Category: A Hostile Takeover

Content related to A Hostile Takeover project.

Shadowbark

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in A Hostile Takeover, Novel, Topix

“Who came up with this system?” – Bubblehead43

“Which system? Legal slavery? The Government!” – Diktator_J

“There is no such thing. International law is clear, No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.” – Shadowbark

“Dude, human trafficking is the largest industry in the world today. Figures vary, but around 620 million people worldwide are officially classed as economic slaves.” Diktator_J

“It is still outlawed by every single government in the international community.” Shadowbark

“In Arctica, debt bondage is legal. A person becomes a slave to work off a debt, in which the length and nature of work is never defined, so it becomes a never-ending cycle with the debt being passed down to the children thereby enslaving offspring. That’s 80% of the world’s population.” – Diktator_J

“That does not define slavery. Free will is at play here.” – Shadowbark

“Contract slavery! A homeless, starving person these days can sell themselves into slavery. You work for some bastard corporation without pay, and in return, you get food and shelter. Where is the choice in that?” – Diktator_J

“Having one human being working for another in order to live is slavery. Shouldn’t basic necessities in life be free?” – Bubblehead43

“We have to work in order to get money in order to buy shelter and food to live. If we don’t work, we don’t get any money to buy food and we die.” Shadowbark

“We have the technology if we really wanted to.” – Bubblehead43

“Bubblehead, you’re a fucking idiot.” Shadowbark

WAVE://2T33:ENG7:55Y1:O009:11QW:TOST/shadowbark.vox

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The Corporatist Manifesto

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in A Hostile Takeover, Novel, Topix

“Having the government against you is a bad thing. It all boils down to a matter of trust. How can you trust these short-term, career bureaucrats whose only goal is advancing into a position of influence, use this influence to benefit, and then retire handsomely? They promise the world but forget you the minute your usefulness as a political pawn ceases. They don’t really care about the individual. It isn’t their job to care.”

FRANK TUCKER – CEO of MercurEx >>02.64545.the_corporatist_manifesto^frank_tucker^mercurex^CORE
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Supernations, Mega City-States and Virtual Countries

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in A Hostile Takeover, Economics

Writing science fiction gives an author the opportunity to have a go at predicting the future. For me, the best tool I always find helpful is this; in order to build a world in which to set the novel, you start by going back into history. ‘To see the future, one must look into the past’ and follow the trends. In the case of ‘A Hostile Takeover,’ I began by asking ‘What is a nation? A state? A country?’ and then went on to research different types of sovereign nations throughout history.

I followed the trends and discovered the future of the world’s political landscape is obvious and surprising. The one prediction that seems most definite among all the others is that the nation-states we live in today are not static, rigid institutions, but evolving, changing political creatures.

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Splatterjobs

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in A Hostile Takeover, Novel, Topix

“Suicide by leaping from a tall office block during times of recession is a myth spawning from the old century. After Octavo A. committed murder-suicide when he jumped to his death and skull crashed his former boss, an event he shared with a billion people to date, the practice has become the past time for fatalists, pessimists and miscreants alike.
At one point during the deepest part of the depression, around recession nadir seven, a suicide a day was purported  to have occurred. Now when you look outside a window and see some poor devil flying down to zeroland, one can’t help but think, are the gangs now disguising their murders as splatterjobs.”

TRAVION, CAST23533XCT10_TRAVION^MOJOBLUE^^CORE

splatterjobs

Why we have the Five Internets

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in A Hostile Takeover, Novel, Topix

“This is why we have five internet platforms right now. When hacker/pirates created the Angry Tree Protocol it hamstrung the original Cobweb. Two secure, private networks emerged from the anarchy. One using optical technology, the other satellite-based, they tried to monetise information to the point of squeezing the average citizen out of the educational loop. Next thing you know, Episoft’s peer-to-peer system gives free access back to the people. Not as good as Definition+ as provided by Satnet and Ambercast, but I invested my client’s money in them anyway. Look at them now.”

James Tucker, CEO of MercurEx, james_tucker^mercurex^CORE

Five Internets

Economy of War

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in A Hostile Takeover, Novel, Topix

The depression has endured for 22 years; fuelled by ecological wars brought on by extreme climate change, i.e. drought and flooding. Now, as the nadir of the ninth recession grips the world, the warring parties have finally run out of hard currency.

Officially, all the warring factions are still at war, but technically, their military campaigns have stalled. The arms industry finds it unprofitable to keep supplying weapons to penniless factions as promised resource assets are almost never delivered or hardly secure.

Now, towards the end of the depression, the corporate sector has built up mercenary armies in an effort to secure these resources. This added security has helped ease the depression, by allowing the bankster class to make money again.

Economy_Of_War^FeederHouse^^CORE

Economy of War

The Obliteration of the Brand

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in A Hostile Takeover, Novel, Topix

“96.3 per cent of commercial brands were wiped out during the first ten years of the economic recession.”

Holographon, The_Obliteration_of_the_Brand^Holographon^^CORE

Economic recessions

The thirty years of economic recession have had profound consequences on businesses and industries, decimating commercial brands, leading to a staggering decline of 96.3 per cent.

During a prolonged economic recession, businesses often struggle to maintain profitability due to reduced consumer spending, tightening credit, and increased operating costs. Many companies were forced to close their doors or declare bankruptcy, unable to sustain their operations in a challenging economic climate. This resulted in a significant reduction in the number of commercial brands, as companies fail to weather the economic storm.

Prolonged economic recessions typically lead to reduced consumer purchasing power, as unemployment rates rise, incomes stagnate, and consumer confidence wanes. As a result, consumer demand for non-essential goods and services diminishes, causing a decline in sales and revenues for businesses. With a shrinking customer base, many brands struggled to generate sufficient demand to sustain their operations, further contributing to their decline and disappearance from the market.

Surviving businesses sought strategies to weather the storm. One common approach was mergers and acquisitions, leading to industry consolidation. Larger, more financially stable companies acquired struggling brands, absorbing their assets and intellectual property. Consequently, the number of commercial brands would decrease as independent entities are absorbed or integrated into larger conglomerates.

Most brands struggled to pivot their business models, update their products or services, or meet changing consumer demands. This inability to adapt could contribute to their downfall and eventual disappearance from the market. Lack of innovation and failure to address evolving consumer conditions led to the inevitable collapse of most brands during an unforeseeable prolonged economic downturn.

Superzoids die Superquick

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in A Hostile Takeover, Novel, Topix

“As a new generation adapts to the new oral technology, literacy rates are set to plunge within the next two decades. Already the cheaper manifestations of zoids have made it unnecessary for a vast number of humans to read or write. With the cost of education skyrocketing, the use of language will inevitably devolved into what it was millennia ago.”

JUNK_D Superzoids_die_Superquick^Junk.D^^CORE
oral technologies

The Rise of Oral Technology

With the advent of new oral technologies, the ability to communicate and access information has become more convenient and intuitive. Speech recognition software, virtual assistants, and voice-controlled devices have made it easier for individuals to interact with technology using spoken commands. As these technologies become increasingly affordable and integrated into everyday life, there is a likelihood that reading and writing skills will become less necessary for basic communication and information retrieval.

The increasing accessibility of oral technology may lead to a decline in literacy rates. As more individuals rely on spoken communication and voice-based interfaces, the motivation and necessity to acquire strong reading and writing skills may diminish. This could result in reduced emphasis on literacy education, leading to a decline in the overall literacy levels within the population. Such a decline could have significant consequences for individual opportunities, economic productivity, and the ability to engage critically with written information.

Education

Another contributing factor to the potential decline in literacy rates is the escalating cost of education. Higher education and even basic literacy programs have become increasingly unaffordable for many individuals, particularly in marginalized communities. The prohibitive costs restrict access to quality education, perpetuating educational inequalities and limiting opportunities for individuals to develop essential literacy skills. Consequently, those who are unable to afford education may become more reliant on oral technology, further marginalizing the importance of reading and writing.

If literacy rates decline significantly, it is possible that language could evolve and revert to a state reminiscent of ancient times. Millennia ago, societies relied heavily on oral traditions and verbal communication for transmitting knowledge and preserving cultural heritage. With the increasing prominence of oral technology, written language may become less prevalent, and the emphasis on spoken communication may rise. This could lead to shifts in linguistic structures, vocabulary, and the use of non-verbal communication, as society adapts to a new norm that prioritizes oral forms of information exchange.

While the proliferation of oral technologies has undoubtedly transformed communication and information access, concerns regarding declining literacy rates and language evolution are valid. It is essential to strike a balance between embracing technological advancements and preserving the crucial skills associated with reading and writing. Maintaining robust literacy education programs and making education more affordable and accessible will be pivotal in mitigating the potential negative consequences. By ensuring that individuals are equipped with strong literacy skills alongside oral technological literacy, society can navigate the evolving landscape and foster a future that values both oral and written forms of communication.