NationStates Issues **SPOILER ALERT**

[Polluted Slavery]

Another new one. Issue #326. Apologies for not putting the variable markers in.

Knitters In A Knot Over Police Stitch Up

The Issue

After a peaceful public knitting class was dispersed by riot police, the citizenry are up in arms at what they perceive as unnecessary police brutality.

The Debate

"With all due respect, Leader, you weren't there, so you don't know the full story", your police chief states candidly. "These thugs were loitering in Rat Park brandishing weapons! They were up to something - mark my words! Besides, if it wasn't for our brave police officers, who knows what kind of damage they could have caused. We've got to come down hard on thugs like these and ban groups comprising of three or more people. That'll stop any troublemaking, I'm sure of it!"


"Weapons? WEAPONS? They were knitting needles you imbecile!" shouts Ariel Malik, the elderly President of the Polluted Slavery Knitting League, brandishing a pair of pins in the direction of the police chief. "The only thugs in Rat Park that day were the riot police - protectors of public safety my royal rump! They fired rubber bullets at us without any warning. Rubber bullets! And I only out of the hospital after getting my hip replacement. You MUST do something about these trigger-happy hooligans. Clearly if they can't tell the difference between criminals and geriatrics they need retraining!"


"Retraining the entire police force would cost far too much", your financial advisor says quietly, appearing from behind your chair. "That being said, the crazy lady with the woolly hat is right, we do have to do something about this situation. We can't have the police force appear brutal and unruly. What we should do is ban all sorts of dangerous weapons. That way the police force won't have to worry about dangerous thugs with guns, and the public can rest easy knowing the police force won't be able to brutally attack them either. And we can get rid of the riot police too as they clearly won't be needed, which saves us money! Everybody wins!"

[Individuality-ness]

Issue #328: Bugged by Lack of Intelligence

A naval frigate from @@NAME@@ was recently ambushed by a rival navy in the international waters of @@REGION@@. Security analysts have admitted that faulty intelligence was to blame and are now insisting that something be done to prevent a situation like this happening again.

The Debate

"The best way to gain accurate intelligence is when it's in transit," says @@RANDOMNAME@@, a communications technician from the DSA, while hunched over a computer. "Think of the information the @@NAME@@ Security Agency could get from telephone calls, emails, radio chatter, even internet browsing history! All we would need are satellites, servers, algorithms, and quality mathematicians to intercept them. It might be costly, but you don't want another embarrassing incident, do you?"

"We don't need to spend so much money on technology when we can rely on manpower," says Director @@RANDOMNAME@@, head of the @@NAME@@ Intelligence Agency, while putting on a pair of black shades. "Can a computer gain a leader's trust? Can a telephone stop a terrorist? We need inside men around every foreign diplomat, general and guerrilla this side of @@REGION@@!"

"Speaking of inside men…" says an unnamed secret service agent, stepping out of the shadows, "How do we know they haven't infiltrated our intelligence services? Think about it, how else would they know our plans and convoy routes? Spies and insurgents -- now they are the real problem; a problem I can get rid of if you let me launch a secret investigation with, eh, secret results.

"I know of a cheaper option," says your intern, lifelessly scrolling through whistleblowing site KwikiLeaks. "Why bother spending so much on the intelligence services here, when whistleblowers from others are posting all their information online? You could just set up some 'game rooms' for bored, tech-savvy kids. Make a game out of finding useful electronic intelligence and reward them with pizza or something."

[Luna Amore]

Issue #326: Knitters In A Knot Over Police Stitch Up

Tsaraine; ed: Sanctaria

Issue #327: No Rest For The Weary @@ANIMAL@@

Black and Brindle; ed: Sedgistan

Issue #328: Bugged by Lack of Intelligence

Mediterreania; ed: Sanctaria

[Sanctaria]

"The best way to gain accurate intelligence is when it's in transit," says @@RANDOMNAME@@, a communications technician from the DSA, while hunched over a computer. "Think of the information the @@NAME@@ Security Agency could get from telephone calls, emails, radio chatter, even internet browsing history! All we would need are satellites, servers, algorithms, and quality mathematicians to intercept them. It might be costly, but you don't want another embarrassing incident, do you?"

This isn't the text, btw, that's something that will change from nation-to-nation. If your nation name is @@NATION@@, then this would be @@N@@SA.

[Andacantra]

All added in.

Point of clarification:

"The best way to gain accurate intelligence is when it's in transit," says @@RANDOMNAME@@, a communications technician from the DSA, while hunched over a computer. "Think of the information the @@NAME@@ Security Agency could get from telephone calls, emails, radio chatter, even internet browsing history! All we would need are satellites, servers, algorithms, and quality mathematicians to intercept them. It might be costly, but you don't want another embarrassing incident, do you?"

This isn't the text, btw, that's something that will change from nation-to-nation. If your nation name is @@NATION@@, then this would be @@N@@SA.

I've entered this as @@NAMEINITIALS@@SA - is this accurate?

[Frisbeeteria]

I've entered this as @@NAMEINITIALS@@SA - is this accurate?

No, but it'll do for a public standard. It won't automatically become the correct macro in issue creation, but it's close enough that we'll recognize the effort.

[Andacantra]

I've entered this as @@NAMEINITIALS@@SA - is this accurate?

No, but it'll do for a public standard. It won't automatically become the correct macro in issue creation, but it's close enough that we'll recognize the effort.

Awesome.

[The Dictatorship POD]

Why not have "Oil Drilling" as a major industry?

[Frisbeeteria]

Why not have "Oil Drilling" as a major industry?

Not the correct place for such a suggestion, and no, we're not going to add any industries. If you want to discuss it further (even after I've told you it's pointless), start a thread in Technical.

[The Dictatorship POD]

Why not have "Oil Drilling" as a major industry?

Not the correct place for such a suggestion, and no, we're not going to add any industries. If you want to discuss it further (even after I've told you it's pointless), start a thread in Technical.

Okay, sorry about that.

[THE UNION OF FREE STATES OF AMERICA]

In an issue, if an opinion has already been selected and followed for "legislation", can another/different opinion be selected afterwards?
If yes, how.
If no, is there anything that can be done about it.

[Kesshite]

Wait for the issue to come up another time and select a different option.

[The Republic of Mattlandia]

#138 is the best issue of all time ^_^

[Bodobol]

#138 is the best issue of all time ^_^

No, #134 is. Obviously.

[Andacantra]

We have a new issue! Woopwoop!

#329: Military Uniforms Under Scrutiny [Crimsonrayne; ed:Sedgistan] added

[Burgera]

#330 - Supermarkets Gobbling Up All The Customers?

The Issue

The recent boom in the nationwide supermarket Humongo-Mart has brought representatives from local mom and pop stores to your office demanding action be taken.

The Debate

1. "Humongo-Mart is destroying our livelihoods!" shouts @@RANDOMNAME@@, the owner of a small butchery, while waving a bloody cleaver. "These chains are over-saturating our cities with ridiculously low prices. I simply can't compete. You need to put a stop to this. We need more regulations dictating where these supermarkets can be."

2. "You've got to be kidding me," scoffs business columnist @@RANDOMNAME@@. "You want to punish businesses if they become too successful? They started small just like everyone else. If you regulate or – heaven forbid – ban big business, can you imagine the fallout? Without corporations to compete with, these small shops could gouge their prices. Never mind what capping industry growth would do to the economy. If anything we need less government meddling."

3. "This raises an interesting question," begins amateur philosopher @@RANDOMNAME@@. "Why should we leave an essential commodity such as food up to the whims of profits and greed? The government needs to step in and take control of the food production in this country. You could ensure that every citizen is provided with a well-balanced, healthy meal instead of this overpriced slop. People shouldn't have their health and basic needs held hostage by greedy corporations!"

* * *

Still almost no new issues in the last time. I wonder if there are really that few people working on editing them.

[Frenequesta]

Still almost no new issues in the last time. I wonder if there are really that few people working on editing them.

I've been waiting for them to put out a new issue of mine that they accepted for the past two years. Perhaps now they are starting to catch up.

[Andacantra]

#330 - Supermarkets Gobbling Up All The Customers?

The Issue

The recent boom in the nationwide supermarket Humongo-Mart has brought representatives from local mom and pop stores to your office demanding action be taken.

The Debate

1. "Humongo-Mart is destroying our livelihoods!" shouts @@RANDOMNAME@@, the owner of a small butchery, while waving a bloody cleaver. "These chains are over-saturating our cities with ridiculously low prices. I simply can't compete. You need to put a stop to this. We need more regulations dictating where these supermarkets can be."

2. "You've got to be kidding me," scoffs business columnist @@RANDOMNAME@@. "You want to punish businesses if they become too successful? They started small just like everyone else. If you regulate or – heaven forbid – ban big business, can you imagine the fallout? Without corporations to compete with, these small shops could gouge their prices. Never mind what capping industry growth would do to the economy. If anything we need less government meddling."

3. "This raises an interesting question," begins amateur philosopher @@RANDOMNAME@@. "Why should we leave an essential commodity such as food up to the whims of profits and greed? The government needs to step in and take control of the food production in this country. You could ensure that every citizen is provided with a well-balanced, healthy meal instead of this overpriced slop. People shouldn't have their health and basic needs held hostage by greedy corporations!"

* * *

Still almost no new issues in the last time. I wonder if there are really that few people working on editing them.

Awesome, thank you! It shall be added in a moment. Would appear that none of my nations got that one yesterday. And yeah, it's definitely a slow process but hey, 2 new issues anyway!

EDIT: Oh - who's the author/editor? (bottom right hand side)

[Luna Amore]

#330 - Supermarkets Gobbling Up All The Customers?

The Issue

The recent boom in the nationwide supermarket Humongo-Mart has brought representatives from local mom and pop stores to your office demanding action be taken.

The Debate

1. "Humongo-Mart is destroying our livelihoods!" shouts @@RANDOMNAME@@, the owner of a small butchery, while waving a bloody cleaver. "These chains are over-saturating our cities with ridiculously low prices. I simply can't compete. You need to put a stop to this. We need more regulations dictating where these supermarkets can be."

2. "You've got to be kidding me," scoffs business columnist @@RANDOMNAME@@. "You want to punish businesses if they become too successful? They started small just like everyone else. If you regulate or – heaven forbid – ban big business, can you imagine the fallout? Without corporations to compete with, these small shops could gouge their prices. Never mind what capping industry growth would do to the economy. If anything we need less government meddling."

3. "This raises an interesting question," begins amateur philosopher @@RANDOMNAME@@. "Why should we leave an essential commodity such as food up to the whims of profits and greed? The government needs to step in and take control of the food production in this country. You could ensure that every citizen is provided with a well-balanced, healthy meal instead of this overpriced slop. People shouldn't have their health and basic needs held hostage by greedy corporations!"

* * *

Still almost no new issues in the last time. I wonder if there are really that few people working on editing them.

Awesome, thank you! It shall be added in a moment. Would appear that none of my nations got that one yesterday. And yeah, it's definitely a slow process but hey, 2 new issues anyway! :D

EDIT: Oh - who's the author/editor? (bottom right hand side)

[Fayd; ed: Luna Amore]

[Sedgistan]

Still almost no new issues in the last time. I wonder if there are really that few people working on editing them.

I've been waiting for them to put out a new issue of mine that they accepted for the past two years. Perhaps now they are starting to catch up.

We had a massive flood of issues in 2012 - around 55 of them were added that year. However, the issues editing process is extremely laborious, and while the Issues Editors do a lot of the work, it requires game mods to sign off on the stats before they're added. Fris and myself both suffered "burn-out" from the process (combined with a reduced amount of free time), which meant that issues editing stalled over the last year. We're getting going on them again - hence the couple added recently, so I'm cautiously optimistic that we'll see a fairly regular flow of issues from now onwards.

However, issues editing is never a quick process, so there will always be a backlog of player-submitted issues awaiting review.

[Andacantra]

Awesome, thank you! It shall be added in a moment. Would appear that none of my nations got that one yesterday. And yeah, it's definitely a slow process but hey, 2 new issues anyway!

EDIT: Oh - who's the author/editor? (bottom right hand side)

[Fayd; ed: Luna Amore]

Thank yous, and added

Also, by the by, is the gap at #134 not being filled?

[Sanctaria]

[Fayd; ed: Luna Amore]

Thank yous, and added

Also, by the by, is the gap at #134 not being filled?

It probably will be next time an issue has to be manually input rather than via the Issue Editor.

[Zwangzug]

#331: Swept Away

Unusually heavy rainfall this week burst riverbanks and caused flash flooding in @@NATION@@'s low-lying areas. This has sparked much debate on how the state should deal with flood damage.

1. "We need help to recover from this horrible flood!" says @@RANDOMNAME@@, a resident of the flooded zone, trying to stop his hands from shaking. "I've lost everything: my house, cars, yacht. There was no time to recover anything before it was swept away. The government should compensate us for our losses. It wasn't our idea to can the dam project, after all, and if I get no help I'll be without a roof to live under.

2. "At the end of the day, they chose to live in a flood plain. Why should the government pay anything at all to these half-brained idiots?" rants @@RANDOMNAME@@, a prominent campaigner for lower government spending. "If they want money when there's a flood, they should get insurance and hang the expense. Make them bear the costs of their own lunacy. You don't see ME whining about the whippersnappers that broke one of my windows last fall. Why? Because I paid for insurance!"

3. "These floods should never have happened in the first place," states @@RANDOMNAME@@, a noted architect, with an excited glint in her eye. "They've caused widespread destruction and damage; the repairs will cost millions of checks, and this doesn't count the millions more people are asking in compensation. What I propose is that the government invest heavily in massive flood defenses. Dams! Levees! Floodways! Dikes! Dams! Gates! Wall off the seas and lakes! Put flood gates on every river! No, dam them all up! Then build more dams! We'll have no more floods in @@NATION@@!"

4. "You know what? Why don't we use the cheap, easy solution to stop this problem?" says @@RANDOMNAME@@, floating past on a makeshift raft. "Just stop people from building on flood plains. If you're not in a floodable area, you can't get flooded. Who's going to complain? A bunch of real-estate developers? Please! Even the environmentalists will be happy, because the land will become some kind of nature reserve."

Issue by: Mostly armless
Editor: Dustistan

[Benjamin Mark]

I believe this is a new issue, correct me if I'm wrong
Title: No Sacrifice, No Sacrifice At All #333 (Emunia ed. Sanctaria)

The Issue
After a recent exposé of controversial religious rituals practised by some immigrants from distant, less well-developed countries, @@NATION@@ premier conservative think tank, the Coffee Cabal, has called on the government to regulate these religions and their worship.
The Debate
1. "These acts are an attack on @@NATION@@'s moral fiber!" stresses @@RANDOMNAME@@, the investigative reporter responsible for the exposé. "There are just some things that freedom of religion shouldn't cover, and that includes ritual sacrifice, the harming of children or animals, or hell, even really bad choral singing. The government must enact restrictions on religious practices that offend public decency."
2. "Dancing blindfolded around cucumbers while carrying wailing children on our heads is a custom that dates back millennia in our culture", explains @@RANDOMNAME@@, a High Priest of one of the under-fire religions. "The freedom to practice our religion played a large part in our relocation to @@NATION@@. The government must preserve our right to our culture and religion, even if the majority of people find them disturbing. Haven't you heard of tyranny by the majority? A religious exemption should be made for all the laws of @@NATION@@ to ensure our freedom."
3. "This is a dangerous discussion," writes @@RANDOMNAME@@ in her popular online journal, 'Religious Watchblog'. "If we allow a religious exemption to any law, offences like religiously motivated terrorism would be permitted. It's insane. I could live with allowing religious schools to decide whether or not to teach evolution, but allowing people of faith to exist outside the law is ludicrous. The government should create a ministry that considers whether or not religious practices are compatible with the nation's ethos."
4. "Once again, only I have the guts to call a problem by its real name," says right-wing radio host @@RANDOMNAME@@. "Everyone else is too afraid to point out the real problem here, and it's very simple; these immigrants and their brutish religions are antithetical to the basic, founding principles of @@NATION@@. They don't belong here, pure and simple. From now on, people who don't belong to a major religion should not be allowed in this country."
5. "The real problem isn't immigration, it's religion," announces prominent far-left politician @RANDOMNAME@@ "Yes, the practices outlined in those articles are horrifying, but they're no more horrifying than the religious practices the people of Benjamin Mark have been undertaking since time immemorial. It's time we recognized that, as a forward-thinking people, we can no longer afford to allow the practice of any religion."

[The Campbell Nation]

I think this is new. New to me at least. It's got a big number and it doesn't seem to be on the list.

#332 Summit Security Spending Stirs Strife
The Issue

After The Campbell Nation agreed to host the annual Organization of Really Dominant Economic Regimes (ORDER) summit, opposition parties have slammed the government for planning to spend over a billion Imperial Credits on security alone. They are demanding an explanation.

The Debate

Your press secretary speaks on your behalf at a press conference. "In times of terror and uncertainty, it's imperative we take all necessary precautions. After all, The Campbell Nation is playing host to the world and has an obligation to provide top-notch security. A small tax hike to keep us and our allies safe is absolutely worth it. After all, these summits always bring out dangerous anarchists. If we don't arm the police for the worst, a world leader could get shot!"


"A billion Imperial Credits on security? Outrageous!" exclaims seasoned and radical protester Johann Woolf, while recovering from the effects of pepper spray. "No previous host spent nearly that much. This is a summit about strengthening the economy. How does blowing a billion Imperial Credits on this improve the economy? It doesn't! That's money better spent on us, the people! Our tax money should be going to teaching our children better math skills, not buying another taser!

Issue by: The Free Secular Federation of Nation of Quebec
Editor: Lenyo

This issue was clearly written for me. I wish I could pick both options. No doubt I will eventually.