Frivolous ASB thread

[Zyobot]

Aug 28, 2019 14:51:58 GMT stevep said:

Aug 28, 2019 14:37:15 GMT Zyobot said:

Those are some points to have brought up. I suppose that the US population, institutions and infrastructure disappear—leaving behind a virgin-earth stretch of North America that other countries are sure to take advantage of and attempt to resettle themselves, as you said.

  In which case Mexico could be a big winner, at least as long as their able to maintain their gains.  Their bordering, have historical claims on a lot of land and have a large population.  Plus the drier deserts and plains could be a bit easier to settle than much of the deep forests of the NE region.  Might also have other Latin American regions seeking to state claims.  Could see Cuba possibly seeking to settle Florida for instance.

  Canada can also have a claim being adjacent and it won't be hit as badly by the virgin earth option as the Great Lakes will still be there.  However their got a relatively low population so any desire to claim new undeveloped lands could be limited.  Ditto for Europe I suspect as with fairly static or declining populations there may be limited interest in pioneering even if governments are willing to support such operations. 

  Russia is going to claim Alaska but might they go for other areas.  China, India with its rapidly growing population and some other regions will have the manpower but might not have the ease of access.

  Both Russia and China could go for Hawaii as an important strategic location in the Pacific.

  One point that occurred to me.  The US has been the guarantee of Israel and less successfully of peace in much of the ME region.  Things could get very nasty very quickly there even with Russia and China probably seeking influence at least in the region.  US support in Europe is also going to be missed, especially if their forces and equipment have disappeared.  All of a sudden the British and French nuclear deterrents are far, far more significant, especially given the decline of conventional forces in Europe since ~1991.

  This is all apart from the economic and technological disruption that has hit the rest of the world.

True, true. Hey, this might make for a pretty good--if rather depressing--TL; maybe it be called 'The World Left Behind', or something to that effect. I'd feel inclination to start writing myself, but I lack the wherewithal and drive to do so at the moment.

[Zyobot]

'Joseph Stalin Gets Superman's Powers'. Since, you know, they both have the moniker of "Man of Steel".

[stevep]

Aug 29, 2019 15:49:10 GMT Zyobot said:

'Joseph Stalin Gets Superman's Powers'. Since, you know, they both have the moniker of "Man of Steel".

  Oh s**t!  I think sums up that nicely.

[Zyobot]

Aug 29, 2019 15:50:38 GMT stevep said:

Aug 29, 2019 15:49:10 GMT Zyobot said:

'Joseph Stalin Gets Superman's Powers'. Since, you know, they both have the moniker of "Man of Steel".

  Oh s**t!  I think sums up that nicely.

True. Considering that at least one version of OTL Superman is strong enough to move the whole Earth--among other things--an Uncle Joe that suddenly gets his powers is probably a much more glorified mass-death scenario in the long term.

[lordroel]

Aug 29, 2019 15:49:10 GMT Zyobot said:

'Joseph Stalin Gets Superman's Powers'. Since, you know, they both have the moniker of "Man of Steel".

Would that not be like the comic called: Superman: Red Son

[Zyobot]

Aug 29, 2019 16:01:24 GMT lordroel said:

Aug 29, 2019 15:49:10 GMT Zyobot said:

'Joseph Stalin Gets Superman's Powers'. Since, you know, they both have the moniker of "Man of Steel".

Would that not be like the comic called: Superman: Red Son

Probably. But considering that there would be no DC superheroes (or supervillains, for that matter) to stop the Man of Steel from wrecking havoc, well...

[Zyobot]

'British Empire Suddenly Reforms', as in all of the lands that it encompassed at its height reunite into the Empire On Which The Sun Never Sets once again.

[stevep]

Aug 30, 2019 16:26:35 GMT Zyobot said:

'British Empire Suddenly Reforms', as in all of the lands that it encompassed at its height reunite into the Empire On Which The Sun Never Sets once again.

  Which height/date and how willing are the members?  I think the largest geographical extent was in the intra-war years although whether that included areas such as Egypt which was technically independent then and the assorted LoN mandates I don't know.

  You would probably have ~2 billion people including 4 nuclear power - Britain, Indian, Pakistan and Israel.  Quite a large technological base but a hell of a lot of very poor people as well, including areas such as Sudan [and south Sudan] Burma [because I'm not sure how to spell its new name], N Somalia at least part of Yemen and Iraq all with serious problems of violence and chaos.

  I suppose if there's some sort of ASB control providing acceptance of the unity then it might end a good chunk of the suffering in a lot of the world.

  Just thinking about a British empire team at the next Olympics.  That could be quite a force.  

  If you want to go OLT then include any area that Britain has some sort of claim on since the union of England and Scotland in 1707!  Which would add the eastern US, Hawaii, possibly part of the Oregon and Washington states, the Philippines, Cuba [although we really only occupied Manila and Havana possibly] among others.   Might also have a claim on Hanover although that was more a shared dynasty rather than any act of union.  Mind you it was only in 1801 that we finally gave up the monarchs claim to rule France.

  Also thinking about it Hong Kong has suddenly become very, very explosive and there are a couple of other territories we held at times.  Xi is not going to be a happy chappy and there could be a very nasty conflict there!

[Zyobot]

Aug 30, 2019 17:33:47 GMT stevep said:

Aug 30, 2019 16:26:35 GMT Zyobot said:

'British Empire Suddenly Reforms', as in all of the lands that it encompassed at its height reunite into the Empire On Which The Sun Never Sets once again.

  Which height/date and how willing are the members?  I think the largest geographical extent was in the intra-war years although whether that included areas such as Egypt which was technically independent then and the assorted LoN mandates I don't know.

  You would probably have ~2 billion people including 4 nuclear power - Britain, Indian, Pakistan and Israel.  Quite a large technological base but a hell of a lot of very poor people as well, including areas such as Sudan [and south Sudan] Burma [because I'm not sure how to spell its new name], N Somalia at least part of Yemen and Iraq all with serious problems of violence and chaos.

  I suppose if there's some sort of ASB control providing acceptance of the unity then it might end a good chunk of the suffering in a lot of the world.

  Just thinking about a British empire team at the next Olympics.  That could be quite a force.  

  If you want to go OLT then include any area that Britain has some sort of claim on since the union of England and Scotland in 1707!  Which would add the eastern US, Hawaii, possibly part of the Oregon and Washington states, the Philippines, Cuba [although we really only occupied Manila and Havana possibly] among others.   Might also have a claim on Hanover although that was more a shared dynasty rather than any act of union.  Mind you it was only in 1801 that we finally gave up the monarchs claim to rule France.

  Also thinking about it Hong Kong has suddenly become very, very explosive and there are a couple of other territories we held at times.  Xi is not going to be a happy chappy and there could be a very nasty conflict there!

Good points. I was thinking that the sudden reunification would occur sometime around 2019 or thereabouts, but current geopolitical tensions might make that too hot-button and risky. So, maybe at the start of 2000 or 2001 is when the British Empire would come together once again?

As for which territories reform it, how about the lands it ruled as of 1920? I believe that's the precise date that it was said to have occupied the most space in its lifetime, though I could be wrong.

[lordroel]

Aug 30, 2019 16:26:35 GMT Zyobot said:

'British Empire Suddenly Reforms', as in all of the lands that it encompassed at its height reunite into the Empire On Which The Sun Never Sets once again.

Like this: Maps and Facts: What If the British Empire still existed today

[Zyobot]

Aug 30, 2019 17:56:48 GMT lordroel said:

Aug 30, 2019 16:26:35 GMT Zyobot said:

'British Empire Suddenly Reforms', as in all of the lands that it encompassed at its height reunite into the Empire On Which The Sun Never Sets once again.

Like this: Maps and Facts: What If the British Empire still existed today

Cool video, Lordroel. That said, it ignores geopolitical reception and machinations that'd arise from this sudden reunification, i.e. the PRC's pissed-off response to Hong Kong rejoining the British Empire only a couple of years after being ceded over to China.

[Zyobot]

'Modern MLRS In WW1', not to mention the means of maintaining and resupplying them getting sent back as well.

...Yeah, this is probably a glorified mass death scenario. We don't need more bloodshed on top of the 15 to 19 million killed IOTL Great War.

[lordroel]

Aug 31, 2019 18:35:40 GMT Zyobot said:

'Modern MLRS In WW1', not to mention the means of maintaining and resupplying them getting sent back as well.

...Yeah, this is probably a glorified mass death scenario. We don't need more bloodshed on top of the 15 to 19 million killed IOTL Great War.

You mean this MLRS launch system:



I would assume they will bring more destruction to the battlefield but not more, but they could help, depending on who side gets access to it.

[Zyobot]

Aug 31, 2019 18:57:04 GMT lordroel said:

Aug 31, 2019 18:35:40 GMT Zyobot said:

'Modern MLRS In WW1', not to mention the means of maintaining and resupplying them getting sent back as well.

...Yeah, this is probably a glorified mass death scenario. We don't need more bloodshed on top of the 15 to 19 million killed IOTL Great War.

You mean this MLRS launch system:



I would assume they will bring more destruction to the battlefield but not more, but they could help, depending on who side gets access to it.

Yep, that one. And I'd tend to agree with destruction depending on who gets it. I'd guess that if either the Allied Powers or the Central Powers received MLRS vehicles, payloads and the means of maintaining and posssibly manufacturing more of them, the war would end much sooner. And maybe with less overall bloodshed, perhaps (the logic behind that speculation being that more decisive conflicts don't result in a meat grinder that kills more people overall)? But if both sides get the uptimer package with complementary assets, however...

[lordroel]

Sept 1, 2019 9:04:17 GMT Zyobot said:

Aug 31, 2019 18:57:04 GMT lordroel said:

You mean this MLRS launch system:



I would assume they will bring more destruction to the battlefield but not more, but they could help, depending on who side gets access to it.

Yep, that one. And I'd tend to agree with destruction depending on who gets it. I'd guess that if either the Allied Powers or the Central Powers received MLRS vehicles, payloads and the means of maintaining and posssibly manufacturing more of them, the war would end much sooner. And maybe with less overall bloodshed, perhaps (the logic behind that speculation being that more decisive conflicts don't result in a meat grinder that kills more people overall)? But if both sides get the uptimer package with complementary assets, however...

Do not think it will end sooner, just more destruction added to the destruction already going on.