RamrodBaguette

(Game is P4 Arena Ultimax)

I remember going to a “Mediterranean” chain regularly way back and enjoying what I thought was a normal couscous dish before I moved somewhere the chain didn’t exist. I didn’t learn it was Israeli couscous until much later when I tried making some Moroccan Couscous I got from a store.

Even if the actual couscous was great, I’ve been feeling nostalgic for pearl couscous and was wondering if there’s any non-Israeli brand that sells it in the US. Or at least a pasta that’s “close enough”.

Four Northern democracies are seemingly helpless against nearby predatory dictatorships. Despite their size, Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden have a chance to avoid conquest through clever diplomacy or fierce resistance.

Wholesome Democratino NAFO superpower Finland was just defending itself pragmatically against the Red Orcs, bro. Just don't look into what they did in the Interwar Period to minorities and political dissidents, or their participation in Operation Barbarossa.

Song in question

I got worried when I found out the French Revolution features heavily in it as opposed to just being in background like the original game, given how used I am to the typical “this is Literally Animal Farm” shitlib plotline is (Hello Bioshock Infinite). I’d rather watch my nostalgia-bait anime vampire slop without rolling my eyes every five minutes.

Not to say I don’t have other concerns about the quality of the show (nothing to do with Gamers™️ seething about the POC characters in it).

Even undead immortals need to read theory, it seems smh

🧛‍♀️

Game is Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines btw. Great game if very early 2000s (in ways both good and very, very bad)

Don't look up the early history of the AFL, worst mistake of my life.

Link if you wannit

:bugs-stalin: Well, this is sure to be spicy.

Source has some lib takes and assumptions despite his identification as a "Materialist" but nonetheless has an interesting analysis given how much noise goes into popular culture portraying history.

Context: In HOI4 Kaiserreich, the Combined Syndicates of America (socialist faction in the American Civil War) has three routes: Market "Socialism", Wholesome Anarcho-Syndicalism and the tankie, redfash Totalists because of course.

Kaiser Cat (a fan merchandise group) has the Totalists, led by Earl Browder no less, naturally win out in the CSA power struggle in their "Divided States" series and check off every box for Black Book-tier stupidity. This drives the main character to decry the false song of ~~Communism~~ Syndicalism and defect to the Defenders of Democracy™ (remnants of the Federal government in the West Coast whose incompetence caused the Civil War in the first place). The plot follows her trying to get a German nuclear scientist to the Federal government in California so they can win the war (how they will be able to produce enough nuclear weapons with their limited resources in time is anyone's guess). Now we're at this point where the team has dropped all pretenses of "nuance" and are posting "ironic" memes like this. To add, even the American Union State, which takes inspiration from the Spanish Nationalists (in the team's own words), are given more nuance and character than the big bad Syndies.

It's all funny when you consider how some of the original devs for KR back in the Hearts of Iron 2 days were actual Syndicalists.