Kaiserreich (1)

Flying in 8 hours.

So, there was another conversation. “Don’t be fooled by that vulnerability ‘chicken-soup’.” It’s always about Migliorare, about being stronger, and always an independent journey since long long ago.

I left with a promise to talk about Huey Long, so here it is.

My obsession to Kaiserreich, a HOI4 game mod, started since last year in college till this June. It came with that so-called “political depression” I had regarding the changing world. The mod provided a perfect platform where one may explore a whole spectrum of ideologies and alternate situation.

Huey Long, in particular, is one of the options, a fascinating path. To be concise, in a short 33-year life, he grew from a country boy to a respected lawyer, then politician, governor, and finally being shot as senator. Being accused of de-facto dictatorship, he greatly promoted the well-being of Louisianna, boosted education, infrastructure, and social equality. He was on the road to his dream: “every man a king”, but was sadly shot on the way.

That day when I was visiting the congress building, wandering on the streets of Baton Rouge, people all showed their pity and respect to that legendary leader. Yet the style of the magnificent tower, the authority of statues, and the quasi-insane enthusiasm once people had towards him are quite dangerous.

Long, along with Jack Reed, are the most profound inspirations I got from Kaiserreich. “Man, a life like that? Totally worth it.”

But why I could not find someone in the OTL that makes me feel the same way(Peng Huang, maybe)? Perhaps it’s the idea of “having a second chance in the alternate universe.” A mixed-legendary-tragic life in OTL, and a could-have-been perfect fantasy in KR, somehow compensated for the uncertainty of my unpredictable future.

There’s a lot more to talk about Long, Reed, and other KR/political admiration I had, but those feelings faded a little in recent months, partly thanks to a busy schedule and an improving mentality. Nonetheless, I do decide to continue to read and learn from them, figuring out if there’s something I can do in this 2020s that is as full of uncertainties, turmoil, and opportunities as 100 years ago was.