[ACCEPTED] Unequal Treatment?

[Erynia and Draconia]

All comments are welcome!
(co-written by Courelli)

CURRENT DRAFT #4 (edit: effect lines tweaked)
[TITLE] Unequal Treatment?

[DESCRIPTION] A bombshell report recently released by the Ministry of Health revealed a stark gap in healthcare quality and accessibility across the various provinces of @@NAME@@. To investigate the problem, you are visiting an impoverished district in southern @@NAME@@ and are shocked to learn that the dilapidated buildings you took for abandoned apartments are in fact hospitals – a startling contrast from the world-class medical facilities in @@CAPITAL@@.

[VALIDITY] Invalid for nations with high income equality, nations with high public healthcare, or nations with the "Universal Health Care," "Devolution," or "Socialism" policies.

[OPTION] “For decades, our health and well-being have been neglected by the government, and we won’t take it any longer!” declares the exasperated @@RANDOMNAME@@, a resident of the area. “The place I live shouldn’t determine the quality of the healthcare I receive, and I shouldn’t have to travel miles just to find a safe hospital with competent doctors! We demand more funding for hospitals in poor regions, even if it means cutting the budget somewhere else, like the military—who needs them?”
[EFFECT] resources are being moved from the operations room to the operating room

[OPTION] “We could give them all the money in the world, but if it’s not spent properly it won’t do a damn thing!” your Minister of Health interjects, frantically flipping through a large, bound copy of his Ministry’s several-hundred-page report. "These hospitals are typically poorly run, poorly maintained, understaffed, and often fail to abide by national health and safety standards. What we really need is oversight and enforcement! Allocate these funds to my ministry, and we will enact more stringent regulations with routine inspections to ensure these hospitals are up to par.”
[EFFECT] hospitals found to be in violation of regulation 683 section 7 clause H are immediately shut down

[OPTION] "You can't put a bandage on a fourth degree burn and expect it to heal! This is just a symptom of a greater epidemic that plagues our nation: for-profit healthcare!" dramatically announces a person who seemingly came out of nowhere, clutching a hammer in one hand and a sickle in the other. "Under the current system, the rich are able to afford luxury treatment while the poor are forced to suffer in dirty, understaffed healthcare facilities, all while insurance and pharmaceutical companies profit off their hardship. The solution is clear: socialize healthcare and make it accessible for all, regardless of residence, class, or social status!"
[EFFECT] a broken arm or leg no longer costs an arm and a leg

[OPTION] “If you’re not happy with the healthcare you’re getting, pack up and move,” remarks @@RANDOMNAME@@, a "self-made" businessman whose parents lent @@HIM@@ a small fortune to kickstart @@HIS@@ business. “What makes @@NAME@@ so great is that if you’re unhappy with your current conditions, you can make your way out of it with a little hard work. The government doesn’t need to spend all this unnecessary money or make weird, complicated regulations; simply advertise the wonderful ways of the @@DEMONYM@@ free market and encourage people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, find a good job, and make their own living. It’ll be great!”
[EFFECT] injured workers are encouraged to 'stitch themselves up with their bootstraps'

[TITLE] Unequal Treatment?

[DESCRIPTION] A bombshell report recently released by the Ministry of Health revealed a stark gap in healthcare quality and accessibility across the various provinces of @@NAME@@. To investigate the problem, you are visiting an impoverished district in southern @@NAME@@ and are shocked to learn that the dilapidated buildings you took for abandoned apartments are in fact hospitals – a startling contrast from the world-class medical facilities in @@CAPITAL@@.

[VALIDITY] Invalid for nations with high income equality, nations with high public healthcare, or nations with the "Universal Health Care," "Devolution," or "Socialism" policies.

[OPTION] “For decades, our health and well-being have been neglected by the government, and we won’t take it any longer!” declares the exasperated @@RANDOMNAME@@, a resident of the area. “The place I live shouldn’t determine the quality of the healthcare I receive, and I shouldn’t have to travel miles just to find a safe hospital with competent doctors! We demand more funding for hospitals in poor regions, even if it means cutting the budget somewhere else, like the military—who needs them?”
[EFFECT] foreign powers set their sights on @@NATION@@ as soldiers desert their posts to seek treatment in the nation's newest hospitals

[OPTION] “We could give them all the money in the world, and it wouldn’t change a thing!” your Minister of Health interjects, frantically flipping through a large, bound copy of his Ministry’s several-hundred-page report. "These hospitals are typically poorly maintained, understaffed, and often fail to abide by national health and safety standards. What we really need is enforcement! Allow my ministry to enact more stringent regulations with routine inspections to ensure these hospitals are up to par.”
[EFFECT] hospitals found to be in violation of regulation 683 section 7 clause H are immediately shut down, leaving patients stranded in the operating room

[OPTION] "You can't put a bandage on a fourth degree burn and expect it to heal! This is just a symptom of a greater epidemic that plagues our nation: for-profit healthcare!" dramatically announces a person who seemingly came out of nowhere, clutching a hammer in one hand and a sickle in the other. "Under the current system, the rich are able to afford luxury treatment while the poor are forced to suffer in dirty, understaffed healthcare facilities, all while insurance and pharmaceutical companies profit off their hardship. The solution is clear: socialize healthcare and make it accessible for all, regardless of residence, class, or social status!"
[EFFECT] people no longer have to pay an arm and a leg to get medical treatment

[OPTION] “If you’re not happy with the healthcare you’re getting, pack up and move,” remarks @@RANDOMNAME@@, a "self-made" businessman whose parents lent @@HIM@@ a small fortune to kickstart his business. “What makes @@NAME@@ so great is that if you’re unhappy with your current conditions, you can make your way out of it with a little hard work. The government doesn’t need to spend all this unnecessary money or make weird, complicated regulations; simply advertise the wonderful ways of the @@DEMONYM@@ free market and encourage people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, find a good job, and make their own living. It’ll be great!”
[EFFECT] poor patients bleed out in hospital waiting rooms after nurses encourage them to "stitch themselves up with their bootstraps"

[TITLE] Unequal Treatment?

[DESCRIPTION] A bombshell report recently released by the Ministry of Health revealed a stark gap in healthcare quality and accessibility across the various provinces of @@NAME@@. To investigate the problem, you are visiting an impoverished district in southern @@NAME@@ and are shocked to learn that the dilapidated buildings you took for abandoned apartments are in fact hospitals – a startling contrast from the world-class medical facilities in @@CAPITAL@@. As your tour concludes, a crowd – comprised of local residents, your cabinet members, and social media celebrities – has assembled outside of the hospital, all with their own ideas on how to properly diagnose and treat the virulent problem of healthcare inequality.
[VALIDITY] Invalid for socialist nations, nations with high income equality, or nations with high public healthcare.

[OPTION] “For decades, our health and well-being have been neglected by the government, and we won’t take it any longer!” declares the exasperated @@RANDOMNAME@@, a resident of the area. “I lost my own mother a few years ago because there weren’t any doctors nearby to treat her. The place I live shouldn’t determine the quality of the healthcare I receive, and I shouldn’t have to travel miles just to find a safe and sanitary hospital! We demand more funding for hospitals in poor regions, even if it means cutting the budget somewhere else, like the military—who needs them?”
[EFFECT] citizens enjoy shiny new hospitals while the military struggles to house and feed its soldiers

[OPTION] “Remember, throwing money at a problem won’t fix it,” bluntly states your Minister of Health, sprawling a bunch of papers out onto your desk. “Hospitals in poorer regions are typically poorly maintained, understaffed, and often fail to abide by national health and safety standards. What we really need is to enact comprehensive regulations and routine inspections to ensure hospitals are up to par.”
[EFFECT] hospitals found to be in violation of regulation 683 section 7 clause H are immediately shut down, leaving patients stranded in the operating room

[OPTION] “You can’t put a bandage on a fourth degree burn and expect it to heal! This is all just a symptom of a greater epidemic that plagues our nation: capitalism!” dramatically announces a person dressed in red who seemingly came out of nowhere, holding a hammer in one hand and a sickle in the other. “Capitalism creates a chasm of wealth and power between the capitalists and the workers, allowing the rich to afford luxury treatment while the poor are forced to suffer in dirty, understaffed healthcare facilities. The solution is clear: take away power from the business owners and oligarchs by nationalizing all industry and bring it back to where it belongs: the people!”
[EFFECT] hospitals around the country are painted blood red following the introduction of socialism

[OPTION] “If you’re not happy with the healthcare you’re getting, pack up and move,” remarks the affluent celebrity and social media influencer @@RANDOMNAME@@, who hasn’t worked a day in @@HIS@@ life. “What makes @@NAME@@ so great is that if you’re unhappy with your current conditions, you can make your way out of it with a little hard work. The government doesn’t need to spend all this unnecessary money or make weird, complicated regulations; simply advertise the wonderful ways of the @@DEMONYM@@ free market and encourage people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, find a good job, and make their own living. It’ll be great!”
[EFFECT] poor patients die in hospital waiting rooms after the government initiated its “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” policy

[TITLE] Unequal Treatment?

[DESCRIPTION] A report appears on your desk from the Ministry of Health revealing a stark gap in healthcare quality and accessibility from region to region. To investigate the problem, you visit an economically depressed district in southern @@NAME@@ and are shocked to learn that the buildings you took for abandoned apartments were actually hospitals, compared to the top-notch facilities in the wealthy parts of @@CAPITAL@@. Residents of poor parts of the country, your cabinet members, and social media celebrities all have ideas on how to solve the virulent problem of healthcare inequality.

[VALIDITY] Invalid for socialist nations or nations with high income equality, or high public healthcare.

[OPTION] “For decades, the health and well-being of our part of the country have been neglected by the government, and we won’t take it any longer!” declares the exasperated @@RANDOMNAME@@. “I lost my own mother a few years ago because there weren’t any doctors to treat her. The place I live shouldn’t determine the quality of the healthcare I get, and I shouldn’t have to travel miles just to attend a clean hospital! We demand more funding for hospitals in poor regions, even if it means cutting the budget somewhere else, like the military— who needs them?”

[EFFECT] citizens enjoy shiny new hospitals while the military struggles to find the funding to provide soldiers with food

[OPTION] “Remember, throwing money at a problem won’t fix it,” chants your Minister of Health, sprawling a bunch of papers on your desk. “Hospitals in poorer regions typically are poorly maintained, understaffed, and failing to abide by national health and safety standards. Give more money and power to my ministry and we’ll create some comprehensive regulations to make sure hospitals undergo routine inspections to ensure they are up to par.”

[EFFECT] hospitals found to be in violation of regulation 683, section 7, clause h are immediately shut down

[OPTION] “You can’t put a bandage on a fourth degree burn and expect it to heal! This is all just a symptom of a greater epidemic that plagues our nation: capitalism!” dramatically announces a person dressed in red who seemingly came out of nowhere, holding a hammer in one hand and a sickle in the other. “Capitalism creates a chasm of wealth and power between the capitalists and the workers, allowing the rich to afford luxury treatment while the poor are forced to use dirty, understaffed healthcare facilities. The solution is clear: take away power from the business owners and oligarchs by nationalizing all industry and bring it back to where it belongs: the people!”

[EFFECT] hospitals around the country are painted blood red following the introduction of socialism

[OPTION] “If you’re not happy with the healthcare you’re getting, pack up and move,” remarks the affluent celebrity and social media influencer @@RANDOMNAME@@, who hasn’t worked a day in @@HIS@@ life. “What makes @@NAME@@ so great is that if you’re unhappy with your current conditions, you can make your way out of it with a little hard work. The government doesn’t need to spend all this unnecessary money or make weird, complicated regulations when you could just advertise the wonderful ways of the @@DEMONYM@@ free market, encouraging people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, find a good job, and make their own living. It’ll be great!”

[EFFECT] poor patients die in hospital waiting rooms after the government initiated its “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” policy

[Bears Armed]

1. How does this interact with the 'Devolution' policy?

2. "clutching a hammer and sickle in each hand" reads to me as though each hand is holding both a hammer and a sickle.
Perhaps "holding a hammer in one hand and a sickle in the other" would be better?

[Erynia and Draconia]

1. How does this interact with the 'Devolution' policy?

2. "clutching a hammer and sickle in each hand" reads to me as though each hand is holding both a hammer and a sickle.
Perhaps "holding a hammer in one hand and a sickle in the other" would be better?

1. It doesn't, I could make it about the Devolution policy if I wanted to, but I don't know how I would fit it in without having to fit too much into the issue
2. Thank you, I'll edit that

[Erynia and Draconia]

UPDATE: I have released a second draft with the help of Courelli who has made some revisions to my original draft. He will be added as a co-author.

[Verdant Haven]

My current thoughts from reading Draft 2

- The Description doesn't need the last sentence that talks about people gathering to argue their ideas. That is evident from the options that follow. You present your issue well with just the first two sentences.

- One additional validity check would probably be to exclude nations with the Universal Health Care policy.

- Speaker 1 seems to wander slightly in terms of what they feel the problem is. Is it dilapidated facilities (as presented in the description)? Is it a lack of staff (no doctor for mom)? Is it that the staff are poorly trained (low quality healthcare)? Is it that there are no facilities in the first place (traveling to find a hospital)? It could be all of those – they just feel like they're being treated as the same thing currently. If you can tighten their focus, that might strengthen their argument.

- Speaker 2 says you can't solve the problem with money… but then names a bunch of problems that are fixed with money. Poor maintenance, low staffing, and lack of up-to-code equipment or regulators to enforce that are all things that funding can fix. I would perhaps seek something else for the speaker to blame and then try to fix. Perhaps they want you to require that new doctors serve needy communities in order to get their license, or to raise taxes on wealthy areas to pay for poorer areas without cutting anything else, or to find ways to incentivize highly trained staff to move to these areas with things like mortgage assistance, or just outright threatening to file charges against hospital boards if the directors don't bring them up to snuff pronto.

- Speaker 3 starts strong, but then instead of addressing hospitals goes for a somewhat rote Socialism demand about seizing every single industry. It isn't clear that seizing industry in rich areas would help people in impoverished areas get better healthcare. I feel like it would be more on topic if this were an option to recommend socializing medicine first – since this issue makes the most sense for nations without Universal Health Care, this could be a call to institute that. Up to you.

- Having the speaker be a social media person makes this option require computer and internet validities, which is otherwise unnecessary for the issue. I would recommend a different, equally vapid, occupation.

- A couple of the effect lines are a bit literal and lack punch – especially the first and fourth.

[Erynia and Draconia]

We have published a third draft with those comments in mind

[Australian rePublic]

The obvious solution here would be for the federal government to distribute hospital funding. Another, more realistic approach you could take here is to say that poorer areas OF THE SAME CITY have worse healthcare than the richer areas of the same cities, as is the case here in Sydney. Now, Australia has world class healthcare, so it's comparing a pile of gold with a pile of diamonds, but it's still something that people complain about. This is for a variety reasons, but is based on a local level, rather than a national level.

[Erynia and Draconia]

The obvious solution here would be for the federal government to distribute hospital funding. Another, more realistic approach you could take here is to say that poorer areas OF THE SAME CITY have worse healthcare than the richer areas of the same cities, as is the case here in Sydney. Now, Australia has world class healthcare, so it's comparing a pile of gold with a pile of diamonds, but it's still something that people complain about. This is for a variety reasons, but is based on a local level, rather than a national level.

I think the first option mostly covers the solution of redistributing hospital funding: "We demand more funding for hospitals in poor regions, even if it means cutting the budget somewhere else, like the military—who needs them?"

I think it might be more applicable for NS to have it be nation-wide even if it's not as realistic because it focuses on the whole country rather than a geographically small part of it.

[Bears Armed]

In that case, you probably should make "Not if the nation has Devolution" part of the validity conditions.

[Erynia and Draconia]

In that case, you probably should make "Not if the nation has Devolution" part of the validity conditions.

added, thank you

[Electrum]

I think VH's feedback on Option 2 still stands. If money is not the solution why are they suggesting enforcing standards? For hospitals to meet standards they need to spend money.

[Courelli]

I think VH's feedback on Option 2 still stands. If money is not the solution why are they suggesting enforcing standards? For hospitals to meet standards they need to spend money.

The way I'm interpreting it is: Option 1 suggests simply providing more funds to these struggling hospitals to do with as they will, whereas Option 2 basically insinuates that these hospitals are poorly run and would misuse money given to them by Option 1 -- the minister instead suggests giving the money to his own ministry for compliance monitoring in these "failing" facilities.

I will admit that there is probably a better way to frame this difference to make it more apparent, though -- Erynia and I will consult and see what we can come up with. Thanks for the feedback

[Erynia and Draconia]

Fourth draft released, mostly fixing the aforementioned problems with option 2

[Verdant Haven]

Your options are looking pretty reasonable – I think you've got Option 2 into good territory now.

I would focus on trying to tighten up the effect texts now. Effects 1, 2, and 4 are all pretty long, and 2 has a comma in it, which isn't good given that it will be inserted in a comma-delineated list.

A couple specific suggestions (just as examples, or you can use them if you prefer):

Effect 3: a broken arm or leg no longer costs an arm and a leg
Effect 4: injured workers are encouraged to 'stich themselves up with their bootstraps'

Just a bit of compression to get to the joke as expediently as possible

[Australian rePublic]

The obvious solution here would be for the federal government to distribute hospital funding. Another, more realistic approach you could take here is to say that poorer areas OF THE SAME CITY have worse healthcare than the richer areas of the same cities, as is the case here in Sydney. Now, Australia has world class healthcare, so it's comparing a pile of gold with a pile of diamonds, but it's still something that people complain about. This is for a variety reasons, but is based on a local level, rather than a national level.

I think the first option mostly covers the solution of redistributing hospital funding: "We demand more funding for hospitals in poor regions, even if it means cutting the budget somewhere else, like the military—who needs them?"

I think it might be more applicable for NS to have it be nation-wide even if it's not as realistic because it focuses on the whole country ra,ther than a geographically small part of it.

Carry on

[Erynia and Draconia]

Effect lines have been edited, we will submit by Saturday if we don't get anymore comments.

[West Barack and East Obama]

I think the description needs tweaking. In my opinion, you should have either the damning report or the visit, having both feels unnecessary. Also, if you do go for including the visit, I'd advise against 'You are shocked' or 'You decided to visit', as these seem to be player autonomy violation (correct me if I'm wrong though)

For the fourth option, you should remove the bootstraps line from the option as it is in the effect line as well.

Aside from that, this is pretty good.

[Erynia and Draconia]

Thank you for your comments! We tweaked the description to make it more in line with player autonomy guidelines.
Here is the draft that we will be submitting (unless there are any last minute comments):

[TITLE] Unequal Treatment?

[DESCRIPTION] A bombshell report recently released by the Ministry of Health revealed a stark gap in healthcare quality and accessibility across the various provinces of @@NAME@@. To investigate the problem, you are visiting an impoverished district in southern @@NAME@@ and learn that the dilapidated buildings you took for abandoned apartments are in fact hospitals – in startling contrast to the world-class medical facilities in @@CAPITAL@@.

[VALIDITY] Co-authored by Courelli. Invalid for nations with high income equality, nations with high public healthcare, or nations with the "Universal Health Care," "Devolution," or "Socialism" policies.

[OPTION1] “For decades, our health and well-being have been neglected by the government, and we won’t take it any longer!” declares the exasperated @@RANDOMNAME@@, a resident of the area. “The place I live shouldn’t determine the quality of the healthcare I receive, and I shouldn’t have to travel miles just to find a safe hospital with competent doctors! We demand more funding for hospitals in poor regions, even if it means cutting the budget somewhere else, like the military—who needs them?”
[EFFECT] resources are being moved from the operations room to the operating room

[OPTION2] “We could give them all the money in the world, but if it’s not spent properly it won’t do a damn thing!” your Minister of Health interjects, frantically flipping through a large, bound copy of his Ministry’s several-hundred-page report. "These hospitals are typically poorly run, poorly maintained, understaffed, and often fail to abide by national health and safety standards. What we really need is oversight and enforcement! Allocate these funds to my ministry, and we will enact more stringent regulations with routine inspections to ensure these hospitals are up to par.”
[EFFECT] hospitals found to be in violation of regulation 683 section 7 clause H are immediately shut down

[OPTION3] "You can't put a bandage on a fourth degree burn and expect it to heal! This is just a symptom of a greater epidemic that plagues our nation: for-profit healthcare!" dramatically announces a person who seemingly came out of nowhere, clutching a hammer in one hand and a sickle in the other. "Under the current system, the rich are able to afford luxury treatment while the poor are forced to suffer in dirty, understaffed healthcare facilities, all while insurance and pharmaceutical companies profit off their hardship. The solution is clear: socialize healthcare and make it accessible for all, regardless of residence, class, or social status!"
[EFFECT] a broken arm or leg no longer costs an arm and a leg

[OPTION4] “If you’re not happy with the healthcare you’re getting, pack up and move,” remarks @@RANDOMNAME@@, a "self-made" businessman whose parents lent @@HIM@@ a small fortune to kick-start @@HIS@@ business. “What makes @@NAME@@ so great is that if you’re unhappy with your current conditions, you can make your way out of it with a little hard work. The government doesn’t need to spend all this unnecessary money or make weird, complicated regulations. Simply advertise the wonderful ways of the @@DEMONYM@@ free market to encourage people to find a job and make a living. It’ll be great!”
[EFFECT] injured workers are encouraged to 'stitch themselves up with their bootstraps'

[Erynia and Draconia]

Submitted

[RedBrickLand]

Good Luck!

[Australian rePublic]

Good Luck!!

[Erynia and Draconia]

Good Luck!!

Good Luck!

Thanks!