Friday, March 31, 2017
I learned a lot from Gary Gygax, creator of the "Dungeon and Dragons" game. From 1964 to 1974 I had a close association with Gary Gygax as we were two of the leading wargamers in the International Federation of Wargaming. When I look back over six decades of life, probably my most profound mentor of all, Gary Gygax, was named the number one Geek in America in 2002 by Sync magazine. Here are some of the articles I've written about wargaming, defense strategy, and Gary Gygax:
Wargames, Defense Strategy 4-5-14
Lessons learned from war games and various games were many and varied, an important asset to my early education. Principals from that experience later show up in the peace economics path to discover a better way of understanding Keynesian theory and national defense. Short term thinking and lack of cycle theory understanding have long hampered the effort to re-educate economists and policy makers. Few understand the exclusive nature of the choice between military power and economic growth.
From Wargamer to Dr. Peace 5-30-14
This encompasses the long journey from war gamer and military history reader to peace economist and peace activist to eventually getting my doctorate. I almost got my doctorate twenty years earlier but found out the economists just weren't capable of understanding and appreciating my achievements as an electrical engineer and accountant with a political and war gaming background. The conviction is widespread that economics will always be a social science, never a real science.
Low Level Military Defense 12-5-15
This is my key press release on the topic of the national strategies to follow to keep a nation defended best by keeping the nation economically strong and prosperous. Military strength, if excessive, leads to long term economic national decline along with political capture and social decay. This lead to the titled of my second book, in 1989, "Strength Through Peace."
Meeting Geek Number One 3-18-17
This is the story of the interactions with and shared purposes of Reuschlein and Gygax as members of the International Federation of Wargaming 1966 to 1974, and as players and followers of the Avalon Hill war games line.
Emergence of the Role Playing Games Industry in the US 5-25-17
This is the abstract approved for my presentation yet to come at the Economic and Business History Society in Oklahoma City May 25, 2017. Gary fell into some common business traps that our good lessons for all of us. Don't be undercapitalized, don't give away majority control of your business, and bring in only trusted partners that share your love and devotion to the game.
Gary Con IX 3- 23-17
This section includes several magazine references that came up when I searched google for both names together, Reuschlein Gygax. In my wargaming period, 1964 to 1974, Gygax was constantly in the magazines with new articles and eventually the Geneva Convention he started. I followed suit in some ways, not nearly matching the prolific devotion of this young family man, twelve years my senior, as I was in high school and college at the time. I fondly remember many visits to his house, 90 miles away, 330 Center Street, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. I shared his interests in game invention, publication, and events coordination.
Link to the full text of these articles and press releases:
https://www.academia.edu/32134382/Wargamer_File_1964-2017_9_pages.pdf
Professor Robert Reuschlein, Dr. Peace
Nominated and vetted for the Nobel Peace Prize 2016 and 2017 announced October 5
bobreuschlein@gmail.com,
www.realeconomy.com,