The Butterfly Effect: A British AAR

[Duritz]

Since the most damaging weapons available to the anarchists were machine guns, the damage shouldn't be severe. The factories should all be in working condition. As for materials, they're sitting on top of the largest Spanish port on the Mediterranean. The French merchants can now safely send weapons and materials over for the anarchists. It looks like their faction is going to be quite capable of resisting assimilation.

You may be right, the damage may not be too severe.

Unfortunately I can't agree with your quote about the port... having it is one thing, but who is going to supply these anarchists? Not France and definitely not Russia!

Also, the Anarchist aversion to money (hard currency especially) will mean that they can not pay for their purchases even if someone would sell to them. I fear the port of Barcelona will be severely under utilised.

Almost to the teddy porn page now!

Dury

 

[Nathan Madien]

Ahem. I think we need some tanks soon to return us to a more wholesome stream of thought. Almost at the end of the page.

There's nothing more wholesome than watching tanks blow stuff up.

 

[El Pip]

Zhuge Liang - I was tempted to have the anarchists collapse into the Spanish Anarchist Army and the Anarchist Army of Spain but I felt I couldn't without ruining the tone. I was probably sarcastic enough as it was.

Duritz - That was kind of the impression I got, though I think your a little harsh on the Basque. If that Catalans had carved out a sizeable and isolated territory I think they would have behaved in a similar way and focused more on the long term prospects of a Catalan state.

C&D - The region is indeed fairly intact, however I'm not sure how keen the French will be to supply a non-government faction. It's an additional complication in a region that's already confusing enough for Paris to keep control of.

loki100 - Thanks for that.

Davout - Killing the enemy without remorse is a useful quality. Killing people on your own side for 'looking at me in a funny way' is not useful, no matter how little remorse you feel about it.

I'd agree that it appears small scale anarchism works as does anarchism in a crisis. However an army is a big organisation and really shouldn't be run in a perpetual state of crisis and panic. It only ends in tears and/or the Mk V Covenanter. :shudder:

C&D - Fun fact. If you search for Anarchy of Paddington in google, your post is the top result.

sr999 - A first post from a lurker! Huzzah, I think there is some form of bounty I can claim for this. Always nice to see a new face along side the old crowd.

Nathan Madien - Smart readers are a double edged sword. While it's good for the ego to know smart people like your work, they are more likely to spot a mistake. On balance though I think it's worth it.

Davout - Good old Bear de Jour, the things that bear can do with marmalade are incredible. Not quite as filthy as Winifred-the-Pooh and the honey though.

Duritz - That is how I see it, fun as the Baltic contributions are they're not going to go a long way in the grand scheme of things. For some reason I keep thinking Mexico might support the Catalans as opposed to the main government, but I've no idea why.

Nathan Madien - I have to disagree - watching battleships blowing things up is also very wholesome.

 

[cdcdrr]

C&D - Fun fact. If you search for Anarchy of Paddington in google, your post is the top result.

Yes! The internet has made me famous, I'm a number 1 now! I am Oprah, I am Oprah!

That brings me one step closer to realizing my dream of founding a nation based on teddy bears, tea, and the complete absence of the rule of law. And now that we are not even close towards realizing that goal, I think it is time to establish some rules in the Anarchy of Paddington. First, I am to become president for life. Second, no man is to have unwholesome thoughts about tanks blowing stuff up. Third, a teddy bear is your friend. Moreso, the teddy bear is your lover, partner and confidante. Fourth, tea is to be drank at three o'clock. At four shalt thou not drink tea, nor shalt thou drink tea and two o'clock, and the time thou shalt drink tea shall be three o'clock. Five o'clock is right out.

 

[Derek Pullem]

Nathan Madien - I have to disagree - watching battleships blowing things up is also very wholesome.

I've always imagined the very definition of "wholesome" to be the scene during the Dunkirk evacuations (I think it was at Boulogne) where a destroyer moored alongside one of the quays was using her 4.5" guns in direct fire against the advancing Panzers! Always seemed a tad overkill but very satisfying.

 

[Duritz]

That was kind of the impression I got, though I think your a little harsh on the Basque. If that Catalans had carved out a sizeable and isolated territory I think they would have behaved in a similar way and focused more on the long term prospects of a Catalan state.

I concede the point Good Sir. I reported it as it happened without considering the circumstances.

That is how I see it, fun as the Baltic contributions are they're not going to go a long way in the grand scheme of things. For some reason I keep thinking Mexico might support the Catalans as opposed to the main government, but I've no idea why.

I had that same thought but as I couldn't reason it out I didn't mention it. I could justify the Mexicans selling to the Catalans, I could even accept them taking scant payment in return but I just couldn't formulate a way for Mexican flagships to reach Barcelona without becoming British target ships!

Dury.

 

[El Pip]

C&D - Frankly the Anarchy of Paddington sounds a terrible place to live. No thoughts of blowing things up AND only being allowed to drink tea at 5 o'clock?

Derek Pullem - Very satisfying indeed.

Duritz - It's a tricky one isn't it? What is needed is a fake customer in the Mediterranean who the Mexicans can ship to and then re-export to Barcelona. Hmmm, that gives me an idea, I think one of my earlier plot detours may finally have a use!

 

[Derek Pullem]

Derek Pullem - Very satisfying indeed.

FYI

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/09/a4439009.shtml

 

[Kurt_Steiner]

Now we mention anarchism... In my family, a distant cousin of mine became, in his early 18s, a convinced anarchist. He has married his eternal girlfried because he "doesn't bother about conventions and other lies of the burgeoise society" or some rubbish like that. He's against the system that "enslaves" us and, to give us a pratical example of that, he works as a civil servant of the Generalitat

Pip, I hope that your anarchists have less shit on their brains than my examplary cousin (in fact, he has no brains, only brown matter).

 

[cdcdrr]

C&D - Frankly the Anarchy of Paddington sounds a terrible place to live. No thoughts of blowing things up AND only being allowed to drink tea at 5 o'clock?

Three o'clock sir!

And who says you can't blow things up? You just have to think outside the box like Derek Pullem pointed out about the Dunkirk evacuation. And then there's always aircraft with their bombs. Sure, you may be a little restricted in terms of land vehicles, but no place is perfect.

 

[Duritz]

Duritz - It's a tricky one isn't it? What is needed is a fake customer in the Mediterranean who the Mexicans can ship to and then re-export to Barcelona. Hmmm, that gives me an idea, I think one of my earlier plot detours may finally have a use!

You have me intrigued. Still, the Mexicans don't have much to sell other than foodstuffs, obsolete rifles and a bit of oil. It won't exactly get the Calalunyan economy humming?

I await developments... and tanks, eagerly!

Dury.

 

[Nathan Madien]

Yes! The internet has made me famous, I'm a number 1 now! I am Oprah, I am Oprah!

That brings me one step closer to realizing my dream of founding a nation based on teddy bears, tea, and the complete absence of the rule of law. And now that we are not even close towards realizing that goal, I think it is time to establish some rules in the Anarchy of Paddington. First, I am to become president for life. Second, no man is to have unwholesome thoughts about tanks blowing stuff up. Third, a teddy bear is your friend. Moreso, the teddy bear is your lover, partner and confidante. Fourth, tea is to be drank at three o'clock. At four shalt thou not drink tea, nor shalt thou drink tea and two o'clock, and the time thou shalt drink tea shall be three o'clock. Five o'clock is right out.

Great Scott! We have found the next President of Egypt!

 

[RobbieAB]

I thought the Egyptians had camels, not teddy bears.

And thanks for the welcome Pip. I have been following this AAR for a LONG time in the weekly email form. It makes a good weekly read.

 

[Nathan Madien]

I thought the Egyptians had camels, not teddy bears.

As President, C&D can change that.

 

[El Pip]

Kurt_Steiner - But only by working for the government can you cousin bring them down from the inside! (Probably)

I know my anarchists wont be like that, but only because there wont be any government. There will be a people's worker's democratic council of the anarchist co-operative commune of free Catalunya! Yes that may look a lot like a government, but it isn't. Because they say it isn't mainly, but that's not the point.

C&D - The explosion limits I could accept, but tea only once a day? What kind of heathen are you? No man can start the day without the elixir of life, but it is equally vital to have tea to survive the long gap between lunch and the end of the day. No sir, I will resist the Anarchy of Paddington to the last tea leaf in my cup!

Duritz - The Mexican trade may not make the Anarchists a power house it's true, but anything that keeps them in the fight is an advantage over OTL. Even food, old rifles and ammo is enough to stop them having to 'merge' with the Republicans to survive.

For the long term there is always the Basque strategy - dig in around your homelands and let the Republicans do all the offensive fighting. If it works it's a marvellous plan. If.

Nathan Madien - He seems over-qualified, what are his views on Swiss Bank Accounts and embezzlement?

RobbieAB - I doubt I'd have kept going all that LONG time (or raced past the 300,000 view mark ) without a few people poking over the parapet and commenting. And who wouldn't like being told they write something people enjoy reading?

Nathan Madien - Alas I've just discovered the Egyptians are very much into their tea, having thrown out one dictator why would they replace him with President C&D who would suppress their tea rights?

Sorry C&D. Try and find a country that only drinks coffee to setup the Anarchy of Paddington in.

 

[trekaddict]

Well, I drink a cup or two of Coffee in the morning and usually a cup of Earl Grey in the afternoon. Does that count?

 

[El Pip]

Well, I drink a cup or two of Coffee in the morning and usually a cup of Earl Grey in the afternoon. Does that count?

It's really up to you, do you volunteer to be the first member of the Anarchy of Paddington under President for life C&D? You meet the tea requirements certainly, but I confess I'm not sure about your views on treating teddy bears as "lover, partner and confidante", which seems a bit extreme to me but is one of C&D laws.

 

[trekaddict]

It's not one of mine. I for one would drink more Tea if I could, but early in the morning I can't be bothered to make it myself....

 

[Duritz]

For the love of god, give me a H35 so I can blow these teddy bear fiddlers and tea drinking anarchists to hell!

An armour regiment on the road to Sevilla, surely my demand is not unreasonable!

Dury.

 

[Nathan Madien]

It's not one of mine. I for one would drink more Tea if I could, but early in the morning I can't be bothered to make it myself....

I don't drink tea myself. Never really got into it.