[DRAFT] An Open And Shut Case?

[Singapore no2]

[desc] Pear Inc, the largest smartphone manufacturer in the nation, has been unable to produce any more devices due to a crippling shortage of Quandium, which is an essential material required in smart gadgets. With local reserves of Quandium fully depleted, industry observers are proposing opening up the country to foreign trade and importing the important metal.

[validity] Only valid for nations with an autarky policy and phones

[option] "You must end autarky completely!" demands Steve Tasks, the CEO of Pear Inc, which hasn't been able to fufill any of its orders for several straight months. "Our proud company has been unfairly punished by the nonsensical ban on imports, hurting our loyal customers and damaging our reputation. The only way to remedy the situation is to end this silly policy and allow us to obtain as much Quandium as we need from abroad, so that we can start selling our products again."
[effect] @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ have willingly forsaken economic security in exchange for keeping their Pear Phones
[policy] cancels autarky

[option] "That would leave us at the mercy of multinational corporations and external market fluctuations," dismisses @@RANDOMNAME@@, the Minister of Resources, typing on a clunky personal computer. "And besides, why do we need mobile devices anyway? They require numerous rare metals to function that could be better utilised in the military and for scientific research. We should outlaw these wasteful gadgets and free our nation from dependence on any and all foreign resources."
[effect] officials are often seen carrying bulky workstations around for simple administrative work
[policy] bans mobile phones

[option] "A bit of conquest should do the trick," suggests the Army Commander, indicating several potential targets. "Our dearth of Quandium can be easily solved by seizing some of Núi Và Sông's rich Quandium deposits. While we're at it, we might as well become self-sufficient in other areas by annexing the resources we require, be it oil from Althaniq, iron ore from new Dàgúo or fish from Macronesia. Our brave soldiers will be given something to do, and our territory will grow to accommodate our expanding population."
[effect] @@NAME@@ declares war on Brancaland whenever @@LEADER@@'s pancakes run out of maple syrup

[desc] Following the enactment of autarkist policies in @@NAME@@, the nation has banned the import of foreign products. As a result, the cost of manufacturing electronic hardware has risen dramatically, hurting the IT industry and raising the prices of machinery and consumer goods. Industry representatives and ordinary citizens are calling for something to be done to resolve the issue.

[validity] Only valid for nations with an autarky policy and computers

[option] "End autarky now!" demands @@RANDOMNAME@@, an IT technician, struggling to fix your office computer. "Admittedly, I was initially glad that our jobs wouldn't be outsourced to other countries and that we were taking back our sovereignty. However, it soon became apparent that our local industry was ill-equipped to produce the hardware necessary, like circuit boards, touch sensors and sound cards. We desperately need cheap hardware from overseas before our industry collapses!"
[effect] @@NAME@@ lacks a strong manufacturing base
[policy] cancels autarky

[option] "That would leave us at the mercy of multinational corporations and external market fluctuations," dismisses the manager of the largest electronics factory, delivering a presentation on industry performance. "The biggest problem here is that the manufacturing cost of electrical components is too high, cutting into the bottom line of the IT industry. If you were to relax quality standards and remove environmental protections on electronic waste disposal, we could drive down costs significantly. This would ensure the survival of our industry."
[effect] lakes of battery acid can often be found near computer factories

[option] "A bit of conquest should do the trick," suggests the Army Commander, indicating several potential targets. "We'll seize a few factories from our selfish neighbours, and repurpose them to manufacture electronic parts. While we're at it, we might as well become self-sufficient in other areas by annexing the resources we require, be it oil from Althaniq, iron ore from new Dàgúo or fish from Macronesia. Our brave soldiers will be given something to do, and our territory will grow to accomodate our expanding population."
[effect] @@NAME@@ declares war on Brancaland whenever @@LEADER@@'s pancakes run out of maple syrup

[desc] Following the enactment of autarkist policies in @@NAME@@, the nation has banned the import of raw materials and foreign products. As a result, the price of manufacturing basic consumer goods has risen dramatically in all sectors, inflating the cost of living and hurting the quality of life of most @@DENONYMPLURAL@@. Industry representatives and ordinary citizens are calling for something to be done to resolve the issue.

[validity] Only valid for nations with an autarky policy

[option] "End autarky now!" demands @@RANDOMNAME@@, a common factory worker, raising @@HIS@@ spanner in a threatening manner. "Admittedly, I was initially glad that our jobs wouldn't be outsourced to other countries and that we were taking back our sovereignty. How could I have known that my expenses would reach such ridiculous levels, where basic necessities such as food, water and even Maxémon trading cards would be beyond reach? You must stop this idiotic policy before we all starve to death!"
[effect] unemployment has shot up as manufacturing jobs leave for Bigtopia
[policy] cancels autarky

[option] "That would just expose us to the fluctuation of external markets," dismisses the manager of the largest @@MAJORINDUSTRY@@ firm, handing you a productivity report. "The biggest problem here is that our production costs are too high, making our products virtually unaffordable. If you were to relax quality standards and remove environmental protections, we could drive down costs significantly. This would ensure the survival of our people."
[effect] high quality goods can only be found on the black market

[option] "A bit of conquest should do the trick," suggests the Army Commander, indicating several potential targets. "Whatever our nation lacks can be taken from our selfish neighbours. Be it oil from Althaniq, iron ore from new Dàgúo or fish from Macronesia, I'm sure that we can become self-sufficient by annexing the resources we require. Our brave soldiers will be given something to do, and our territory will grow to accomodate our expanding population."
[effect] @@NAME@@ declares war on Brancaland whenever @@LEADER@@'s pancakes run out of maple syrup

[desc] State representatives, consisting of you and a dozen other important officials, had just finished attending a diplomatic conference held in the United Federation. On the way out, you stumbled upon a trade fair organised nearby, where United Federation businesses gather regularly to promote their advanced gadgets to the rest of the world. Some among your ranks are starting to suggest bringing these gizmos into @@NAME@@, and possibly doing away with autarky altogether.

[validity] Only valid for nations with an autarky policy

[option] "Whoa! Look at all this cool merch!" exclaims the easily impressed Science Ambassador to the United Federation, giddy with excitement at the spectacle. "Did you see that three-pronged gyroscope, that octuple-bladed lightsaber or the genetically modified dinosaur with laser beams coming out of its robot arms? We don't have anything like this back home, and I think that our citizens would love to have some of this sort of stuff. Why don't we lift the ban on imports completely and allow @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ to buy whatever they want, from wherever they like?"
[effect] cheap Bigtopian trinkets are flooding the country following an end to autarkist policy
[policy] cancels autarky

[option] "We shall not be so easily swayed," rebukes the Minister of Food Security, mercilessly tearing apart flyers and bursting trade fair balloons. "The import ban is essential to ensure that our nation retains its sovereignty through self-sufficiency. We cannot allow ourselves to fall prey to the predatory economic thrusts of outsiders, like the market manipulations conducted by Dàgúo and the maple syrup syndicates run by Brancaland. Autarky is non-negotiable, and to compromise on the issue is absurd."
[effect] citizens regularly emigrate overseas to enjoy Skandilundian meatballs and Maxtopian shrimp dishes banned in @@NAME@@

[option] "There's always a third option," lampshades @@RANDOMNAME@@, the unscrupulous President of the United Federation, who is rumoured to have started a war with Althaniq for personal profit. "While some of your pesky citizens may vehemently oppose opening up the economy to foreign influence, I'm sure that an exception could be made for officials in your administration. In return for their valuable contributions to @@NAME@@, they should be allowed to bring in exotic goods for their own consumption. We'll keep mum about this and nobody will be any the wiser."
[effect] government officials are often caught selling foreign goods on the black market

[Singapore no2]

So... any comments?

[Candlewhisper Archive]

I appreciate the stab at a specific narrative, but cool gadgets seems too trivial a thing for people to propose to the government a reversal on a policy on autarky.

Can this be reframed so that the potential import good is more consequential in some way? Something like medicines you don't know how to make in @@NAME@@, or an important industrial good that can't be produced in @@NAME@@ for geographic reasons, or something like that? Have something be at risk, whether its the health of the nation or potential economic development, and then present a range of options to deal with the dilemma (from allowing imports, to less practical alternatives, to seizing with force.)

[Kenmoria]

Effect line 1 could just be shortened to "cheap Bigtopian trinkets are flooding the country".

[Singapore no2]

I appreciate the stab at a specific narrative, but cool gadgets seems too trivial a thing for people to propose to the government a reversal on a policy on autarky.

Can this be reframed so that the potential import good is more consequential in some way? Something like medicines you don't know how to make in @@NAME@@, or an important industrial good that can't be produced in @@NAME@@ for geographic reasons, or something like that? Have something be at risk, whether its the health of the nation or potential economic development, and then present a range of options to deal with the dilemma (from allowing imports, to less practical alternatives, to seizing with force.)

Conducted an overhaul.

[Australian rePublic]

Option 1- if people can't afford to buy food, it means that the sellers of the food can't afford to hire workers, which means their suppliers can't afford to hire workers, etc.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Better, though I personally would still say a more specific narrative - built around a single product rather than the economy as a whole - would make for a more engaging story.

[Fauxia]

Better, though I personally would still say a more specific narrative - built around a single product rather than the economy as a whole - would make for a more engaging story.

I agree with this. Just to expand- it should be about @@NAME@@ attempting to have a certain resource that it really can’t. I wonder- what if a new macro was made for this- @@LOWESTINDUSTRY@@? It could be the worst industry, and it would be great for this.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Better, though I personally would still say a more specific narrative - built around a single product rather than the economy as a whole - would make for a more engaging story.

I agree with this. Just to expand- it should be about @@NAME@@ attempting to have a certain resource that it really can’t. I wonder- what if a new macro was made for this- @@LOWESTINDUSTRY@@? It could be the worst industry, and it would be great for this.

Problem with macros that pick a different industry for each nation is that the issue itself would end up having to be vague and ambiguous to support that.

I think just pick a specific product, and centre the issue around that.

[Trotterdam]

Also, some industries don't describe physical goods that can be imported.

[Fauxia]

I agree with this. Just to expand- it should be about @@NAME@@ attempting to have a certain resource that it really can’t. I wonder- what if a new macro was made for this- @@LOWESTINDUSTRY@@? It could be the worst industry, and it would be great for this.

Problem with macros that pick a different industry for each nation is that the issue itself would end up having to be vague and ambiguous to support that.

I think just pick a specific product, and centre the issue around that.

That’s fair

[Singapore no2]

I tried.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Hmm... Sorry, that's not really it. You've picked a category of products and tacked it onto the existing narrative, but not made it central to the story. You can tell that's the case, because you could replace your chosen product with any other, and the issue would still be identical.

What I'd suggest is a narrative that starts with a specific product that can only be acquired through import, or a specific product sought internationally that can only be produced domestically.

Real life examples:

Mahogany comes from trees indigenous to the Americas. If Britain established a policy of autarky, then furniture builders and restorers who want this material would have to find some other solution, such as using aged British oak (not the same, but could be an approximation), or moving away from high quality wood and into easier to source materials, or just opening up to trade again.

Champagne can only be produced in France. If France were to go isolationist autarky, then champagne sellers would complain that 99% of their market has gone, and that within a year or two they'll lose all their market share to other nations' equivalent sparking white wines (Cava, etc,).

So start with the product, explain why autarky troubles that product and its dependent markets, then lay out specific solutions to the problem, one of which would be autarky reversal.

[Trotterdam]

Champagne can only be produced in France. If France were to go isolationist autarky, then champagne sellers would complain that 99% of their market has gone, and that within a year or two they'll lose all their market share to other nations' equivalent sparking white wines (Cava, etc,).

Only because champagne produced elsewhere is arbitrarily not called "champagne". An autarky would almost certainly not support protected designation of origin laws, considering that it does not accept foreign nations as valid origins at all.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Good point. More giving general examples of the type of story that would be less dry and more directly engaging, as opposed to proposing that in particular be used.

[Drayxaso]

I think I know how to be specific without altering the draft too much. If I were you, I would stick with the IT industry, and say that NS' Apple rip-off (the name eludes me at the moment) has been unable to make a new smartphone without, for example, the element Maxbarrium, which is found solely in Maxtopia. This element is necessary for a trademark component, and the release of the phone has been delayed as a result.

First option and third option could be kept mostly the same, while the second option could instead be a proposal by NS' Apple rip-off. It would probably be the best way to focus on a specific incident without losing focus on the policy at large.

[Singapore no2]

I think I know how to be specific without altering the draft too much. If I were you, I would stick with the IT industry, and say that NS' Apple rip-off (the name eludes me at the moment) has been unable to make a new smartphone without, for example, the element Maxbarrium, which is found solely in Maxtopia. This element is necessary for a trademark component, and the release of the phone has been delayed as a result.

First option and third option could be kept mostly the same, while the second option could instead be a proposal by NS' Apple rip-off. It would probably be the best way to focus on a specific incident without losing focus on the policy at large.

I tried.

[USS Monitor]

Looking through the drafts, I think you're headed in the right general direction.

[Singapore no2]

Any suggestions?

[Singapore no2]

Last call for suggestions.

[Singapore no2]

Modified an effect line.

[Fauxia]

Much better than the last time I read this carefully, nice job. Especially the fallout on option 3

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Apologies, just realised my current self-edit mildly clashes with this.

I'm currently working up Mining Blues, which is my 2016 issue about cobalt:
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=369726

The premise is totally different to this issue, but essentially its about a limited availability element used in electronics, so may overlap with your chosen subject matter.

Only just noticed the changes you made. Feel free to proceed as is, though it may be more distinct to choose a scarce resource other than Quandium.

[Singapore no2]

Only just noticed the changes you made. Feel free to proceed as is, though it may be more distinct to choose a scarce resource other than Quandium.

What would it mean to 'choose a scarce resource other than Quandium'?

Should I make it something like Code Geass's Sakuradite, found in Japan Area 11, which was a strategic resource only located in the colony?

[Candlewhisper Archive]

I don't know the reference. What I mean is, maybe make it so that it's something other than an element that computing depends upon, as that's more or less the theme of Mining Blues.

Feel free not to though: others may deem the overlap small enough that it doesn't matter.