Brexit, Australian Election, Gaming Updates

[tcpip]

As everyone knows, the United Kingdom has voted to leave the EU, albeit by a margin of 1.9%. The key demographic groups voting for 'Leave' came from of lower income, lower education, old age, and anti-immigration, with the latter providing probabily the strongest determinant. The result has serious repercussions; already the Scots, who overwhelmingly supported Remain, have called for a second independence vote, and in Northern Ireland which also voted to Remain there are calls for a reunification referendum. Nationalists on the continent, such as the Front national in France and astoundingly misnamed Partij voor de Vrijheid in the Netherlands have argued for Leave referenda in their own country, further wishing to promote the closing of the European mind. The economy, of course, has taken a battering with two trillion wiped off the global markets, leaving the UK staring down a recession.

In the distant British colony of Australia, we have an Federal election next week. Opinion polls (for what they're worth) suggest a close election, although it is the marginals that matter and Labor is still struggling with the Herculean task of gaining twenty one seats. The loathed Tony Abbott is making a tilt on a comeback based on Turnbull's woeful and dithering performance as Prime Minister. Labor has raised the spectre of a possible privitisation of Medicare first raised in February this year. The critical issue, as I've mentioned in previous posts, is if Labor can hammer home its economic credentials and point out that the Coalition has introduced the worst fall in living standards since records began. I honestly don't understand why Labor isn't hammering this point home.

Three main gaming sessions in the past week, as normal. Last Sunday was GURPS Middle Earth with our GM promising to provide a summary of what lose ends there are in the narrative. Wednesday night was a session of Laundry Files which involved a haunted house scenario in an inner urban environment. Friday night was Eclipse Phase Mars wrapping up a few lose ends from the "Chain Reaction" series. On the latter point I've written some rules modifications which I've circulated in the appropriate forum. Apropos the next issue of RPG Review is almost ready, just in the final editing phase now. Also the Cooperative has purchased a block of ten ISBNs, so publications will commence in the very near future. We have items such as Verge from Nic Moll, Gulliver's Trading Company from Karl Brown, and I have a secret project to be announced in the next issue of RPG Review.

Comments

Re:

[zazoosr.livejournal.com]

You are right "dinosaur brain" defeated "human brain". However I see another systematic problem here. We had a big hope in political correctness, fair and multicultural approach to many issues starting from Vietnam war. It kinda works but needs a serious facelift. People tired from the fact "savages immigration" destroying our way of living, our culture and civilization. We should be strong to resist and strike back when necessarily to protect future of our kids. When USSR was defeated at the end of 80-s it was a euphoria regarding a "pink future for all of us". Well, unfortunately but very expectedly, this monster (together with islamic invasion and many others) came back. It was just a matter on cycle change in our non-linear world. Let us learn from our mistakes...

Well educated people usually occupy"progressive"(aka "left") side of political spectrum. By growing up in USSR I got very strong immunization shot against that. In a recent time I see many countries switched to more liberal governments which are highly non-efficient in solving serious problem but very good of talking about "green economy", "global warning" and others easy topics. At the same time a real issues like muslim interventions, global terrorism, international drug trade etc are largely ignored. And this is horrible mistake!

Many people now questioning success of Donald Trump. The answer is easy - it is a systematic response for having Barak Obama during 2 previous terms. The same way national-socialism in Germany was a response for Weimar Republic supported by Russia. We should be very careful in managing such a counter-strikes and minimize them in a future by optimal control methods. If possible ...

[zenicurean.livejournal.com]

I've talked so much Brexit over the last couple of days that I'm almost feeling exhausted by the whole idea -- but things are only going to get uglier and more convoluted whenever it is that the exit negotiations actually begin. Article 50 hasn't been triggered yet, but it will soon be. Until then we'll be stuck in a sort of curious holding pattern, and uncertainty will be rife.

[delphipsmith]

Three main gaming sessions in the past week, as normal...I've written some rules modifications...

Too bad we can't restart 2016 with modified rules. Or, y'know, just unplug it, wait 20 seconds, and then plug it back in.