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Description
Mankind... are the children of Adam. They inherit the wisdom of knowing and naming bestowed upon their father by their God. It is these gifts that have allowed them to rediscover God and fellow man time and time again, as they recognize the branching of their race into many nations as the will and test yet blessing all the same of their lord. We have reached a zaman(era) where mankind has grown closer together then ever. Where they have learned about themselves and each other more then ever. Where they have more capacity to truth and trust then ever before. Hence the persisting discord and doubt plaguing our world today cannot be more tormenting and saddening, as this is proof of our lack in gratitude for His Grace and Mercy. Yet I implore you not to lose faith in the flames of struggle and the Light of God in the heart of every man. For I believe in the infinite God's Love and Mercy for all His creation, and that He will welcome those who reach for Him by reaching them with greater haste. God knows best of Mankind's yearning for unity and advance towards deeper knowledge of Him in His universe. He has willed that our mankind, is noble.

- Halif-e Islam Sultan Murad-i Sadis Han of Devlet-i Aliye(Ottoman Empire), quoted from his Imperial speech welcoming the new millenium in year 2000

----------------------------------------------------------------------

This world diverged from ours in 1876, when certain Minister of War Husseyin Avni Pasha survived his assassination by a low ranking officer who bore grudge against him for demoting him to remote posting in Libya. His bullets all missed, and he was executed in vain. Husseyin Avni Pasha still living meant there was a senior figure everybody respected and accepted to lead them in the upcoming war of Russian invasion in 1877, successfully repelling it. Balkans avoided partition as a result, although the christian vassals of Serbia and Romania were still granted independence by the western powers. This is an Ottoman Empire three times stronger then the one losing to Russia in our world as it resumed the previous growth since Tanzimat, leading to first reabsorption of Egypt when Urabi Revolt erupted and later daring expedition to liberate aceh from Dutch occupation, but also ultimately caused the first World War as Britain felt especially threatened by the threat Ottomans posed to her Indian colony and increasing German influence or them. The way the war proceeded and how much more defensible Ottoman geography is here, Ottoman Empire was left as the sole Central Power standing without ever entering war with United States, and after incessant British refusal to reconcile and form anti communist front would sign detente with Soviet Union instead and diverted resources and troops to chase entente invaders out of their territories. Inter War period the first boom of industrialization in Ottoman Empire after capitulations were abolished during the war, and this is the point where "local" modernity was formed. From the beginning, even under capitulations the unbroken unity between Levant and Rumelian markets kept the pace for the growth of native, mainly muslim middle class, which were quickly accommodated by rising parliamentary system(here not suspended until 1908), in effect bringing them to the cosmopolitan culture already present among Ottoman bureaucratic and officer elites.

The second is what was developing just before WW1 and during Interwar period, that is legal regime for corporations and labor relations, partly in reaction to growing labor movements during the period but ultimately laying down the legal basis for muslim capital control. Two among most important Ottoman exports to the rest of Muslim World as they bounced back from colonial hangover to reassert capital sovereignty. This is what became the foundation of Indian Rim economic region, an entity that will really change the Cold War between capitalism and socialism down the road, because geographically it was also a struggle between continental and maritime empires in Soviet Union and United States respectively, where Ottoman Empire and Islamic World drive the wedge in between and especially against total US global control of the seas which is foundational to post-WW2 free trade regime. Thus, after the fall of Soviet Union, the remaining global powers of United States and Ottoman Empire were left to decide the future of global system, and they've been always at odds over it.

THE WORLD

There is a debate over which point in history that truly caused the present day. Was it Ottoman expedition to Sumatra that riled up muslim belligerence world wide? Was it the New York Treaty between US and Ottomans to put control mechanism over global oil price? Was it the rise of international network of muslim diasporas crisscrossing Indian Ocean and forming connections that spilled over beyond the lines of faith and culture? Was it Bretton-Woods Conference, which officiated US Dollar as global reserve currency de facto before the last gasp of gold standard 2 decades after? Or was it Ottoman attempt to create a third bloc separate from both US or Soviet Union over muslim and decolonized worlds? Most people however would draw history from the most significant cultural past they can remember, which were the rise of Counter Culture in US that proceeded to engulf the whole world and the eruption of brutal Spanish Civil War from 1969 to 1972, In the end however culture is but a reflection of larger politics and economy. What were the larger politics and economy in question, though? Mainly the first signs of failures of Keynesian economics that went against global proliferation of industrial revolution, showing their symptoms such as episodic stagflations. Yet in absence of a Saudi Kingdom and Israel in this world, Oil Embargo Crisis never happened, which as the consequence prolonged the legitimacy and lifeblood of Keynesian New Deal welfare state in US, which was good for further investments in technology such as alternative energy sources, mainly nuclear. Yet it was not good for solvency, profit rate and overall US global hegemony, which was beset by semi-tripolarity as it was. While Spain could've been said as the meeting between two conflicts, the main one between capitalism and communism, but also between Ottoman Empire and Europe in Africa, as Ottomans flirted with local fascists to push division among Europeans and aided them during the war. What followed was a melancholic lull, as the Spanish Civil War sent shockwaves through the world but it mainly shook Europe and the First World. Why, a poorer country among Europeans as it was, it was just across the mountains from France! Basically it was in-world Lebanese Civil War, but more traumatic due to where it was situated. This alarmed many as the sign of fragility of modern world, and calls for world unity and humanism were echoed which of course came into nothing as wars remain burning in africa and United States launched imperial initiative to prop up her industry with captive markets for its exports and the dollar, down south throughout the New World and across both oceans. Truly no one among powers heeded the calls for peace as conflicts flared up almost everywhere, where Americans were contend to see the other powers and rising economies duke it out against each other, culminating in Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. The world was in fact dangerously close to another global war since Cuban Missile Crisis as conspicuous consumption of Keynesian Model was reaching its limits for everyone.

But then something happened. In early 1980s scientists published their findings on the erosion of earth's Ozone Layer due to overuse of CFC gas for cooling machines such as refrigeration and air conditioning, creating huge hole in it over Antarctica. This was naturally surpressed by businesses implicated as the cause behind CFC over release, but slowly spread to the public and caused a panic, which ended up in investment scheme to shift towards safer alternatives. This laid the ground for another scientific finding that confirmed long time suspicion that global temperature was rising, and it was caused by release of CO2 into the atmosphere by ever growing consumption of fossil fuels for energy needs. Riding on fresh memory of Ozone Panic, a new wave of Climate Panic ensued, ensuring eventual shift of fossil fuel overuse to be pursued and completed in the future.

Leveraging on more developed nuclear sector in this world, but more important politically the emergence of American High Speed Train and Railways under a new state owned enterprise, both were attached together and then privatized in certain way to create government proxy in corporate ecosystem. Thus America was ready for a major systemic transition, from heavy interventionist Keynesian model ever thirsty of fossil fuel towards austerity and market mechanism where nuclear power will lead as its herald. Even more nuclear plants were build out of the residual interventionist funds and tap on Ottoman oil import was tightened, hitting Ottoman economy during the height of its proxy war in Afghanistan. Eventhough the war eventually ceased in 1989 when Red army retreated, it was assumed that lingering Ottoman-Soviet tension will benefit US in the long run. But only two years later, Soviet Union dissolved, leaving massive power vacuum in Eurasia. Which Ottomans wasted no time to fill in and leverage the new market of consumers and cheap labor. Incidentally, Kazakhstan possesses massive uranium deposit, among the largest in the world.

Thus a new race began, between United States and Ottoman Empire first trying to settle into this new era. Both powers created their own market blocs to ensure control of uranium, US over the americas, South Africa, and Oceania, while Ottomans pulled most of ex-Soviet bloc in contrast to previous tendencies towards Indian Rim. Incidentally, Japan was on the rise as the third fiddle between the competing powers, itself had been effective US protectorate since losing WW2 but had since rebounded as massive economic power, and now it saw the demise of Soviet threat the rising Ottoman power as its chance to reassert independent foreign policy. Japan would enter alliance with Ottoman Empire, joined the Eurasian Economic Initiative and opened the chokepoints in Tsushima and La Pérouse straits previously meant to contain Russian Navy. The New Great Game was on, so US courted China who correctly felt surrounded by emerging Ottoman-Japan bloc. Tension was indeed sharpening, especially as both sides also engaged in trade and currency wars so things were getting spicy. To prevent the worst possible outcome, the powers eventually agreed to meet in New York and produced Plaza accord, where they agreed to adjust their currency exchange rate to stop the trade war and ensure free trade to flow between the power blocs and ease tension. This was successful, but the powers also realized that this arrangement allowed them to infiltrate each other's back yard so that's what they settled on.

But this has limits. Like for example Ottomans, Japan and US might aid their preferred clients in the drug wars plaguing Indonesia and Greater Malay World for a decade between 1995 and 2008, or Ottomans aiding Indian government against increasingly autonomous regions of Bengal and Southern India, but they will immediately resort to more direct intervention in anywhere deemed too close for national security, such as American invasion and occupation of Brazil for electing a leftist government and to deny Ottoman bloc any foothold in the continent, or Ottomans mobilizing their agents in Congo at the slightest sign of provocation. Beyond this scenes of conflict though, a party is going on. So many opportunities to make money and growing, from legal businesses to dubious ones to outright lawbreaking. Increasing global free trade, uneven as it is has made way to various booms from commodities to consumer markets to illicit drugs and ultimately to property and real estate speculations, the last one being primadonna. Remember when Ottoman attempts to make Indian Ocean into their very own imperial market fell short yet left a lasting economic connection in the region? This is the greatest prize of neoliberal era with its huge population and abundance of space ripe for picking, and it didn't take long before the place start seeing so much money for both hegemonic players and locals vying for profit and influence. Indeed, there might be too much money being made that raised concerns among a number of observers who see a pattern of swelling bubble before it pops, which were quickly hushed or drowned.

Some however, are in full agreement with those pundits yet decide that this should resume all the way towards the wall. These people, as Indonesian proverb says, are fishing in muddy waters.

Description
Mankind... are the children of Adam. They inherit the wisdom of knowing and naming bestowed upon their father by their God. It is these gifts that have allowed them to rediscover God and fellow man time and time again, as they recognize the branching of their race into many nations as the will and test yet blessing all the same of their lord. We have reached a zaman(era) where mankind has grown closer together then ever. Where they have learned about themselves and each other more then ever. Where they have more capacity to truth and trust then ever before. Hence the persisting discord and doubt plaguing our world today cannot be more tormenting and saddening, as this is proof of our lack in gratitude for His Grace and Mercy. Yet I implore you not to lose faith in the flames of struggle and the Light of God in the heart of every man. For I believe in the infinite God's Love and Mercy for all His creation, and that He will welcome those who reach for Him by reaching them with greater haste. God knows best of Mankind's yearning for unity and advance towards deeper knowledge of Him in His universe. He has willed that our mankind, is noble.

- Halif-e Islam Sultan Murad-i Sadis Han of Devlet-i Aliye(Ottoman Empire), quoted from his Imperial speech welcoming the new millenium in year 2000

----------------------------------------------------------------------

This world diverged from ours in 1876, when certain Minister of War Husseyin Avni Pasha survived his assassination by a low ranking officer who bore grudge against him for demoting him to remote posting in Libya. His bullets all missed, and he was executed in vain. Husseyin Avni Pasha still living meant there was a senior figure everybody respected and accepted to lead them in the upcoming war of Russian invasion in 1877, successfully repelling it. Balkans avoided partition as a result, although the christian vassals of Serbia and Romania were still granted independence by the western powers. This is an Ottoman Empire three times stronger then the one losing to Russia in our world as it resumed the previous growth since Tanzimat, leading to first reabsorption of Egypt when Urabi Revolt erupted and later daring expedition to liberate aceh from Dutch occupation, but also ultimately caused the first World War as Britain felt especially threatened by the threat Ottomans posed to her Indian colony and increasing German influence or them. The way the war proceeded and how much more defensible Ottoman geography is here, Ottoman Empire was left as the sole Central Power standing without ever entering war with United States, and after incessant British refusal to reconcile and form anti communist front would sign detente with Soviet Union instead and diverted resources and troops to chase entente invaders out of their territories. Inter War period the first boom of industrialization in Ottoman Empire after capitulations were abolished during the war, and this is the point where "local" modernity was formed. From the beginning, even under capitulations the unbroken unity between Levant and Rumelian markets kept the pace for the growth of native, mainly muslim middle class, which were quickly accommodated by rising parliamentary system(here not suspended until 1908), in effect bringing them to the cosmopolitan culture already present among Ottoman bureaucratic and officer elites.

The second is what was developing just before WW1 and during Interwar period, that is legal regime for corporations and labor relations, partly in reaction to growing labor movements during the period but ultimately laying down the legal basis for muslim capital control. Two among most important Ottoman exports to the rest of Muslim World as they bounced back from colonial hangover to reassert capital sovereignty. This is what became the foundation of Indian Rim economic region, an entity that will really change the Cold War between capitalism and socialism down the road, because geographically it was also a struggle between continental and maritime empires in Soviet Union and United States respectively, where Ottoman Empire and Islamic World drive the wedge in between and especially against total US global control of the seas which is foundational to post-WW2 free trade regime. Thus, after the fall of Soviet Union, the remaining global powers of United States and Ottoman Empire were left to decide the future of global system, and they've been always at odds over it.

THE WORLD

There is a debate over which point in history that truly caused the present day. Was it Ottoman expedition to Sumatra that riled up muslim belligerence world wide? Was it the New York Treaty between US and Ottomans to put control mechanism over global oil price? Was it the rise of international network of muslim diasporas crisscrossing Indian Ocean and forming connections that spilled over beyond the lines of faith and culture? Was it Bretton-Woods Conference, which officiated US Dollar as global reserve currency de facto before the last gasp of gold standard 2 decades after? Or was it Ottoman attempt to create a third bloc separate from both US or Soviet Union over muslim and decolonized worlds? Most people however would draw history from the most significant cultural past they can remember, which were the rise of Counter Culture in US that proceeded to engulf the whole world and the eruption of brutal Spanish Civil War from 1969 to 1972, In the end however culture is but a reflection of larger politics and economy. What were the larger politics and economy in question, though? Mainly the first signs of failures of Keynesian economics that went against global proliferation of industrial revolution, showing their symptoms such as episodic stagflations. Yet in absence of a Saudi Kingdom and Israel in this world, Oil Embargo Crisis never happened, which as the consequence prolonged the legitimacy and lifeblood of Keynesian New Deal welfare state in US, which was good for further investments in technology such as alternative energy sources, mainly nuclear. Yet it was not good for solvency, profit rate and overall US global hegemony, which was beset by semi-tripolarity as it was. While Spain could've been said as the meeting between two conflicts, the main one between capitalism and communism, but also between Ottoman Empire and Europe in Africa, as Ottomans flirted with local fascists to push division among Europeans and aided them during the war. What followed was a melancholic lull, as the Spanish Civil War sent shockwaves through the world but it mainly shook Europe and the First World. Why, a poorer country among Europeans as it was, it was just across the mountains from France! Basically it was in-world Lebanese Civil War, but more traumatic due to where it was situated. This alarmed many as the sign of fragility of modern world, and calls for world unity and humanism were echoed which of course came into nothing as wars remain burning in africa and United States launched imperial initiative to prop up her industry with captive markets for its exports and the dollar, down south throughout the New World and across both oceans. Truly no one among powers heeded the calls for peace as conflicts flared up almost everywhere, where Americans were contend to see the other powers and rising economies duke it out against each other, culminating in Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. The world was in fact dangerously close to another global war since Cuban Missile Crisis as conspicuous consumption of Keynesian Model was reaching its limits for everyone.

But then something happened. In early 1980s scientists published their findings on the erosion of earth's Ozone Layer due to overuse of CFC gas for cooling machines such as refrigeration and air conditioning, creating huge hole in it over Antarctica. This was naturally surpressed by businesses implicated as the cause behind CFC over release, but slowly spread to the public and caused a panic, which ended up in investment scheme to shift towards safer alternatives. This laid the ground for another scientific finding that confirmed long time suspicion that global temperature was rising, and it was caused by release of CO2 into the atmosphere by ever growing consumption of fossil fuels for energy needs. Riding on fresh memory of Ozone Panic, a new wave of Climate Panic ensued, ensuring eventual shift of fossil fuel overuse to be pursued and completed in the future.

Leveraging on more developed nuclear sector in this world, but more important politically the emergence of American High Speed Train and Railways under a new state owned enterprise, both were attached together and then privatized in certain way to create government proxy in corporate ecosystem. Thus America was ready for a major systemic transition, from heavy interventionist Keynesian model ever thirsty of fossil fuel towards austerity and market mechanism where nuclear power will lead as its herald. Even more nuclear plants were build out of the residual interventionist funds and tap on Ottoman oil import was tightened, hitting Ottoman economy during the height of its proxy war in Afghanistan. Eventhough the war eventually ceased in 1989 when Red army retreated, it was assumed that lingering Ottoman-Soviet tension will benefit US in the long run. But only two years later, Soviet Union dissolved, leaving massive power vacuum in Eurasia. Which Ottomans wasted no time to fill in and leverage the new market of consumers and cheap labor. Incidentally, Kazakhstan possesses massive uranium deposit, among the largest in the world.

Thus a new race began, between United States and Ottoman Empire first trying to settle into this new era. Both powers created their own market blocs to ensure control of uranium, US over the americas, South Africa, and Oceania, while Ottomans pulled most of ex-Soviet bloc in contrast to previous tendencies towards Indian Rim. Incidentally, Japan was on the rise as the third fiddle between the competing powers, itself had been effective US protectorate since losing WW2 but had since rebounded as massive economic power, and now it saw the demise of Soviet threat the rising Ottoman power as its chance to reassert independent foreign policy. Japan would enter alliance with Ottoman Empire, joined the Eurasian Economic Initiative and opened the chokepoints in Tsushima and La Pérouse straits previously meant to contain Russian Navy. The New Great Game was on, so US courted China who correctly felt surrounded by emerging Ottoman-Japan bloc. Tension was indeed sharpening, especially as both sides also engaged in trade and currency wars so things were getting spicy. To prevent the worst possible outcome, the powers eventually agreed to meet in New York and produced Plaza accord, where they agreed to adjust their currency exchange rate to stop the trade war and ensure free trade to flow between the power blocs and ease tension. This was successful, but the powers also realized that this arrangement allowed them to infiltrate each other's back yard so that's what they settled on.

But this has limits. Like for example Ottomans, Japan and US might aid their preferred clients in the drug wars plaguing Indonesia and Greater Malay World for a decade between 1995 and 2008, or Ottomans aiding Indian government against increasingly autonomous regions of Bengal and Southern India, but they will immediately resort to more direct intervention in anywhere deemed too close for national security, such as American invasion and occupation of Brazil for electing a leftist government and to deny Ottoman bloc any foothold in the continent, or Ottomans mobilizing their agents in Congo at the slightest sign of provocation. Beyond this scenes of conflict though, a party is going on. So many opportunities to make money and growing, from legal businesses to dubious ones to outright lawbreaking. Increasing global free trade, uneven as it is has made way to various booms from commodities to consumer markets to illicit drugs and ultimately to property and real estate speculations, the last one being primadonna. Remember when Ottoman attempts to make Indian Ocean into their very own imperial market fell short yet left a lasting economic connection in the region? This is the greatest prize of neoliberal era with its huge population and abundance of space ripe for picking, and it didn't take long before the place start seeing so much money for both hegemonic players and locals vying for profit and influence. Indeed, there might be too much money being made that raised concerns among a number of observers who see a pattern of swelling bubble before it pops, which were quickly hushed or drowned.

Some however, are in full agreement with those pundits yet decide that this should resume all the way towards the wall. These people, as Indonesian proverb says, are fishing in muddy waters.