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[mainiac]

You're right. They would have to nuke a lot more than just Washington before we'd be good.

Advocating the deaths of tens of millions of Americans is hilarious.  Please keep contributing to this conversation.

Here in Belgium, we had no real government for over a year, and we did just fine. Of course, we don't have the kind of responsability that the US do, but still it's amazing how little input the bureaucracy doing the day-to-day running of the country need.

I was under the impression that Belgium just keeps continuing with the budget course laid out by the last government majority because no one can put together a coalition.  If this is the case it's nearly the exact same thing that the US has been doing for two years with the exception that three times a year the republicans throw a tantrum until the democrats agree to screw over the poor a little more.

[misko27]

You're right. They would have to nuke a lot more than just Washington before we'd be good.

Advocating the deaths of tens of millions of Americans is hilarious.  Please keep contributing to this conversation.

Here in Belgium, we had no real government for over a year, and we did just fine. Of course, we don't have the kind of responsability that the US do, but still it's amazing how little input the bureaucracy doing the day-to-day running of the country need.

I was under the impression that Belgium just keeps continuing with the budget course laid out by the last government majority because no one can put together a coalition.  If this is the case it's nearly the exact same thing that the US has been doing for two years with the exception that three times a year the republicans throw a tantrum until the democrats agree to screw over the poor a little more.

That's certainly not the same as a government shutdown, that's when the bureaucracy can no longer afford itself. Complete and utter spiral. Only Local Governemtns exist. Wait a minute...
 
We need to stop this to defeat the libertarians. It's a fiendish plot! Think about it, who advocates the most for not rasing the debt ceiling? Libertarians! And who would get what they always wanted without a government? Libertarians! Fiends.

[PTTG??]

One advantage of the US political system is that even if the federal government was crippled, the country as a whole would continue functioning because each state has its own government to step in and keep things going. Yes, lots of areas would have issues, but it wouldn't be the end of the country or anything. Especially since the Military would be able to continue functioning just fine even if the Pentagon was wiped out. They have lots of contingencies in place for that sort of thing.

The american military is a snake with no head, just fangs, scales and assholes.

Lots and lots of assholes.

You would make a really awesome character in an apocalypse movie.

[vadia]

Tax collection is done by the bureaucracy, not the government.

Asking that is no different to asking if we had no government, how would we catch criminals or put out fires, whilst all those are "government agencies", not one of them requires the legislature or executive for day to day operations.

The collection is mandated by the government.  Otherwise it's called stealing (or bribary). 

[misko27]

Tax collection is done by the bureaucracy, not the government.

Asking that is no different to asking if we had no government, how would we catch criminals or put out fires, whilst all those are "government agencies", not one of them requires the legislature or executive for day to day operations.

The collection is mandated by the government.  Otherwise it's called stealing (or bribary).

*puts on 18th century philosophy cap*
Well you see, It's all about legitamacy! Without a mandate of the masses, the bureaucracy is simply a organization of random people demanding money in return for unspecified services. With a mandate from the government, and by extension, the people, they cross the oborder from benevolent mafiosa to a actual governmental system. Without this, challanges in court regarding the legitamacy of the bureaucracy may actually get somewhere, as it does not represent the will of the masses.

Firthermore, in various areas in this ages of Auserity, many programs run low on cash. Without governmental intereference, these organizations, a american example being the postal service, woudl quickly cease to exist.

If you did not read this in the Voice of the Sir Bedevere of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, you missed a good bet.

[Heron TSG]

Did you forget to add something there? I didn't notice a comical fix, if that's what you were going for.

[SalmonGod]

You're right. They would have to nuke a lot more than just Washington before we'd be good.

Advocating the deaths of tens of millions of Americans is hilarious.  Please keep contributing to this conversation.

Here in Belgium, we had no real government for over a year, and we did just fine. Of course, we don't have the kind of responsability that the US do, but still it's amazing how little input the bureaucracy doing the day-to-day running of the country need.

I was under the impression that Belgium just keeps continuing with the budget course laid out by the last government majority because no one can put together a coalition.  If this is the case it's nearly the exact same thing that the US has been doing for two years with the exception that three times a year the republicans throw a tantrum until the democrats agree to screw over the poor a little more.

That's certainly not the same as a government shutdown, that's when the bureaucracy can no longer afford itself. Complete and utter spiral. Only Local Governemtns exist. Wait a minute...
 
We need to stop this to defeat the libertarians. It's a fiendish plot! Think about it, who advocates the most for not rasing the debt ceiling? Libertarians! And who would get what they always wanted without a government? Libertarians! Fiends.

Unless this was purely humor, you're a bit behind on this.  "Starving the Beast" has been a known political strategy for decades, and multiple former republican insiders over the last few years have verified that these days they talk quite plainly about it in terms of deliberate sabotage in exclusive company.

[Helgoland]

The collection is mandated by the government.  Otherwise it's called stealing (or bribary).

Even with the government, it's stealing. Benevolent stealing, that is

[Sirus]

The collection is mandated by the government.  Otherwise it's called stealing (or bribary).

Even with the government, it's stealing. Benevolent stealing, that is

Technically it's blackmail.

"Oh, what's that? You want publicly-accessible roads, police and fire protection, schools for your children, and the right to a public trial? Pay up, son. Otherwise you can GTFO."

[Helgoland]

Technically it's blackmail.

Whatever morality may say - at the end of the day, might makes right.

[Moghjubar]

The thread, it still lives!

Also, this election sort of gave me a game idea: sort of a Heroes of Might and Magic, except with political parties as factions.
Conservatives: Hateromancy.  Gain bonuses / fear power from destroying technology.  Little to no upkeep but units get sick and die depending on conditions.  Get bonus magic if you have large hordes of units, or if enemy is higher tech.
Liberals: Democramancy (raise dead, but you gotta pay for their healthcare!).  Upkeep on units gets higher the longer they are alive, but they also gain experience slightly faster and have higher health. Large negative cash when conquering enemy cities due to having to implement healthcare, but gain recruitment after the first few turns.
Libertarians: Anarchomancy (cause CHAOS fuck yea!): No gold reservoir, there is only income and expenditure (if you don't use it the same turn, companies get the rest as bonuses).  Gain more by expansion and digging/desecrating land. Cities can randomly produce units of other sides, and even when captured can still produce goods for the chaos player for awhile (go go free market).

This would probably be horrible, but still made me wonder how far you could take the archetypes in the name of gameplay/parody.

[alexandertnt]

I thought the Libertarians would be the independent AI, just sort of having stuff happen with no real centralized control. (They always get steamrolled early in the game, too  )

[Kogan Loloklam]

Unless! You stab your friend in the back early because he's building a nuke farm, and your blow isn't decisive and his counter-attack is stalled by your defensive wall. The computer then has time to harvest the resources inbetween while you ground your forces into nothing because your friend fails to lay down and die for the sake of killing the computer. Then your resources are depleted and forces weak without the ability to overwhelm the disorganized AI anymore. Then attrition eats away your defenses and the Artificial takes the victory!
Disorganization can sometimes win.

[Kogan Loloklam]

Unless! You stab your friend in the back early because he's building a nuke farm, and your blow isn't decisive and his counter-attack is stalled by your defensive wall. The computer then has time to harvest the resources inbetween while you ground your forces into nothing because your friend fails to lay down and die for the sake of killing the computer. Then your resources are depleted and forces weak without the ability to overwhelm the disorganized AI anymore. Then attrition eats away your defenses and the Artificial takes the victory!
Disorganization can sometimes win.

[mainiac]

They say that when two sides fight, the third side wins.