again. "

Sarah put down her tool belt, reaching out for the mileage book. "We driven enough for the Commonwealth that... "
" Gas rations is going to be cut next week... Prices holding steady but unrationed fuel is definitely going up next week. The Navy purser just went on a huge spending spree..... Our rations? I saving them for the food routes. Can't afford to have food prices go back to what they were two years ago..."

Sarah finally saw what her dad had been working on...

"Sarah... Get your no good boy here to earn his keep.

" If he's back by dinner, I'll save for him some ice cream. "
Hm...I went back and forth on this a couple of times, but ultimately canon. I appreciate how many details about the broader setting you pack into a small snippet on the ground level.
That's right. I know it's slightly unrealistic but I wanted to show what the aftermath of something like the Raisin and Monroe would really look like for the side getting hammered with shells. One thing the Victorians are good at is scattering and regrouping, so I hoped it wouldn't sound too far-fetched.
Not at all. The Victorians took cataclysmic losses, but that doesn't mean that there's literally nothing left.
 
Personally, I think there are good reasons to not internetwork the machines. Air gaps are a useful tool; and while I think that reporting can - and should - be done via wan, I'd like to keep the production line itself on a air-gapped lan, if possible. Otherwise, we run into a potential stuxnet-like vulnerability; and there is no such thing as a secure computer. Additionally, the Russian hackers have probably been keeping on the top of the game. Meanwhile, we're just coming in with the stuff we can gather from the libraries.

This does not mean, however, that we should ban computers from the factories :D Just that we keep them a bit seperate, so that one attack can't cripple the entire infrastructure.
 
!

> : O

!!!!!!

If we're rebuilding from scratch. And we have a number of democratically run firms... while we reindustrialize we can use networked computers for decentralized democratic economic planning.

!!!!!!!!!

CHICAGO CYBERSYN!!!

[MACHINE STATE INTENSIFIES!]

Oh, Cybersyn, my favorite little tidbit of Latin American history. I question its ability to actually run a whole civilian economy long-term, but a Cybersyn-esque system would be invaluable for distributing materials logistically to military units, and organizing the flow of resources to maximize military production.
 
Hm...I went back and forth on this a couple of times, but ultimately canon. I appreciate how many details about the broader setting you pack into a small snippet on the ground level.

Not at all. The Victorians took cataclysmic losses, but that doesn't mean that there's literally nothing left.
Thanks.

I'm just spinning ideas out of our previous actions, such as how the Unionist "might" have been involved in assassination but the assassin didn't give them up at the trials. How we did have Victorian sympathizers but removed the malus.

Sarah dad here, aka Henry is a conservative and hence overly careful of husbanding the fuel he able to get in his transport business, his concerns can be spun as looking for the small pennies and the impact it has on his livelihood. I did kinda presume the Unionist was a conservative right-wing party since anti Hispanic but if I'm wrong.... Lol, my attempt to bury information in short snippet just collapsed. (Edit: just to clarify, it's weird to me how a Victorian sympathizer party isn't considered radical but that's how they portrayed in the books as well as our side story quest here. )

I did also kinda assume that the guarantee system we have in place is similad to the British WW2 rationing system , where you get ration points but goods can fluctuate in prices. That system works very well in guaranteeing access to food and with other controls , access to basic essential foodstuff but also allows planning to account for potential shortages by changing their points. And of course, the non rationed system where you can choose not to follow the government rations for home, food and etc but yeah.

I have another short idea about the industry subsidy removing bottleneck and organising the organisation for the library APs we took but that part just wasn't ready for posting. Also.... Lol, need more econ turns to ensure that my ideas don't run foul of canon:)
 
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Non-Canon Omake: The Need of Swords and Scalpels
The Needs of Swords and Scalpels

(Logan POV)

"Captain, I appreciate you coming...how is base life treating you?" One of many officers said in the pizza place they agreed to meet at.

"Well I'm thankful for that appeal from my psychiatrist and you guys...it helped me through my court martial and well got me here now...so I thought it was a good idea to thank you in a proper Chicago way…" You replied quietly grabbing a glass of beer.

One of them, Floyd smiled. "I'm glad your taking it well, You gave clear insight on your psyche and reasoning, if nothing else you helped me save your career."

He was silent looking at the group of officers and was enjoying a drink on the captain's expense but felt curious about the reasons of why such a thing was called in the first place. Because Logan, was a workaholic, if he wasn't exercising, or helping around the base he was...writing a project.

You smiled "I wanted to discuss what I was writing with you guys. It's quite an ambitious project."

They started to mumble. "Great, let me guess, Pre collapse urban fantasy."

You nodded no.

Another gave a guess. "An Alternate history novel about if America survived the collapse."

Again you nodded no.

Flyod guessed last one. "A Sci Fi novel about empires and Republics and what not."

You finally decided to say it. "Guy's...its a Spec Ops manual, I'm planning on starting a special operations unit."

That got everything quiet for a moment as they all looked at you like you had finally gone insane. Or just jealous that they had not thought of it first.

Floyd was the first to respond. "Wait, how long have you been planning this?"

You shrugged. "At least three years...why?"

"DO you know the first thing about a special operations unit Logan?" Flyod asked as the other officers looked at you with distrust.

"I was in GIGN and I've read a bunch of Tom Clancy Novels and video games, I was educated in France during a time of strife and I received an advanced education despite living in a Ghetto full of refugees, I am well aware of the primary purpose of a Special Operations unit." You replied.

Flyod shook his head. "That does not fill me with much confidence."

One of the Officers...Dan frowned. "Who the Hell reads Tom Clancy anymore."

"Shut up the Man was a Prophet, the only thing he didn't get, America didn't have a Jack Ryan to save us or our country." You replied.

"So what you are telling us..is that you want to get a bunch of old guys and have them train us to basically be an entire unit of Sam Fisher's so we can run around and cause hell for Victoria with impunity?" Dan said taking a sip of his beer.

You nodded, "Not exactly...we don't have cool night vision goggles, advanced body armor, or wonderful weapons provided by the Military Industrial Complex. So...we are halfway there already, I just want to keep it simple for now...find the Victorian resistance."

"Resistance against Victoria, now your making shit up." Dan said as the rest of the table started to chatter.

"It's true...heard about it from the New York Times reporters during the battle." You said, "So...something resembling it is real."

They quieted down.

"So...who wants to help a guy build a spec ops unit?" You asked.

"HEY WISES GUY'S YOUR PIZZAS READY!!" The Owner said as he put the tray out. "AND YOU ALL BETTER PAY!!"

You stopped. "Pizza first guy's, then work."

And that was how the Commonwealth Special Operation Unit was born in a Pizzeria.

AN: A little something to show that even while off duty men plan for the future.

And Logan is a BIG planner.
 
The Needs of Swords and Scalpels

(Logan POV)

"Captain, I appreciate you coming...how is base life treating you?" One of many officers said in the pizza place they agreed to meet at.

"Well I'm thankful for that appeal from my psychiatrist and you guys...it helped me through my court martial and well got me here now...so I thought it was a good idea to thank you in a proper Chicago way…" You replied quietly grabbing a glass of beer.

One of them, Floyd smiled. "I'm glad your taking it well, You gave clear insight on your psyche and reasoning, if nothing else you helped me save your career."

He was silent looking at the group of officers and was enjoying a drink on the captain's expense but felt curious about the reasons of why such a thing was called in the first place. Because Logan, was a workaholic, if he wasn't exercising, or helping around the base he was...writing a project.

You smiled "I wanted to discuss what I was writing with you guys. It's quite an ambitious project."

They started to mumble. "Great, let me guess, Pre collapse urban fantasy."

You nodded no.

Another gave a guess. "An Alternate history novel about if America survived the collapse."

Again you nodded no.

Flyod guessed last one. "A Sci Fi novel about empires and Republics and what not."

You finally decided to say it. "Guy's...its a Spec Ops manual, I'm planning on starting a special operations unit."

That got everything quiet for a moment as they all looked at you like you had finally gone insane. Or just jealous that they had not thought of it first.

Floyd was the first to respond. "Wait, how long have you been planning this?"

You shrugged. "At least three years...why?"

"DO you know the first thing about a special operations unit Logan?" Flyod asked as the other officers looked at you with distrust.

"I was in GIGN and I've read a bunch of Tom Clancy Novels and video games, I was educated in France during a time of strife and I received an advanced education despite living in a Ghetto full of refugees, I am well aware of the primary purpose of a Special Operations unit." You replied.

Flyod shook his head. "That does not fill me with much confidence."

One of the Officers...Dan frowned. "Who the Hell reads Tom Clancy anymore."

"Shut up the Man was a Prophet, the only thing he didn't get, America didn't have a Jack Ryan to save us or our country." You replied.

"So what you are telling us..is that you want to get a bunch of old guys and have them train us to basically be an entire unit of Sam Fisher's so we can run around and cause hell for Victoria with impunity?" Dan said taking a sip of his beer.

You nodded, "Not exactly...we don't have cool night vision goggles, advanced body armor, or wonderful weapons provided by the Military Industrial Complex. So...we are halfway there already, I just want to keep it simple for now...find the Victorian resistance."

"Resistance against Victoria, now your making shit up." Dan said as the rest of the table started to chatter.

"It's true...heard about it from the New York Times reporters during the battle." You said, "So...something resembling it is real."

They quieted down.

"So...who wants to help a guy build a spec ops unit?" You asked.

"HEY WISES GUY'S YOUR PIZZAS READY!!" The Owner said as he put the tray out. "AND YOU ALL BETTER PAY!!"

You stopped. "Pizza first guy's, then work."

And that was how the Commonwealth Special Operation Unit was born in a Pizzeria.

AN: A little something to show that even while off duty men plan for the future.

And Logan is a BIG planner.
A military officer is not going to get much traction with his comrades if he states that he's played video games, he knows how special forces work. Non-canon.
 
Anyway, my argument was more along the lines of "Okay, if we're doing this, we need for it to be, in essence, a closed network not to ever be connected to anything aside from itself." or that it ought to be semi-computerized with heavy parity-checking by humans in the loop. Redundant systems to make it easier to spot compromised machines (thus raising the difficulty of compromising the system as a whole). That sort of thing. I probably should have included that previously, though.

Companies routinely work over the internet without their data being compromised.

The large majority of hacking is either on targets that neglected security or human based.

The main problem with election hacking is that it is a singular event with large scale consequences you can't re-do without damaging political processes and a blow to your legitimacy. Streams of data are a lot less problematic because if you detect one day of economic planning data is bad, you haven't lost that much.
 
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Companies routinely work over the internet without their data being compromised.

The large majority of hacking is either on targets that neglected security or human based.

The main problem with election hacking is that it is a singular event with large scale consequences you can't re-do without damaging political processes and a blow to your legitimacy. Streams of data are a lot less problematic because if you detect one day of economic planning data is bad, you haven't lost that much.
For one thing we don't actually know that's true. The percentage of compromised company systems out there seem to grow with every check.

For another the vast majority of companies do not draw the hostile attention of a nationstate's cyberwarfare capabilities. Let alone those of a superpower. When they do, stuff like Stuxnet and NotPetya happen.The US has allegedly lost terabytes of information related to the F35 program. Ukraine had Russia attempt to blow up their power grid by cyberwarfare and barely failed, inflicting temporary blackouts.

Or Estonia which got much the same treatment.
Or Sony getting hacked by North Korea. Or South Korean banks getting the same treatment.
 
For one thing we don't actually know that's true. The percentage of compromised company systems out there seem to grow with every check.

For another the vast majority of companies do not draw the hostile attention of a nationstate's cyberwarfare capabilities. Let alone those of a superpower. When they do, stuff like Stuxnet and NotPetya happen.The US has allegedly lost terabytes of information related to the F35 program. Ukraine had Russia attempt to blow up their power grid by cyberwarfare and barely failed, inflicting temporary blackouts.

Or Estonia which got much the same treatment.
Or Sony getting hacked by North Korea. Or South Korean banks getting the same treatment.

The question was about them using access to take control. This is quite obvious. Purely observing what happens through infiltration is another concern. But frankly, there is little indications human and paperwork systems are immune to it.
 
The question was about them using access to take control. This is quite obvious. Purely observing what happens through infiltration is another concern. But frankly, there is little indications human and paperwork systems are immune to it.
Hence my calling out Stuxnet, NotPetya and the other Ukraine attacks that actively subvert normal cyber operations.
Or North Korea's campaign of ATM hacking.

Or the billion dollar Bangladesh Bank cyberhack
 
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Companies routinely work over the internet without their data being compromised.

The large majority of hacking is either on targets that neglected security or human based.

While this is true, there are sadly enough vulnerabilities that a dedicated attacker could exploit. And while you are correct that most modern attacks are aimed at humans, that is also something that won't change anytime soon; we are pretty vulnerable en masse.
 
Then again he was drunk and should go back to his writing before making his plans known :V

God knows I need to hold back and take this slow.
At this point wasn't Logan up for a court-martial due to executing unarmed, surrendering enemy combatants, stolen uniforms or no?

Even if he got an honorable medical discharge or the like, why would he be the go-to source for the entire military creating their Special Forces from the ground up?
 
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