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Showing posts from September, 2021

sid meier and the meaning of civilization

https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/sid-meier-and-the-meaning-of-civilization   Sid Meier is famous for creating the video game Civilization. He’s also known for having his name on the box. Meier released Civilization thirty years ago this month, after developing it with Bruce Shelley, a veteran board-game designer. The pair were inspired by the illustrated history books you might find on a middle-school library shelf, and by titles like Seven Cities of Gold (1984), a video game of Spanish conquest created by the designer Danielle Berry. In Civilization, you start with a covered wagon on a map that is largely obscured. You found a city. You learn metalwork, horse riding, feudalism, democracy, and diplomatic relations. Eventually, the rest of the world is revealed—a patchwork of nations. You can dominate your neighbors or strive to outshine them. History rolls on. Civilization didn’t mark the first time Meier’s name appeared on a box. In 1987, we got Sid Meier...

Why The U.S. Failed in Afghanistan

https://medium.com/@athamidi9/why-the-u-s-failed-in-afghanistan-c409d8471538   Why The U.S. Failed in Afghanistan Few mistakes are as damaging and as difficult to unwind as a bad hire. Companies such as Googl e and Apple have a policy to leave key positions unfulfilled, even when there are cost ramifications, as opposed to filling the position with mediocrity. Moreover, successful corporations speak about a “no jerks” policy which clarifies that no amount of contribution can make up for a lack of character. The failure of Afghanistan and the US intervention rests mainly on backing the wrong horse from the get-go. When we unmask what transpired we find that, far more than jerks, America backed individuals with gut wrenching records of abuse, corruption and incompetence. Senior government officials in Afghanistan included members who are accused of war crimes and human rights violations. It had members who were mired in corruption and far too many who are incompetent. Wi...