Posts Tagged ‘socialism’

Monopoly Socialism, A Surprisingly Nuanced Game of Wits

Posted: August 24, 2019 by datechguy in economy, gaming, oddities
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There is a lot of talk about the game Monopoly Socialism from Hasbro. Leftists are upset and folks like me are delighted that the game pokes fun at Socialism, but let’s forget that for a moment as a gamer and ask the basic questions one might ask about a game, namely.

  1. Is it playable?
  2. Is it challenging?
  3. Is it fun
  4. Weaknesses
  5.  Is it worth your time?

1.  As to the first question the game is very easy to play, the setup is not complicated because only the community fund gets any cash, the mechanics of the game are relatively easy and it tends to move quickly, sometimes VERY quickly.  The one real issue with the game is that you’re a monopoly player you have to make sure you don’t use a monopoly mindset because that’s an easy way to lose.  Which brings us to question 2

2.  Is it Challenging.  I was quite surprised that this game take a lot of thought.  you are playing both against your opponents and the game itself.  the nature of the game means that you have to take advantage of community handouts early to get power,

but to rely too much on it leads to everybody losing.  In addition while wealth can help make a difference in winning, it’s not really the determining factor, particularly when there are so many cards that can counter you.  Furthermore if you are too far in the lead it’s an incentive for the others to let the community fund run dry and everyone loses.  Like socialism you have to boil the frog so to speak to make sure that those who can bring you down don’t understand how you are manipulating the system.  Against strong players it takes an awful lot of skill to come out ahead…just like in socialism.

3.  Is it fun?   Well this depends.  if you are a person of the right you will likely find it fun and funny right from the start simply because of the cards and effects like this one:

The fact that the game is challenging and requires wits is a bonus extra.

Now if you are a person on the left who has made socialism and politics their religion then you are likely going to be so pissed off that no amount of challenge and nuance will compensate for the great insult to your religion, however if you are a person with an open mind who likes a skillful challenge then you might still enjoy this game as it takes quite a bit of wits to win.

4.  Weaknesses.  Three come to mind, firstly it’s actually fairly easy to rumble the game in one respect.   If the players right from the start decide not to take advantage of the system to get ahead in theory you can build up the community fund to a point where it might possible to advance on your own.  However that might take a half hour of not trying to win, so depending on who you are playing with that doesn’t work.

There are some ambiguities in the rules, ,for example, while it suggest that all should contribute to the general fund it’s not clear that people can do it voluntarily.  If you are a rich player it might be worth while to pay off the debts of the community to keep the game going and I think there should be a mechanism to do that.

We have also added a house rule that would be a good addition to the game in general.  There are cards that remove your chits from project due to offenses against socialism, however in real life what tends to happen in real life that such a person commuting such an offense can usually be shaken down to buy forgiveness, so we added a rule where a person can buy forgiveness from the community with a contribution to the community fund and a partial payment to the person playing the card.  Basically it’s the Al Sharpton rule and it adds another aspect to the game, both interesting and real.

Finally I’d like it if  you could play with six rather than just four, because my gut tells me a larger group would be more interesting but much harder to win.

5.  Finally is it worth your time.  I think so, it’s a challenging game that can be finished in under an hour, even quicker if people aren’t careful.  I don’t know if I’d pay the prices I’m seeing on Amazon right now but if you want a game that is fun to play, well designed, requires some wits and has just enough luck to not make it a forgone conclusion this game is it.

My congratulations to the design team, well done  4 1/2 out of five.

Uh Oh Olbermann gone O’Donnell in

Posted: January 22, 2011 by datechguy in Uncategorized
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I had a very long day yesterday and decided I needed to be away for the net and what happens? BOOM!

Olbermann announces the end of “Countdown”

That’s from Hot Air. Before we get to just about every other bloggers comment in the world here is what I think is driving this:

#1 Comcast:

I have Comcast, A lot of cities have Comcast, Comcast is buying NBC. That means that every conservative who is giving money to Comcast was paying for Olbermann’s show. Can you say Verizon FIOS? O’Donnell and Maddow and Matthews and Schultz all have their moments but none of them have the reputation for outrageousness that Olbermann did. This is in my opinion a preemptive move because the next time Olbermann said something really stupid and insulting the people who would be sending angry e-mails would be in a position to vote with their wallets and Verizon would happily help them along.

#2 Triangulation:

The very act of removing Olbermann creates a (albeit temporary) split between the far left and MSNBC. Since MSNBC is part of the democratic spin machine (and lets not pretend it is not, the public certainly knows it) the removal of Olbermann is a signal of a more “moderate” tone. Democrats need not actually do anything different. The simple tone that will be quoted on blogs and papers changes at once. Additionally it allows democrats to differentiate themselves between “the Keith Olbermanns of the left” and their own calm moderate selves (HA). I suspect (as I have read NO BLOG on this as I type) the reaction of the Far left will be hyper enough to provide the separation that Democrats desire.

That being said how to replace him? After all one needs to compete with O’Reilly on FOX and you don’t want there to be a mass exodus to Parker and Spitzer on CNN (of course the quality of Parker and Spitzer being what it is helps to lighten that fear). I need to find a person just as partisan, and just as socialist as Olbermann who is pragmatic enough to tailor his message to aid the white house and democrats over the next two years. If I am a democrat worrying about 2012 who is the person I want in that chair ….

#3 Selling the democratic message
…to sell my bill of goods? I want Lawrence O’Donnell. O’Donnell is a true believer, admitting on air that he is a socialist. Don’t think for one moment that Lawrence O’Donnell isn’t the Obama/DNC Choice for the MSNBC 8 p.m. slot. O’Donnell for all his PITAness is one of the most politically astute people on the left. He is a hyper-partisan but is pragmatic enough to give blunt advice to democrats when it comes to political reality. Think of him as Olbermann with self control, insider political experience and brains. He can be on Morning Joe and can sound reasonable. Look at this video again:

here is the money quote:

I Glenn (Greenwald) unlike you, am not a progressive, I am not a liberal, who is so afraid of the word that I have to change my name to “progressive”. Liberals amuse me. I am a socialist. I live to the extreme left of your mere liberals, OK? But I know this about my country: Liberals are 20% of the electorate, conservatives are 41% of the electorate OK. So I don’t pretend that my views which would ban all guns in America make medicare available to all in American, have any chance of happening in the Federal Government. Ok you can sit there and pretend that liberals should run more liberal in conservative districts, the reason, you love the loss of the blue dogs, ..the only way you have a Chairman Barney Frank, there is only one way, that’s by electing Blue Dogs! It’s the only way you have a Speaker Pelosi. all emphasis mine

As Rush Limbaugh has said over and over again, liberals can only win if they hide who they are. O’Donnell gets it. His goal is to help the democratic party seem moderate so that he can get a Chairman Barney Frank and a Speaker Pelosi and advance the agenda that he and the Democratic party shares.

He is MUCH more dangerous to the right than Olbermann, and when the far left understands that they will come back and embrace him.

This may be a feel good moment on the right but O’Donnell will hurt us more on MSNBC that Olbermann ever did. He will not just speak to the true believers, he will put a moderate face on and persuade people ( who want to be persuaded ) that the democratic agenda is something it is not. For democrats this is all about 2012.

Now over to the reaction:

Nice Deb Bye-Bye Bathtub Boy

Legal Insurrection: Have you no Job sir?

The Cable Gamer:

The Cable Gamer can’t help but think that two big events in the news: The FCC’s approval of Comcast’s takeover of NBCU, and Jeff Immelt’s ascension as the Obama administration’s favorite corporate stooge, have something to do with this.

Ya Think?

Michelle Malkin (via Doug Powers): MSNBC Leans Forward, Pushes Olbermann Out the Door

Robert Stacy McCain:

If Olbermann was too much for the suits at Comcast, they’re not going to want Little Miss Lesbian anchoring their 8 p.m. hour. Bet $20 it’s O’Donnell.

He won that bet fast.

Howard Kurtz quotes a knowledgeable official:

A knowledgeable official said the move had nothing to do with Comcast taking control of NBC next week

Said official then offered to sell Mr. Kurtz a bridge.

Don Surber:

Perhaps some medication might help him overcome himself.

Nope don’t think so.

Daily Kos has a suggestion:

CNN should snap up Olbermann.

This would actually be a really smart move in an economic sense. It would grab the far left who would migrate out of spite giving them the chance to shift the 8 p.m. audience numbers. But in the sense of helping elect democrats in 2012, it would be a bad move so it will not happen.

Gateway Pundit: Sanity Wins!… Crazy Keith Olbermann Is Out at MSNBC – Effective Immediately

Weasel Zippers Olbermann Out At MSNBC . . . Update: Fired For Being a Pompous Gasbag

Moonbattery:

The details aren’t clear, but it appears that Olbermann is so obnoxious that not even MSNBC could stand him anymore.

Taylor Marsh:

Considering his sins during the primary season of 2008, including his blatant sexism and over the top critiques of Hillary Clinton, with no actions except to be banned from some broadcasts and replaced by David Gregory, I can’t imagine what grievous sin he committed that caused it to happen now.

Taylor Taylor Taylor those actions helped The One. Now his actions hurt The One. Get with the program.

Firedoglake:

That sound you just heard was millions of Americans saying “WHAT?!?”

Millions?

Comments from left field: Good night and good luck.

TPM: What the hell was that about?

Sister Toldja: Left wing heartbreak: Keith Olbermann abruptly departs MSDNC

Ed Driscoll:

Oh, and “NBC executives said one term of his settlement will keep him from moving to another network for an extended period of time,” the Times’ Bill Carter adds.

So much for Kos’ plan.

Conservatives for Palin: Keith Olbermann Should Run a Third-Party Campaign Against Obama and Governor Palin

Little Miss Attila: Bye-bye

Babalu Blog: Breaking: Hasta la Vista, Olby (Updated)

Lonely conservative: Olberman canned

Pam Geller :

Countdown to Zero. Don’t let the door hit cha in the ace, Keefy.

I was wondering who would finally use that metaphor.

Yid with Lid: Olberman gone, thank you Comcast!

Patterico’s Pontifications:

I have told you this before: I am reliably informed that he is an OK guy in person, and the TV person is an act. He sure as hell acts different when he fills in for Warren Olney on the “Which Way L.A.?” radio show.

Remember Danny DeVito in Taxi? He made a good living pretending to be a pain.

Adrienne’s Corner goes with the cute picture.

Powerline: Goodbye to one of the worlds worst people

No Sheeples here : Toodle-Loo To Bathtub Boy

Glenn Reynolds as you might guess gets it exactly right:

He was a useful idiot for a while. Now he’s no longer useful. Expect to see more of this kind of thing.

Update: I’ll add more reactions and I find them

American Glob: Top 10 New Job Suggestions For Keith Olbermann

Left Bank of the Charles: Keith Olbermann No Longer the Worst Person in the MSNBC World

Fisherville Mike: Has some fun film featuring Gordie Howe

Camp of the Saints asks the question:

Does anyone still give a sharia about Keith Oberwoman, specifically, and MSNBC, generally?

Claria Csiong isn’t the only person with a long memory

Posted: December 27, 2010 by datechguy in opinion/news, politics
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There is nothing like actually living under socialism to make a person oppose it:

Many Russian immigrants to the “red borough” of Staten Island are flocking to the Republican Party, saying that the national Democrats’ “socialistic” policies remind them too much of the top-down oligarchy they fled in their native land.

With many of the borough’s Russian arrivees already owning businesses and active in civic organizations, their muscle could help the Island GOP solidify electoral gains made this year, when the party took back congressional and Assembly seats.

Businessman Arkadiy Fridman said that the newly formed Citizens Magazine Business Club, a confederation of more than 50 Russian-owned businesses here and in Brooklyn, has aligned itself with the Molinari Republican Club (MRC) in an effort to increase the Russian community’s political and economic clout. . . . Fridman said that the Democrats “are going in an absolutely different direction,” focusing on “income redistribution” and rich-versus-poor “class war.”

Still think it’s a myth Tim? Ah if only we could go back to the days of the 50’s when people actually recognized socialism for what it was, right Frank?

Hey Tim why don’t you ask Clara Csiong…

Posted: October 13, 2010 by datechguy in opinion/news, short films/interviews, special events
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…if Obama should be called a socialist:

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner jabbed at Republicans on Tuesday evening for creating a “political myth” that President Obama is a socialist.

In case you’ve forgotten here is what Clara said

Geithner vs Csiong, who do you trust?

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