The Fiefdom of The Clan Scot

[Paddy]

"It's all good mate"


UN Category: Democratic Socialists
Civil Rights: Some
Economy: Reasonable
Political Freedoms: Very Good

Location: The East Pacific
The Fiefdom of The Clan Scot is a tiny, environmentally stunning nation, notable for its compulsory military service. Its hard-nosed, intelligent population of 5 million are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

The large government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Religion & Spirituality, and Defence. The average income tax rate is 26%, but much higher for the wealthy. An almost nonexistent private sector is dominated by the Arms Manufacturing industry.

Crime is moderate. The Clan Scot's national animal is the tiger, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the blue mark.

[Paddy]

Should Democracy Be Compulsory?

Government Acts
The Issue
In response to a slow news week, certain highbrow newspapers have stirred up the debate over voluntary vs compulsory voting.

The Debate
"Compulsory voting makes about as much as sense as having the death penalty for attempted suicide," says civil rights activist May Christmas. "You can't force people to be free! You can only give them the choice. Besides, if all those derelicts who can't be bothered to get off their ass once every few years voted, who would they elect? I shudder to think."
[Accept]


"It's not contradictory at all," argues political commentator Beth Love. "The fact is, if not everyone votes, the outcome isn't truly representative. Some groups--like elderly gun nuts--vote more often than others. That's why always we always end up with such terrible politicians."

This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.


"This raises an interesting issue," says Tobias Hamilton, your brother. "And that is: why do we need elections, anyway? Seems to me it would be much simpler if you just decided what was right, and did it. Wouldn't that save everyone a lot of time?"
[Accept]
The Government Position
The government has indicated its intention to follow the recommendations of Option 2.

[James]

[Paddy]

Originally posted by James

Indeed mate

[Paddy]

Cloning Research Promises New Breakthrough
Government Acts
The Issue
Scientists using cloned human embryos for research are on the verge of a medical breakthrough.

The Debate

"It's really very exciting," says lab head Clint Longbottom. "Until now, we've kept very quiet, to avoid being targeted by lunatic fringe groups who for some reason think it's wrong to clone human embryos. It's too early to promise anything, but we hope that one day we will have genetic cures for a whole range of debilitating illnesses. I certainly hope the government will support our work."

This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.


"Well, if you have to be part of a lunatic fringe group to object to this barbaric practice, I'm a lunatic," says placard-waving protestor Prudence Clinton. "Of course it would be nice to cure these unnamed diseases, but at what cost? They're messing with the sanctity of human life. It's wrong, and the lab should be shut down immediately."
[Accept]
The Government Position
The government has indicated its intention to follow the recommendations of Option 1.

[Paddy]

The Fiefdom of The Clan Scot is a tiny, environmentally stunning nation, renowned for its compulsory military service. Its hard-nosed population of 6 million are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

The large government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Religion & Spirituality, and Defence. The average income tax rate is 27%, but much higher for the wealthy. An almost nonexistent private sector is dominated by the Arms Manufacturing industry.

Voting is compulsory. Crime is moderate. The Clan Scot's national animal is the tiger, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the blue mark.

The Clan Scot is ranked 12th in the region and 68,703rd in the world for Largest Gambling Industries.

[Paddy]

The Fiefdom of The Clan Scot is a small, environmentally stunning nation, remarkable for its compulsory military service. Its hard-nosed population of 7 million are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

The large government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Religion & Spirituality, and Defence. The average income tax rate is 28%, but much higher for the wealthy. A tiny private sector is dominated by the Arms Manufacturing industry.

Voting is compulsory and scientists regularly clone human beings for research purposes. Crime is moderate. The Clan Scot's national animal is the tiger, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the blue mark.

The Clan Scot is ranked 14th in the region and 73,526th in the world for Largest Welfare Programs (per capita).

[Paddy]

Uranium Deposit Promises To Enrich The Clan Scot

Government Acts
The Issue
Prospecting company Nukes4U has uncovered a large uranium deposit in The Clan Scot's south-west.

The Debate
"This is a terrific find!" claims Nukes4U CEO Lars Wu. "It will provide an enormous stimulus to our economy and create thousands of new jobs. It's win-win! All we need from the government is permission to bulldoze the rainforest that's on top of the deposit."
[Accept]


"You've got to be kidding," says Green politician Samuel Licorish. "This rainforest is thousands of years old! This country needs more environmental protection, not less. And to destroy the environment in order to mine uranium that then goes into nuclear bombs--well, that really sticks in my craw."
[Accept]


"There's no need for an either-or decision," says the government's Minister for Mining, Clear-Felling, and the Environment. "We can preserve most of the rainforest and allow mining of a small part. After all, think of all the good that the money from this uranium deposit can bring to The Clan Scot."

This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.


The Government Position
The government has indicated its intention to follow the recommendations of Option 3.

[Paddy]

Corporations Demand Political Say

Government Acts
The Issue
A well-heeled lobby group is pushing for the elimination of regulations that prevent corporations from donating money to political parties.

The Debate
"This is supposed to be a democratic country," Arms Manufacturing industry spokesperson Pip Longbottom says. "Yet these archaic laws say I can't donate money to support a political party. They put ceilings on the amount any party can spend on advertising. It's time to stop treating voters like children, and trust them to make up their own minds. Free the ballot box!"
[Accept]


"You say political freedom, I hear vote-buying," says popular anarchist Chastity O'Bannon. "If these fat cats get their way, politicians will buy their own seat in Congress. And let's face it, a slick advertising campaign can convince a lot of apathetic voters. We need to tighten the laws, not repeal them. Money should have no place in politics!"
[Accept]


"Frankly, I don't see why we need to have elections at all," says your brother, Dave Dodinas, over a late-night malt whiskey. "You always seem to know what's best. Why not scrap the whole political system? It would make things so much simpler."

This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.

The Government Position
The government has indicated its intention to follow the recommendations of Option 3.

[Paddy]

Another fine Sunrise in Paradise

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[Paddy]

The Fiefdom of The Clan Scot is a small, pleasant nation, notable for its barren, inhospitable landscape. Its hard-nosed, cynical population of 8 million are ruled with an iron fist by the dictatorship government, which ensures that no-one outside the party gets too rich. In their personal lives, however, citizens are relatively unoppressed; it remains to be seen whether this is because the government genuinely cares about its people, or if it hasn't gotten around to stamping out civil rights yet.

The large, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Religion & Spirituality, and Defence. The average income tax rate is 28%, but much higher for the wealthy. A tiny private sector is dominated by the Arms Manufacturing industry.

Voting is compulsory, scientists regularly clone human beings for research purposes, the mining industry is making inroads into environmentally sensitive areas, and a dictator has seized power and outlawed elections. Crime is moderate. The Clan Scot's national animal is the tiger and its currency is the blue mark.

The Clan Scot is ranked 6th in the region and 24,551st in the world for Most Corrupt Governments.

[Paddy]

Minorities Demand Representation in TV Soaps

Government Acts
The Issue
The Clan Scot's TV soaps--famous around the region--have come under fire for their lack of ethnic diversity.

The Debate
"Every night my family and I sit down to watch 'The Brash and the Backstabbing'," says Randy Nagasawa. "But where are the Liliputians like myself? Where are the Bigtopians? The Marche Noirians? People from those cultures can be just as brash and backstabbing, but we never see them on the screen. The government must act to remove this silent apartheid from our TV screens."
[Accept]


"Those Liliputians don't know how good they have it," says Stephanie King, spokesperson for the Tasmanians Against Ethnic Stereotyping. "Tasmanians are on television all the time, but always in crude, stereotypical roles. The answer is not to enforce ethnic quotas, but to award government prizes for the positive portrayal of minorities. That'll work better, and be cheaper, too."
[Accept]


"The government should do what now?" says TV studio executive Fleur Chicago. "You've got to be kidding. We make soaps here, not documentaries. I should be able to put whichever characters I want into my shows. Quotas! Government prizes! God save me! Hasn't the government got anything better to do? Why don't they just back off and let society work out these things on its own?"

This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.

The Government Position
The government has indicated its intention to follow the recommendations of Option 3.

[Paddy]

Cash for Colons?

Government Acts
The Issue
Hospitals have requested that they be allowed to pay people for donating blood and other bodily organs, such as kidneys.

The Debate
"We remain critically short of blood plasma and various organs," says The Clan Scot One hospital administrator Randy Chicago. "Especially hearts. A good heart is hard to find. But if we were allowed to pay for donations, we'd get more of them and could save more lives. Plus the donor takes home a few hundred blue marks in compensation. Unless it's a post-mortem donation, of course. In that case we'd pay the family."
[Accept]


"Great idea," says social commentator Tobias du Pont. "Except for one thing. You know who's going to be selling their organs? Poor people! They'll be so desperate for money that they'll sell their own kidneys. Well, a kidney. This is just another way for the rich to buy themselves a better life at the expense of the poor. It must be outlawed."

This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.

[Paddy]

Wonders of Modern Technology

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[James]

we need more smokes.