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FIFA 3014 Approaches
As is traditional, the FIFA world cup is held once every four years. Its almost been four years since the last one, meaning that someone should organize it is if is going to happen again.
FIFA intensifies
Special Agriculture Report Return of the Food Wars?
Expressing concern at the dominance of the Peaceful Skeleton Realm over their food supply, Nova Terra decided to enact the Nova Terran Food First Act (NTFFA). This legislation had three major components, the first of which was the subsidization of the Nova Terran agriculture industry by the newly created Department of Agriculture to make Nova Terran food more affordable. The second component directed the Department of Technology to coordinate with the Department of Agriculture in an attempt to achieve or surpass the quality of the Skeletal products. The third and most controversial part of the legislation was a tariff on Skeletal food products to drive their price up so as to reduce the popularity of it. Their allies in the Mystery Country were also concerned about the Skeletal agricultural dominance, although they didnt put a tariff on Skeletal products like their allies they did put a large amount of money into their own agriculture industry.
The Peaceful Skeleton Realm did not idly stand by while their dominance was threatened by the Pacific Coalition. A lot of money was poured into marketing by the Skeleton Realm targeting multiple lucrative but niche demographics. Their green, organic and environmentally friendly aspects of their products were emphasised in their ads were used to target hippies and staunch environmentalists. Toys were included in their Peaceful Merriment Meals which were specifically targeted at children. People with weird tastes are sated with new flavour ranges such as bacon flavoured spinach and Nutella flavoured apple. And the more traditional demographics were targeted with a large amount of advertising space bought on the television and radio, alongside with the easily memeable videos uploaded to the internets.
While these advertisements were effective outside of the Americas, they could not hope to compete with the Nova Terran propaganda machine. And, because of geography and close political ties, this extended into Canada as well. Thanks to the tariffs, the main two markets that the Skeletons have a foothold in still are dissidents (who attempt to buy the food out of protest of the Nova Terran government, but considering how expensive it is now most dont bother) and the extremely rich.
Nova Terra and the Mystery Country have become a major exporter, they are now the primary suppliers for Abbottsford and have become a major supplier for Asia. The Skeletals have lost a not-insignificant amount of money, as the Skeletal foods went from a staple food of the Pacific Coalition to something that only the wealthy consumes. However, the Skeletals still have dominance over the extremely rich in all nations because their product is of objectively higher quality than any of their competitors. If you can afford a product that is of higher quality, then you will buy it. Because of this reason, the richer members of Nova Terran society are not happy about having to pay a tariff to get their caviar flavoured carrots and they making their displeasure known.
Historians are worried that this may turn into a repeat of the terrible Food Wars. The Food Wars was a war that happened
-The Peaceful Skeleton Realm lose 2 ECO and Nova Terra gains 2 ECO from the Tariffs.
-Stability drop in United North American States from displeasure from Nova Terran Tariffs.
-1 ECO for the three major agricultural exporters (Nova Terra, Mystery Country and Peaceful Skeleton Realm) from continued agricultural exportation
Continued Space Expansion and Exploration
The nations of the Solar System continue to expand their holdings in space. The newest addition to colonizers is the Mystery Country, who was able to construct a satellite and launch it using the power of the Mysterious Space Elevator allowing them to get a slice of the lucrative solar energy harvesting business. The Highwaymen also expanded their satellite operations for unknown reasons, perhaps it is related to the large amount of money they poured into WMD research this year? Whatever the case, Satellite 15 has been producing an unusually large amount of money, far more than it should from mere solar radiation harvesting. The Neko Imperium also put a large amount of money into space colonization this year to accommodate a large group of Bothian immigrants into Nyan-1 and to also to gain access to a large cache of space resources. Meanwhile, rumours are coming out of Abbottsford that they are recruiting a large amount of astronauts for a currently unknown mission.
The Lunar Kingdom of Bastetten was one of the most ambitious colonizers this year, they wanted to colonize Mars. They started this endeavour by constructing a Pyramid shaped base, dubbed Perilbes, on the red planet. While exploring the barren surface of Mars, they found a giant enemy robotic
In related news, Madagascar once again transported their Earth islands into outer-space, this time teleporting their islands in the Indian Ocean into their growing Madagascan Fleet. They have also ramped up production of bad movies and succulent Chinese food, they have discovered the numerous applications of these technologies including devastating weapons of mass destruction and the addictive qualities of succulent Chinese food. The Chinese food has similar properties to SPICE-T, ensuring compliance of the UKIP-Pirates.
Not to be outdone by their Solar counterparts, Nova Terra claimed Jupiter and her moons in the name of the Nova Terran Space Reich. The moons have provided new resources to fuel the growth of the Nova Terran economy. From the commercial fishing industry of Ganymede, the minerals (that satisfy many cravings) of Callisto, Stylesjls infamous lemon farms of Io and of course the TXT_KEY_RESOURCE of Europa. These riches will surely pave the way for future expansion of Nova Terras empire.
-A bonus $20 was provided for the Highwaymen from Satellite 15 being more productive than estimated.
-Nova Terra gets 1 ECO from Saturn development.
Amidst Dissent, Bureaucracy Entangles Nova Terra
Bureaucracy is a magical thing, it expands to solve the many problems that a state could have (and of course to meet the needs of an ever expanding bureaucracy). Of the most impressive and enormous is the Nova Terran bureaucracy. Consisting of dozens of specialized departments allowing the state to adapt to new problems and efficiently manage their markets. Four new departments were opened this year alone, most which play a crucial role in overcoming the Skeletal monopoly on agriculture. However, there are cases when a large bureaucracy is more of a hindrance than a help.
The whole operation turned into one gigantic bureaucratic turf war, as various departments tried to take all the prestigious jobs for themselves while pushing the boring/annoying jobs off onto others. This didnt help as unclear orders from middle management didnt properly explain the responsibilities and the hierarchy that the Nationalist Defence Militia, the Inquisition, the Department of Defence, the Panama City Police Department and countless other military departments that had gotten themselves involved in this mess. Mistakes and strange interactions of inter-department regulations just made things even worse. Incorrectly filed prisoner transfer forms led to prisoners being sent to prisons that hadnt been constructed yet, innocent civilians were executed thanks to a misinterpretation of Inquisitorial conduct and one poor low-ranking public servant literally drowned in red tape.
While many people of the Orwell Movement, as the dissenters are now calling themselves, were arrested and sent to re-education camps or sent on a way trip to Kessel most of the key members of the movement escaped justice. The movement is growing as well, as the task of removing anti-government propaganda was given to a taskforce that didnt actually exist. Posters criticising the new war against the K.C.U.F Alliance litter the streets of Panama, with government officials having to go out of their way to get rid of them. This has allowed the movement to grow and spread into South America where it has caught on like a storm. Anti-government posters have been spotted as far north as Austin Texas.
Thanks in a large part of this monumental cock-up by the Nova Terran bureaucracy, dissent has entered the minds of the lower classes in South and Central America and it is going to take work to remove it. It will take work to reform the gigantic bureaucracy that caused these mistakes as well. But correcting the mistakes of others is the art of statecraft, an art that the Imperator must master if she wishes to destroy the movement against her rule.
-Nova Terra gets 1 ECO from improving economy.
-Stability drop in South America from dissent.
Skeletals, Soldiers and Automobiles
It is the nature of consensus democracies such as the Peaceful Skeleton Realm to find solutions that all parties find acceptable. It is rare that these solutions will be seen as much more as acceptable, all parties will have to compromise. The compromise policy has the goal of maintaining the peaceful core at the heart of Skeletal culture and avoiding rampant militarization while preparing their Peacekeepers for the challenges facing them in the modern world. They achieved this by modernizing the equipment of the Skeletal Peacekeeping Forces and by electing General Papyrus to become the new head of the forces.
All Skeletals of the Realm would have been happy with this compromise if it were not for the shocking revelation merely a week later that Don Spooked, a CEO of a large agriculture company and leading pacifism advocate, was illegally using spreadsheets to make his company more profitable! Mr Spooked was arrested and is awaiting a trial, but the accusation has sent shockwaves throughout the Skeletal community. It has caused a large backlash against the pacifist movement due to Spookeds support of it. If the pacifists were getting all their money from such an unpeaceful man, what kind of unpeaceful agenda might they be hiding? The people of Peaceful Island and those involved in the Skeletonik project are particularly offended as it is believed that Spookeds spreadsheets may have denied them much needed resources. Peaceful protests have erupted across the nation, demanding that at least 20% of the nations budget in the 3014 fiscal year be devoted to defence spending as opposed to the paltry 10% that was spent this year. They also demand that a further 5% be put towards a missile defence program that would defend against the very real threat of WMDs. If the current government doesnt attempt to reach a consensus soon, the people might start taking things into their own hands
In better news, the Skeletal diversification of their economy by investing in the automobile industry has gone extremely well. This new peaceful industry has created new jobs and has increased the amount of tax dollars that the Realm receives. It has also helped the Skeletal goal of connecting their citizenry via efficient transportation means. This, alongside the fact that the plans for inner city subways that were started alongside with the Wild Ride project in 3010 have finally been finished, means that those lucky Skeletals living on the Main Island are more connected than ever before.
-Global stability drop from nasty rolls and illegal spreadsheets
-Peaceful Skeleton Realm gets a bonus 3 ECO from improved transportation. They also get a bonus 1 MIL from their modernization of the Peacekeeping Forces.
Coalition Formed in Romania on the Road to 3013 Elections
After the demands made by the Union for Minority Rights to arrest Kim Meanieblossom, Empress Thunder decided to pay the controversial clerk a visit. In her brief visit, somehow Kim managed to annoy the Empress so much that she decided to give her a life sentence using her Imperial Privileges. The Empress then signed the disputed marriage licence herself, once again using her powers. This was seen as a gross abuse of power by many on the far right of politics, conservative Ponies who dislike the Empress policies of tolerance have started to see Kim as a martyr and this is starting to galvanize them into a new movement known as Restoration of the Equestrian Sepulchre Taskforce (REST). This new group could prove dangerous for the ruling Catholics United Party. The UMR renewed the coalition agreement with the CUP as promised, but even the most fervent supporter of the Empress in both parties felt that the punishment was a little extreme.
This incident would prove to be the political equivalent of a case of the sniffles compared to what happened next. While the war against the Church of Goomy was popular with most of the population, it was not popular with the members of the Separatist Coalition. Then again, everything that the Romanian Government does is seen as illegitimate in the eyes of the Separatist Coalition. They organized a series of protests in both the Balkans and Anatolia, this is a standard affair and it probably would have happened without incident if it werent for an overzealous police chief deciding that these protests were treason as they were being conducted in wartime. This led to a police crackdown on these protests, however the police were quickly overwhelmed by the surprisingly well armed protestors. This caused the protests to turn into full on riots, the military had to be called in and there were numerous casualties on both sides. The police chief was reprimanded harshly for his actions, but the damage was already done. The Separatist Coalition has once again surged in popularity across Anatolia and the Balkans, as it is clear to them that the Romanian government does not respect them. A resurgence of Separatist rhetoric is the last thing that Romania needed at the dawn of the 3013 election campaign.
-Romania loses 2 MIL and 2 ECO from the botched protests.
-Stability drop in both the Balkans, Anatolia and Italy.
The Leadup to the Third Romanian Elections Begins!
Once again one-third of Romanias senators are up for election. The tone has taken a more controversial mood this year thanks to the issues brought up just before election time. Lets look at the senate seats up for election this year:
Spoiler :
Status of Political Parties:
Catholics United Party (CUP) [Yellow] The Catholics United Party are a conservative party thats main goal is the support the Empress and the Pope. As such, they share almost all their ideology and party positions with Empress Thunder and Pope Celestine VI. Their Prime Minister was elected in 3009 and his reign has been considered highly successful, which has increased the popularity of both the party and the status quo. However, their power is being threatened on all sides of the political spectrum because of recent events.
Free Alliance of Democrats (FAD) [Green] The Free Alliance of Democrats are a liberal (left-wing) party that hold strongly democratic values. Because the Arabian economy has improved, their previous platform is largely irrelevant now. In a desperate bid to maintain relevance, they are campaigning on a platform of reigning in the power of Empress, trying to capitalize on people who thought the punishment of Meanieblossom was a bit too much. This position isnt extremely popular however, as very few people in their demographic feel much sympathy for Meanieblossom.
Union for Minority Rights (UMR) [Blue] The Union for Minority Rights are a pro-racial minority party. They are mainly supported by the humans living in Anatolia and some of the more moderate Balkanites. They were in a coalition with the Catholic United Party, although they reserve the right to renegotiate the coalition after the election. Their gains in the Balkans may be reversed this year, as many of the moderate Balkanites have abandoned the party in favour of the Separatist Coalition..
Separatist Coalition (SB) [Red & Orange] Formed out of a merger of the old Sinn Balk and Republicans for Religious Rights parties, the Separatist Coalition believes that both the Balkans and Anatolia should be given independence from Romania. Thanks to the recent police actions in both regions, the Coalition has seen a surge in popularity. Another Vote of No Confidence against the ever-shifting position of Prefect has opened the door for Iskander to campaign once more. The Separatists could once again be a serious power-player in this election and could perhaps finally attain their goals.
Restoration of the Equestrian Sepulchre Taskforce (REST) [Black] REST is the newest party, or as they call themselves a political movement. It was founded in the wake of the Meanieblossom incident, while their main goal is the release of Meaineblossom they have a wide range of jingoistic and anti-multiculturalist policies. Their ultimate goal seems to be to demand the abdication of Empress Thunder to one of her more conservative cousins and then disband the senate. They also wish to roll back the inclusive reforms implemented by the CUP-UMR Coalition and increase military spending to promote Pony and Catholic dominance. They dont yet have widespread support across the country, although they are proving to be surprisingly popular in Italy and Constantinople.
Election Issues:
WAR! Interestingly, the continuation of the war is one of the few things that most Romanian senators can agree on. Only the Separatist Coalition oppose the concept of a war against the Church of Goomy, as they are seen as genocidal maniacs. However, the different parties do have slightly different opinions on the implementation of the war. The FAD is less jingoistic than most of the other parties and well known to have their doubts on logistical matters of the war, although they have not raised any formal objections yet. The UMR are lobbying for protections against unfair recruitment of minorities. REST want further territorial concessions from Team Napoleon. And, of course, CUP support the status quo. Despite these differences, it is clear that short of a major military disaster the Senate is not going to turn against the war anytime soon.
Separatism and Multiculturalism Separatism and Multiculturalism have become major issues for this upcoming election. While the three largest parties (CUP, FAD and UMR) support the status quo of tolerance and limited autonomy for difficult provinces, the Separatists and doesnt. Obviously the Separatists are demanding an immediate independence referendum in the Balkans and Anatolia. On the flip side, REST wishes to end the policies of autonomy and tolerance and become more of a unitary state. While the status quo is unlikely to shift far without a major upset or some serious compromising, this issues represents the continued dissatisfaction that extreme elements of Romania are having with the current system of government.
Powers of the Empress The recent controversy involving Kim Meanieblossom has started to make the various political parties question the power that the Empress wields over the nation. Technically, she has all of her absolute authority reserved, meaning that she could legally do anything she wanted. Some groups are starting to get increasingly concerned about her power. FAD is one of them, their main campaign platform is the decreasing of the Empress power and the increase of the strength of the democratic institutions in the country. REST goes in the opposite direction; they want to weaken democratic institutions and strengthen the Empress (although they would prefer a different person sitting in the throne, although thats a different matter). They also want to ban the Separatist Coalition and other such unruly parties. Talking of the Separatist Coalition, they dont really care about how democratic Romania is, they just want out. Predictably, the CUP want to maintain the status quo, but more surprisingly so do the UMR. They believe that the Empress has their best interests at heart.
[election intensifies]
Caucasus Motorway Constructed Under the Eye of the Royal Guard
With the assassination attempt on King Agathios and the related Martian incident Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Minister of Public Order, organized a Royal Guard to protect the King. Because of the assassins Communist ties, he has also called for an arrest of all communist and leftist individuals. Despite the Guards obvious ties to right wing extremists, most people are fine with this because Communism is pretty hated in the Caucasus and hey everyone loves the King.
In other news, the Caucasus Motorway underwent construction without incident, further strengthening the Kingdoms capitalist economy and providing many new jobs and new sources of revenue for the state. People believe that the government should have enough money to finally establish that welfare state that had been promised so long ago.
-The Kingdom of the Caucasus gains 1 POL from the establishment of the Royal Guard and 1 ECO from the motorway.
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Im going to make a GM announcement in the next post when CFC allows me, just give me a sec.
