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[Jakkarra]

Today i burned down an orphanage with a full complement of orphans and Nuns.

It's OK though, because i had all that petrol that i needed to get rid of, and i was able to cook a sausage on the cinders.

[Realmfighter]

Please stop.

I'll start my moral rant soon if you don't.

[Virex]

first Israel and now France. Someone's been doing a piss-poor job on the field of counter-intelligence...

[Leafsnail]

Economic espionage against an ally?  Wow, that's just... weird.  Kinda shortsighted too.

[Aqizzar]

Economic espionage against an ally?  Wow, that's just... weird.  Kinda shortsighted too.

You biggest trading partners are your allies.  Or put another way, your allies are your biggest trade competitors.  Ergo, the economies you most want to spy on.

[Leafsnail]

True, but if/ when they find out, you severely endanger your own economy.  Especially if they have a stronger intelligence service than you do.

[Outcast Orange]

True, but if/ when they find out, you severely endanger your own economy.  Especially if they have a stronger intelligence service than you do.

How?

It's not like the actual government is in charge of trading.
Aren't we all fairly capitalistic now, making some sort of stopped trade a horrible act?
Like if we decided to stop trading with France,
 that wouldn't really accomplish anything,
 since you can just trade through a third party,
 raising prices for both sides and creating an artificial economy situation.

Not to mention that there are probably tons of people in America
 who depend solely on French goods and vice versa.
It would be an attack on personal liberties.

[Jude]

Shit, in Master of Orion, you better believe I'm still espionaging my allies, at least if they have any good tech to steal.

[Leafsnail]

Well, OO, it could lead to retaliatory spying and worsening of diplomatic relations.

[Zangi]

Not surprising.

Either way, there won't be war over such a small thing* and it will continue, being even more secretive after each mess-up.

*In the grand scheme of things, its just a drop in the bucket.  It won't stop the US from dealing with the French, at the very least the US will find some way to publicly show their displeasure.

[Zai]

Man, sounds like something I'd do in Mafia.

Been a while.

[Phmcw]

I'm surprised that you're surprised.
I mean, what do you suppose they'll target?
When the CIA spy on the Internet, I don't suppose that it close it's eyes on technical or economical data. And their spying seems to be extensive. But of course everyone else try it too. Thought I wonder what kind of information they target : It cannot be plan or experimental data can it? Those are patented quite fast and scientific breakthrough are published.
Statistics on how well the economy is doing? Management project?

[Alrenous]

A recipe.

When to spy on your allies:
If the risk of being ignorant outweighs the risks of being found.
Remember, they're probably already spying on you! I would be great if you could get them to stop...but while you're in heaven, could you grab me some angels for me? Obviously, this is what France was (is) thinking.

When to go to war:
If surrender is worse.

Wars do not improve the societies involved. Broken window fallacy. Yes, you tech up during a war. What you don't see is how much you'd have teched up without the war. War is very costly and wasteful. If it were actually profitable, there'd be a lot more of it.

[Zangi]

Wars do not improve the societies involved. Broken window fallacy. Yes, you tech up during a war. What you don't see is how much you'd have teched up without the war. War is very costly and wasteful. If it were actually profitable, there'd be a lot more of it.

Governments during time of war tend to put money into tech, a lot more then they would during peace-time... for one, they tend to take more risks.  Look at the stupid things the minds behind the Cold War thought was a good idea... 

Modern day, yes, business develop tech, but most only use it if its profitable.  They tend not to volunteer their unused researched tech that are deemed too risky or unprofitable.  Patents further slow down tech development.  Others cannot make something similar tech or even work on an improvement of the tech.  Business has little incentive to improve their tech until time starts to run out on the patent, many years later, if the tech hasn't been considered useless by then.
Any effort to tech up by business is for 1 thing only, profit.  What people develop using X company funds/support belongs to X company, even if X company does nothing with it.

I am of the opinion that war by and between developed nations advance tech and other related things much faster then during peace.  It takes a lot of money which normally only the gov't would bankroll...

And you are wrong about war not being profitable.  The war industry and their friends profits from all of this.

[Alrenous]

Wars do not improve the societies involved. Broken window fallacy. Yes, you tech up during a war. What you don't see is how much you'd have teched up without the war. War is very costly and wasteful. If it were actually profitable, there'd be a lot more of it.

Governments during time of war tend to put money into tech, a lot more then they would during peace-time... for one, they tend to take more risks.  Look at the stupid things the minds behind the Cold War thought was a good idea... 

So we agree war is wasteful? Nifty.

Modern day, yes, business develop tech, but most only use it if its profitable. 

So when did business-driven technology start, would you say? Origin of the corporation? Sometime before? As many specifics as possible will be appreciated.

I am of the opinion that war by and between developed nations advance tech and other related things much faster then during peace.  It takes a lot of money which normally only the gov't would bankroll...

I am of the opposite opinion. Kindly don't beg the question.

And you are wrong about war not being profitable.  The war industry and their friends profits from all of this.

Then can you explain to me why there isn't a lot more war?