Loudspeakers issue - no choice?

[Unreal229]

The Issue

A recent poll on putting up huge loudspeakers in Unreal229's cities for public government broadcasts has been brought to your attention.

The Debate

"This idea is brilliant, and Unreal229 can't afford to pass it up," claims Jennifer Jong-Il, your Minister of Safety. "These loudspeakers can assure the public that the government is always here to help them. The potential here, to immediately warn citizens of an emergency such as an earthquake or a stampede of striped squirrels or something, simply must be taken into account! This could save lives! And I suppose, when there isn't anything the citizens need to be told, you could always use them to broadcast patriotic messages like 'ribati-jiyuu shoyuu' and inform the good people which party to join and vote for with newsbriefs and such. It'll be worth it to strengthen the populace's devotion to our glorious nation!"


"I think people need to realise what this really is: brainwashing!" retorts Prudence Thiesen, a wealthy marketer. "I don't want to hear all this flag-waving hogwash every time I go out for a walk. But when it comes to emergencies, I do agree that something should be done to warn everyone: we should send out messages on mandatory minature radios that you can carry in your pocket. It could tell you things you need to know too, like what shoes to buy and such."


"To be honest, I can't see why we should put up with advertising at all," says Pete Silk, an anti-business protester. "All it is is some multi-billionaire or politician somewhere trying to make even more money while the rest of us struggle to make ends meet. I say we ban it. Maybe the economy will suffer a little and some people may lose jobs but that's just a minor side-effect really, especially when you consider that no longer will our children be encouraged to fill themselves with junk-food because some guy on the telly tells them it's cool!"

The options would appear to all go against the idea of personal choice. 1 suggests government interference with people's lives, 2 suggests government sponsored business interference (more likely fascist corporatism than capitalism). 3 is purely an anti-business viewpoint. Where is the choice for the individual? The only option I felt I had with this was to dismiss it because all of the options pulled the nation further away from where I want it to be. I know dismissing issues doesn't effect the nation, but it does slow the rate at which the country changes (and Unreal229 is on two issues a day to do this faster as it is). I was just wondering if we could get an extra choice here. Any thoughts?

Hope this can be added in.

[Sirocco]

It's a pretty crap issue from when I'd just started editing. I'm going to give it a proper rewrite later.

[Cynthia McKinney]

I always choose option 2 because it improves economic strength and doesn't hurt civil rights. I don't think people should be required to have a miniture radio but I wouldn't mind if the government gave everyone a miniture radio.

Option 1 is government sponsored political propaganda.

Option 3 bans advertising by businesses which would completely destroy the economy.

[Bears Armed]

I always dismiss it: for the government to give out radios probably involves an increase in taxation.