Look to the West Volume IX: The Electric Circus

[Born in the USSA]

I love love love love LOVE Societist updates! Absolutely fascinating, excellent work @Thande!

the neosocietists still using novalatina is alien.

Old Eurasian hasn't been reconstructed though, what else would they use? I'd expect far more safely sanitized loanwords given which faction of the Black Guards came out on top, likely to the point that it's only "latina" in name only. There's a joke about the Worldwide Latina Belt theory in here somewhere 😂

Also the cultural Revolution was written in a way that reflects the real world chaos of events like the chinese cultural revolution. A question i have is how the average combinean would feel trapped under udarkismo if they don’t know much about the actual world, and another is what the unichurch preaches c. 1950 if they omitted the bible.

Agreed, the chaos of ideological purification is always interesting from a safe remove. As to the former there's likely an acute realization of material decline no matter how antimaterial TTL's ideologies are. International Mentianism forever! Maybe a Societist Mentianism synthesis could crop up in the victorious Diversitarianism of the present 🤔 As to the latter given their idealization of PIE I could easily see a monotheistic God with "facets" that represented syncretized polytheistic deities centered around the Old Eurasian pantheon— of course on paper there's only one universal deity but in practice expect a proliferation of archetypes that fundamentally shoots that assertion in the back of the head.

Also the Societist leadership feeling left behind and with opportunities for expansion narrowing, backing japanese societism and knocking out moscow with the first use of nukes ever seem like reasonable options to them - but that still leaves america, europe and china as centers of power, never mind the eternal state and danubia as centers of refuge for combine dissidents

This is true, it helps that Russia is the most psychotically Diversitarian, so there are good ideological reasons to strike as well. Still incredibly curious how divergent Japan is going to be. Realistically a lighter touch with Danubia and the Eternal State would provide valuable release valves, but I understand that's ideologically unpalatable.

Additionally interest what French assistance to african leaders (of independent states or colonies?) will look like and under what terms

Given French history I can assume it will be incredibly patronizing.

Ok, wow. This is easily one of the best chapters you've put out for LTTW thus far, Thande, if not the best. The Combine has always been the biggest mystery of the TL, and fleshing out such an alien entity is always fascinating.

Agreed, I loved it.

Love the Afro-Nusantaran element taking control; an interesting turn from its closest comparison in OTL, the USSR, keeping control around its traditional Orthodox core (if not exclusively ethnically Slavic).

If we look at the Combine under Alfarus as "50s America with Esperanto", the Black Guards become a mirror to some sort of wild ATL where the New Left succeeds beyond their wildest dreams 😂

This now leads to the question of what exactly the Sunrise War is; a lot of the hypotheses have suggested the Combine uses nuclear weapons, but with the devastation of their scientific base, it makes me wonder if some other country will end up atomizing Moscow and Petrograd...maybe even the Russians themselves.

My guess is the Japanese Societists either steal them from the Russian program somehow or make some sort of pioneering step given how far behind the curve TTL is in physics. Since obviously the Japanese Societists would at best be only lightly exposed to the Silent Revolution they may maintain the original Alfaran light touch with scientists. It would be hilarious if the most heterodox example of the most "evil" ideology ended up being the first to succeed where everyone else had failed.

The Societism of Japan is mentioned to emerge independently and given geography and the failed Combine raid on Formosa should operate as its own thing.

My theory is that they'll be a grab bag of discarded doctrines, IE Orthodox Sanchezistas meet Garderistas meet Old Eurasian speakers. The idea that a region with no ties to PIE would be the only one speaking it is amusing to me.

Also if Russia gets nuked what happens to its remaining colonies in Namibia, Micronesia etc?

Absorbed into the broader Combine most likely, realistically it's a relatively easy win for them to make and gives them something to show they're still expanding.

 

[Simeon]

Thande has a map thread in SLP but due to site rules, it is difficult to see the full image unless you are a member over there

How can we access it anyway? Is it something locked behind a paywall?

 

[Born in the USSA]

How can we access it anyway? Is it something locked behind a paywall?

Pretty sure you just need to make an account but I haven't looked into it

 

[Analytical Engine]

Pretty sure you just need to make an account but I haven't looked into it

That is correct, but you need to have the account verified by one of their mods first IIRC.

 

[Born in the USSA]

That is correct, but you need to have the account verified by one of their mods first IIRC.

That's hardly surprising, new accounts here need to be approved as well

 

[Simeon]

Pretty sure you just need to make an account but I haven't looked into it

That is correct, but you need to have the account verified by one of their mods first IIRC.

That's hardly surprising, new accounts here need to be approved as well

What does it take for it to be approved though, user engagement?

 

[Analytical Engine]

What does it take for it to be approved though, user engagement?

No, you have to have your account activated before you are allowed to post.

 

[Masteroftheuniverse]

It seems appropriate that the Latin-speaking combine has ended up with the same succession issues as the Roman Empire.

 

[Beatriz]

Weren’t there mentions of expanding Societist power in India in the past volumes, particularly around Guntoor? Given that the continents of ITTL are as follows:
1. North America (Carolina)
2, south America (all of it)
3. africa (central africa up to the Great Lakes and down to the Kalahari)
4. Europe (Iberia)
5. Nusantara (everything except Malaya and Sumatra)
6. Pacifica (?)
7. Antipodea (?)
8. Australia (?)
9. Asia (?)

 

[Leonidas]

Agreed, the chaos of ideological purification is always interesting from a safe remove. As to the former there's likely an acute realization of material decline no matter how antimaterial TTL's ideologies are. International Mentianism forever! Maybe a Societist Mentianism synthesis could crop up in the victorious Diversitarianism of the present 🤔 As to the latter given their idealization of PIE I could easily see a monotheistic God with "facets" that represented syncretized polytheistic deities centered around the Old Eurasian pantheon— of course on paper there's only one universal deity but in practice expect a proliferation of archetypes that fundamentally shoots that assertion in the back of the head.

It's so weird how people seem to have become way worse at discerning that other countries and cultures can have different perspectives, like how so many of these audiences get angry when a speaker refers to a historical figure from another country as a "hero" or otherwise hints that their own narrative isn't always right. Maybe it's exaggerated for dramatic effect about the influence of Diversitarianism, but it doesn't speak well of how much casual xenophobia is normalized. I'm surprised that a world where "heritage points of controversy" are an institutional form of mudslinging and violence doesn't have conflicts left, right, and center. Then again, with how performative it sometimes is, the people in charge who participate in international institutions (though they'd never call them that) must be able to recognize that the world can't function peacefully without cooperation. If the way to do that is by paying lip service to these feuds and encouraging a safe level of passive violence and intolerance, they're clearly willing to do so. It stands to reason that other groups, like the Mentians whose far-left wing presumably shares socialists' belief in internationalism, would also use that strategy of pretending to stand alone if it means they can have unity by a different name.

 

[Beatriz]

It seems like Diversitarianism with its emphasis on nationalism and subjectivism might even inspire extremiists to 1) declare war between the nations after the Combine is destroyed 2) terror for the sake of the localization of power from the nations to sub-national entities like @Petike ‘s Regionalist ideology in his Sparrows Avenger timeline where nations are seen as Combines in miniature

 

[Born in the USSA]

It's so weird how people seem to have become way worse at discerning that other countries and cultures can have different perspectives, like how so many of these audiences get angry when a speaker refers to a historical figure from another country as a "hero" or otherwise hints that their own narrative isn't always right.

Not really, when the integrity of the system depends on instilling the belief that your personal positions on every facet of historical culture war are both correct and important enough to be worth fighting over in every single person simultaneously.

Maybe it's exaggerated for dramatic effect about the influence of Diversitarianism, but it doesn't speak well of how much casual xenophobia is normalized.

If it had been an Timeline-L source I would 100% believe those audience responses were added to the record as a form of manufacturing dissent.

I'm surprised that a world where "heritage points of controversy" are an institutional form of mudslinging and violence doesn't have conflicts left, right, and center. Then again, with how performative it sometimes is, the people in charge who participate in international institutions (though they'd never call them that) must be able to recognize that the world can't function peacefully without cooperation. If the way to do that is by paying lip service to these feuds and encouraging a safe level of passive violence and intolerance, they're clearly willing to do so. It stands to reason that other groups, like the Mentians whose far-left wing presumably shares socialists' belief in internationalism, would also use that strategy of pretending to stand alone if it means they can have unity by a different name.

It's not internationalism! It's a golden mean standardization for the sake of national trade! On that note the very idea that the gold standard is held up as a pinnacle TTL is a moral obscenity to me 😂

It seems like Diversitarianism with its emphasis on nationalism and subjectivism might even inspire extremiists to 1) declare war between the nations after the Combine is destroyed 2) terror for the sake of the localization of power from the nations to sub-national entities like @Petike ‘s Regionalist ideology in his Sparrows Avenger timeline where nations are seen as Combines in miniature

We've already seen that there are poison gas attacks by Neopuritan Anglo-supremacists TTL. Even if the higher ups of the nations are able to keep differences purely performative sectarian terror attacks must be horrifyingly common in the present day TTL, especially given the global emphasis on deliberate individual alienation.

 

[Born in the USSA]

Actually for that matter I could see an analogue of Auntology rising up and catching on as a natural consequence of Diversitarianism. Every large country is forged by conquering and absorbing/exterminating smaller culture units, of course. It's your patriotic duty to destroy Societism by tearing apart France in the name of reasserting Burgundian identity! The ASN, now with over 3000 city states and micronations!

 

[Analytical Engine]

Actually for that matter I could see an analogue of Auntology rising up and catching on as a natural consequence of Diversitarianism. Every large country is forged by conquering and absorbing/exterminating smaller culture units, of course. It's your patriotic duty to destroy Societism by tearing apart France in the name of reasserting Burgundian identity!

And at the same time your patriotic duty to eradicate Neo-Burgundianism.

Every possible viewpoint is a hyper-superposition of correct, incorrect and everything in between, as is good and proper!

 

[King of Danes]

Jesus what an update! The societists are truly something else

Also, interesting to see an update for the Moronites. A shame that they are almost destroyed though

 

[Born in the USSA]

And at the same time your patriotic duty to eradicate Neo-Burgundianism.

Every possible viewpoint is a hyper-superposition of correct, incorrect and everything in between, as is good and proper!

As they all keep to the gold standard and maintain Great Firewalls and completely arbitrary but incompatible systems of weights and measures!

 

[245]

As they all keep to the gold standard and maintain Great Firewalls and completely arbitrary but incompatible systems of weights and measures!

Honestly for them, I feel that a gold destandard would have made more sense for economic Diversitarianism.

 

[Born in the USSA]

Honestly for them, I feel that a gold destandard would have made more sense for economic Diversitarianism.

I had that exact same thought! The ASN should assign every country a random material of specific purity to base their economy on. Alternatively fiat currencies work perfectly well for exactly that sort of competing national currencies.

 

[245]

I had that exact same thought! The ASN should assign every country a random material of specific purity to base their economy on. Alternatively fiat currencies work perfectly well for exactly that sort of competing national currencies.

And it can just be as prestigious as this timeline gold standard!

 

[Umbric Man]

Everyone's talking on what a major entry this rightly is, yet here I am just quietly losing it in horror at the *Mormons influencing a huge part of the Silent Revolution in the worst way possible.