Friday, November 9, 2012

Issues #112, #114, #116, #117, #118, #119, #120, #121, #122 and #130

#112: Put The Phone Down On Cold Calling? [Frigben; ed:Sirocco]

The Issue
A growing group of @@NAME@@'s citizens are battling for an end to unrequested solicitations from salesmen.

The Debate
1. "This has to stop," says mild-mannered parent @@RANDOMNAME@@. "My family can't even have dinner without being interrupted at least five times by telemarketers or door-to-door salesmen! My privacy is being invaded! The government ought to ban all forms of unrequested solicitations from salespeople. The sanity of the populace is at stake here!"
The Result: a ban on unsolicited cold calling in all forms is in effect.

Civil Rights +7
Economy -3

2. "This must be a joke," retorts insurance sales solicitor @@RANDOMNAME@@, in between cold calls. "Telemarketing and door-to-door sales are some of the most effective methods of increasing revenues. Banning them would be a huge blow to business, and put thousands of workers out of their jobs! Let's face the facts - @@NAME@@ needs an economy, and banning cold calls isn't the best of ways to improve it! One way you could improve it would be to, say, give us some government funds. For the sake of @@NAME@@, of course."
The Result: door-to-door salesmen are frequently beaten up by 'vigilantes'.

Economy +10

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#114: Wipe Out Graffiti? [Gelvanie; ed:Sirocco]

The Issue
Citizens all over @@NAME@@ have been petitioning for firmer action on public graffiti.

The Debate
1. "It's a disgrace!" declares @@RANDOMNAME@@, middle class and proud of it. "I can't even go downtown without seeing these hideous eyesores debasing the streets! We need to arrest the scumbags at the root of this, lock them up, and teach them a jolly good lesson! More policemen on the beat should do the ticket, even if it does require a slight augmentation in taxes!"
The Result: graffiti artists spend lengthy periods of time in jail.

Civil Rights -2

2. "I don't see what's so bad," comments @@RANDOMNAME@@, a famous art critic. "This is urban art at its finest. It's vibrant, colourful, and simply reeks of culture! Just look at the form displayed in this string of racist expletives! Wonderful. Simply wonderful. I think we should really be encouraging these budding Rembrandts, not putting them down! I say we legalise it, in the name of culture!"
The Result: graffiti graces every city's streets.

Civil Rights +1

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#116: Soda Sales Hits New 'High' [Foe Hammer; ed:Sirocco]

The Issue
After waning sales, the well-established soda company 'Eckie-Ecola' has appealed to the government for the right to use powerful mind-altering drugs in their products.

The Debate
1. "It'll be great," says @@RANDOMNAME@@, the CEO of Eckie-Ecola. "Nice 'n' happy floating feelings all in a can, and all for just one @@CURRENCY@@! It's not the healthiest drink I admit, but what people want to do with their bodies is their own business. If you ban this beverage, you're only denying the citizens of their right to be exposed to the true hallucenogenic experience!"
The Result: 'Mountain Doobie' is widely regarded as the nation's favourite drink.

Economy +5
Corruption +1
Eco-Friendlines -1
Health -2
Industry: Beverage Sales +1
Lifespan -2
Obesity +6
Toxicity +4

2. "This can't go ahead," argues @@RANDOMNAME@@, a nurse at one of @@NAME@@'s hospitals. "Drugs are, and always will be, one of the greatest threats to the nation's physical and mental health! My job's hard enough as it is without having the wards overrun by patients who were stupid enough to drink the damned stuff. The distribution of drugs must be strictly controlled by the government and kept for medicinal uses."
The Result: drug distribution is tightly controlled by the government.

Civil Rights -5
Economy -2
Taxes +1
Business Subsidization -3
Ideological Radicality +1
Health +1
Lifespan +1
Law Enforcement +3
Pacifism +2
Recreational Drug Use -9
Safety +1

3. "If you ask me," says @@RANDOMNAME@@, from behind a cloud of smoke. "We should just let everyone have drugs for free! If the government legalised and subsidised all these 'bad' drugs and gave 'em out to everyone, all our problems would be solved! There'd be no more drug traffickers, or thugs robbing old ladies to feed their addictions! 'Course there'd be a bit of a detrimental effect healthwise and to the drug industries, but the beauty of it all is that everyone will be too doped up to care!"
The Result: reports of attacks by bright purple sixty-foot high spiders have recently shot up.

Civil Rights +6
Taxes +1
Employment -3
Health -1
Influence -1
Law Enforcement -4
Recreational Drug Use +48
Safety -2
Safety From Crime -3
Toxicity +5

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#117: Stop The Suits, Say Surgeons [Ravenspire; ed:Sirocco]

The Issue
Recently, medical insurance premiums across the nation have been skyrocketing following several highly-publicised medical-malpractice lawsuits, making it even costlier than ever to get treatment. Doctors are asking the government to step in.

The Debate
1. "These lawsuits are driving up the price of medical insurance," complains Dr. @@RANDOMNAME@@. "I'm losing customers - patients, I mean - and it's becoming increasingly difficult for doctors like me to do our jobs without worrying about being bankrupted by some kid who didn't like the hospital food. Everyone makes mistakes. Look at politicians, they make them all the time and do they get fired? No. We must outlaw the medical-malpractice lawsuits undermining our healthcare system!"
The Result: appendix transplant figures have recently doubled.

Civil Rights -6
Economy -3
Taxes -1

2. "All that these doctors are interested in is saving their own necks," says @@RANDOMNAME@@, CEO of 'I Can't Believe It's A Law Firm!'. "They were negligent in the course of their work and are unwilling to pay the price. I mean, how do you perform a heart transplant on the wrong guy unless you're not paying attention? I for one think that our citizens deserve better from the healthcare service, and if doctors cause damage, they should pay for it. It's that simple. If some decent doctors get caught up in it, then it's surely their own fault for not being careful enough?"
The Result: medical lawsuits are out of control.

Civil Rights +3
Economy +8
Taxes +1

3. "The problem is capitalism," insists @@RANDOMNAME@@, while trying to burn a @@CURRENCY@@ with a lighter. "The doctors are only trying to help their patients, and those class traitors at the insurance industry are only trying to make a profit out of people's misery on those rare occasions when things go wrong. I say we outlaw the insurance industry and then the good doctors will be safe while the bad ones go out of business. Everyone wins! Apart from the insurance people, I guess."
The Result: the insurance industry is outlawed.

Economy -8
Taxes -1

4. "The problem certainly is capitalism," says @@RANDOMNAME@@, a famed socialist. "But outlawing the insurance industry will not solve the main problem: the healthcare system itself! It's disgusting! I've seen paramedics check wallets before injuries! We must introduce a national health service and put some healthy investment into medical colleges, hospitals, and the likes. Then we'll have an over-abundance of competent doctors! The insurance industry won't be able to raise a finger to it and the citizens won't have to pay for treatment. Except through tax, of course."
The Result: the study of medicine is popular throughout NATION.

Economy -7
Taxes +3

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#118: Need For Speed? [Atlantic Rim; ed:Sirocco]

The Issue
After watching the movie 'The Fast and the Belligerent', boyracers from all over @@NAME@@ have been petitioning for the abolition of speed limits.

The Debate
1. "Today's cars are safer at high speeds than ever before," argues @@RANDOMNAME@@, editor of Sports Car Monthly. "And long-distance commuters are tired of spending hours on the road just to get to the next city. Abolishing the speed limit would be great for the economy too! People would be more likely to go out and buy cars if they thought they'd be able to use them properly. It seems like such a shame to be puttering along at the speed limit in a magnificent car like the 450HP twin-turbo @@ANIMAL@@ SX/T-7700 you know."
The Result: the roads are notorious throughout the region for their peril.

Civil Rights +8
Taxes -1

2. "Are you crazy?" cries @@RANDOMNAME@@, a road-accident victim. "We need lower speed limits on automobiles, not higher. You might as well enforce mandatory blindfolds on the road too, it'll come to the same conclusion! People's lives are at stake here! If people were made to drive at, say, no faster than fifty kilometres per hour, I would feel a lot happier walking the streets. Besides, if it takes a long time to get places via car then people might begin using mass transit for once."
The Result: the average commuter spends four hours a day driving to and from work.

Civil Rights -6

3. "I think the current speed limits are fine, but we need better enforcement," says @@RANDOMNAME@@, the most feared traffic warden in @@NAME@@. "If we required GPS tracking devices in all vehicles, we'd ticket every single speeder, no problem. In addition, we could monitor the movements of criminals and other suspicious individuals, and vastly reduce the risk of crime, terrorism, and other subversive activity. Some say that's an invasion of privacy, but if you've done nothing wrong what's there to fear?"
The Result: motorists' locations are constantly tracked by intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

Taxes +1
Safety +2

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#119: Watershed Down? [New Cyprus; ed:Sirocco]

The Issue
An anonymous society of 'cinematic aficionados' have brought the debate over the proposed disposal of the watershed, the hour after which adult material is allowed to be shown on television, to your attention.

The Debate
1. "We don't need a watershed!" scoffs 'romantic-movie' buff, @@RANDOMNAME@@. "I don't see why I should wait 'til way past midnight to watch my preferred film genre. It's high time that parents stopped treating their children like... well, children! If you sugar-coat these kids' lives, they'll just end up seeing everything through rose-tinted glasses - and we can't have a country filled with spoilt brats now, can we?"
The Result: programmes of questionable content are shown at peak-hours.

Civil Rights +4
Economy +1

2. "This is an endorsement of bad taste if ever I saw it," says @@RANDOMNAME@@, a child-care worker. "It's just wrong to subject children to graphic violence and nudity on afternoon television like this: who knows what it might possess them to do? We've all heard stories of kids who have seen some film where someone jumped off a cliff and then gone off to have a shot themselves. We must ban all violent and salacious material from our TV screens. If only to protect the innocence of our progeny!"
The Result: Rupert ANIMAL is considered to be the most risqué TV programme in NATION.

Civil Rights -2
Economy -4

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#120: Two Parties For Too Long? [Ren Yi; ed:Sirocco]

The Issue
Representatives of several minor political parties have joined their voices to object to stiff ballot access requirements.

The Debate
1. "Two-party politics is squeezing the life out of democracy in @@NAME@@," laments @@RANDOMNAME@@, leader of the Pragmatic Radical Party. "The Liberal Conservatives and Progressive Traditionalists have a monopoly on public policy - or duopoly, whatever you want to call it. The point is that there's hardly any difference between them, and their chokehold on the electoral process lets hacks and crooks stay in office forever. Ballot access rules must be loosened so we can give the voters a truly democratic choice."
The Result: ten-year-olds regularly found their own political parties.

Political Freedoms +7
Taxes +5

2. "People are afraid to support 'third' parties because they're afraid of seeing the 'bad guys' get elected," says @@RANDOMNAME@@, a ballot stastician. "But if we changed the system to allow preferential voting, where you can have your votes divvied up among your other candidates if your favourite doesn't recieve a certain number of votes, then that wouldn't be a problem. Then you could let as many parties as you wanted into the game. Deserving candidates wouldn't be harmed - they'd win! Maybe a few radicals would get through, but that just proves what a great system it is!"
The Result: the NATION Mental Asylum Party have recently won seats in parliament.

Political Freedoms +10
Taxes +3

3. "What ever happened to 'one man, one vote'?" asks @@RANDOMNAME@@, chairperson of the Liberal Conservative National Committee. "Changing the rules will just let all sorts of crackpots clog up the ballot and overwhelm voters with names they don't recognise - this will draw attention and support away from legitimate candidates! How do you expect the nation to function properly if the government doesn't have public support? Oh, and by the way, the Liberal Conservative Party presents a VERY clear alternative to the destructive agenda of the Progressive Traditionalists, and I'll wallop anyone who says otherwise."
The Result: citizens are known to cast their votes by flipping a CURRENCY.

Political Freedoms -5
Taxes -3

4. "Opposition parties are such a bother," muses @@RANDOMNAME@@, your chief of staff. "If we allowed as many of them to be politicians as those fools in the Pragmatic Radical Party want, it would be very hard on the tax payers - and our own position in power. If we re-wrote the election rules so that a party had to reapply for recognition every time it failed to win a certain number of votes, we could knock our opposition out of the ring for good! Hey, the voters have spoken, and they asked for us. I think that just about settles it, don't you?"
The Result: an enfeebled opposition party spends most of its time simply trying to stay on the ballot.

Political Freedoms -24
Taxes -3

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#121: A Uniform Plan For @@NAME@@'s Students? [Scheelia; ed:Sirocco]

The Issue
A random PTA meeting has brought the debate over school uniforms to your attention.

The Debate
1. "I think uniforms are great," says @@RANDOMNAME@@, your Minister of Education during a cabinet meeting. "They instill a sense of community within our schools which lowers crime - and the pupils can go about their daily business without having to worry about being browbeaten by their classmates for not wearing the latest trainers. @@NAME@@ simply cannot do without them. If the children don't like them, then hard cheese."
The Result: school uniforms are compulsory.

Civil Rights -3
Wealth Gaps -2
Averageness +12

2. "Dude, your plan stinks," says @@RANDOMNAME@@, leader of The Students Union. "Our clothing is part of who we are; it lets us express ourselves just by passing someone in the corridor. To say we must wear these inhibiting uniforms is an affront to our personal freedom! So back off with the uniforms, dude, students should be allowed to go to school dressed however they like. Or not dressed, if that's their style."
The Result: students are known to arrive at school in their pyjamas.

Civil Rights +8

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#122: Pensioners In Protest [Emperor Matthuis; ed:Sirocco]

The Issue
Falling standards at @@NAME@@'s retirement homes have prompted OAPs to take to the streets and demand better treatment.

The Debate
1. "There needs to be more done for the elderly," says @@RANDOMNAME@@, a resident of 'This Old Man' retirement home. "We can't work to support ourselves anymore, and the pensions we get are measly. We need more benefits such as higher standards of living, free bus tickets, and a continuous supply of @@CURRENCY@@s. All it requires is a little more generosity on the part of the tax payers - after all, we fought the war for their sort."
The Result: retirement homes are often fitted with luxurious suites.

Civil Rights +4
Taxes +2

2. "I'm not giving any of my hard-earned wages to a bunch of old fossils," says @@RANDOMNAME@@, a devout taxpayer. "If they weren't smart enough to save enough money for their later years, then why should the government pay out for them now? They had their chance and they didn't take it. If they really want money so bad, they can go out and work for it like everyone else."
The Result: senior citizens can usually be found doing heavy manual labour.

Taxes -1

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#130: Filibuster Bust-Up [The Kennedy Family; ed:Sirocco]

The Issue
Filibustering, where politicians attempt to keep a debate on new laws going indefinitely, has been plaguing recent attempts to pass bills. Several aged politicians have been orating non-stop throughout three days worth of debating time, stopping any legislation from being passed.

The Debate
1. "This sham of a tactic is totally demolishing our ability to accomplish anything!" complains @@RANDOMNAME@@, Minister of Ministries. "Who cares if a few old fossils fail to see reason? The majority of the government clearly wants this legislation to pass! Just set a limit on the time a person can speak for; this really is demeaning to the democratic process!"
The Result: the government is a clear-cut case of tyranny by majority.

Civil Rights -6
Taxes -3

2. While taking a bathroom break before moving on to read aloud from the phonebook, @@RANDOMNAME@@ states: "It is a great thing for the minority and the oppressed that our system of government allows the filibuster to be utilised to harness the majority! Let the hills, the mountains, and the valleys reverberate with the sounds of our voices! We will not surrender to this repugnant legislation."
The Result: legislation sometimes has to battle through weeks of filibustering to pass.

Political Freedoms +5
Taxes +3

3. "The filibuster is not enough to protect the minority, since they are too afraid of the tyrannical majority to use it," says political commentator, @@RANDOMNAME@@. "I suggest that all legislation must require a unanimous vote before it can pass. That way, nobody goes away unhappy."
The Result: the government is forced to pander to the will of every fruitcake politician.

Political Freedoms +10
Taxes +4

4. "Why do we need to debate legislature anyway?" questions @@RANDOMNAME@@, your Minister of Alternative Solutions, who also happens to be the best friend of your distant cousin. "Everything would be so much more simple if we just decide what to do, and do it. After all, we're the ones who know what's best for @@NAME@@. If the minority parties want to say something, they can submit it in writing."

The Result: democratic debates have been removed from the government.
Political Freedoms -18
Taxes -5

3 comments:

  1. 121: A Uniform Plan For @@NAME@@'s Students?
    For my nation it changed the following when Option 2 was chosen:

    Averageness: +1
    Nudity: +34
    Safety: -6
    Safety from Crime: -2
    Social Conservatism: -1
    Toxicity: +4
    Weaponization: +3

    ReplyDelete
  2. 124 : To Paint Or Not To Paint?
    Option 1 resulted in:
    effect: The studies of art and philosophy are banned.
    stats:
    Civil Rights -2
    Compassion -2
    Social Conservatism 4
    Industry: Automobile Manufacturing 1
    Industry: Basket Weaving -1
    Industry: Informtion Technology 1
    Sector: Manufacturing 1
    Niceness -2
    Rudeness 2
    Stupidity -1
    Weather -7
    Safety From Crime -1
    Safety -3
    Ideological Radicality -2
    Pacifism -9
    Authoritarianism 0.003
    Culture -27
    Tourism -1
    Weaponization 2
    Recreational Drug Use -1
    Environmental Beauty -1
    Toxicity 3
    Averageness 64

    ReplyDelete
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