New Proposal: Global Transportation System
This post is to inform you all of a new proposal which promises to strongly boost your economy! Please be sure to at least consider supporting this proposal as it may be valuable to your interests. Please feel free to send me a telegram with any questions.
Global Transportation System
A resolution to reduce barriers to free trade and commerce.
Category: Free Trade Strength: Strong Proposed by: Hoonta
Description: Whereas certain countries may have easily accessable means of transportation for imports/exports, to allow all countries to trade as much or as little as their discretion allows is necessary for the furtherment of free trade throughout the world. Thus, an international tunnel system (including a transatlantic tunnel) would provide an efficient, safe, and cheap means for commercial as well as recreational use. The cooperative action required between countries for such a project would also serve to provide ample jobs for the unemployed and lower class in all countries.
Approvals: 0
Status: Lacking Support (requires 137 more approvals)
Voting Ends: Fri Dec 26 2003
The Federation of Soltak has not approved this proposal. [Approve]
The Federation of Soltak regrets to inform you that it cannot support this proposal. Such a tunnel system will facilitate terrorist groups attempting to attack and other enemies of the state attempting to attack, flee, or enter the country.
I urge my fellow delegates to boycott this proposal.
Although Rethelanium does not support this proposal, the leader aknowledges the realistic nature and UN relevance rarely found among the currect resolution proposals.
Although we understand your position, the citizens of The Rogue Nation of Hoonta would like to point out that a tunnel system is far more easily monitored than air, water, or other forms of land travel due to its specific routes and the inherent inability to alter those routes. Thus, as compared to existing alternatives, it would actually serve to discourage international terrorism. Please take this arguement into consideration as you analyze the proposed issue. Thank you for your time.
Rational Self Interest
27-12-2003, 04:16
We see several major problems with this proposal:
1. It's far more expensive than ocean transport. Building a tunnel under an ocean is not at all like building a tunnel under a little ditch like the English Channel. The energy required just to circulate air through the tunnels would be greater than the energy used in moving cargo by ship.
2. It's more dangerous than ocean transport. The tunnels would have to cross fault lines that have constant activity, they would be exposed to enormous water pressure (or buried at inconceivable cost in rock that is extremely hot in places), most of their length would be hundreds of miles away from any source of air, and rescue missions would present formidable difficulties. Unless buried, they would in many places have no support other than deep mud.
3. It's more vulnerable to terrorists than ocean transport. A small bomb could flood miles of tunnel and shut down transit entirely, as opposed to decommissioning a single ship.
4. It would require international cooperation to maintain, and would thus break down in times of war or conflict.
5. It would shift freight transport away from established centers of distribution, especially ports, causing economic disaster for maritime cities and nations.
6. It's much slower than air transport, and still is more expensive and more dangerous.