For instance, the Civ games are basically Whig History: The Game, presenting liberal capitalism as the ideal end point for all societies. It even includes uncivilized "barbarian tribes" whose sole purpose is to be exterminated so you can take their land for the glory of capitalism.

  • ssjmarx [he/him]
    ·
    2 years ago

    All three of the "futuristic societies" are different flavors of capitalist hell too. I don't have to explain "corporate libertarianism", but the description for "synthetic technocracy" sounds like the ultimate perpetuation of the modern status quo with computers and allegedly apolitical experts being put in charge of everything, and "digital democracy" sounds better but only because it doesn't address the role of something like corporate mass media misinformation in a country where policy is decided through referendum.

    Though I guess if you played as a communist in the previous era you'll have the "class struggle" civic so you can imagine that your society has defeated the bourgeoisie and evolved the Mass Line into a kind of radical participatory democracy and that your "cultural victory" is actually the victory of communism sweeping the world and finally displacing the capitalist mode of production, but none of that is actually in the game.

    • captcha [any]
      ·
      2 years ago

      I interpreted "Synthetic Technocracy" as next gen space-communism as it clearly had the same perks as communism had (prod and sci bonuses) and likely means a centrally planned economy. I don't think they meant technocratic in the way we understand it. It's not like us and the game devs are on the same wave length. Did enjoy that "corporate libertarianism" was the stand-in for next gen fascism. Felt that was accurate.

      PS: had to look up what they meant by "synthetic technocracy"

      Technocracy is government by experts in the technical details of specific issues, who presumably best understand both the problems at hand and how various technological redresses can improve the society at large. A synthetic technocracy is one where the experts in governance could include non-human agents.

      Basically the Will Smith I, Robot fantasy. Fully automated central planning. About as naively realistic as "digital democracy", ie democracy via reddit like algorithms.