[DRAFT] Are There Any @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ Left?

[Slavokstan]

Daarwyrth here with a new issue draft! I've searched whether there might be potential overlap for this issue idea, but I couldn't find anything that was too similar to this. If I missed something, please, do let me know! Otherwise, feedback and comments are more than welcome

---

CURRENT DRAFT:

[Title] Are There Any @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ Left?

[Validity] None

[Description] Surveys have shown that the majority of citizens in provinces like South @@ANIMAL@@land identify themselves far more strongly with their region than with the country as a whole. As such, the nation's central authorities in @@CAPITAL@@ are becoming increasingly concerned about the disappearance of the national identity, and how such detachment might cause problems for @@NATION@@ as a whole in the future.

[Option 1] "Bah, blatant disregard for the hand that feeds!" scoffs your Minister of Culture and National Heritage most sourly. "Those yokels need to be reminded that whatever their regional identity, they're @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ first and foremost! Census takers ought to poll every town, city and county on a weekly basis, and if the amount of people identifying as a @@DEMONYM@@ is less than half of the population, any and all funding should be summarily cut! That'll inspire local authorities to keep promoting our national identity."

[Effect 1] everyone's a proud @@DEMONYM@@ when the government's watching

[Option 2] The Undersecretary of Interior, a local from South @@ANIMAL@@land, starts speaking in @@HIS_1@@ unintelligible regional dialect. @@HIS_1@@ aide translates helpfully: "The Undersecretary says that @@HE_1@@ doesn't understand what would be so bad about citizens identifying more with their region than their nation. @@HE_1@@ believes that @@NAME@@ is a diverse and pluralistic society that has transcended the need for a single, unifying demonym. @@HE@@ proposes a return to a more personal, regional approach to cultural identification."

[Effect 2] everything in @@NAME@@ is always the fault of 'those damned @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@'

[Option 3] "Weak words from soft leaders," sighs your advisor General Orland Wellington, folding his hands. "Historically, there has been only one valid approach to unifying a divided people: a common enemy. There are plenty of viable targets around us. Blackacre, Dàguó, or even little insignificant Ausonia, they're all ripe for demonization! And while you rally our citizens against these peoples - turning them into hated enemies of the state - you'll slowly increase the power of the central authorities. All in the name of national security, of course."

[Effect 3] children scream for their parents claiming there's a Bigtopian hiding under their bed

DRAFT 4:

[Title] Are There Any @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ Left?

[Validity] None

[Description] Surveys have shown that the majority of citizens in regions like South @@ANIMAL@@land, or the Northern Lowlands identify themselves far more strongly with their region than with the nation as a whole. As such, concerns about the disappearance of the national identity are rising.

[Option 1] "Bah, blatant disregard for the hand that feeds!" scoffs your Minister of Culture and National Heritage most sourly. "Those yokels need to be reminded that whatever their regional identity, they're @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ first and foremost! Census takers ought to poll every town, city and county on a weekly basis, and if the amount of people identifying as a @@DEMONYM@@ is less than half of the population, any and all funding should be summarily cut! That'll inspire local authorities to keep promoting our national identity."

[Effect 1] everyone's a proud @@DEMONYM@@ when the government's watching

[Option 2] The Undersecretary of Interior, a local from the Southeastern Highlands, starts speaking in @@HIS_1@@ unintelligible regional dialect. @@HIS_1@@ aide translates helpfully: "The Undersecretary says that @@HE_1@@ doesn't understand what would be so bad about citizens identifying more with their region than their nation. @@HE_1@@ believes that @@NAME@@ is a diverse and pluralistic society that has transcended the need for a single, unifying demonym. @@HE@@ proposes a return to a more personal, regional approach to cultural identification."

[Effect 2] everything's always the fault of 'those damned foreign @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@'

[Option 3] "Weak words from soft leaders," sighs your advisor General Orland Wellington, folding his hands. "Historically, there has been only one valid approach to unifying a divided people: a common enemy. There are plenty of viable targets around us. Blackacre, Dàguó, or even little insignificant Ausonia, they're all ripe for demonization! And while you rally our citizens against these peoples - turning them into hated enemies of the state - you'll slowly increase the power of the central authorities. All in the name of national security, of course."

[Effect 3] children scream for their parents claiming there's a Bigtopian hiding under their bed

DRAFT 3:

[Title] Are There Any @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ Left?

[Validity] Must have Devolution

[Description] Following your decision to divide @@NAME@@ into self-governing territories, your citizens' appreciation of their regional identities has grown significantly. Census polls show people keenly describe themselves as Northerners, Southerners, or @@ANIMAL@@landers. Yet when those same people were asked whether they still felt like @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@, few if any of them replied they did. As such, concerns about the disappearance of the national identity are rising.

[Option 1] "Bah, blatant disregard for the hand that feeds!" scoffs your Minister of Culture and National Heritage most sourly. "These yokels need to be reminded that whatever their regional identity, they're @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ first and foremost! Census takers ought to poll every town, city and county on a weekly basis, and if the amount of people identifying as a @@DEMONYM@@ is less than half of the population, their funding should be summarily cut! That'll inspire the local authorities to keep promoting our national identity."

[Effect 1] suddenly everyone is a proud @@DEMONYM@@ whenever government officials visit

[Option 2] The Undersecretary of Interior, a local from Lower @@ANIMAL@@land, starts speaking in @@HIS_1@@ unintelligible regional dialect. @@HIS_1@@ aide translates helpfully: "The Undersecretary says that @@HE_1@@ doesn't understand what would be so bad about citizens identifying more with their region than their nation. @@HE_1@@ believes that @@NAME@@ is a diverse and pluralistic society that has transcended the need for a single, unifying demonym. @@HE_1@@ proposes you that promptly decentralize the country's nationality as well."

[Effect 2] everything's always the fault of 'those damned foreign @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@'

[Option 3] "Weak words from soft leaders," sighs your advisor General Orland Wellington, folding his hands. "Historically, there has been only one valid approach to unifying a divided people: a common enemy. There are plenty of viable targets around us. Blackacre, Dàguó, or even little insignificant Ausonia, they're all ripe for demonization! And while you rally our citizens against these peoples - turning them into hated enemies of the state - you'll slowly divert power back to the central authorities. All in the name of national security, of course."

[Effect 3] children scream for their parents claiming there's a Bigtopian hiding under their bed

DRAFT 2:

[Title] Are There Any @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ Left?

[Validity] Must have Devolution

[Description] Following your decision to divide @@NAME@@ into self-governing territories, your citizens' appreciation of their regional identities has grown significantly. Census polls show people keenly describe themselves as Northerners, Southerners, or @@ANIMAL@@landers. Yet when those same people were asked whether they still felt like @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@, few if any of them replied they did. As such, concerns about the disappearance of the national identity are rising.

[Option 1] "Bah, blatant disregard for the hand that feeds!" scoffs your Minister of Culture and National Heritage most sourly. "These yokels need to be reminded that whatever their regional identity, they're @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ first and foremost! Census takers ought to poll every town, city and county on a weekly basis, and if the amount of people identifying as a @@DEMONYM@@ is less than half of the population, their funding should be summarily cut! That'll inspire the local authorities to keep promoting our national identity."

[Effect 1] suddenly everyone is a proud @@DEMONYM@@ whenever government officials visit

[Option 2] Your Minister of Interior, a local from Lower @@ANIMAL@@land, starts speaking in @@HIS_1@@ unintelligible regional dialect. @@HIS_1@@ aide translates helpfully: "The Minister says that @@HE_1@@ doesn't understand what would be so bad about citizens identifying more with their region than their nation. @@HE_1@@ believes that @@NAME@@ is a diverse and pluralistic society that has transcended the need for a single, unifying demonym. @@HE_1@@ proposes you that promptly decentralize the country's nationality as well."

[Effect 2] everything's always the fault of 'those damned foreign @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@'

[Option 3] "And how long are we going to pretend that the peripheries have any idea of what they're doing?" asks the Mayor of @@CAPITAL@@ with a patronizing smile. "Besides, nothing can compare to the true beauty and splendor of our capital. I say we restore proper civilization to this country by mandating that every town, city and county be remodeled in the image of our nation's muse of @@CAPITAL@@. Policies, architecture, art and culture, everything and without exception. Only then will we be able to instill perfection across all of @@NAME@@."

[Effect 3] bemused tourists swear their touringcars are going in circles

DRAFT 1:

[Title] Are There Any @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ Left?

[Validity] Must have Devolution

[Description] Following your decision to divide @@NAME@@ into self-governing territories, your citizens' appreciation of their regional identities has grown significantly. Census polls show people keenly describe themselves as Northerners, Southerners, or @@ANIMAL@@landers, but rarely if ever as @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ anymore. As such, concerns about the disappearance of the national identity are rising.

[Option 1] "Bah, blatant disregard for the hand that feeds!" scoffs your Minister of Culture and National Heritage most sourly. "These yokels need to be reminded that whatever their regional identity, they're @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ first and foremost! Census takers ought to poll every town, city and county on a weekly basis, and if the amount of people identifying as a @@DEMONYM@@ is less than half of the population, their funding should be summarily cut! That'll inspire the local authorities to keep promoting our national identity."

[Effect 1] everyone feels like a proud @@DEMONYM@@ whenever government officials pay a visit

[Option 2] Your Minister of Interior, a local from Lower @@ANIMAL@@land, starts speaking in @@HIS_1@@ unintelligible regional dialect. @@HIS_1@@ aide translates helpfully: "The Minister says that @@HE_1@@ doesn't understand what would be so bad about citizens identifying more with their region than their nation. @@HE_1@@ believes that @@NAME@@ is a diverse and pluralistic society that has transcended the need for a single, unifying demonym. @@HE_1@@ proposes you that promptly decentralize the country's nationality as well."

[Effect 2] everything's always the fault of 'those damned foreign @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@'

[Option 3] "And how long are we going to pretend that the peripheries have any idea of what they're doing?" asks the Mayor of @@CAPITAL@@ with a patronizing smile. "Besides, nothing can compare to the true beauty and splendor of our capital. I say we restore proper civilization to this country by mandating that every town, city and county be remodeled in the image of our nation's muse of @@CAPITAL@@. Policies, architecture, art and culture, everything and without exception. Only then will we be able to instill perfection across all of @@NAME@@."

[Effect 3] bemused tourists swear their touringcars are going in circles

[Trotterdam]

Daarwyrth here with a new issue draft! I've searched whether there might be potential overlap for this issue idea, but I couldn't find anything that was too similar to this. If I missed something, please, do let me know!

#930 comes to mind. The dilemma is presented in a more narrow, symbolic way, but the underlying question is pretty similar in spirit.

I'm not sure if there's still an issue without the symbolism. Most people identify with more than one label, so people saying they identify as @@ANIMAL@@landers on a census doesn't even necessarily mean they don't also identify as @@DEMONYMNOUNPLURAL@@, just that they thought that was too obvious to mention what with the census only being issued to @@DEMONYMNOUNPLURAL@@ to begin with.

By the way, one way to get people to take more note of their @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ heritage is propaganda uniting the nation against some outside enemy. If you're already the strongest nation in the world and foreigners are considered to barely matter, then it makes sense the biggest differences people care about are those between different subgroups of @@DEMONYMNOUNPLURAL@@, but if everyone is scared of dirty foreigners, then being a @@DEMONYMNOUN@@ is much more important.

[Slavokstan]

Daarwyrth here with a new issue draft! I've searched whether there might be potential overlap for this issue idea, but I couldn't find anything that was too similar to this. If I missed something, please, do let me know!

#930 comes to mind. The dilemma is presented in a more narrow, symbolic way, but the underlying question is pretty similar in spirit.

I'm not sure if there's still an issue without the symbolism. Most people identify with more than one label, so people saying they identify as @@ANIMAL@@landers on a census doesn't even necessarily mean they don't also identify as @@DEMONYMNOUNPLURAL@@, just that they thought that was too obvious to mention what with the census only being issued to @@DEMONYMNOUNPLURAL@@ to begin with.

By the way, one way to get people to take more note of their @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ heritage is propaganda uniting the nation against some outside enemy. If you're already the strongest nation in the world and foreigners are considered to barely matter, then it makes sense the biggest differences people care about are those between different subgroups of @@DEMONYMNOUNPLURAL@@, but if everyone is scared of dirty foreigners, then being a @@DEMONYMNOUN@@ is much more important.

#930 was indeed the issue I was most careful about, yet I'd argue the premise in this issue is the opposite. It's not people wanting their regional identity to be acknowledged, but the national identity diminishing in the face of rising importance of the regional one. Would you say there is too much overlap or is it within acceptable bounds?

I'll sharpen the part about not feeling as @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ anymore, to more explicitly say that the feeling of national identity is disappearing.

Initially, a common enemy was indeed the option I was going to go for. But I felt that was the easiest, perhaps even most cliche way of going about it. I get that it may indeed be the most effective one, but I wanted an issue option that still kept the idea of devolution intact, but addressed the loss of identification with the nation as a whole. It's why I chose this approach over the "common enemy" trope.

I'll tweak the draft a bit now, to sharpen the premise on the diminishing national identity. I'll wait for more feedback before I potentially change option 1.

[Trotterdam]

Initially, a common enemy was indeed the option I was going to go for. But I felt that was the easiest, perhaps even most cliche way of going about it.

It's very much a corrupt, Orwellian way to go about it, so I don't think you have to worry about it being too popular.

[Slavokstan]

Initially, a common enemy was indeed the option I was going to go for. But I felt that was the easiest, perhaps even most cliche way of going about it.

It's very much a corrupt, Orwellian way to go about it, so I don't think you have to worry about it being too popular.

Which makes it all the more horrid that the practice is used IRL so often. But to remain on topic, I do agree it would create a greater dilemma issue wise. I'll think about it, as while the practice is indeed corrupt as you say, in terms of the issue draft it may be an interesting approach to include.

[Slavokstan]

By the way, one way to get people to take more note of their @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ heritage is propaganda uniting the nation against some outside enemy. If you're already the strongest nation in the world and foreigners are considered to barely matter, then it makes sense the biggest differences people care about are those between different subgroups of @@DEMONYMNOUNPLURAL@@, but if everyone is scared of dirty foreigners, then being a @@DEMONYMNOUN@@ is much more important.

After consideration, I have added your suggestion into the newest draft! I think the line should fit General Orland Wellington quite well

As such, comments on the newest draft would be welcome!

[Candlewhisper Archive]

The premise is interesting, but it all seems quite longwinded.

For example, if it were me, I'd present the opening as:

[Description] Surveys have shown that the majority of people in South @@ANIMAL@@ Province identify themselves far more strongly with that region than with the nation as a whole.

Also, I don't think it needs to be an issue just for nations that already have devolution.

[Slavokstan]

The premise is interesting, but it all seems quite longwinded.

For example, if it were me, I'd present the opening as:

[Description] Surveys have shown that the majority of people in South @@ANIMAL@@ Province identify themselves far more strongly with that region than with the nation as a whole.

Also, I don't think it needs to be an issue just for nations that already have devolution.

Done! New draft is up with your feedback worked into it

[Slavokstan]

Any new comments or feedback?

[Australian rePublic]

I fail to see why this is a problem. Are there strong seperates movements? And even if there are, forcing them to identify with nation rather than their region would just exaserbate their cause

[Daarwyrth]

I fail to see why this is a problem. Are there strong seperates movements? And even if there are, forcing them to identify with nation rather than their region would just exaserbate their cause

There are no separatist movements yet, but the more people identify with their region instead of their nation, to the degree they feel no connection with their nation anymore, then that is the perfect breeding ground for separatist movements. As such, it seems more than reasonable there would be concerns over such a development. Prevention is better than cure.

[Australian rePublic]

I fail to see why this is a problem. Are there strong seperates movements? And even if there are, forcing them to identify with nation rather than their region would just exaserbate their cause

There are no separatist movements yet, but the more people identify with their region instead of their nation, to the degree they feel no connection with their nation anymore, then that is the perfect breeding ground for separatist movements. As such, it seems more than reasonable there would be concerns over such a development. Prevention is better than cure.

Specify

[Slavokstan]

There are no separatist movements yet, but the more people identify with their region instead of their nation, to the degree they feel no connection with their nation anymore, then that is the perfect breeding ground for separatist movements. As such, it seems more than reasonable there would be concerns over such a development. Prevention is better than cure.

Specify

As in, specify this in the premise?

[Australian rePublic]

Specify

As in, specify this in the premise?

Correct

[Slavokstan]

As in, specify this in the premise?

Correct

Alright, done in the newest draft along with a few little tweaks! I tried to leave it a bit ambiguous, but hopefully this will still fit the bill.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

There needs to be a moderate option that is pro-nation. Option 1 feels too unreasonable compared to option 2.

[Slavokstan]

There needs to be a moderate option that is pro-nation. Option 1 feels too unreasonable compared to option 2.

Should that option come instead of option 1 or alongside it?

[Candlewhisper Archive]

I'd say instead of.