NationStates Jolt Archive

I have to write a paper on correcting the problems of a fictious country known as Nowannabehere. It's problems are very extensive...ill list them in a second... and i must follow the political philosophy of a political theorist (ex. Karl Marx, Meninger, John Locke)...if anyone could help me PLEASE i would much appreciate it.. this paper needs to be 10 pages in length :(....

problems
1: No water, 5 year draught that will last 4 years more..no groundwater.. landlocked..climate is temperate/parched...very very very small lake, 2 rivers 1/8 the width / length of the Hudson.

2: Weak military, 1700 men 2 aircraft 3 tanks....

3: Member of no organizations except U.N...not an active voice in it either.

4: Neighbors dislike us.. always do something insulting...

5: Influx of immigrants known as the "Gallites"...have taken over the majority of citizens.

6: Anger by home-grown citizens over govt. not dealing with Immigrants...

7: welfare is burdned...

8: economy on a downward fall...market consists of grain / electronic chips.. no demand for either.. no foreign customers....cannot use grain for alcoholic beverages.

9: try to follow democratic west but unsuccessful.

10: rise of anarchist political factions as well as other groups which threaten the current government structure.

11: also gambling is not allowed / as well as acoholic beverages....

What i was thinking was maybe a totalitarian restructing with a dictator... perhaps using the grain to create grain alcohol and selling it to fuel producing neighbors in exchange for water and perhaps military protection. Close boarders to immigration...perhaps using obnoxious / unruly Gallites as cheap labor for foreign investors who wish to build factories on our nation....

/bump

dictatorship is perhaps the place to start.

its first step should be to shoot everybody who let things get this bad it the first place.

as for the water, you're probably forked. you can't ship enough water to do anything but keep people from dying of thirst.

the second problem is that with the drought you will probably have enough trouble growing enough food to keep people fed let alone have enough for production purposes.

best thing to do is to hunker down and wait for the rain to come back.

the philosphies are used to justify actions after the fact.

First of all, let me compliment the teacher/instructer/ whatever person is making you right this paper. It's a pretty original idea. Very original, actually.
As for your problems. Well, let me list some peacefull, good soloutions.
1. Request foreign aid. Many countries, including mine, would be more than happy to ship water and food to you if you really need it that much. Also, if it's a fictious nation, then you could probably get help from a space nation (who could teraform).
2. Weak military doesn't matter that much. If I were you, I'd try to make a couple alliances with big, powerfull nations to protect you. Your military should be the least of your worries.
3. You might want to become an active voice, and join some alliances (could solve #2). At any rate, definitly replace your ambassadors to the UN. You need to be active and recognized. The UN might actually be able to give you assistance itself (solving #1). I'm not in the UN, but I was (some problems wit my e-mail keeping me out), and it's a very helpfull institution.
4. You've got to try more. Again, get new ambassadors. Establish more embassies. Try to get trade up. Suck-up to your neighbors, whoever they are. There isn't much you can do about this, but at the very least get one surrounding nation on your side (so that foreign aid can come, boost industry, have someone to run to if invaded).
5. Not sure if I understand their "taking over" the majority of citizens. At any rate, keep letting them come in. They can be usefull, not only as cheap labor, but as government officials. You can tax them as well. Very usefull.
6. As for your citizens anger...if you start working on those problems with the number's 1-4, you might take care of that. As for their being biased against imigrants, you might want to offer some educational courses on tolerance. Get your people to appreciate diversity.
7. Raise taxes a little if you must. Welfare is a necesary thing (as I'm a socialist nation, I have 100% welfare, so I would know).
8. Some countries MUST need electronic chips or grain. In any case, both are usefull for your own economy. You can make computers, as well as food out of the two products. Some other countries (those that are starved or electronically hungry) would pay for them. You simply have to get some deals. In fact, I'd like to talk to you about those computer chips. Their not a main industry of mine, and I need them.
9. Try to follow democrocy again. If you must, keep with a monarchy for awhile, but democrocy is the way to go. Again, your people will be happy. Also, it might allow them to put someone who KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING in office.
10. The rise of political parties would happen. Strengthen your police forces if you must, but let them rally. What harm can it do? If your democrocy, they will probably try to elect a leader, then tear down the government from the inside.
11. LOSEN UP DAMNIT! The more you tighten your fist, the more that will slip through your fingers! Legalize both. This will lower your crime (as criminals will no longer simply sell booze and open illegal casinos to make cash), as well as help your economy some (opening of bars and casinos...both of which attract people from other nations).

As for what you were thinking. Dictator is not the way to go in my opinion, but it could work. The grain to alcohol is a good idea, I'd suggest using it. Forget your military for a bit. Nobody is going to invade you randomly (unless the person making you write the paper has his own nation). And even if they do, simply make a thread out of it. Other nations WILL come to your aid. Gallites as cheap labor is okay, cheap labor will happen, but give them the same rights as everyon else. Let your industries build themselves up, and let other nations come in and start industries. A barren landscape is perfect for factories. Again, request foreign aid.
I know my soloutions are kind of radical, and may not cause things to change immediatly, but once things do change, everything will be better. Good luck.

Oh yeah, and finally, as for who's philosophies to follow. Go with Karl Marx. Communism/Socialism may not work in the real world, but this isn't the real world. If everyone is equal in your nation (excepting it's leaders and military, which should be elected), then supplies can be dished out equally. There will be no racism...nothing like that. Everyone equal. It would work in an ideal world, and that's just what nationstates is...the ideal world.

I'm assuming you're not allowed to say "Take all the money the country has and run"?

Taking the money and running wouldn't be too bad of an idea...but you'll fail the course, and the cash won't be worth much anymore.

I have to agree with dictatorship...maybe very light dictatorship, but you need some control. Move to a smaller region (ie >30 nations) and get to knw people. That'll get you allies.

5, 6, 9 & 10. Form of the Government: reorganize under a Council–Manager system, while these system is normally used only at local levels, it have several benefits for a national government, especially during crisis management. An elected national council will lend toward the legitimacy and acceptance of the new government by your citizens, providing limited democracy and streamline the political hierarchy. A national manager, appointed by the council, will be free to run the daily affairs of the nation and implement the policies and enforce the laws passed or approved by the council. The scope and power of the manager can vary from a strong, dictatorial manager system with council override to a weak, secretariat manager system that just runs the nation for the council.
Citizenship doesn’t have to universal and automatic: you could use various methods and requirement to limit citizenship – tests for knowledge of national issue and history, require that citizens provide serves to the nation for a length of time (military or otherwise), etc. A tiered system of citizenship could be enacted each with rights and duties; all persons, regardless of nationality, can vote in local elections, but regional and national elections have additional requirements before voting rights are granted.

1. No water: Besides an aggressive conservation program, construct a national system that more effectively utilizes your existing water resources. Rather than just letting the rain flowing down a stream, in to the river and out of your country; redirect the water through dams, canals and a system of reservoirs to maximize its use before it is ‘allowed” to leave your nation. Techniques similar to these have been proposed in RL modern age and even construction in the RL during ancient times (Sri Lanka’s Wewas).

2 through 4. Weak military & International Involvement: enact a policy of Armed Neutrality, focusing on defense of your nation and non-interference in other nations. Various methods to achieve this goal have been tried in the RL; examples include a small professional army with large reserve of militias (very cost efficient). By declaring neutrality, you are less likely to be strategic threat or interest of foreign powers. If you are not a threat to your neighbors, they may see you more as a “strategic assist” – border that need less defense, a buffer zone to those that are a threat to them, etc. Neutrality voids the primary reason (protection) for joining international organizations and alliances.

7 & 8. Welfare & the Economy: Reorganizing your citizenship requirements, specify a citizens rights and duties. This will less some of the drain on your welfare system, and aid your economy. Implementing a national industrial policy can also greatly benefit your economy – allow your government to focus on key industries and economic sectors rather than the whole economy and all of its complexities. An industrial policy can be everything from the “Full Set” model used by Japan and Four Asian Tigers to the US un-writing industrial-military complex system. The public works project suggested to solve your water problem will also aid you economy, both directly and indirectly. Thousands will be employed in the construction of dams and canal ways, which means thousands more will be employed support them (food and services industry, industrial manufacturing making the concrete and steel need, etc).

While I refuse to say my suggestion was BAD necesarily, Penglai's is much better. Seriously, do what he says. It could work, and if it doesn't...you really don't have much to lose.

I have to agree with Penglai as well. That over dictatorship, any.

I have to agree with Penglai as well. That over dictatorship, any.

But you should try moving to a small region. That would be good.