Devernian Suggests Free Trade In Nortainland
Photo of Brian Sumtonbum leaning in the wall of the Royal Broadcasting Office.
Photo of Brian Sumtonbum leaning in the wall of the Royal Broadcasting Office.
An expert on Devernite economics and staunch supporter of globalism, Brian Sumtonbum, has suggested a free trade policy for the Kingdom of Nortainland. During a television show titled The Disputation, Sumtonbum has suggested a more open trade policy based on the current Devernite government's view on how trade should be handled. He stated that through this kind of policy, the modern economy can offer a guiding hand to the Nortan economy. He cites the failed UpdateNortain program as a mistake that needs to be learned, and suggests free trade to be a better alternative to bring Nortainland to the modern age.
"My country has already tried this economic policy, and it worked, because it was able to adapt with other existing industries and technologies," Sumtonbum stated during the program. "With free trade, Nortan businesses are opened to the rest of the world, assisted greatly by the English tongue in which Nortans have adopted. I hope that I will live to see the citizens of Great Nortend be offered a chance to enter the modern world through free trade rather than force."
Sumtonbum has also suggested for an adherance to modern international standards, more specifically the International System of Units, or ISU. "The current Catherinian system is, I hate to say this, obsolete; I don't want any offense to come from our listeners, but I personally think the International Standard of Units is more efficient. Devernia has long embraced the international—the global—standard of metric SI units of meters, kilograms, and newtons. Great Nortend needs to join the rest of the world, both in its economy and in its standards." This adaption also includes compliance with World Assembly regulation standards, such as the World Assembly Food & Drug Regulatory Agency (WAFDRA), as with many others.
This idea was, and still is, a subject of debate among Nortans and Devernians alike. While some, most notably an amount of educated Nortans, have supported the idea, others have opposed it. This includes anti-UpdateNortain campaigner Lord Grover, who called Sumtonbum's ideas 'feeble' and stated that the aftermath would end up with an 'UpdateNortain 2.0', effectively allowing foreign corporations to wipe out the local economy. A trend going for an 'against' regarding an influence like this from Devernia to Nortainland has recently been boosting, with the basis that 'it would just make things worse' and 'it's better to just leave Nortainland alone and let the country grow slowly on its own'.
The government has recently responded to this situation after SAL9000, the current acting President of Devernia, was asked this question during a press meeting. "After a quick study of the situation regarding Brian Sumtonbum's suggestion of a change in the current economic policy of the Kingdom of Nortend, Cardoby and Hambria, it is my decision that I and our government will officially Abstain. While it is indeed rather flattering for their citizens to even consider the possibility of adapting one of our policies, we have already learned that interfering with their decision-making will only further trouble their and our citizens and worsen the Commonwealth of Devernia's relations with them. And even as a supercomputer with mass intellect and accurate economic simulation programs, nobody can be really sure of the outcome. We do not want that to happen; it was already clear after what happened with the UpdateNortain program. We hope that their decision will ultimately benefit their fine nation."