Let's Discuss "Jolly Roger Sighted Off The Port Bow!"

[Urban Bantus]

Let's have a discussion about the following issue:

#201: Jolly Roger Sighted Off The Port Bow! [I V Stalin; ed:Sirocco]

The Issue
@@NAME@@'s merchant navy has seen increasing attacks from swashbuckling pirates in recent months, devastating @@NAME@@'s foreign trade.

The Debate
1. "We should blow them out of the water!" says First Lord Admiral @@RANDOMNAME@@. "These waterlogged vagabonds have been plundering our ships for far too long! All our exports from the @@MAJORINDUSTRY@@ industry are going straight into their hands! It's downright dangerous for us to let this continue! All we require is some funding for coastal patrol boats, fleet carriers, and nuclear submarines and a free hand to show these freebooters what's what."

2. "Hello," says a grog-swilling, peg-legged scurvy dog entering your office. "I'm @@RANDOMNAME@@, a mighty pirate. I'd like to suggest that instead of wasting all that money on attacking pirates you simply buy them off with barrels of bullion, jewels and Maxtopian gold! There'll still be pirates around, sure, but as long as everyone's paid off, they won't hinder your trade. Not much anyway."

3. "That's the second biggest load of bilge I've ever seen!" says Captain Grapnel, CFO of Hispaniola Shipping Insurance, LLC. "Shiver me timbers, if these scurvy dogs don't be cutting into me profit margin! Me comprehensive coverage has to pay out for victims o' illegality, and of course theft be illegal in this country, bu' that be giving me an idea - what if we were to have privateers? That is to say, if ye were to make piracy legal but with a quotar o' sorts, like huntin'? That way me and mine can stay in business and ye can get a fine cut o' th' booty from licence fees! Savvy?"

4. "Come now, that's hardly fair," argues 'gentleman pirate' Taupebeard de Gauche with a bow and flourish. "There is an ancient tradition of actively redistributing wealth on the high seas, and we active redistributors serve an important role in the global economy. You would not keep a family-run bookstore from handing down its business from generation to generation, would you? We simply ask, nay, demand the same right! And get rid of the word 'pirate'. It's a slur. We are corsairs - not common sea-faring thugs."

So my main question is, is this a law enforcement or a miltiary defense issue?

I understand that to most people there isn't a difference. Nearly everybody wants either BOTH a strong military AND a strong police force, OR neither.
But not me.
I want really strong military defense, but really weak (or non-existent) law enforcement.

That's why this issue confuses me so much, because I don't know whether to look at it as a military defense or a law enforcement thing.

So, what do we think?

And thanks for contributing.

[Luna Amore]

If <foo> is mentioned repeatedly in the issue description and options, chances are that <foo> will be affected. Whether it goes up, down, or sideways can best be determined by reading and analyzing the text, making a choice, and coming back the next day to see what happened.

This is true for all issues and all options. We really don't need a hundred threads like this.

[Urban Bantus]

If <foo> is mentioned repeatedly in the issue description and options, chances are that <foo> will be affected. Whether it goes up, down, or sideways can best be determined by reading and analyzing the text, making a choice, and coming back the next day to see what happened.

This is true for all issues and all options. We really don't need a hundred threads like this.

So, basically, I'm on my own, is what you're saying.

[Luna Amore]

So, basically, I'm on my own, is what you're saying.

Yup. The only people who actually know how the issues work have access to the code, and they ain't talking.

That said, if you want to start a discussion about an issue(s), that'd be fine. We're just trying to cut down on threads that simply ask for issue effects.

[Urban Bantus]

So, basically, I'm on my own, is what you're saying.

Yup. The only people who actually know how the issues work have access to the code, and they ain't talking.

That said, if you want to start a discussion about an issue(s), that'd be fine. We're just trying to cut down on threads that simply ask for issue effects.

All right. I edited the OP to make it a forum for discussion rather than an appeal for advice.

[Friendship Island]

"We should blow them out of the water!" says First Lord Admiral @@RANDOMNAME@@. "These waterlogged vagabonds have been plundering our ships for far too long! All our exports from the @@MAJORINDUSTRY@@ industry are going straight into their hands! It's downright dangerous for us to let this continue! All we require is some funding for coastal patrol boats, fleet carriers, and nuclear submarines and a free hand to show these freebooters what's what."

It seems like this is a military issue. Your military will be stronger if you pick the first one... I don't really think it's the coast guard that's getting involved here, more the military. I mean, if it were me I may just dismiss the issue all together. 2-4 don't really appeal to me at all, and the first option is good, but seems too violent. I've been trying to make my country look strong, yet not a threat to other countries, so I can put more funding into more important things like education while not having to worry about attacks. War isn't really a big thing on Friendship Island :3

[Urban Bantus]

It seems like this is a military issue. Your military will be stronger if you pick the first one... I don't really think it's the coast guard that's getting involved here, more the military. I mean, if it were me I may just dismiss the issue all together. 2-4 don't really appeal to me at all, and the first option is good, but seems too violent. I've been trying to make my country look strong, yet not a threat to other countries, so I can put more funding into more important things like education while not having to worry about attacks. War isn't really a big thing on Friendship Island :3

The third option intruiges me. But the piratey talk is confusing. Is he saying he wants to privatize anti-piracy operations? That's an interesting idea, but is that what he's saying?

[Sorenian]

He appears to be saying "Let's put a fee on pirating! Then give me the money as a sort of compensation for getting my stuff stolen!" Same idea in a way as a fee on a stocked fishing lake (the worst kind of fishing! Besides bottom trawling, of course) You give us money and we'll keep sending stuff out...

[Urban Bantus]

He appears to be saying "Let's put a fee on pirating! Then give me the money as a sort of compensation for getting my stuff stolen!" Same idea in a way as a fee on a stocked fishing lake (the worst kind of fishing! Besides bottom trawling, of course) You give us money and we'll keep sending stuff out...

That's interesting. So it's like a triangle.

Pirates take from shipping companies >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Shipping companies take from governemnt >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Government takes from pirates

That actually sounds like a great way to create jobs... jobs as pirates, but hey, a job's a job.

If I'm understanding you, and we're both understanding the option correctly, I think that's even better than the increase navy funding option.

[Anvilonia]

Just got this issue. No idea how to tackle it, I don't want a military either.

[Urban Bantus]

Just got this issue. No idea how to tackle it, I don't want a military either.

Damn, I had no idea people were still posting on this thread.
Well, I can't help, because I gave up and dismissed it a long time ago.
Sorry.

[Anvilonia]

Just got this issue. No idea how to tackle it, I don't want a military either.

Damn, I had no idea people were still posting on this thread.
Well, I can't help, because I gave up and dismissed it a long time ago.
Sorry.

I just got it for the first time is all, no idea what to do so I googled it. Ended up funding piracy companies. Lol, we'll see what happens.

[Euchingland]

Just got this issue yesterday, and I must say the result has puzzled me. I took the first option (as the one which seemed most logical even though I don't really want a huge military), expecting an increase in spending on Defence and/or Law and Order. Yet both categories are still 0% of my government spending, and I couldn't find any other perceptible effects of my decision. There was no economic effect, nor did my exports jump. Strange.

[Anvilonia]

I took the third option and began giving out letters of Marque to pirates, making my nation an "international pariah". No noticeable effects though.