[DRAFT] State of the Nation State
Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2021 12:41 pm
TITLE:
State of the Nation State
VALIDITY:
democracy, violetism not the national religion, some military strength
DESCRIPTION:
Twenty years. That's how long the democratic government of Forchanistan lasted, before it collapsed into a failed state, allowing the totalitarian and theocratic radicals known as Ultra-Violet to take control of the nation. Twenty years of @@NAME@@ trying to win the hearts and minds of the Forchanistani people, twenty years of trying to instill values of liberal democracy, twenty years of roadside bombs and terrorist insurgents, twenty years of trying to create economic and cultural ties with @@NAME@@. Twenty years of failure. Now the new rulers of the land are undoing two decades of progress, with summary executions and systematised human rights abuses the new order of the day. However, the Ultra-Violetists know that their grip on power isn't yet secure, and they're seeking international recognition. Are you willing to work with them?
OPTION 1
"Death to @@NAME@@! @@LEADER@@ is the Great Devil!" quotes your Minister of Repetitious Antiquities. "That was the rallying cry of Ultra-Violet not so long ago, and it tells you all you need to know about them. Forchanistan isn't a land we can fix, but we sure as hell don't have to put up with Ultra-Violet being in charge of it! They represent a threat to our national security, a threat to democratic values. We need precision strikes to decapitate the Ultra-Violet chain of command, decisive military action, and application of overwhelming force! Bring them down, and maybe they'll be replaced by someone better."
OUTCOME:
the military makes a desert and calls it peace
OPTION 2
"Can I point out that neither the people of our country or theirs wants war?" interject your Minister of Gentle Simian Capture. "Our voting public don't want to see @@DEMONYM@@ soldiers' blood being spilt in that wretched land, especially when no permanent victory is possible. Likewise, the ordinary people of Forchanistan have seen generations of war, and have suffered endlessly from the chaos. While we might not like Ultra-Violet, we have to acknowledge that they are now the rulers of Forchanistan. We have to formally recognise their government, and begin the long, hard process of building non-hostile relations. Stability, both in Forchanistan and globally, trumps the futile pursuit of a perfect world. Perhaps, given a few decades, we can persuade them of the merits of moderate democracy. Or perhaps not. Either way, let's look to the future."
OUTCOME:
hand-shaking diplomats wash their hands frequently to clean the bloodstains off
OPTION 3
"Military solutions just create problems, but we can't act like this new regime is anything other than monstrous," muses your Minister of Oscillating Digits. "I say we refuse to recognise them, lay on trade sanctions, express extreme disapproval. Beyond that we just ignore them, and leave them to their mess. Yes, it's going to be a rotten time for many Forchanistanis, especially women, pro-democracy groups, non-Violetists, starving families and... well, I guess, about eighty percent of the population. But we're not the world's policeman, and we have neither responsibility nor duty to see to the welfare of foreign nationals. Honestly, if I never have to hear about Forchaanistan again, I'll be glad of it."
OUTCOME:
geopolitics is somebody else's problem