The Oppressed People Of Varrag

[Nugog]

Streaker in Snooker Game Fiasco

Government Acts
The Issue
After a sixty year old man with psoriasis streaked past cameras and millions of sports fans during the snooker league playoffs, protesters have called for tougher action.

The Debate
"This can't go on!" says traumatized snooker player Pete Summers, "Children are watching sports and having them exposed to this lewd behaviour is unacceptable! I demand that these people be locked up for several years and maybe they'll have learnt their lesson!"
[Accept]


"Oh don't be ridiculous!" scoffs prolific streaker Larry Bush, "It's all just a bit of fun and the kids shouldn't be wrapped in cotton wool, or they'll learn nothing! Sports are so dull anyway, it needs a little bare skin to liven it up. Streaking should be legal!"

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 2.

[Nugog]

Power Problems Need Bright Solution

Government Acts
The Issue
The oldest power station in Varaag suffered a catastrophic failure last night, plunging a third of Varaag's national power supply grid into darkness. There is no debate that it needs to be replaced, but the question is with what?

The Debate
"The solution is clear," says environmental activist Jazz Nagasawa. "Wind turbines and solar power stations are the cleanest there are. We must switch power production to forms of renewable energy, that will never run out. The only minor problems are that wind farms will take up a great deal of space and of course we can't exactly rely on the weather. It isn't as though we control it. But think of how much healthier people will be without all that pollution!"
[Accept]


"Wind power? Solar collectors? Bah! Have you ever wondered when the least amount of strain is placed on the national grid? WHEN THE SUN IS SHINING!" exclaims Southern Varaag Electra official Jennifer Mombota. "We need power under our control, and cheaply. Coal has been the cheapest and most abundant power source for ages. We don't need this airy fairy wind malarky when we have cheap and reliable power available for all. True, pollution will be a bit on the heavy side but I'm sure that's only a minor problem, with how well funded our health system is!"
[Accept]


"Now the way I see it is that it's either green, expensive, and sprawling; or compact, polluting and cheap. Wouldn't it be nice if we had the best of both worlds? Well, we can!" claims fission technician Jack Rifkin. "Nuclear power is reliable, clean, and although it isn't cheap, it won't break the bank. There is a risk of deadly meltdown, but this is relativly small, and the only people who could be against this are anti-nuclear protesters, but what do we care about those tree-hugging hippies?"

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.

[Nugog]

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 Varaag One hospital administrator Fleur Spirit. "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 varaag chips in compensation. Unless it's a post-mortem donation, of course. In that case we'd pay the family."

This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.


"Great idea," says social commentator Johann Clinton. "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."
[Accept]
The Government Position
The government has indicated its intention to follow the recommendations of Option 1.

[Nugog]

The Oppressed Peoples of Varaag
"Doing what we are told is good for our health"


UN Category: Compulsory Consumerist State
Civil Rights:
Average Economy:
Thriving Political Freedoms:
Outlawed

Location: Apolyton Regional Influence: Negotiator

The Oppressed Peoples of Varaag is a huge, devout nation, renowned for its compulsory military service. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 954 million are rabid consumers, partly through choice and partly because the government tells them to and dissenters tend to vanish from their homes at night.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, corrupt, pro-business government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defence, and Religion & Spirituality. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 40%. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Uranium Mining industry, followed by Information Technology and Gambling.

Manual labourers must be willing to have cybernetic limbs to get a job, protesters are up in arms over new nuclear power stations, streakers swamp all public events in order to bare it all, and college students make ends meet by selling their kidneys. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force. Varaag's national animal is the tic, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its currency is the varaag chip.

[Nugog]

Roads Like Rollercoasters, Complain Motorists

Government Acts
The Issue
A group of local motorists have assembled outside of City Hall to protest against the shoddy state of roads in Varaag.

The Debate
"These roads are terrible!" shouts Tobias Mistletoe, president of the Varaag Auto Club. "Every few feet there's a crack, or a pothole, or a gravel patch, or the remains of someone else's car! It's really too much! And just look at this-" he adds, rubbing a nasty bruise on his forehead - "I got that from my rear-view mirror after flying over a bump on Main Street! These roads must be fixed! There really needs to be vast improvements made now, before anyone gets seriously hurt."
[Accept]


Bill du Pont, avowed anti-spending advocate, disagrees: "Road construction? What a waste of varaag chips! If people can still drive on them, then the roads are fine as they are. Spending more to make trivial repairs would just be a waste of the tax payers' money! We should just ignore these whiners and leave the roads as they are and if the drivers don't like that - well... then they can just learn to walk like the rest of us."

This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.


"Why on Earth is it the government's responsibility to build and maintain roads?" asks bicyclist Stephanie Johnson, pausing for breath. "Not all citizens own automobiles, you know. The government should be trying to make life better for all, not just car owners! If people want roads, then let private industry build them, and they can charge tolls to the people who actually drive on them. Leave the government out of it!"
[Accept]
The Government Position
The government has indicated its intention to follow the recommendations of Option 2.

[Nugog]

Police Consider "Big Brother" Anti-Crime System

Government Acts
The Issue
The Police department is considering installing surveillance cameras in all major public areas, in an effort to crack down on crime.

The Debate
"This is a blatant invasion of the right to privacy!" says libertarian web site operator Jack Jefferson. "Now I can't even go out in public any more without being watched? And you know this is just the beginning. Today there are cameras in city streets. Tomorrow they're peering through your bedroom window."
[Accept]


"Hey, I've got news for you," says Police media liaison Thomas Steele. "When you're out in public, PEOPLE CAN SEE YOU. These cameras will be extremely helpful in reducing the national crime rate. Frankly, I can't see what the fuss is about."
[Accept]


"This 'slippery slope' argument has got me thinking," says Police Minister Hope Steele. "You know, it would be a lot easier to fight crime if we watched people all the time. Not with cameras, of course. That's clearly an invasion of privacy. But how about a national database of our citizens, coupled with compulsory ID cards and barcoding? It would stop crime dead in its tracks."

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.

[Nugog]

The Oppressed Peoples of Varaag
"Doing what we are told is good for our health"


UN Category: Compulsory Consumerist State
Civil Rights:
Some Economy:
Thriving Political Freedoms:
Outlawed

Location: Apolyton Regional Influence: Negotiator

The Oppressed Peoples of Varaag is a huge, safe nation, renowned for its barren, inhospitable landscape. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 966 million are rabid consumers, partly through choice and partly because the government tells them to and dissenters tend to vanish from their homes at night.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, corrupt, pro-business government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defence, and Religion & Spirituality. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 39%. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Uranium Mining industry, followed by Information Technology and Gambling.

Streakers swamp all public events in order to bare it all, college students make ends meet by selling their kidneys, citizens are barcoded to keep track of their movements, and the roads are virtually falling apart. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force. Varaag's national animal is the tic, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its currency is the varaag chip.

[Nugog]

Widening Buttocks Cause Movie Theater Havoc

Government Acts
The Issue
Several festively chubby people were lodged in their movie theater seats for hours, as Varaag's Fire Department worked to free them. Health organizations are now expressing concern over the problem of obesity in Varaag.

The Debate
"Clearly, we have to do something about the expanding obesity problem in Varaag, er, no pun intended," remarks Buffy O'Bannon of the National Health Bureau. "The government should implement an extensive exercise management program and make it mandatory that all citizens participate in some kind of exercise at least once a week."
[Accept]


"Mandatory exercise! Get out! I don't have the time!" snorts nationally renowned TV chef Calvin Wall. "How about banning those greasy fast food joints and drive-thrus? I mean, seriously, if you can't get out of your stupid car to walk in and get a meal, how sad is that? Ban fast food and make junk food more expensive--that way, people will have to think about whether they really want to spend ten varaag chips on a snack cake."
[Accept]


"I don't see why it's anyone's business but my own how I kill myself," says Sue-Ann O'Bannon, a pleasantly plump computer programmer, stuffing a chili dog down his throat. "My weight is my own business, and if I don't feel like exercising, that's my choice. Sure, it'd be healthier to lose a few pounds, but my priorities lie elsewhere. Leave us alone, and we, the citizens of Varaag, will decide what's important to us and what we want to eat."

This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.


"What about government-funded liposuction?" asks Freddy King, while contemplatively chewing a mouthful of chili dog. "If I could get the fat sucked off of these hips, that would give me the willpower to stay thin. Obesity would be a thing of the past! Just think of it! Nothing but svelte, beautiful people everywhere! Ah, bliss!"
[Accept]
The Government Position
The government has indicated its intention to follow the recommendations of Option 3.

[Nugog]

"Don't Dam Our Rivers, Damnit!" Say Protesters

Government Acts
The Issue
A group of Greenpeace protesters have called for an end to a government proposal to begin damming rivers in Varaag to increase water supplies and generate power.

The Debate
"Don't build dams!" shouts protestor Jean-Paul Winters through a microphone heavily afflicted with feedback. "Do you know how many fish die in other dams in our region each year? Have you heard of the adverse effects building a dam has on the surrounding environment? Dam up this flood of dams, damn it!"
[Accept]


"Think before you open your mouth," says engineer Violet Broadside. "While Varaag may have to pay the price in animal diversity, as well as adverse effects on the environment, do we really want fossil-fuel based plants polluting Varaag? If you use your common sense, I think you'll find that damming some rivers would be a good idea. Plus, think of how much the economy would benefit from all the jobs these projects would create."

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 2.

[Nugog]

Public Loudspeakers Shrill With Controversy

Government Acts
The Issue
A recent poll on putting up huge loudspeakers in Varaag's cities for public government broadcasts has been brought to your attention.

The Debate
"This idea is brilliant, and Varaag can't afford to pass it up," claims Tobias Mistletoe, 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 tics 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 'Doing what we are told is good for our health' 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!"

This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.


"I think people need to realise what this really is: brainwashing!" retorts Jack Jones, a wealthy marketer. "I don't want to hear all this flag-waving hogwash everytime 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."
[Accept]


"To be honest, I can't see why we should put up with advertising at all," says Anne-Marie du Pont, 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!"
[Accept]
The Government Position
The government has indicated its intention to follow the recommendations of Option 1.

[Nugog]

Cancer Sufferer Demands Euthanasia Bill

Government Acts
The Issue
Dorothy Terwilliger lies immobilized in a hospital bed, unable to move. She has end-stage cancer, and wishes to end her struggle against death. However, laws prevent her doctors from obeying her wishes.

The Debate
Dorothy and her family are campaigning for a "Dying with Dignity" bill, to change this situation. She implores the government to legalize euthanasia.

This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.


"I understand this is a very difficult time for these people," says freelance medical writer Konrad Licorish. "But the solution is not to let our medical system slide down the slippery slope of killing people in pain. We must cure, not kill. This is not the right time for euthanasia."
[Accept]


"I agree, but go further: there is never a right time for euthanasia," says Bishop Billy-Bob Frederickson. "The lives we lead are given to us by the grace of God, and he decides when they end. It is not for us to question God's divine purpose, no matter how odd or screwed-up it may seem."
[Accept]
The Government Position
The government has indicated its intention to follow the recommendations of Option 1.

[Nubclear]

I cant believe this thread has gone on undetected.

[Nugog]

The Oppressed Peoples of Varaag
"Doing what we are told is good for our health"


UN Category: Compulsory Consumerist State
Civil Rights:
Below Average Economy:
Thriving Political Freedoms:
Outlawed

Location: Apolyton Regional Influence: Negotiator

The Oppressed Peoples of Varaag is a huge, economically powerful nation, renowned for its compulsory military service. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 971 million are rabid consumers, partly through choice and partly because the government tells them to and dissenters tend to vanish from their homes at night.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, corrupt, pro-business government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defence, and Religion & Spirituality. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 43%. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Uranium Mining industry, followed by Information Technology and Gambling.

City sidewalks are crowded with overweight people, public loudspeakers constantly tell citizens they are "happy people", scenic mountain valleys are flooded with water as damming projects get underway, and euthanasia is legal. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force. Varaag's national animal is the tic, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its currency is the varaag chip.

[Nugog]

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 Varaag One hospital administrator Hope Clinton. "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 varaag chips in compensation. Unless it's a post-mortem donation, of course. In that case we'd pay the family."

This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.


"Great idea," says social commentator Anne-Marie Christmas. "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."
[Accept]
The Government Position
The government has indicated its intention to follow the recommendations of Option 1.

[Nugog]

The Oppressed Peoples of Varaag
"Doing what we are told is good for our health"


UN Category: Compulsory Consumerist State
Civil Rights:
Below Average Economy:
Thriving Political Freedoms:
Outlawed

Location: Apolyton Regional Influence: Negotiator

The Oppressed Peoples of Varaag is a huge, economically powerful nation, remarkable for its barren, inhospitable landscape. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 983 million are rabid consumers, partly through choice and partly because the government tells them to and dissenters tend to vanish from their homes at night.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, corrupt, pro-business government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defence, and Religion & Spirituality. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 43%. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Uranium Mining industry, followed by Information Technology and Gambling.

Public loudspeakers constantly tell citizens they are "happy people", scenic mountain valleys are flooded with water as damming projects get underway, euthanasia is legal, and college students make ends meet by selling their kidneys. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force. Varaag's national animal is the tic, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its currency is the varaag chip.