[DRAFT]Several Hundred Matches Made in Heaven

[Fauxia]

[description]@@RANDOMFEMALENAME1@@ grows increasingly agitated every day, due to your rather unorthodox marital laws. She feels imprisoned as one of the almost seven hundred wives of @@RANDOMMALEFIRSTNAME@@ Solomon, who has lost interest in her for some of his newer, younger spouses.

[validity]must have "permanent marriage" and "polygamy"

[option]"I haven't spoken to that creep in two years!" exclaims @@RANDOMFEMALENAME1@@, dropping a blackened wedding ring on your desk. "He prefers to hang around his ugly new wives instead of the one he professed to love so long ago. This is what polygamy causes, @@LEADER@@! However, I understand that allowing people some marital freedom is a good idea. Just extend that freedom to the ability to acquire a divorce! I've moved on from him. He's moved on from me. There's no reason for us to be considered married anymore!"
[fallout]the average @@DEMONYM@@ marries seven times and divorces six times daily

[option]"Oh Violet no, that only encourages even more promiscuity!" reproaches rumored cultist @@RANDOMNAME@@, who is said to be the ugliest resident of @@CAPITAL@@. "The problem here isn't our divorce laws, it's the fact that people can marry whoever they damn well please, whenever they damn well please! All that does is encourage neglect of your original spouse whenever someone prettier or more handsome comes along. I do suppose that criminalizing polygamy will mean that there will have to be some annulments involved, but let's make it simple- your first marriage is your only marriage."
[fallout]murder rates are rising dramatically among the former spouses of former polygamists

[option]"Both of these people are only half right," remarks foreign affairs official @@RANDOMNAME@@, known as your "Minister of Going with the Flow" for @@HIS@@ political stances. "We have to realize that not allowing divorce causes unhappiness, because one can't divorce their spouse no matter how much of a drunken, abusive, adulterating disappointment they are. However, polygamy just encourages neglect, and could even cause some diseases! Most of our neighbors in @@REGION@@ have banned polygamy and legalized divorce, so they may like us more for it!
[fallout]the nation switches its policies whenever they deviate from most other countries

[option]"I think our policies are fine, for the most part," states @@RANDOMFIRSTNAME@@ "The Thinker" @@RANDOMLASTNAME@@ an advisor you seem to remember firing several weeks ago. "I think that allowing people to have multiple spouses is a good idea. However, I also believe that people should be held accountable for their actions. Divorce just allows people to marry whatever person they want if they feel aroused. I think we can prevent this by mandating that one must always provide for their spouse monetarily. That way they aren't irresponsible about their marriages. I think that will work."
[fallout]the Department of Marriage Legality is @@NAME@@'s most prestigious ministry

[description]@@RANDOMFEMALENAME1@@ is increasingly agitated every day, due to your rather unorthodox marital laws. She feels imprisoned as one of the almost seven hundred wives of @@RANDOMMALEFIRSTNAME@@ Solomon, who has lost interest in her for some of his younger, more attractive spouses.

[option]"I haven't even spoken to that creep in two years!" exclaims @@RANDOMFEMALENAME1@@, dropping a blackened wedding ring on your desk. "He prefers to hang around those ugly new girls. That's what polygamy will cause! However, I understand that allowing people some marital freedom is a good idea. Just extend that freedom to the ability to acquire a divorce! I've moved on from him. He's moved on from me. There's no reason for us to be considered married anymore!
[fallout]the average @@DEMONYM@@ marries seven times and divorces six times daily

[option]"Oh Violet no, that only encourages more promiscuity!" reproaches rumored cultist @@RANDOMNAME@@, who is said to be the ugliest resident of @@CAPITAL@@. "The problem here isn't our divorce laws, it's the fact that people can marry whoever they damn well please, whenever they damn well please! All that does is encourage neglect of your original spouse whenever someone prettier or more handsome comes along. I do suppose that criminalizing polygamy will mean that there will have to be some annulments involved, but let's make it simple- your first marriage is your only marriage."
[fallout]murder rates are rising dramatically among the former spouses of former polygamists

[option]"Both of these people are right and wrong," remarks foreign affairs official @@RANDOMNAME@@, known as your "Minister of Going with the Flow" for his political stances. "We have to realize that not allowing divorce causes unhappiness, because one can't divorce their spouse no matter how much of a drunken, abusive, adulterating disappointment they are. However, polygamy just encourages neglect, and could even cause some diseases. Most of our neighbors in @@REGION@@ have banned polygamy and legalized divorce, so we may as well do the same."
[fallout]the nation switches its policies whenever they deviate from most other countries

[description]Your government has received several complaints in the last few days regarding some of your unorthodox conjugal laws. It seems that refusing to allow divorce, while allowing polygamy, has meant that a substantial and still-growing number of @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ are married to each other.

[validity]must have "no divorce" and must have "permanent marriage"

[option]"The ban on divorce is obsolete!" claims David Solomon, who is said to be married to almost every woman in @@CAPITAL@@. "I was a young fool when I married some of these women, and now I want to get rid of them, but your authoritarian law says I can't! Frankly, it's ridiculous. Sometimes, the woman, or man, just isn't right. And let's face it, the current policy is likely to accelerate population beyond a reasonable point. This is the practical option."
[fallout]the average @@DEMONYM@@ marries seven times and divorces ten times every day

must allow religion
[option]"Shame on you, @@LEADER@@," croaks the Almost Half Reverend @@RANDOMMALENAME@@, who looks a bit like he cannot breathe. "I cannot believe that you would have the government allow morally odious behavior like polygamy. It's degrading to the moral fiber of the nation. You must ban polygamy, and all other forms of adultery. Divorce must stay illegal, of course. Once married, always married, as the saying goes."
[fallout]murder rates are rising dramatically among the spouses of former polygamists

must not allow religion
[option]"Shame on you, @@LEADER@@," reproaches rumored cultist @@RANDOMNAME@@, while lurking in the shadows. "I cannot believe that you would have the government allow morally odious behavior like polygamy. It's degrading to the moral fiber of the nation. You must ban polygamy, and all other forms of adultery. Divorce must stay illegal, of course. Once married, always married, as the saying goes."
[fallout]murder rates are rising dramatically among the spouses of former polygamists

[option]"What's really the big deal?" asks @@RANDOMNAME@@, who is married to several hundred unhappy spouses. "I don't think it's a bad idea at all. If most people are married to each other, @@NAME@@ will be closer together. And maybe in the future, we will all be one big family. Literally."

[The Kind-of-United States]

Seems like options 2 and 3 are a bit redundant. Do you have any way you could compress them into one?

Also, I sense this is similar to Issue #32. It too talked about polygamy and divorce, and as it's one of the original issues on NationStates, I don't think you could really do this idea.

You have a nice style, though. Keep trying!

[Australian rePublic]

No mention of drunk weddings and quicky devorces? Ha! Okay!

[Fauxia]

Seems like options 2 and 3 are a bit redundant. Do you have any way you could compress them into one?

Also, I sense this is similar to Issue #32. It too talked about polygamy and divorce, and as it's one of the original issues on NationStates, I don't think you could really do this idea.

You have a nice style, though. Keep trying!

Options 2 and 3 are alternates of the same option, dependant on the legality of religion.

It’s a bit like 32, but it isn’t too similar, I don’t think. This addresses a possible, yet very weird and problematic combination of policies.

[Chan Island]

Seems like options 2 and 3 are a bit redundant. Do you have any way you could compress them into one?

Also, I sense this is similar to Issue #32. It too talked about polygamy and divorce, and as it's one of the original issues on NationStates, I don't think you could really do this idea.

You have a nice style, though. Keep trying!

Options 2 and 3 are alternates of the same option, dependant on the legality of religion.

It’s a bit like 32, but it isn’t too similar, I don’t think. This addresses a possible, yet very weird and problematic combination of policies.

I'm pretty sure that second option 2 works in nations that have it both legal and illegal.

[Caracasus]

Interesting, let's take a look.

[description]Your government has received several complaints in the last few days regarding some of your unorthodox conjugal laws. It seems that refusing to allow divorce, while allowing polygamy, has meant that a substantial and still-growing number of @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ are married to each other.

Okay, so this would be for nations with polygamy but with divorce outlawed. Fauxia, I am 100% certain that you can come up with something funnier involving this than "your government has received several complaints."

[option]"The ban on divorce is obsolete!" claims David Solomon, who is said to be married to almost every woman in @@CAPITAL@@. "I was a young fool when I married some of these women, and now I want to get rid of them, but your authoritarian law says I can't! Frankly, it's ridiculous. Sometimes, the woman, or man, just isn't right. And let's face it, the current policy is likely to accelerate population beyond a reasonable point. This is the practical option."
[fallout]the average @@DEMONYM@@ marries seven times and divorces ten times every day

Okay, not sure why he'd claim it's accelerating population and I don't see it being that relevant to the issue at hand. Also wondering why you don't use @@RANDOMNAME@@... is there a reference I'm not getting here?

Additionally is there any way you can add a bit of character to this character?

must allow religion
[option]"Shame on you, @@LEADER@@," croaks the Almost Half Reverend @@RANDOMMALENAME@@, who looks a bit like he cannot breathe. "I cannot believe that you would have the government allow morally odious behavior like polygamy. It's degrading to the moral fiber of the nation. You must ban polygamy, and all other forms of adultery. Divorce must stay illegal, of course. Once married, always married, as the saying goes."
[fallout]murder rates are rising dramatically among the spouses of former polygamists

must not allow religion
[option]"Shame on you, @@LEADER@@," reproaches rumored cultist @@RANDOMNAME@@, while lurking in the shadows. "I cannot believe that you would have the government allow morally odious behavior like polygamy. It's degrading to the moral fiber of the nation. You must ban polygamy, and all other forms of adultery. Divorce must stay illegal, of course. Once married, always married, as the saying goes."
[fallout]murder rates are rising dramatically among the spouses of former polygamists

I am wondering if there's not a way to create an option here that references the immorality of polygamy and the morality of anti-divorce laws without discussing religion. Perhaps:

"Don't listen to that half-baked cultist!" reproaches @@RANDOMNAME@@. "The problem here is not our divorce laws, it is that people can marry as many other people as they like. It's the legalisation of polygamy that is at fault here....." or something like that.

[option]"What's really the big deal?" asks @@RANDOMNAME@@, who is married to several hundred unhappy spouses. "I don't think it's a bad idea at all. If most people are married to each other, @@NAME@@ will be closer together. And maybe in the future, we will all be one big family. Literally."

What does this suggest or do that the dismiss button doesn't do?

[Fauxia]

Options 2 and 3 are alternates of the same option, dependant on the legality of religion.

It’s a bit like 32, but it isn’t too similar, I don’t think. This addresses a possible, yet very weird and problematic combination of policies.

I'm pretty sure that second option 2 works in nations that have it both legal and illegal.

Yes. But it won’t show up in nations where it’s legal, because there’s another option for it. It isn’t the first time it’s been done, and it won’t be the last.

@Caracasus, I see why I didn’t really enjoy writing this draft all that much... it’s bland. Will fix it when I have the time. Your suggsted option is better.

“David Solomon” is a reference to the Biblical characters David and Solomon... but David doesn’t actually work very well. Solomon, however, had 700 wives and 300 concubines, as the story goes, so I think it fits.

[Trotterdam]

If polygamy is suddenly banned but divorce remains illegal, what happens to all the people who were previously married to each other? Do they get a special one-time dispensation to annul most of those marriages?

Also, consider looking at ways in which remaining married to people you're no longer so interested in, even as you start taking new spouses, may be a good idea. For one thing, alimony. That's one way in which our culture often expects marriages to last beyond their official divorce. Spouses in a polygamist society being expected to support each other where necessary would serve a similar role - so you can take new lovers, but you can't just leave your old ones to rot.

[Fauxia]

If polygamy is suddenly banned but divorce remains illegal, what happens to all the people who were previously married to each other? Do they get a special one-time dispensation to annul most of those marriages?

Also, consider looking at ways in which remaining married to people you're no longer so interested in, even as you start taking new spouses, may be a good idea. For one thing, alimony. That's one way in which our culture often expects marriages to last beyond their official divorce. Spouses in a polygamist society being expected to support each other where necessary would serve a similar role - so you can take new lovers, but you can't just leave your old ones to rot.

I think I will do something about someone who neglects their spouses because they have so many.

[Fauxia]

Bump for new draft

[Merconitonitopia]

no option to keep both no divorce and polygamy?

[Fauxia]

no option to keep both no divorce and polygamy?

Dismiss button... although I did consider adding one, so perhaps I should

[Fauxia]

New draft up! Added a new option

[Kurczak Mielony]

I like this one!
Loosely (or tightly, IDK) related to what Trotterdam said, maybe you should have an issue where both are legal (Polygamy and divorce) but you have to be able to support the new wives/husbands. Not sure, but you might be able to roll with it. A possible effect line could be: "The government has a separate department for determining whether or not someone can marry"
EDIT: wait, that's literally your fourth option

[Fauxia]

Well, thanks for the bump anyway...

suggestions?

I changed the fallout to something along the lines of what Kurczak said

[Fauxia]

Bumper cars is fun!

[Fauxia]

Bumpity do-da

[Logophilia Lyricalia]

I'm not sure I see how banning polygamy suddenly makes ex-spousal murder rates spike. Is it because "You told me I was your first wife, you two-timing bastard!!"? This would make more sense if that option let made each person pick a single one of their many spouses to remain married to.

[Trotterdam]

I'm not sure I see how banning polygamy suddenly makes ex-spousal murder rates spike.

Hint: divorce remains banned.

[Fauxia]

I'm not sure I see how banning polygamy suddenly makes ex-spousal murder rates spike. Is it because "You told me I was your first wife, you two-timing bastard!!"? This would make more sense if that option let made each person pick a single one of their many spouses to remain married to.

Hey SL! Don't see you around in these parts a ton, still thanks for the advice!

I see where you're coming from, however, the suggestion doesn't seem very in-character with the rest of the option. Does GI generally agree here?