NationStates

(Name subject to change. Also, bear with me, as this is the first resolution I've written.)

Council: General Assembly
Category: Free Trade
A resolution to reduce barriers to free trade and commerce.
Resolution Name: The Unbiased Commerce Act
Description: The World Assembly,

RECOGNIZES that profit on sales are vital for international commerce.

NOTES that an affordable price is also essential for a nation's economy.

is SHOCKED that many member nations sell goods such as oil at outrageous prices to fellow nations.

REQUIRES member nations to charge fair prices for goods and services sold to fellow nations, rather than relying on purely supply and demand.

CREATES the International Equitable Trade Association, hereafter referred to as the IETA, to define these prices by vote.

FURTHER REQUIRES that member nations abide by the prices defined by the IETA.

MANDATES that the IETA is fair and unbiased in price rulings.

ENCOURAGES member nations to create similar requirements for fairness in commerce within their own nations.

Strength: Significant

_______________________________________________________________________________

Anyway, please offer constructive criticism on how I can improve this.

So instead of supply and demand controlling prices, we're to bow down to the price setting standards of the WA with no respect to different economic needs?

Defwa wrote:So instead of supply and demand controlling prices, we're to bow down to the price setting standards of the WA with no respect to different economic needs?

No,

CREATES the International Equitable Trade Association, hereafter referred to as the IETA, out of financial representatives from all member nations to define these prices.

and

MANDATES that the IETA is fair and unbiased in price rulings.

There is a financial representative from each member nation in the IETA. The prices are determined by vote.

Neo-Chicago wrote:There is a financial representative from each member nation in the IETA. The prices are determined by vote.

.
OOC: You don't get to decide this. WA gnomes control the committee, and they do only what a resolution says.

IC: Clover shook her head "I don't see this as an issue. The laws of the free market take care of this, if a nation is charging an inflated amount for a product, then there are several other nations, members and not, who will sell it more cheaply. I fail to see how this is an issue worthy of legislation."

OOC: Editing the draft to reflect these changes.

IC: "Regardless, many nations will try to manipulate the current system of supply and demand to favor their own ulterior motives." says Neo-Chicagoan Secretary of the Treasury Ed Thompson.

Neo-Chicago wrote:

Defwa wrote:So instead of supply and demand controlling prices, we're to bow down to the price setting standards of the WA with no respect to different economic needs?

No,

CREATES the International Equitable Trade Association, hereafter referred to as the IETA, out of financial representatives from all member nations to define these prices.

and

MANDATES that the IETA is fair and unbiased in price rulings.

There is a financial representative from each member nation in the IETA. The prices are determined by vote.

That last bit isn't stated in the resolution and cannot be assumed.
Law does and says, and all that jazz.
As written, this would allow groups of nations to conspire to forcibly reduce the costs of their imports while inflating the cost of their exports.

An example follows:
Alphabia, Betana, and Gammaria need oneium to manufacture twoum
Deltan produces oneium but can't make its own twoum.
Alphabia, Betana, and Gammaria vote together and raise the price of twoum to astronomical rates while deciding that oneium is near worthless.
Deltans just have to deal with it.

Its inflexible price fixing that institutionalizes market manipulation and croney capitalism.

Neo-Chicago wrote:OOC: Editing the draft to reflect these changes.

IC: "Regardless, many nations will try to manipulate the current system of supply and demand to favor their own ulterior motives." says Neo-Chicagoan Secretary of the Treasury Ed Thompson.

Clover shook her head "Then you buy from somewhere else. In all honestly, this is a local issue at best. I do wonder who the unfortunate sap would be that has to figure out the millions of exchange rates on products though...."

OOC:

Defwa wrote:

Neo-Chicago wrote:
No,


and



There is a financial representative from each member nation in the IETA. The prices are determined by vote.

That last bit isn't stated in the resolution and cannot be assumed.
Law does and says, and all that jazz.
As written, this would allow groups of nations to conspire to forcibly reduce the costs of their imports while inflating the cost of their exports.

An example follows:
Alphabia, Betana, and Gammaria need oneium to manufacture twoum
Deltan produces oneium but can't make its own twoum.
Alphabia, Betana, and Gammaria vote together and raise the price of twoum to astronomical rates while deciding that oneium is near worthless.
Deltans just have to deal with it.

Its inflexible price fixing that institutionalizes market manipulation and croney capitalism.

No, every IETA member votes on each price change. Even if Alphabia, Betana, and Gammaria vote together and raise the price of twoum to astronomical rates while deciding that oneium is near worthless, Epsilonia, Zetan, and Omicronia can vote with Deltan against it. It all depends on the majority.

IC: "If you had read the entire proposal, you would see that the IETA would determine these prices." Thompson elaborates.

Neo-Chicago wrote:OOC:

Defwa wrote:That last bit isn't stated in the resolution and cannot be assumed.
Law does and says, and all that jazz.
As written, this would allow groups of nations to conspire to forcibly reduce the costs of their imports while inflating the cost of their exports.

An example follows:
Alphabia, Betana, and Gammaria need oneium to manufacture twoum
Deltan produces oneium but can't make its own twoum.
Alphabia, Betana, and Gammaria vote together and raise the price of twoum to astronomical rates while deciding that oneium is near worthless.
Deltans just have to deal with it.

Its inflexible price fixing that institutionalizes market manipulation and croney capitalism.

No, every IETA member votes on each price change. Even if Alphabia, Betana, and Gammaria vote together and raise the price of twoum to astronomical rates while deciding that oneium is near worthless, Epsilonia, Zetan, and Omicronia can vote with Deltan against it. It all depends on the majority.

IC: "If you had read the entire proposal, you would see that the IETA would determine these prices." Thompson elaborates.

I know you're intending the IETA to make prices. However you appear to have absolutely no idea how economic manipulation works and are not in a position to attempt to put an end to it.
If there are more consumers than there are producers, then the consumers can crush the producers and take what they want. You're not only making such acts legal, but making it illegal to resist!

Defwa wrote:

Neo-Chicago wrote:OOC:


No, every IETA member votes on each price change. Even if Alphabia, Betana, and Gammaria vote together and raise the price of twoum to astronomical rates while deciding that oneium is near worthless, Epsilonia, Zetan, and Omicronia can vote with Deltan against it. It all depends on the majority.

IC: "If you had read the entire proposal, you would see that the IETA would determine these prices." Thompson elaborates.

I know you're intending the IETA to make prices. However you appear to have absolutely no idea how economic manipulation works and are not in a position to attempt to put an end to it.
If there are more consumers than there are producers, then the consumers can crush the producers and take what they want. You're not only making such acts legal, but making it illegal to resist!

OOC: So you seriously expect someone to bribe more than half of the economic representatives that come from each of the member nations?

Neo-Chicago wrote:

Defwa wrote:I know you're intending the IETA to make prices. However you appear to have absolutely no idea how economic manipulation works and are not in a position to attempt to put an end to it.
If there are more consumers than there are producers, then the consumers can crush the producers and take what they want. You're not only making such acts legal, but making it illegal to resist!

OOC: So you seriously expect someone to bribe more than half of the economic representatives that come from each of the member nations?

OOC: I don't know why you keep going OOC for a conversation that could easily be IC. And I don't expect any bribery. I expect collusion.

OOC: You are aware you cannot alter a committee from the standard gnomes-only/letter of the law stuff right? Since it's your first time, I'd suggest reading the rules/FAQ again. Your formatting is good, but your trying to do something to a committee you cannot do.

OOC:

Membership on the committee is reserved for mystical WA gnomes who spring into existence after the proposal becomes law
For this reason a proposal cannot define:
Who can and cannot sit on the committee
How members are chosen
Term limits for the members

I'm not violating any of these. I'm not violating how members are chosen, I'm just saying there is a representative from each member nation. Who can and cannot sit on the committee is also not violated, as I'm merely stating there is a person from each member nation.

IC: "Collusion? So what, you expect more than half of the entire committee to all secretly agree that they need to make oneium worthless?" laughs Ed.

Neo-Chicago wrote:OOC:

Membership on the committee is reserved for mystical WA gnomes who spring into existence after the proposal becomes law
For this reason a proposal cannot define:
Who can and cannot sit on the committee
How members are chosen
Term limits for the members

I'm not violating any of these. I'm not violating how members are chosen, I'm just saying there is a representative from each member nation. Who can and cannot sit on the committee is also not violated, as I'm merely stating there is a person from each member nation.

IC: "Collusion? So what, you expect more than half of the entire committee to all secretly agree that they need to make oneium worthless?" laughs Ed.

Lets try a more literal example because metaphors are clearly flying far above your nation.
More nations consume oil than produce oil. Therefore a majority of nations stand to benefit from absurdly low oil prices. Therefore, given the chance to set prices, they will set an absurdly low price.

Neo-Chicago wrote:OOC:

Membership on the committee is reserved for mystical WA gnomes who spring into existence after the proposal becomes law
For this reason a proposal cannot define:
Who can and cannot sit on the committee
How members are chosen
Term limits for the members

I'm not violating any of these. I'm not violating how members are chosen, I'm just saying there is a representative from each member nation. Who can and cannot sit on the committee is also not violated, as I'm merely stating there is a person from each member nation..

You don't see "there is a representative from each member nation" as "who can and cannot sit on the committee"? The law does what it says it does. Assuming there will be one does not fly, as the WA gnomes hold no citizenship or loyalty to any nation.

Normlpeople wrote:

Neo-Chicago wrote:OOC:

I'm not violating any of these. I'm not violating how members are chosen, I'm just saying there is a representative from each member nation. Who can and cannot sit on the committee is also not violated, as I'm merely stating there is a person from each member nation..

You don't see "there is a representative from each member nation" as "who can and cannot sit on the committee"? The law does what it says it does. Assuming there will be one does not fly, as the WA gnomes hold no citizenship or loyalty to any nation.

OOC: Ah, I see now. Since these would be truly impartial members, that would make what Defwa is saying false.

Normlpeople wrote:

Neo-Chicago wrote:OOC:

I'm not violating any of these. I'm not violating how members are chosen, I'm just saying there is a representative from each member nation. Who can and cannot sit on the committee is also not violated, as I'm merely stating there is a person from each member nation..

You don't see "there is a representative from each member nation" as "who can and cannot sit on the committee"? The law does what it says it does. Assuming there will be one does not fly, as the WA gnomes hold no citizenship or loyalty to any nation.

Doesn't Multilateral Trade Talks require representatives on behalf of national interests?

Neo-Chicago wrote:

Normlpeople wrote:
You don't see "there is a representative from each member nation" as "who can and cannot sit on the committee"? The law does what it says it does. Assuming there will be one does not fly, as the WA gnomes hold no citizenship or loyalty to any nation.

OOC: Ah, I see now. Since these would be truly impartial members, that would make what Defwa is saying false.

OOC: It would also mean that thing you said about members of the IETA understanding and abiding by national needs flies out the window. So we're back down to a WA organization setting prices without proper regard to various situations.

Defwa wrote:

Neo-Chicago wrote:
OOC: Ah, I see now. Since these would be truly impartial members, that would make what Defwa is saying false.

OOC: It would also mean that thing you said about members of the IETA understanding and abiding by national needs flies out the window. So we're back down to a WA organization setting prices without proper regard to various situations.

OOC: You're assuming that they just wouldn't care about the interests of nations. It's at the very least fairer than collusion.

Neo-Chicago wrote:

Defwa wrote:OOC: It would also mean that thing you said about members of the IETA understanding and abiding by national needs flies out the window. So we're back down to a WA organization setting prices without proper regard to various situations.

OOC: You're assuming that they just wouldn't care about the interests of nations. It's at the very least fairer than collusion.

OOC: I'm assuming that in declaration of a 'fair price' the IETA would not consider or allow for nations that need to charge prices higher than what might be considered 'fair'. Such as inflating the price of a resource that costs little to obtain in order to support an economy that has nothing else.
Still not understanding why we're OOC or flying between the two at seemingly random intervals.

Defwa wrote:Doesn't Multilateral Trade Talks require representatives on behalf of national interests?

Those representatives aren't sitting on a WA standing committee though... anyhow, i'll wait and see if Clover has anything to answer from here on out.

Edit: HTML is hard.

Defwa wrote:

Neo-Chicago wrote:
OOC: You're assuming that they just wouldn't care about the interests of nations. It's at the very least fairer than collusion.

OOC: I'm assuming that in declaration of a 'fair price' the IETA would not consider or allow for nations that need to charge prices higher than what might be considered 'fair'. Such as inflating the price of a resource that costs little to obtain in order to support an economy that has nothing else.
Still not understanding why we're OOC or flying between the two at seemingly random intervals.

OOC: Because even though you're saying IC, you're not using names or quotation marks. Also, that wouldn't be fair. They don't "need" to charge higher prices. If it costs little, it's worth little. Frankly, it's not the committee's fault if some nation has no resources.

Neo-Chicago wrote:

Defwa wrote:OOC: I'm assuming that in declaration of a 'fair price' the IETA would not consider or allow for nations that need to charge prices higher than what might be considered 'fair'. Such as inflating the price of a resource that costs little to obtain in order to support an economy that has nothing else.
Still not understanding why we're OOC or flying between the two at seemingly random intervals.

OOC: Because even though you're saying IC, you're not using names or quotation marks. Also, that wouldn't be fair. They don't "need" to charge higher prices. If it costs little, it's worth little. Frankly, it's not the committee's fault if some nation has no resources.

OOC: Because I'm not calling you by your name every post... whatever. Just because coal is cheap to mine doesn't mean its not immensely valuable. This is the whole point of supply and demand. You're basically wanting to punish people for finding a product with a high profit margin.

Defwa wrote:

Neo-Chicago wrote:
OOC: Because even though you're saying IC, you're not using names or quotation marks. Also, that wouldn't be fair. They don't "need" to charge higher prices. If it costs little, it's worth little. Frankly, it's not the committee's fault if some nation has no resources.

OOC: Because I'm not calling you by your name every post... whatever. Just because coal is cheap to mine doesn't mean its not immensely valuable. This is the whole point of supply and demand. You're basically wanting to punish people for finding a product with a high profit margin.

OOC: No, the committee is punishing people for exploiting resources needed by poorer countries. Plus, the gnomes could agree with you? Who knows? You don't know what's going to sway these votes.

Neo-Chicago wrote:

Defwa wrote:OOC: Because I'm not calling you by your name every post... whatever. Just because coal is cheap to mine doesn't mean its not immensely valuable. This is the whole point of supply and demand. You're basically wanting to punish people for finding a product with a high profit margin.

OOC: No, the committee is punishing people for exploiting resources needed by poorer countries. Plus, the gnomes could agree with you? Who knows? You don't know what's going to sway these votes.

OOC: At this point you're basically saying that -you- have no idea what this resolution does.

Defwa wrote:

Neo-Chicago wrote:
OOC: No, the committee is punishing people for exploiting resources needed by poorer countries. Plus, the gnomes could agree with you? Who knows? You don't know what's going to sway these votes.

OOC: At this point you're basically saying that -you- have no idea what this resolution does.

OOC: No, I'm saying I have no idea which way they're going to vote. No one who forms committees does. They're gnomes.