Worldbuilding Realism Consultation Thread Mk. 4

[Champagne Socialist Sharifistan]

Is this realistic?:
In Sharifistan public servants (especially military officers and executives in the state-owned energy company) are paid more than people in most private companies in the same job.
This is partly thanks to the money made by Royal Sharifistani Energy and partly due to a basic income tax rate of 30%.

The wealthiest members of society include aristocratic landowners (who are over-represented in the high ranks of the military, politics and judiciary) and owners of private companies that do business with the government such as arms companies, large law firms and pharmaceutical companies

[The Akasha Colony]

How would I best go about giving Versilia and its people a staunchly independent and nation-minded conscience? When I think of this sort of mindset I think of countries like the Baltic nations, Finland, Iran or China. However all of these countries AFAIK have been direct victims of colonialism (Baltic nations by Russia, Germany and Christendom; China by the European powers; and Iran by the Muslim armies after the Conquest of Persia). I would rather not subject Versilia to a foreign power (most likely Great Britain or France) since it's absolutely not Christian and the vampires undoubtedly would’ve been persecuted, which I kinda don’t want.

Find me a country that hasn't been subjected to some kind of foreign assault and occupation at some point in its history.

Since the turn of the 20th century "staunchly independent and nation-minded consciences" have been the norm and have been the cause of innumerable wars.

[Austrasien]

This is what apparently Plant Factory does.

You can do it. You don't really want to do it.

The sun is effectively free energy. A lot of free energy. You are using a vast amount of scarce electricity to replace a big light in the sky so you can... have more empty space? If there is a severe space shortage it would make more sense to concentrate settlements. Agriculture actually makes use of space while in cities it's mostly a "nice to have" feature.

[The Islands of Versilia]

How would I best go about giving Versilia and its people a staunchly independent and nation-minded conscience? When I think of this sort of mindset I think of countries like the Baltic nations, Finland, Iran or China. However all of these countries AFAIK have been direct victims of colonialism (Baltic nations by Russia, Germany and Christendom; China by the European powers; and Iran by the Muslim armies after the Conquest of Persia). I would rather not subject Versilia to a foreign power (most likely Great Britain or France) since it's absolutely not Christian and the vampires undoubtedly would’ve been persecuted, which I kinda don’t want.

Find me a country that hasn't been subjected to some kind of foreign assault and occupation at some point in its history.

Since the turn of the 20th century "staunchly independent and nation-minded consciences" have been the norm and have been the cause of innumerable wars.

True. I suppose I can go with indoctrinative education and propaganda to help it.

[Champagne Socialist Sharifistan]

Find me a country that hasn't been subjected to some kind of foreign assault and occupation at some point in its history.

Since the turn of the 20th century "staunchly independent and nation-minded consciences" have been the norm and have been the cause of innumerable wars.

True. I suppose I can go with indoctrinative education and propaganda to help it.

And maybe a history of failed invasions,
like Afghanistan

[Champagne Socialist Sharifistan]

Is this realistic?:
In Sharifistan public servants (especially military officers and executives in the state-owned energy company) are paid more than people in most private companies in the same job.
This is partly thanks to the money made by Royal Sharifistani Energy and partly due to a basic income tax rate of 30%.

The wealthiest members of society include aristocratic landowners (who are over-represented in the high ranks of the military, politics and judiciary) and owners of private companies that do business with the government such as arms companies, large law firms and pharmaceutical companies

Is this a realistic economic system?

[The Islands of Versilia]

True. I suppose I can go with indoctrinative education and propaganda to help it.

And maybe a history of failed invasions,
like Afghanistan

That is possible. Defensive victories pumped up with propaganda.

[Champagne Socialist Sharifistan]

And maybe a history of failed invasions,
like Afghanistan

That is possible. Defensive victories pumped up with propaganda.

Cool can you answer my question now?

[Austria-Bohemia-Hungary]

Nobody cares about Afghanistan except as a fortified area against British/Indian or Russian encroachment in either direction.

[The Islands of Versilia]

Is this realistic?:
In Sharifistan public servants (especially military officers and executives in the state-owned energy company) are paid more than people in most private companies in the same job.
This is partly thanks to the money made by Royal Sharifistani Energy and partly due to a basic income tax rate of 30%.

The wealthiest members of society include aristocratic landowners (who are over-represented in the high ranks of the military, politics and judiciary) and owners of private companies that do business with the government such as arms companies, large law firms and pharmaceutical companies

Is this a realistic economic system?

I personally doubt government staff and public servants could be more well-paid than private employees unless the economy is strongly state-controlled or the market severely regulated. 30% BIT would affect them, too, so it would just be taking money back in my view. As well there aren’t private armies in your nation as far as I’m aware so what is there to compare them to besides foreign military personnel?

[The Akasha Colony]

True. I suppose I can go with indoctrinative education and propaganda to help it.

This isn't really necessary. The nearly universal rise in nationalist sentiment during the 20th century did not really need intense propaganda to propagate widely.

That is possible. Defensive victories pumped up with propaganda.

Afghanistan isn't a very good example. Their military history is much less illustrious than the internet memes would have you believe. Their greatest strength is the fact that their territory is near-worthless, so larger empires have had little reason to stick around. It has been more valuable as a buffer between richer states than as a part of those states itself.

[The Islands of Versilia]

True. I suppose I can go with indoctrinative education and propaganda to help it.

This isn't really necessary. The nearly universal rise in nationalist sentiment during the 20th century did not really need intense propaganda to propagate widely.

That is possible. Defensive victories pumped up with propaganda.

Afghanistan isn't a very good example. Their military history is much less illustrious than the internet memes would have you believe. Their greatest strength is the fact that their territory is near-worthless, so larger empires have had little reason to stick around. It has been more valuable as a buffer between richer states than as a part of those states itself.

Ah, gotcha. Understood.

[Ideal Britain]

True. I suppose I can go with indoctrinative education and propaganda to help it.

This isn't really necessary. The nearly universal rise in nationalist sentiment during the 20th century did not really need intense propaganda to propagate widely.

That is possible. Defensive victories pumped up with propaganda.

Afghanistan isn't a very good example. Their military history is much less illustrious than the internet memes would have you believe. Their greatest strength is the fact that their territory is near-worthless, so larger empires have had little reason to stick around. It has been more valuable as a buffer between richer states than as a part of those states itself.

"near worthless". It's highly strategic.
Why did most empires try then?

[Champagne Socialist Sharifistan]

Is this a realistic economic system?

I personally doubt government staff and public servants could be more well-paid than private employees unless the economy is strongly state-controlled or the market severely regulated. 30% BIT would affect them, too, so it would just be taking money back in my view. As well there aren’t private armies in your nation as far as I’m aware so what is there to compare them to besides foreign military personnel?

1. There are PMCs
2. to private sector people in the same professions or similar

[Champagne Socialist Sharifistan]

Is this a realistic economic system?

I personally doubt government staff and public servants could be more well-paid than private employees unless the economy is strongly state-controlled or the market severely regulated. 30% BIT would affect them, too, so it would just be taking money back in my view. As well there aren’t private armies in your nation as far as I’m aware so what is there to compare them to besides foreign military personnel?

The thing is it only takes 30% back,
and 15.55% of government revenue is from the energy company.
Private organisations generate a profit.
Governments do this but can also collect taxes.

[Purpelia]

I personally doubt government staff and public servants could be more well-paid than private employees unless the economy is strongly state-controlled or the market severely regulated. 30% BIT would affect them, too, so it would just be taking money back in my view. As well there aren’t private armies in your nation as far as I’m aware so what is there to compare them to besides foreign military personnel?

The thing is it only takes 30% back,
and 15.55% of government revenue is from the energy company.
Private organisations generate a profit.
Governments do this but can also collect taxes.

So basically you want to be a petrostate?

[Champagne Socialist Sharifistan]

The thing is it only takes 30% back,
and 15.55% of government revenue is from the energy company.
Private organisations generate a profit.
Governments do this but can also collect taxes.

So basically you want to be a petrostate?

Natural gas and renewable energy mostly at the moment.
Oil is used but sparingly now due to oil price declines
(we're set in 2020)

[Champagne Socialist Sharifistan]

Is this realistic?
sources of government revenue

state energy company= 15.55%

foreign university students= 3.5%

taxation: 71%

state Islamic bank: 8.95%

Arms sales: 1.99%

[Spirit of Hope]

Is this realistic?
sources of government revenue

state energy company= 15.55%

foreign university students= 3.5%

taxation: 71%

state Islamic bank: 8.95%

Arms sales: 1.99%

Why in the world do you think 3.5% of your nations revenue is coming from foreign university students?

What is your State Islamic Bank, and how does it operate to generate a profit for the government? A similar question also exists for the state energy company.

Have you looked at any real world nations and where they get their money from?

Instead of asking a blanket yes or no question and then throwing some numbers out, try and actually describe how you see your government generating revenues, how you see the government operating and discussing where you got the ideas from.

[Champagne Socialist Sharifistan]

Is this realistic?
sources of government revenue

state energy company= 15.55%

foreign university students= 3.5%

taxation: 71%

state Islamic bank: 8.95%

Arms sales: 1.99%

Why in the world do you think 3.5% of your nations revenue is coming from foreign university students?

What is your State Islamic Bank, and how does it operate to generate a profit for the government? A similar question also exists for the state energy company.

Have you looked at any real world nations and where they get their money from?

Instead of asking a blanket yes or no question and then throwing some numbers out, try and actually describe how you see your government generating revenues, how you see the government operating and discussing where you got the ideas from.

1. Sharifistan's universities are very prestigious (but not as much as Oxford or Cambridge, even Madinat Al-Islam University) and mostly state-owned.

2. It invests in companies both in Sharifistan and abroad.
The state-energy company sells natural gas and renewable energy as well as oil when the oil price is high enough.

3. Yes I have looked at Gulf states and also Turkey which has a state-owned energy company.

[Champagne Socialist Sharifistan]

Could medium-sized towns, based on tea-plantations exist?

[Champagne Socialist Sharifistan]

Would it make sense for the higher ranks of a police force to largely come from the nobility?

[Austria-Bohemia-Hungary]

Would it make sense for the higher ranks of a police force to largely come from the nobility?

sure why not

[Husseinarti]

Would it make sense for the higher ranks of a police force to largely come from the nobility?

In a more authoritarian state, yes

that won't translate into raw competence however, and may result in a lackluster police force

[Husseinarti]

This isn't really necessary. The nearly universal rise in nationalist sentiment during the 20th century did not really need intense propaganda to propagate widely.



Afghanistan isn't a very good example. Their military history is much less illustrious than the internet memes would have you believe. Their greatest strength is the fact that their territory is near-worthless, so larger empires have had little reason to stick around. It has been more valuable as a buffer between richer states than as a part of those states itself.

"near worthless". It's highly strategic.
Why did most empires try then?

Well the most failed empire to exist, the British Empire, wanted Afghanistan as a buffer to the emerging Russian Empire, as they wanted to protect India from the Russians.

Which is literally what he said.

The Soviet Empire went into Afghanistan for ideological reasons.

The American Empire went into Afghanistan for roughly the same.