NationStates Jolt Archive

((Because I've been away so long, there has been little to report about Knootian foreign affairs. However, to give you an idea of Knootian happenings I've made this report on the most important Knootian domestic affairs in the last year. ))

Domestic News Report - Knootoss

January - Racism on the rise
The number of racist statements has increased dramatically in Knootoss over the past year. The number of racist statements reportedly grew by between 25 and 45 percent, though the exact figures have been kept confidential by the government Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia. Excusing the increase, sources within the government claimed that the increase can partly be attributed to easier procedures for reporting racism and more publicity on the problem.

February - Food fraud 'worse than thought'
The public prosecution service (OM) launches an inquiry after documents are uncovered at a Transnational Agricultural Corporation indicating that farming sector fraud is much worse than previously thought. The Knootian agricultural sector, which is largely corporatised, has been dogged by claims and investigations into corruption and collusion for several years.

March - Prosecutor transferred amid rumours of murder plot
Top Amsterdam prosecutor Kees de Plaai is transferred from the organised crime division to another function within the prosecution office due to ongoing fears criminals are plotting his murder. De Plaai has been under police protection for some time already, and is transferred to the national prosecution office to again take up the fight against organised crime.

April - 200 killed in serious Amsterdam CS train crash
Two-hundred people are killed as a double-decker train collides with an intercity near Amsterdam Central Station at about 6.30 am. The last survivor, a woman, is cut free from the wreckage at about 11.30 pm the next day. Investigations reveal the shunting double-decker ran a red light. State-secretary Andúnë Ancalímon of State-Secretary of Spatial Planning, Traffic, Waterways (SLP) announces a 40 million investment plan to improve safety. This plan is widely criticised as an "underwhelming" response.

May - Social Liberal Party splits
Several dissatisfied Members of Parliament led by Mr. Staalman break away from the ruling Social Liberal Party (SLP) to form their own party – the radical National Liberal Party (Nationaal-Liberale Partij in Dutch). The breakaway faction, led by their maverick nationalist libertarian leader, has a populist agenda which envisions a more libertarian domestic policies and a more "activist" foreign policy. The government continues to rule with a narrow majority.

June - Police can't shoot straight
It is revealed that over 2000 police officers in Knootcap capital region have failed the annual firing tests and as a result have lost their permits to carry handguns on duty. They are assigned to clerical work instead.

August - Bonifatius hit by book-keeping scandal
The biggest Knootian business event of the year occurs in August when recreational drugs giant Bonifatius Recreational Drugs Incorporated confirms that its Colombian divisions unit had "overstated" its profit by at least 500 million euro. CEO Piet van der Tak, once the darling of Knootian business, and the financial director stepped down. His replacement manages to weather more bad publicity when it is reported he is to receive massive bonus payments. He agrees to compromise and links the bonuses to his performance.

September - Men sentenced for rape and animal porn horror
A Knootian court imposes sentences ranging from five to 10 years on four people found guilty of kidnapping three Bigtopian asylum seekers and forcing them to take part in animal pornography. The sentencing of a fourth suspect is held over pending a psychiatric evaluation. The prosecutor claimed the victims were raped and forced to have sex with animals, claiming also they escaped being killed in a so-called "snuff" film. One of the victims eventually escaped from the shed and raised the alarm.

December - We are in recession
It comes as no big surprise to anyone when the Central Statistics Bureau confirms that Knootoss is officially in recession. First quarter (January to March) growth in the economy was 0.3 percent lower than the same period last year. The economy also turned in negative Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in the fourth quarter of the last year. The two back-to-back quarters of negative growth is defined as a recession.

December - Shot for throwing a snowball
Rotterdam is plunged into mourning when an irate motorist inexplicably shot 11-year-old Gustaaf Dubbeldam in the head. The victim and his friends had been throwing snowballs at cars. The killer remains at large.

Official Message From the Allanean Association of Police Chiefs

We in the AAPC are surprised by the problems in Knootcap’s police force. However, as we are a charity organization with the goal to help police officers throughout the free world, we hereby agree to send 2,000 training certificates to attend training classes at one of the many Front Sight Academy branches throughout the United States. We suggest that officers take up the Defensive Handgun courses in the Academy. The courses, designed mainly for students at Allanea’s high schools (especially girls) will likely be also useful for Knootian police officers. They are easy to comprehend and learn and are widely used in the United States.

To: Knootoss

To whom it may concern:

I represent Aerionian Business Wire, an business news wire to which many Aerionian megacorporations, government officials, investors, financial journals, and others subscribe wishs to purchase partial publication rights to publish in Aerion for the following stories:

Bonifatius hit by book-keeping scandal
We are in recession
Food fraud 'worse than thought'

Content Editor
Sally Johanu

((The return message is some sort of complicated form. The Allanean receipient is asked to fill numerous data including eye colour, height, and "IPJ correspondence number" for no particular reason, other than that this appears to be a standard police form.))


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To: the Allanean Association of Police Chiefs
From: Knootcap Regional Police, Regional Coordinator For Human Resources

Thank you for your interest in the Knootcap Regional Police! Your message has been assigned communication code 25705A-iR0o85-26t65. Please have this correspondence number ready at all times when attempting to communicate with the Knootcap Regional Police.

We have received the offer for [Human Resources Training/Private Initiative] in good order. Reply follows.

The AAPC offer for Defensive Handgun courses sounds very interesting. Please provide an overview of international curriculum codes so that we can see if this programme overlaps with Official Security Handgun Training in the Knootcap Regional Security Human Resource Centre (Knootcap Regionaal Veiligheids Human Resource Centrum, KRVHRC)

In the case of proven gaps, we can consider your private initiative. Before we can accept your offer however we must ask you to cooperate with an anticipatory study and cost-benefit analysis. You will, of course, be compensated for your cooperation in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

The Regional Coordinator For Human Resources

To: Knootoss

To whom it may concern:

I represent Aerionian Business Wire, an business news wire to which many Aerionian megacorporations, government officials, investors, financial journals, and others subscribe wishs to purchase partial publication rights to publish in Aerion for the following stories:

Bonifatius hit by book-keeping scandal
We are in recession
Food fraud 'worse than thought'

Content Editor
Sally Johanu

((Sally Johanu receives a standard reply from a Knootian news agency, approving the request and offering various convenient methods for e-payment. Unlike the police, press agencies are efficiently organised!))

The Allaneans are, of course, totally lambasted by the response. It takes a few minutes until a secretary re-reads it and smiles. “Ah, Mr. Monson! I get it! They seem to think that…”

And then, the response is written.

Dear Sir!

You seem to be operating under the understanding – sadly mistaken –that the AAPC is offering you some form of course in exchange for payment. This is not correct. We are offering you a set of gift certificates that would allow your desk officers to partake in such a course for free at a different institution that provide it. The different material about the courses is likely available from the company, and not from us, however since the course of study will be paid for by the AAPC via the gift certificates, you need not worry.

((The return message is given on the exact same form. The Allanean receipient is again asked to provide eye colour, height, and "IPJ correspondence number", etcetera.))


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To: the Allanean Association of Police Chiefs
From: Knootcap Regional Police, Regional Coordinator For Human Resources

Thank you for your interest in the Knootcap Regional Police! Your message has been assigned communication code 25705A-iR0o85-26t65. Please have this correspondence number ready at all times when attempting to communicate with the Knootcap Regional Police.

We have received the return message (2) filed as [Human Resources Training/Private Initiative] code 25705A-iR0o85-26t65 in good order. Reply follows.

Thank you for your clarification and kind offer.

In order to assure that Regional Police Resources are most efficiently spent, we have an open bidding procedure for private initiatives that have been deemed so support public sphere activities. Gun training is quite naturally a public service, outside this sphere of open bidding, as the Knootcap Regional Security Human Resource Centre (Knootcap Regionaal Veiligheids Human Resource Centrum, KRVHRC) has the public task of ensuring that "gun training", as you put it, is at a sufficient level.

However, in the light of recent problems the KRVHRC has had in meeting performance targets, my superiors have authorised me to explore the possibility of reallocating funds for "private" options.

You must understand that the training of our regional police force has to meet high national standards. We must have the international curriculum codes of the services that Allaneans might provide in order for us to see if these programmes are compatible with Official Security Handgun Training. Without such confirmation we cannot accede to your offer..

Could you provide me with contact information for the appropriate Allanean oversight committee or -bureau? Again, I thank you kindly for your offer.

Yours faithfully,

The Regional Coordinator For Human Resources

The Allanean secretary eyes the response, and then simply cut-and-pastes her earlier responses about eye color, height, and so forth.

Dear Sir, what do you mean by ‘oversight bureau’?

No Federal regulation of firearms training exists, however we’re quite certain that the Department of Education approves the use of these classes in those schools that receive DoE subsidies for marksmanship and self-defense training through the CMP.

Please explain the meaning of your message if you meant something else, as we are growing quite confused by it.

((As usual, the Allanean receipient is asked to provide eye colour, height, and "IPJ correspondence number", etcetera.))

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To: the Allanean Association of Police Chiefs
From: Knootcap Regional Police, Regional Coordinator For Human Resources

Thank you for your interest in the Knootcap Regional Police! Your message has been assigned communication code 25705A-iR0o85-26t65. Please have this correspondence number ready at all times when attempting to communicate with the Knootcap Regional Police.

We have received the return message (3) filed as [Human Resources Training/Private Initiative] code 25705A-iR0o85-26t65 in good order. Reply follows.

We meant to ask for any sort of agency or policy unit that is charged with overseeing gun control, more particularly security training. I understand from your message that no such agency exists.

We will contact the Allanean Department of Education then and get back to you on the matter.

Yours faithfully,

The Regional Coordinator For Human Resources

((I am assuming that the relevant standard information will be given to you from the DoE))

IC:

“Do you think it’ll do them good to send them any information about Allanean culture before they travel here?”

“Nah. Let them be up for a surprise when they come here.”

Then the AAPC managers returned to laughing themselves unconscious."

Payment is wired, and soon Aerionian Business Wire carries the stories across the air, along with analytical articles.

One news media publication to receive the wire was the Astevane Business Journal , one of the most widely respected business journals published in the Royal Capital of Astevane and circulated among the wealthy and corporate elite the following articles could be seen analyzing the original ones. Previews of these analytical articles are below.

The Knootian Bonifatius book-keeping scandal: A warning to Aerionian investors and the corporations they invest in?

Is the Bonifatius book-keeping scandal a warning to Aerionian investors and corporations? Recently many megacorporations began selling more stocks on the Aerionian National Stock Exchange. While majority stock ownership remains the order of the day, with controlling families and individuals continuing to hold majority stocks in most megacorporations, the long tightly held stocks have began to flow once again. Will scandals emerge as megacorporations began selling stock to the public rather than to prime stockholders and founding families to whom they were more responsible to?


Knootoss in recession: Why wealthy Aerionian investors (you) would remain relatively untouched by a general recession as compared to recession in a democratic nation.

Recession has touched Aerion before, but it has been found has left the average wealthy Aerionian untouched. Why is it that in the Grand Kingdom recession has a smaller effect? The legalized monopoly of the Aerionian megacorporations is beneficial for the national economy in a recession, as it allows prices to be adjusted accordingly, and leaves most of us untouched. The Royal Central Bank, being in total control by the Crown, with various financial advisors has had the ability to stop recession quickly in cooperation with the megacorporations. Our relatively unified economic control has allowed us to preserve a stable, beneficial economy. And as it has been said, the control of 80% of the nation's wealth is in the hands of the 10% of the wise intelligent investors, and owners such as you. Recession is of little concern with our stable financial situation.

Knootian corporation's Food fraud 'worse than thought': Why our Royal Government regulates differently

The Knootian agricultural sector has been accused of corruption, and collusion for years. From a Knootian perspective this is a negative matter. The Royal Government's sanctioned monopolies have allowed a cleaner, safer farming industry. Most megacorporations purchase food supplies for their cafeterias and corporate employee stores from the same food suppliers. There is a clear line of inspection. It has been noted that despite the safety of the Aerionian food industry, many affluent shoppers continue to shop at the private organic gourmet markets, and stores in their neighborhoods. Another article on this will be coming up.
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Note: Some of the Astevane Business Journals may have been reviewed in Knootoss as they are available for viewing with subscriptions as well as online. The Astevane Business Journal has been accused of looking from the "top down"

By D.Dagobert, author of "The Economics of Freedom", excerpt from an article in response to the ABW publication.

"The analysis of the economic situation in the Aerionian Business Wire is fundamentally flawed, in its defence of public monopoly.

First of all, the ABW claims that recession (in general) has a smaller effect (though the effects that are curbed are not specified but implied) because of the legalized monopoly of the Aerionian megacorporations and through corporatist policies, where the government cooperates with public partners towards the goal of price control. In essence, they argue, the public monopolies allow for an extensive system of price controls to be implemented, leaving the consumer untouched. How this system would affect the production side of the economy goes unspoken, perhaps under the pretence that production and profit margins are altogether unrelated to investment and (indirectly) consumer spending power.

Whilst incomes policy in the Grand Kingdom does help prevent inflation in the short term, its side-effects in essence cripple any serious sort of development in the event of a crisis. By arbitrarily interfering with price signals, they inhibit economic efficiency, which in the event of a serious recession will lead to shortages and declines in the quality of goods on the market, while requiring the cooperation of large corporate bureaucracies for the enforcement of controls that go directly against their own interest, both domestically (by underpricing their goods in the public interest) and internationally, where their profitability stands to be hurt.

Finally, the Business Wire presents a fundamentally flawed analysis of the Knootian lapse in growth. The recession we are currently faces is related to the natural economic cycle of nations, and considering the circumstances the Dutch Democratic Republic is weathering it reasonably well - inflation is comparatively low and government budgets are sound. The Knootian consumer has nothing to fear."