[SUBMITTED] Monumental Melodrama

[New Socialist South Africa]

Input would be appreciated.

1st main edit: Cyprus turned to Carthage and "Carthage must be destroyed!" added. Traffic cone changed to boot and sprinkling glitter added.

Monumental Melodrama

Validity: All

Description: A group of angry Bigtopian protestors have called for the removal of the historical statue of controversial imperialist and mining magnate Cyril James Carthage, who passed laws disenfranchising Bigtopians in the past.

1. [option] "Carthage Must Fall!" bellows Bigtopian protest leader @@RANDOMMALENAME@@, while hurling paint at the statue. “Carthage was a racist imperialist who actively sought to force my ancestors off their land and to work as indentured labour in his mines to reap profits for himself ”. The paint overshoots and hits another protestor as he continues “Leaving up this monument glorifies this monster and is an insult to all Bigtopians! It must be torn down, along with any other monuments we don’t like! Carthage must be Destroyed!”
[effect] statues of dogs around the nation have been torn down by cat lovers
[stats] Culture and Political Freedoms Decrease, Youth Rebelliousness increases.

2. [option] ''Preposterous!'' blusters @@MAJORINDUSTRY@@ tycoon Cedric Jacob Carthage, who just so happens to be the descendent of the imperialist and the latest inheritor of his wealth, slamming a well manicured hand onto your desk. “Removing my ancestor’s monument would be a massive blow to my public image ... I mean our national heritage”. Sliding a wad of cash over to you says “now don’t you think it would be better if the police moved those protestors along?”
[effect] police work long night shifts protecting statues
[stats] Corruption and Law and order increases. Political Freedom and Youth Rebelliousness decreases.

3. [option] ''There is a compromise here'' muses performance artist Rodent Fantastic, while jamming a boot onto the statues head and sprinkling glitter over it. ''What if we leave the statue up, but allow protestors to express their political views by allowing them to deface it?” Struggling to maintain balance as he slips a tutu over the statue he adds “sure some violently minded supporters of Carthage’s racial policies may try stop them, but what is the worst that could happen?"
[effect] protestors and racial supremacists clash in front of tutu clad statues
[stats] Crime, Inclusiveness, Political Freedom and Youth Rebelliousness increases.

4. [option] ''Carthage had it right, we ought to put dem’ damned Bigtopians back in their place'' says racial supremacist Damienn Ceiling, loading a shotgun and glaring menacingly. ''You get the police to hang back, me and the boys will settle this".
[effect] racial supremacists hunt down groups viewed a inferior
[stats] Political Freedom and inclusiveness crashes, Death Rate and increases.

[New Socialist South Africa]

This is based mostly off the Rhodes Must Fall protests around the various statues of Cecil John Rhodes, the controversial mining magnate and later Prime Minister of the Cape Colony during colonial British rule of that part of what is South Africa today.

[Trotterdam]

I don't know if it's applicable to this situation, but I'd like to point out that a lot of important historical people were racists simply because it was the cool thing to be back then. Some people who would fall afoul of modern moral standards were actually pretty good for their time.

At least, have the pro-keeping-the-statue speakers emphasize the good things that person did, whether or not they (in the opinion of the player) outweigh the bad (be that bad by modern standards or bad even by the standards of their own time).

[Noahs Second Country]

I don't know if it's applicable to this situation, but I'd like to point out that a lot of important historical people were racists simply because it was the cool thing to be back then. Some people who would fall afoul of modern moral standards were actually pretty good for their time.

At least, have the pro-keeping-the-statue speakers emphasize the good things that person did, whether or not they (in the opinion of the player) outweigh the bad (be that bad by modern standards or bad even by the standards of their own time).

cough Thomas Jefferson cough
People think he is a great guy and all... even though he was a racist...

[New Socialist South Africa]

I don't know if it's applicable to this situation, but I'd like to point out that a lot of important historical people were racists simply because it was the cool thing to be back then. Some people who would fall afoul of modern moral standards were actually pretty good for their time.

At least, have the pro-keeping-the-statue speakers emphasize the good things that person did, whether or not they (in the opinion of the player) outweigh the bad (be that bad by modern standards or bad even by the standards of their own time).

I'll consider it. If I have space I'll put in some bollocks about him developing national infrastructure or something like that. Given the example I think that would work, while presenting the idea the person was in any way progressive, even for their time, would be historically dubious at best.

Thanks for the input.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Rhodes to Cyprus, clever.

I'd be tempted to make the surname Carthage instead, just so the opening speaker can end his spiel with "Furthermore, it is my opinion that Carthage must be destroyed," which will raise a giggle amongst students of the classics while maintaining the "Greek place surname" thing.

[New Socialist South Africa]

Rhodes to Cyprus, clever.

I'd be tempted to make the surname Carthage instead, just so the opening speaker can end his spiel with "Furthermore, it is my opinion that Carthage must be destroyed," which will raise a giggle amongst students of the classics while maintaining the "Greek place surname" thing.

I like it . Otherwise any other suggestions or good to go?

[Dytarma]

Rhodes to Cyprus, clever.

I'd be tempted to make the surname Carthage instead, just so the opening speaker can end his spiel with "Furthermore, it is my opinion that Carthage must be destroyed," which will raise a giggle amongst students of the classics while maintaining the "Greek place surname" thing.

I have a question about this. Wasn't it Rome that destroyed Carthage?

[New Socialist South Africa]

Rhodes to Cyprus, clever.

I'd be tempted to make the surname Carthage instead, just so the opening speaker can end his spiel with "Furthermore, it is my opinion that Carthage must be destroyed," which will raise a giggle amongst students of the classics while maintaining the "Greek place surname" thing.

I have a question about this. Wasn't it Rome that destroyed Carthage?

It was to my memory.

[Dytarma]

I have a question about this. Wasn't it Rome that destroyed Carthage?

It was to my memory.

What do you mean by that?

[New Socialist South Africa]

It was to my memory.

What do you mean by that?

I mean as far as I remember a Roman General, Scipio, was in charge of the siege that ultimately saw the destruction of Carthage. By what is the implication in the topic I guess it is that the city of Carthage was destroyed, while the island of Cyprus never was (divided by political tensions yes, destroyed no). Rome isn't really vital to this particular discussion, unless I make the name of the Bigtopian protest leader Scipio Aemilianus.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

No need to. Besides, while it was Scipio who sacked Carthage, is was Cato the Elder who repeatedly ended his speeches Carthago delenda est.

[New Socialist South Africa]

No need to. Besides, while it was Scipio who sacked Carthage, is was Cato the Elder who repeatedly ended his speeches Carthago delenda est.

Ah I see. My Ancient Roman history is ok, but not quite at that level. Anyway I'll submit this now then there is nothing further?

[New Socialist South Africa]

Alright submitted, if there are any necessary changes I can make them and submit again if need be.

[Ransium]

Alright submitted, if there are any necessary changes I can make them and submit again if need be.

Please be more patient in the future. I, and I'm sure many others, never got the chance to read, never mind comment upon this. The improvements you make through others comments may make the difference between an issue being reject or accepted. Furthermore, an issue that is just barely acceptable may sit months waiting to get edited whereas a really great issue may get picked up and edited very quickly. So slower is often faster.

[Noahs Second Country]

Alright submitted, if there are any necessary changes I can make them and submit again if need be.

Please be more patient in the future. I, and I'm sure many others, never got the chance to read, never mind comment upon this. The improvements you make through others comments may make the difference between an issue being reject or accepted. Furthermore, an issue that is just barely acceptable may sit months waiting to get edited whereas a really great issue may get picked up and edited very quickly. So slower is often faster.

I never saw this

[New Socialist South Africa]

Alright submitted, if there are any necessary changes I can make them and submit again if need be.

Please be more patient in the future. I, and I'm sure many others, never got the chance to read, never mind comment upon this. The improvements you make through others comments may make the difference between an issue being reject or accepted. Furthermore, an issue that is just barely acceptable may sit months waiting to get edited whereas a really great issue may get picked up and edited very quickly. So slower is often faster.

Alright then. I'm just about to get rather busy with work and have far less time to do this, so I decided to submit now rather than wait I'm not sure how long before I had time to submit again. If there are any major issues I can try find time to submit again though.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Honestly, it's at a pass level, enough to get into the Pool, but not at the "wow" level where I want to immediately work on it. You can be content with it being there as a possible future issue (there's a lot of Pool issues, and they can stay there indefinitely, or get deleted in future), or you could up your odds of publication by bringing it back to draft for refining. Entirely up to you. Not a trick here - if you're happy to leave it with less feedback, then it'll just stay there for future consideration, and if/when we do pull it out, it'll likely have a bit more editing. But if you're willing to put extra time and effort in, this could easily be an issue that shines.

[Dytarma]

Honestly, it's at a pass level, enough to get into the Pool, but not at the "wow" level where I want to immediately work on it. You can be content with it being there as a possible future issue (there's a lot of Pool issues, and they can stay there indefinitely, or get deleted in future), or you could up your odds of publication by bringing it back to draft for refining. Entirely up to you. Not a trick here - if you're happy to leave it with less feedback, then it'll just stay there for future consideration, and if/when we do pull it out, it'll likely have a bit more editing. But if you're willing to put extra time and effort in, this could easily be an issue that shines.

I always wondered how an Issues Editor sees all the issues. Is it in the when you click on the Issues icon on the home page, there a button that says, "Check Issue Drafts" or something around that? Also, could you check my issue due to someone confirming it good enough, but it would be better if an editor checked it.

[Australian rePublic]

I don't think it's wise to submit an issue after only 4 says. Give the rest of us a chance to provide feedback. Also, it's definately not wise to ignore the advice of issue editors

[Noahs Second Country]

Honestly, it's at a pass level, enough to get into the Pool, but not at the "wow" level where I want to immediately work on it. You can be content with it being there as a possible future issue (there's a lot of Pool issues, and they can stay there indefinitely, or get deleted in future), or you could up your odds of publication by bringing it back to draft for refining. Entirely up to you. Not a trick here - if you're happy to leave it with less feedback, then it'll just stay there for future consideration, and if/when we do pull it out, it'll likely have a bit more editing. But if you're willing to put extra time and effort in, this could easily be an issue that shines.

I always wondered how an Issues Editor sees all the issues. Is it in the when you click on the Issues icon on the home page, there a button that says, "Check Issue Drafts" or something around that?

I'd like to know that too...

[Candlewhisper Archive]

We have a submissions queue, with all the issues you guys send in. As we assess these continuously, it's rarely more than 2-3 issues in there. From there, an issue can be moved into a "yes" pool of issues that we think could work in the game, or a "no" pool of issues that probably won't work. We then checkout issues from the "yes" pool into our personal folders, and work on them, finally moving them from our folders to the live game proper once an edit is complete. All staff issues are kept separate from this process in a "staff" pool.

All of this is accessed through a separate set of websites that the average punter doesn't get to see.

At time of writing, the "yes" pool is around 180 issues. The contest increased this a lot, but the sheer number of editors now will be reducing this rapidly, I suspect.

[Dytarma]

Huh, so that's how it's done.

[Tinhampton]

This issue has been accepted (with only minor changes, it appears) as Issue #701 "Monumental Melodrama". Congratulations, NSSA.

[Australian rePublic]

Congrats!@