I think the way forward is to have socialism provide all necessities for people - meal kits, utilities, shelter, transport, free gasoline, healthcare, and so forth that are designed to be boring but effective. Capitalism can be used to obtain luxuries - a wider variety of food, fancier cars, bigger houses, brazilian buttlifts, singing bass decorations, and so forth. Money is solely used for such things.

By doing it this way, people can choose to protest or strike without suffering too much from doing so. Work becomes optional, since survival is ensured. Combined with imposing floors and ceilings on wealth, we can promote democracy and socialism, without sacrificing the vitality of a healthy capitalism.

My homebrew is Universal Ranked Income, or URI. There are at least two jokes in that shorthand.

Anyhow, the premise is that everyone gets a Rank 0 income with universal benefits by default. $10k is given to every citizen each year, money being solely used for lifestyle rather than necessity. Higher ranks replace the income of lower ones. Schooling is a job with an income based on grades, $12k-$20k range of income. Rank 2 is jobs like being a waitress or clerk, giving $40k. Astronauts fall into the highest category of R5, thus they get $100k. All jobs are ranked according to objective Effort, Risk, and Knowledge metrics. Employers can’t pay more or less than the income rank, nor offer benefits to select employees.

Essentially, there are absolute floors and ceilings on income and wealth. Everyone also gets issued standard items like food, clothing, cars, and so forth, but these are very generic - you spend money to get clothes with interesting patterns, varied food, bigger cars, larger shelter, and so forth. Capitalism is reserved for things that need to be attractive, while socialism is used to ensure survival and wellbeing.

True. Even the Nordic Model nations are backsliding from what I hear. It is why I think that we need to try an wholly artificial economic system, with rules and principles. Similar to a Constitution’s framework, but focused on providing for the wellbeing of all citizens.

I would prefer to work a job than to grind in a videogame. Unfortunately, Americans live in a nation where bad working conditions, low pay, heavy competition, instability, and ghost jobs makes job seeking unpalatable.

American capitalism is a cancer.

If they got the coop working and user-friendly, I might be able to convince someone to join me for a playthrough. Regardless, I will certainly pick up a copy - SS2 deserves my money, and I want Night Dive to keep bringing back the good stuff.

I already tried it about a month and a half ago. Linux is really user-unfriendly if you got games that aren’t Steam exclusive or like modding. I got lots of older games or ones meant for a Japanese locale system, and I had issues with installing DLC via Heroic Games Launcher / Lutris / or just getting Mini Galaxy to work properly.

In any case, I want Steam to work with the EU on a EU Linux, since they got lots of money, data, and influence to help develop the distro. Plus, Gabe doesn’t want his platform locked onto Windows, so you got a personal motivation for Steam to seriously cooperate with the EU. The EU can put lighter sanctions on Steam if people buy games while using EU Linux. This would help drive adoption and normalize Linux usage among normal people after a decade or so.

I hope Lucas makes an official Amerika DLC. It is important that Paper’s Please message is not treated as anti-communist, but anti-totalitarian.

I would like the EU to make an official universal Linux distro, intended for the ordinary person to use on their PC. Bonus points if they can collaborate with Steam to make it compatible with gaming stuff. The big reason I stuck to Windows 11 is for the sake of games, but if compatibility and ease of use to customize was improved, I would be happy to switch away.

The big thing that the EU can bring to the project is contributing lots of money for making Linux suitable as a daily driver, along with mandating its usage on government machines.

“Hello, is this Canada? I got a vermin infestation in a White House that could use fumigation. Do it like how you did in 1814. It is too far gone to be saved.”