The Oppressed People Of Varrag

[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:
Powerhouse Political Freedoms:
Outlawed

Location: Apolyton Regional Influence: Auxiliary

The Oppressed Peoples of Varaag is a huge, economically powerful nation, remarkable for its punitive income tax rates. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 530 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 Healthcare. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 66%. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, followed by Uranium Mining and Information Technology.

All news sources are under strict government control, the government has instituted 'traveller reservations' across the country, the roads are notorious throughout the region for their peril, and the nation's drinking water tends to glow green at night. 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]

Watershed Down?

Government Acts
The Issue
An anonymous society of 'cinematic aficionados' have brought the debate over the proposed disposal of the watershed, the hour after which adult material is allowed to be shown on television, to your attention.

The Debate
"We don't need a watershed!" scoffs 'romantic-movie' buff, Jazz Hanover. "I don't see why I should wait 'til way past midnight to watch my preferred film genre. It's high time that parents stopped treating their children like... well, children! If you sugar-coat these kids' lives, they'll just end up seeing everything through rose-tinted glasses - and we can't have a country filled with spoilt brats now, can we?"

This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.


"This is an endorsement of bad taste if ever I saw it," says Konrad Summers, a child-care worker. "It's just wrong to subject children to graphic violence and nudity on afternoon television like this: who knows what it might possess them to do? We've all heard stories of kids who have seen some film where someone jumped off a cliff and then gone off to have a shot themselves. We must ban all violent and salacious material from our TV screens. If only to protect the innocence of our progeny!"
[Accept]
The Government Position
The government has indicated its intention to follow the recommendations of Option 1.

[Nugog]

Tiara Sign Of Oppression, Declare Feminists

Government Acts
The Issue
Varaag's upcoming hosting of a major international beauty pageant has upset some citizens concerned about the message it puts across.

The Debate
"These beauty pageants are a disgrace to women everywhere!" shouts feminist campaigner, Larry Steele. "They objectify the female body and re-enforce negative stereotyping! They celebrate the appearance instead of the personality! What message is this sending out to our children? Do we want them to think shallowness and vanity are virtues? Ban beauty contests! We must focus the education of our progeny on ethics and equality or suffer the consequences!"
[Accept]


"I agree that the pageants should be banned," pontificates renowned moralist, the Ever So Slightly Reverend George W. Rifkin. "But purely in the name of moral decency! All those fashion stores that sponsor these contests make lots of money from this blasphemy and that is just plain wrong! These women wear revealing clothing that seek to entice and seduce young men. As such, we should go a step further, and institute a dress code! Long, plaid skirts for the girls, with necklines that never drop below the base of the neck! Only then will the women of our nation be cleansed of sin!"
[Accept]


"What in the name of all that's decent and good are you talking about?" exclaims Naki Wu, leader of the egalitarian civil rights movement 'Everyone Is Equal, Dammit'. "Obviously these pageants will always be sexist unless they're open to everyone. Admiring women only for their beauty is an insult to their intelligence and the beauty of men! It's dually sexist! Open up the pageant to both sexes!"
[Accept]
The Government Position
The government is preparing to dismiss this issue.

[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: Auxiliary

The Oppressed Peoples of Varaag is a huge, safe nation, renowned for its barren, inhospitable landscape. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 537 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 Healthcare. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 66%. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, followed by Uranium Mining and Information Technology.

The government has instituted 'traveller reservations' across the country, the roads are notorious throughout the region for their peril, the nation's drinking water tends to glow green at night, and programmes of questionable content are shown at peak-hours. 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]

Dangerously Cheesy

Government Acts
The Issue
The popular daily cartoon strip "Barry the tic" has always been highly critical of the political system within Varaag, but in recent weeks the cartoon has depicted the main characters throwing melted cheese at unpopular politicians. Inspired by this, protestors armed with fondue sets stormed a government building, cheesing off several government officials.

The Debate
"It's just a bit of harmless fun!", says Samuel Hendrikson, creator of Barry the tic, while spraying your advisors with melted cheddar. "If the government were doing a better job people wouldn't feel the need to throw cheese at them. We should be free to express our displeasure in any way we choose. Besides, my cartoon books are selling like hot cakes, and that's got to be good for the economy, right?"
[Accept]


"This has got to stop!" insists Miranda Nagasawa, head of the censorship board. "I spent 3 hours this morning scraping wensleydale out of my hair! Arrest these lunatics! The protestors and the people responsible for this vile cartoon, throw them all into jail!"

This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.


"Arrrrrgh!" screams lactose-intolerant Dave Love, a member of the public safety board, as incoming rounds of mature gouda smash the windows and claim the suits of several nearby advisors. "As I've been saying for many years now, cheese is a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands and should be outlawed. Ban all cheese now, and enforce it!"
[Accept]
The Government Position
The government has indicated its intention to follow the recommendations of Option 2.

[Nugog]

Auto Industry Struggles Against Foreign Imports

Government Acts
The Issue
Cheap, foreign-made cars are becoming increasingly popular, causing concern in Varaag's automobile manufacturing industry.

The Debate
"Unless this government does something, Varaag won't have an auto industry for much longer," says auto industry union boss Zeke Hanover, in a rare public appearance alongside management. "These foreign companies employ people for a few varaag chips a day. The only way to level the playing field is to raise tariffs. The government would make more money, too, so it's win-win."
[Accept]


"For once, I agree with my grubby colleague here," says General Chassis CEO May Steele. "Although I have to say, tariffs aren't the only answer. A more effective solution would be to abolish minimum wage laws. Now that would level the playing field. And we'd be able to employ more--argh, let go of my throat!"

This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.


"I think we need to face facts," says noted economist and chat-show regular Abraham Falopian. "We live in a global economy now, and automobile manufacturing just isn't Varaag's strong suit. There's no point taking money from taxpayers in order to line the pockets of a few greedy workers and corrupt managers in a doomed industry. Let the market takes its--argh, let go of my throat!"
[Accept]
The Government Position
The government has indicated its intention to follow the recommendations of Option 2.

[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: Auxiliary

The Oppressed Peoples of Varaag is a huge, safe nation, remarkable for its compulsory military service. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 544 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 Healthcare. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 65%. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, followed by Uranium Mining and Automobile Manufacturing.

The nation's drinking water tends to glow green at night, programmes of questionable content are shown at peak-hours, popular political cartoonists are thrown in jail for inciting dissent, and there are no minimum wage laws. 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]

Electronic Plague in Varaag!

Government Acts
The Issue
The malicious computer virus "DEAT.exe" is infecting nearly all the computers in Varaag and the people are crying out for the government to do something about it.

The Debate
"It's those horrible kids. Hacking in where they don't belong. You've got to give us more funding to put a stop to it," says Varaag Federal Police Chief Melbourne Fellow. "Like with cars- ban kids from using computers until they pass a test and get a license!"
[Accept]


CEO Miranda Jones of CyberMirage Labs has a different idea. "Let us release SAL9000, our new AI, into the Varaag Network. It'll put a stop to this virus. Nevermind that it's still only an untested beta!"

This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.


"Yeah, wonderful! Fix a virus by releasing an AI that will likely turn on its creators? Are you people trying to get us all killed?!" Decries infamous technophobe Jean-Paul Silk, "What do we need computers for anyway? They will only bring us trouble and disaster! Personal computers ought to be banned!"
[Accept]
The Government Position
The government has indicated its intention to follow the recommendations of Option 2.

[Nugog]

Birds, Bees, And Breeding Teens

Government Acts
The Issue
A study has shown that an increasing proportion of teenagers in Varaag are falling pregnant.

The Debate
"We need comprehensive sex education to be mandatory in all schools," says Johann Washington, a teacher while tidying away some diagrams that make your eyes water. "The plain fact is that teenagers will experiment with sexual intercourse despite what society or their parents wish. So I say give these kids free contraceptives, and make them fully aware of the consequences of their actions. Information is what they need, not condemnation. If they ignore it then hey, it's their own damn fault."
[Accept]


"If you give them contraception it'll just encourage them to do... terrible things," says Faith Gutenberg, a religious parent and member of Moral Minority. "And what's with giving them so much information? There's even diagrams for goodness sake! Have they never heard of 'monkey see, monkey do'? They'll just go and try it out, mark my words! The solution is simple: girls should be kept at home and away from the monkey house of lustful impetuousness and young males until they are of marriageable age. Teaching teenagers abstinence and chastity is the key, not giving them step-by-step manuals."
[Accept]


"However sex education is taught, it is still social engineering and so undermines parental authority," says conservative newspaper columnist Violet Johnson. "My own son learned about something called 'homosexuality' the other day! For shame! We all know it should be Adam and Eve, not Adam and... Geoff? Anyway, my point is that sex education should be dropped from schools and instead taught by parents the way they see fit. That way children will get consistent messages and parents, not society, will cop the blame if any of their kids fall pregnant."
[Accept]


"No-one's asked me my opinion yet," says Catherine Gratwick, a teenage mother as she bottle-feeds her baby. "I think it's perfectly obvious what the cause of teenage pregnancy is - teenage boys! My son's father is the one that got me into this mess. He's the one who pressured me into having sex, but all the education is focused on the girls. Teenage fathers should be made responsible for their actions for once and be made to join the military so they can send their wages back to pay for their children's upkeep. If that's not a deterrent, then I don't know what is."
[Accept]


"I think we've missed the fact that maybe this teenage pregnancy phenomenon is not such a bad thing," says Zeke Longbottom, a famous demographer. "We need the population to grow, we need more people of working age, we need more tax for public services, et cetera. There are plenty of sound demographical reasons why we should be encouraging women to have families. By all means educate them about the dangers, but I don't think we ought to discourage teenagers from procreating - it's nature's way you know."

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 5.

[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: Auxiliary

The Oppressed Peoples of Varaag is a huge, safe nation, remarkable for its complete absence of social welfare. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 544 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 Healthcare. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 61%. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, followed by Uranium Mining and Information Technology.

Popular political cartoonists are thrown in jail for inciting dissent, there are no minimum wage laws, the lowest age at which one can marry has been recently lowered to 12, and much of Varaag's computer network is controlled by a rampant artificial intelligence. 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]

Varaag's Underclass Drowning In Debt

Government Acts
The Issue
In response to an increasing number of people falling into debt and declaring bankruptcy, activists are arguing that the government should take a stronger role in protecting its citizens from loosely regulated lending firms and in helping its citizens pay off or cancel their debts.

The Debate
George W. Jong-Il, head of consumer watchdog 'Debt-Busters' urges the government to enact new laws: "We've got middle and lower class families falling victim to predatory financial institutions and plunging into debts they can never hope to repay. The government must pass legislation restricting things like interest rates to stem the tide of people losing their property to these sharks, and take an active role reviewing all loan repayment terms."
[Accept]


"That's just not going far enough!" cries newspaper columnist, Samuel Jefferson. "The government must eliminate the shackles of debt from our good nation once and for all! What we need are vast reforms of the welfare system then we can provide these poor, downtrodden souls with money and housing, so they don't need to take out such huge loans in the first place!
[Accept]


"They're irresponsible with their money and yet they're the victims? Call me crazy but borrowing money and not paying it back isn't debt, it's theft!" scoffs Sue-Ann Utopia, representitive of one of Varaag's largest lending firms. "What we really need is the power to send these parasites to debtor prisons, where they can work off the money they owe through hard manual labour."

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:
Below Average Economy:
Thriving Political Freedoms:
Outlawed

Location: Apolyton Regional Influence: Auxiliary

The Oppressed Peoples of Varaag is a huge, safe nation, remarkable for its barren, inhospitable landscape. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 564 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 Healthcare. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 57%. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, followed by Uranium Mining and Information Technology.

There are no minimum wage laws, the lowest age at which one can marry has been recently lowered to 12, much of Varaag's computer network is controlled by a rampant artificial intelligence, and university graduates and new home-owners toil in labour camps to work off their debts. 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]

Deserts Devouring Varaag's Countryside

Government Acts
The Issue
Due to desertification, the transition of habitable land to desert as a result of overcultivation and the increasing degradation of the environment, much of Varaag's once-green rural areas are turning into barren, rocky deserts.

The Debate
"This is a disaster," wails Sue-Ann Mistletoe, your Minister of the Environment. "We've been too lax on letting the agriculture sector overgraze and overcrop our lands and now we're paying the price. There needs to be some serious cutback on what these companies are allowed to do, or before you know it we're going to be scaling sand dunes on the way to work."

This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.


"'Ey there, you stupid townie, what about us?" shouts Farmer's Union Leader Anne-Marie Li, waving a pitchfork from atop a combine harvester parked outside. "We's just goin' t' be tole we're out of a job? Tha' best way t' goes about this is t' promote stuff like that there recyclin', crop rotatin', an' biodiversity, and t' gives us tha' subsidies we needs t' work in 'armony wi' mother nature. Desertification ain't no irreversible thing, an' claimin' tha' land back will be slow and bloody expensive, by thunder. But oi'm sure tha' taxpayers will be more than 'appy t' aid us 'umble farmers in our plight, and maybe gives us a little more say in things in future, so's this can't 'appen again."
[Accept]


"Yee-haw, these here deserts are the greatest thang that's happened in YARS!" drawls noted cowboy Hamish McGraw, twirling his shootin' irons. "This is just what Varaag needs! Just git a stagecoach out har an tha' foreign types will come a-flockin,' y'all see if ah'm wrong! We don't need no fundin' f' tha' environment! Them's farmers c'n jus' git minin' fer GOLD!"
[Accept]
The Government Position
The government has indicated its intention to follow the recommendations of Option 1.

[Nugog]

Illegal File-Sharing Flares

Government Acts
The Issue
A surprise raid conducted on ISPs over the last week in Varaag shows that more than 30% of all Internet data transfer in Varaag at one time or another is used by illegal file-shares to illegally distribute files, most notably songs.

The Debate
"What we need to do is hack their computers and format their hard drives," says Roxanne Fellow, recording industry representative. "People need to be taught to not mess with the law. This is theft, pure and simple. And they're not only halving our revenue to tune of billions of varaag chips, but you are also stealing a few hundredths of a varaag chip from the artist for every song they steal. THINK OF THE STARVING ARTISTS!"

This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.


"Yo, dude, like, don't be hatin' man," says teenager George W. Wong. "We're like, going to change the whole structure of our society. Everything should be like, publicly available to, like, everybody, dude. Copyrights are so, like, uncool man and we need to get rid of them. That'd be totally radical, and cool as well."
[Accept]


"Yo, dang, blizzity blang, yo, this ain't, right, yo," says Jennifer Silk, famous rapper with three platinum albums. "Dang, yo, we dang need to copy-protect my dang CDs, yo. That dang playability life dang decreases, yo, but it's the only way to stop this, dang, yo."
[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: Auxiliary

The Oppressed Peoples of Varaag is a huge, devout nation, notable for its compulsory military service. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 574 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 government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defence, and Healthcare. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 61%. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, followed by Uranium Mining and Information Technology.

Much of Varaag's computer network is controlled by a rampant artificial intelligence, university graduates and new home-owners toil in labour camps to work off their debts, a cyber-war between file sharers and the music industry formats hard drives across the country, and mysterious black helicopters menace farmers to ensure compliance with straitjacketing agricultural policies. 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.