Hey folks. The world is burning literally and figuratively, so I’m going on a bit of a political rant here today. This newsletter has first and foremost become an archive of my thoughts and this week I’ve had plenty. I’ve been angry, sad, and tired and I’ll write about it to get it out of my system.

How Am I Doing?

I’ve since calmed down, but I was so very angry at the world this past week. If you didn’t get the memo, Trump is gutting the USA and turning it into his own little regime. That’s nothing new or particularly unique, but the richest person in the world decided to take his mask off and Nazi salute the crowd at the US president’s inauguration, twice. If you somehow have doubts that is what Musk intended, I like to gently remind you that he’s been generously donating to extreme right parties all over the globe. Not the least of which is the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party in Germany, where he made a little speech with this beast of a quote:

“It’s good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything,”

If the richest person in the world can get away with a Nazi salute publically and unapologetically at the official inauguration of one of the most powerful politicians in the world, that’s bad news. It signals to racists, homophobes, and misogynists from all over the world that it’s okay to come out of their little holes. It doesn’t help that Trump is buddying up with all the richest people in the world on whose services we rely.

Unless Europe somehow bands together overnight and becomes a shining beacon of ethics and progressive ideals taking a stance against such crimes, I’m afraid the trend of organizations with fascist end goals taking office here will continue as well.

Naturally, that makes me angry. Why? Because I don’t want to live in a world where people’s rights are eroded and I stand and watch to take care of only myself and my needs. We’ve seen this shit before, and not all that long ago, go ask your grandparents.

What Am I Doing?

So, what am I going to do about it? Well, obviously it’s not exactly in my power to change the global theater singlehandedly. And game design seems like a pretty irrelevant skill when it comes to staving off state influence. Doesn’t it?

Well, it doesn’t have to be. I’m a firm believer in pooling people’s skill sets. What you’re good at can always be used in some recontextualized way to help out or build community. That brings me to the craft of crisis games. These are games designed to practice, plan, and pre-empt certain problems. They’re tools to simulate and strategize things like the flow of resources, rally people’s support, and navigate risky situations.

I think testing out plans for counter-protesting, community mobilizing, sharing vital information and even propaganda can help a ton in times of opression. Now, if any state agent or big corp sees this post in the future, know that this is all hypothetical. I just like designing games! It’s all roleplay, baby!

Why Am I Doing? (this)

It shouldn’t be controversial to denounce Nazis. It shouldn’t be controversial to denounce xenophobia. It shouldn’t be controversial to want to live in a society where people have equal rights, no matter where they come from. Yet somehow, in a cruel twist of fate, we’re living in an age of fear and misinformation where people are once again exploited by the same old fascist tricks.

If you’re not convinced yet, let’s take a look at some hallmarks of fascism:

1. Populism centered on a strong, infallible leader, who never admits mistakes.
2. Talk about questioning the status quo and play on people’s feelings of fear and anger.
3. Fixation on their country’s decline, morally or as perceived weakness.
4. Oppose any initiatives or institutions that are racially, ethnically, or religiously harmonious.
5. Disregard for human rights except for those they define as part of the nation.
6. Uses scapegoat minority groups to blame the nation’s problems on.
7. Supremacy of the military and embrace of paramilitarism in an uneasy, but effective
   collaboration with traditional elites. Fascists arm people and justify and glorify violence as “redemptive”.
8. Rampant sexism.
9. Control of mass media and popular opinion.
10. Obsession with national security, crime and punishment, and fostering a sense of the nation under attack.
11. Religion and government are intertwined.
12. Corporate power is protected and labor power is suppressed.
13. Disdain for intellectuals and the arts not aligned with the fascist narrative.
14. Rampant corruption. Loyalty to the leader is paramount and often more important than competence.
15. Fraudulent elections and erosion of democracy.
16. An end goal of expanding the nation’s territory, through force.

Easy Answers

Now how did we get here? Trauma allows for the embrace of the irrational. The cost of living has gone through the roof, owning houses for young people is out of the question and our promotions are not enough to beat inflation. We don’t know what news is real or fake. We turn to social media for answers from people who haven’t fact-checked anything before piling wood on the fire.

We’re desperately craving for someone to tell us a plain answer. “Blame immigrants” is a plain answer. Is it the truth? Who cares, we’re just looking for anything understandable to grasp onto. The problem is that it doesn’t stop at deporting immigrants, does it? Because that actually doesn’t fix any of the issues we’re experiencing. No, any other scapegoat is next on the chopping block.

If you don’t see these traits manifest in your country, consider yourself lucky. If you do, I suggest you start thinking about what you personally, can do about it. Maybe start by getting mad. We’ll workshop it from there.