GameBanshee Forums

Posted: **Fri Aug 04, 2006 6:22 pm**

The Issue

Increasing reports of child abuse and neglect in Belzodaine has prompted local pressure groups to call for 'parental licences'.

The Debate

1. "You need a licence to keep Panther-Sharks or drive a car," points out local current affairs commentator, Klaus Winters. "So why should just any random idiot get to be a mother or father? It just doesn't make sense! If all potential parents had to pass tests to prove they're responsible enough, I'm sure you'd find that it would help decrease the level of child abuse, and increase proper discipline in the home."

2. "This is madness!" screams Max Gutenberg. "You can't deny perfectly good people the right to bring life into this world! Panther-Sharks manage it easily enough, and you can't tell me they've got more responsibility than your average upstanding citizen of Belzodaine! The government should keep out of such matters - I've always said social workers and welfare was a drain on the budget. Yes, there will be some sad cases of neglect, but shouldn't we be giving parents the benefit of the doubt?"

3. "The answer to this problem is patently obvious," says Elizabeth Wu, your minister of Social Welfare. "The government simply needs to give more funding to the welfare department so that we can recruit more social workers to carry out regular checks on parents and judge whether or not they're doing a good job of looking after their children. It'll be expensive, but at least it's a damn sight fairer than licensing parents."

This is one of my RL pet peeves. I so wish that there was a license to restrict who can become a parent. I'm SOOOOOO torn on this one! Do I let people have their freedoms, or do I do the world a favor and keep Biily Joe and Sally Mae from dropping another litter? I don't expect it to have a serious impact on child abuse, but the opportunity it too good to give up.

I'm going to have to think about this one for awhile.

Posted: **Fri Aug 04, 2006 6:29 pm**

[QUOTE=Darzog]This is one of my RL pet peeves. I so wish that there was a license to restrict who can become a parent. I'm SOOOOOO torn on this one! Do I let people have their freedoms, or do I do the world a favor and keep Biily Joe and Sally Mae from dropping another litter? I don't expect it to have a serious impact on child abuse, but the opportunity it too good to give up.

I'm going to have to think about this one for awhile.[/QUOTE]
I totally went with option #1 there, I know how you feel... It's a pet peeve of mine too.

Posted: **Fri Aug 04, 2006 7:17 pm**

Yeah, it's one of my pet peeves, too, and I totally did option 1. I so forget what the effect was, but I felt justified. Shame that in the real world, even people who are licensed drivers are the worst drivers ever. A test to have children isn't exactly going to guarantee good parents anyway.

God, another weird issue. Some strip mall or whatever was being built, and they discovered a very old ancient temple. Options are the two obvious ones: "We must declare it a historical preserve so we can learn about our past" and "Who cares? It's the past, and that means it's in the past, where it belongs (that is almost what it said, anyway)." Then there was a third one, where this representative of the Firefury (the religious order whose temple that used to be) was proclaiming it a good thing because it's a signal that their God was going to come and She was going to determine how harsh she was going to be in her coming. I was gonna go with preserving it, but I am so very tempted to side with Firefury for the fun of it.

Posted: **Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:54 am**

This is the blurb you get on your summary page...
citizens wishing to be parents must undertake a series of gruelling tests to evaluate their capabilities

And this is in my new issue...
"Similar schemes have been very effective elsewhere," says Randy Bush, Belzodaine's most infamous traffic warden.
That's one Randy Bush. :laugh:

Posted: **Sat Aug 05, 2006 8:02 am**

Well, I forgot to change my option. So now, instead of Firefury the cult suddenly swelling its ranks with people due to this unparalleled event in their secretive order, archaeologist teams are swarming over perfectly good commercial territories, looking. I had a feeling that would happen. Darn; I was hoping to give some bizarre right-wing religious group just for fun.

Posted: **Sun Aug 06, 2006 8:55 am**

The People's Republic of Phennispharren

"Meat Cooked Twice is Better Than Food Poisoning"

UN Category: Scandinavian Liberal Paradise

Civil Rights: Superb
Economy: Fragile
Political Freedoms: Excellent

Location: Symistan

Regional Influence: Instigator

The People's Republic of Phennispharren is a very large, environmentally stunning nation, remarkable for its absence of drug laws. Its hard-nosed, intelligent population of 118 million enjoy extensive civil rights and enjoy a level of social equality free from the usual accompanying government corruption.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, liberal government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of the Environment, Healthcare, and Education. The average income tax rate is 89%, and even higher for the wealthy. The private sector is almost wholly made up of enterprising fourteen-year-old boys selling lemonade on the sidewalk, although the government is looking at stamping this out.

There's a shortage of swinging hot spots as land development grinds to a halt, the people are famous throughout the region for their bleached-white teeth, the Phennispharren Enquirer offers weekly cash prizes for 'most blasphemous song, story, or cartoon', and people are now classified as male, female, or genderqueer. Crime is relatively low. Phennispharren's national animal is the black hawk, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the danayem.

Phennispharren is ranked 1st in the region and 10,166th in the world for Most Beautiful Environments.

And my issue of the half-day:

Violent Violetists Demand Blood!
The Issue

Members of a new weird religious cult, called the Order of Violet, ask for the government to appease their mighty god by offering Her a sacrifice of the human variety.
The Debate

1. "What have we got to lose?" says religious freedoms advocate Samuel Washington. "Just cut up a few homeless folk - it appeases this group's bloodthirsty Goddess, gets rid of unsightly bums that drain welfare, and everybody goes home happy."
[Accept]

2. "We must go much further than a few beggars!" argues the overzealous High Member of the Order of Violet, Beth Jong-Il. "You must pass a law that everyone’s first born child must be slaughtered, on live TV if possible. Think of the viewing figures!"
[Accept]

3. "You aren't going to listen to these whackjob Violetists, are you?" comments Fleur Li while leading a prayer group. "Human sacrifices! Surely we're too civilized to permit such barbaric practices! These lunatic fringe groups should be outlawed, their leaders should be executed!"
[Accept]

4. "Who's being a lunatic?" retorts Alexei Clinton of the Phennispharren Humanitarian Society. "I agree that these practices ought to be outlawed, but instead of sinking to the same level of these fanatics and killing our fellow people, why not simply start a re-education program? Even the worst person can be rehabilitated into a useful member of society, with enough time, care, and lots and lots of funding!"
[Accept]

It's going to have a horrible outcome, but I'm going with #1.

Posted: **Sun Aug 06, 2006 11:55 am**

I'm a New York Bloody Times Democracy, and all I had to achieve that was reintroduce the death penalty. Well, isn't that swell.

You know, it's funny, but my character in KotOR II is undergoing this very same swing. She, like my country Qasama, started out going dark, dark, darker, darkest. Then, out of the blue, I go from fascist Qasama to Inoffensive Centrist Democracy; my character has achieved light-sided joy (Atton made a remark about it, it was such a vivid switch). I'm wondering if it's just some odd coincidence of the order of the issues and what confronted my character, or if I'm just naturally a big flip flop.

(I have to flip flop to achieve any true neutrality in the game, btw, which is what I strive for rather than becoming some ultimate Jedi/Sith)

Posted: **Sun Aug 06, 2006 4:06 pm**

Organic Outburst

The Issue

After a recent left-wing broadsheet expose of agricultural practices, an outburst of public paranoia has stirred up the organic foods debate.

The Debate

1. "I just can't stomach it any more," rants concerned parent Aaron Jong-Il. "My children's future is being put at risk by irresponsible corporate practices. We must outlaw the use of pesticides and additives by farmers and food producers."
[Accept]

2. "I've heard enough of this treehugging, lefty nonsense," argues corporate spokesman Clint Steele. "The agricultural industry needs to use the most advanced technology available, it's the only way to keep Phennispharren competitive in food production. Besides, the studies we have commissioned prove that only a very small number of child deaths are due to our products, and surely that's an acceptable rate in the name of progress?"
[Accept]

3. "Stop torturing Mother Earth!" yells outraged environmental extremist Peggy King. "Are we prepared to sacrifice our planet and our souls for the sake a few extra danayems? If we hope to live in harmony with the environment that nurtures and protects us, we must ban all industries that pollute our world. Let us return to the trees, my brothers!"
[Accept]

One or three....mmm....three sounds good.

Posted: **Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:03 am**

The Issue

Last night the respected tabloid TV show "60 Minutes" ran a report on Belzodaine's rising divorce rate. What is happening to the nuclear family?

The Debate

1. "There's a simple solution," says Pastor Felix, of the Catholic Church. "Divorce should be illegal. 'For better or worse,' anyone remember how that goes? We should return to the good old days, when you got married for life and stuck by your partner no matter how much of a drunken, abusive, adulterating disappointment they turned out to be."

2. John Black, author of the hit book, 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Some Whole Other Place,' has a simpler solution. "If couples would just call each other 'darling' once in a while, there would be far fewer relationship breakdowns. A little affection is all it takes. So the government should make it mandatory: call your spouse 'darling' at least once a day, or face a fine."

3. "There's a simple way to boost the marriage rate," says gay rights activist Jean-Paul Shiomi. "Abolish those arcane laws that discriminate against same-sex marriages. It's obscene to treat people differently because of their sexual preference. Besides, everyone knows gay relationships are more stable than straight ones."

Why does gay marriage have to be offered in such a cheezy demeaning way? Gay marriage won't help marriage rates.... homosexual people are just like everyone else, why would we expect them to treat marriage any better than heterosexual people?

The Issue
A peculiar confederacy of small-government advocates, regular attendees at Belzodaine's annual Medieval Faire, and the super rich have demanded that the government grant estates and confer titles of nobility upon certain influential persons.

I just thought the issue of whether to institute nobility was pretty funny.

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 4:30 am**

If more people get married, it does increase marriage rates. If more people can get married, then more will.

And to take the stereotypical view, it stops them from being unhappy in heterosexual marriages which they use as a cover. (no stealing the plot idea, it's been done to death people, leave it alone)

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 8:49 am**

By marriage rate I didn't mean the amount of marriages I meant the rate of successful marriages that don't end in divorce. So more people getting married (or even being able to get married) won't necessarily improve the rate of successful marriages.

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 9:20 am**

Wooooooooooooo!

Phennispharren is now a Left-Wing Utopia!

The People's Republic of Phennispharren

"Meat Cooked Twice is Better Than Food Poisoning"

UN Category: Left-wing Utopia

Civil Rights: Superb
Economy: Basket Case
Political Freedoms: Excellent

Location: Symistan

Regional Influence: Contender

The People's Republic of Phennispharren is a very large, environmentally stunning nation, remarkable for its absence of drug laws. Its hard-nosed, intelligent population of 129 million are free to do what they want with their own bodies, and vote for whoever they like in elections; if they go into business, however, they are regulated to within an inch of their lives.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, liberal government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of the Environment, Healthcare, and Education. The average income tax rate is 95%. The private sector is almost wholly made up of enterprising fourteen-year-old boys selling lemonade on the sidewalk, although the government is looking at stamping this out.

Homeless people are periodically found dead upon altars to assorted deities, people are moving into treehouses in record numbers, the nation has opened its arms to an influx of refugees, and councils up and down the country wrangle over legal matters. Crime is relatively low. Phennispharren's national animal is the black hawk, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the danayem.

Phennispharren is ranked 6th in the region and 64,574th in the world for Most Devout Nations.

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 9:30 am**

Dar: not all issues can be settled well. Sometimes, you have to go with the lesser of two evils, and sometimes, that's not even good enough. Some issues I prefer to look at as opportunities rather than issues, so sometimes I wind up making decisions which don't help the issue in question at all, but it does bolster me in some other way (sometimes it's even a better long-term investment). But I do agree with you; legalizing gay marriage would probably just make marriage and divorce rates rise proportionally, and you'll be back where you started.

Besides, in that option, I'd much rather leave it alone (which is why my only viable options were to legalize gay marriage or ignore the issue). You can't force something like marriage onto people. If they work out, splended, if they don't, they should be allowed to try again. I know that's very liberal of me, considering it's me, but the option of eliminating the institution of marriage altogether wasn't an option, unfortunately.

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 9:36 am**

Chimaera182 wrote:Dar: not all issues can be settled well. Sometimes, you have to go with the lesser of two evils, and sometimes, that's not even good enough.

Hehe, ever looked my motto?

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 1:21 pm**

Wait, when did I become the UN delegate?

I'm not complaining, just wondering...

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 1:46 pm**

TonyMontana1638 wrote:Wait, when did I become the UN delegate? I'm not complaining, just wondering...

When Viscun stopped being delegate.

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 1:49 pm**

Crap, what have I gotten myself into...

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 1:51 pm**

TonyMontana1638 wrote:Crap, what have I gotten myself into...

Well...there's always...

BREGHTE FOR DELEGATE!

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 2:09 pm**

i have nukes aimed at tony's country. 1 false move tony.....

oh and no you dont know where i am cuz i formed my own guerilla group syphoning funds from guess who? you all of you. muahaha

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2006 2:13 pm**

Lasher wrote:i have nukes aimed at tony's country. 1 false move tony..... oh and no you dont know where i am cuz i formed my own guerilla group syphoning funds from guess who? you all of you. muahaha

...You don't get nukes in NationStates...