Notquiteaplace
17-10-2004, 12:05
Notquiteaplace
UN classification: Capitalist Paradise
Civil Rights:Good
Political Freedoms: Good
Economy: Frightening
Present Political System: Democracy
Present Economic System: Mixed Economy
Main Industries: Gambling, Automobile Manufacturing, Uranium Mining
Population: 1,380,000,000 at time of writing
Income tax: 100%
Capital: Notquiteaplace City
Location: Mineral Archipelago, a set of Islands located East of North America, stretching from the Arctic (Irondin) to the Tropics (Southern Notquiteaplace just extends into the tropics)
Climate: Sub tropical/tropical
National Hoildays: Mineral Archipelago week once every decade some time in June, (a regional festival in which cultures of the various MA nations are celebrated)
New years day
Otherwise people are given 6 weeks paid vacation in their job minimum, a high amount (comparitively) and given lots of freedom to take it. A lot of people have Christmas and Easter off as well as a week in the Summer school holidays, but this system allowed everyone to holiday when they want more.
Interesting Facts:
Notquiteaplace is spread Accross six Islands of about 400-125Km Length Primus is the site of the capital, and is the largest, while secondus, is the smallest and most Southerly, it is the tourist destination and is very warm, but also very wet. Due to the nature of the nation, most people own a boat before a second car.
There are dozens of small, mostly uninhabited Islands, these often have holiday cottages as escapes, or campsites which are active during the holidays and weekends. Or in one case luxury hotel and casino, and in another a large tower block with a penthouse suite, a small forest and nothing else!
Present President Kirsty Cox has been in power two terms, her second has seen large economic change in the tax and welfare system of the nation. She actually studied Psychology at university and does her job instinctively.
Notquiteaplace citizens can almost all fish swim and pilot a boat. Or at least row.
Nudity is legal though streaking is illegal, as it constitutes disrupting the sport.
Drugs are legal but not consumed in large quantities.
There is no death penatly.
Elections campaigns are given a set fund per party and this is paid for by the government. All parties have the same budget.
Protesting is legal, but the government doesnt always pay any attention.
History:(Earth III)
(as below but the various islands were united during the 19th century by the conservative party, it occupies the entire antilles bar Haiti and Cuba)
Non Earth III:
In 800BC a series of slave driven Polis or city states warred accross the Islands. They never grew, as slaves provided little incentive for growth and simply fought amonst eachother for goods and slaves so they could enjoy games and feasts as well as more wars. The citizens lived well, and were well educated and invented many modern ideas. Notquiteaplace was the dominant power for 300 years, until one day a tribe from Irondin arrived.
This tribe are little known, but they were intellegent and democratic in the truest of senses. They arrived and despite having poorly trained troops and only a few more than the city could muster, they stole slaves. Or more, offered them instant brotherhood as free equals. The slaves defected in their masses and the civilians were forced to surrended. By allowing everyone freedom and equality, and adsorbing the knowledge of the merchants the Notquiteaplace tribe quiclly adsorbed the other cities on its Island and was soon too large to touch.
Currency was developed by 200Bc and technology flew foward. Boys were chosen at 13 by a master for the career which suited them, scholars, traders, labourers, were all honoured equally. the tribe bore an early form of communism. As technology grew farming techniques improved and luxuries and other less necessary things could develope. Currency allowed traders to distribute this and suddenly the tribe became a free market. The ruler still elected democratically. By 300AD aqueducts, heating, roads and simple armour all existed and were mastered. Agriculture was advanced and due to the island nature of the land, seafaring was studied hard for fishing.
The other Islands grew jealous of the Notquiteaplace people and began a series of wars, but the healthier, better equipped and better disciplined and more numerous people won, despite the lack of war experience the Notquiteaplace warriors had the advantage. The nation stood intact and for a while ruled all six islands.
However in the year 1034 Ad a great storm destroyed 90% of all the boats and sailors of the nation and they were separated.
Over the next thirty years the nations grew apart, rediscovering eachother and finding that they had each learnt something new and changed. Secondarius had farm crop rotation perfected. Primarius had mighty architecture, Tertatarius had the strongest warriors having learnt much in skirmishes with Irondin people and armour desings. But Hexarius was the one who had found mining and better Iron usage. Together they withstood the the wars of other nations and grew strong.
By 1700 AD notquiteaplace began an industrial revolution, its economy grew, but the revolution was slower and less harmful to the people than other nations, It ended in 1890. The nation had changed, drugs had become the new poison of the people and the government had grown to accomodate its new economy.
The government recognised the threat of the rising drug culture and by 1912 began a research program.On finding the hazards it outlawed even alcohol, but mass protest brought this to an end. An new way was needed. Notquiteaplace began educating its people to the hazards of various substances and to this day has no drug laws. Companies may have policies in work and school, but notquiteaplace rapidly became one of the few nations in the world where ingested cannibis is seen as preferable to alcohol.
In 2004 AD there was a small civil war caused entirely by the evil genius of general Danne. He brainwashed significant forces over time and at the turning of the population past 1 billion made his coup. He nearly suceeded but the intervention of Borman and Easy Green saved the nation and with minimal collateral damage, barring the roads of the capital which needed years of repairs where tanks has driven through them. Kirsty Cox won her third election hy a landslide two years later.
The Notquiteaplace mindset:
Notquiteaplace people are infact failry rude and selfish as individuals, there is no hiding from this. However this self interest has a different angle to most others. Notquiteaplace people see their best opportunity to suceed through cooperation and trade and therefore can be quite helpful. Notquiteaplace values all people equally and provided they dont cause trouble anyone is welcome. Other nations are treated simularly. Notquiteaplace people however may not be concerned with attacking others, but to further avoid wars, are a very defence concerned race. Notquiteaplace is dotted with SAM sites and every citizen is vaccinated against a whole host of weapons. Profits from export of weapons and research (which are minimal) are plowed back into welfare.
Defence:
Notquiteaplace maintains a powerful, elite and well trained army. However it is rarely used and its main purpose is to make attacking the nation too difficult to be worthwhile. It is highly mobile and well equipped. The navy is huge as befits a nation spread accross several islands and experienced in dealing with well armed pirates. The airforce is also highly potent. Defence spending is a steady 8% of GDP which seems to allow a powerful military, but doesnt quite dampen the economy. Notquiteaplace economists stae that raising it would have detrimental effects on the economy, but the present rate has been sustainable thus far. All of Notquiteaplace's weapons are manufactured by the government owned NQP arms co. All military hardware is designed by said company also. The ships however are contracted to private sector comapnies as they have plenty of boat building expertise. Approximately 2.5 million people are involved in the defence of Notquiteaplace of which over 1 million are officially logistics.
The notquiteaplace army has also been overhauled and now powered armour is standard infantry equipment allowing for almost total bullet protection (weak points at the eyes and joints) at minimal cost to mobility, even if at a much greater expense. Combined with the slower, larger more powerful and much better armoured battlesuits which provide support and shock troop roles, the army is now a lot more compact, slightly more combat effective overall but the significant improvement in individual combat prowess is mostly offset by smaller numbers. However notquiteaplace's infantry now presents a challenge to all but the best equipped enemy.
The Notquiteaplace economy now:
In these days the Notquiteaplace economy has grown exponentiallu under its present government, however it was at a cost. By her second term Ms Cox recognised the hazards of economic power and saw many poor barely able to live. Income tax was high but most money went into business.
A new system has been invisioned, a bold risk that has paid off. All people are taxed heavily, education is government subsidised but not private and the benifit system uses perhps the most complicated formulae in the world. The new system pays all people in the nation the amount they need to live, pay for housing, school for children and food and still have a handfull of luxiries. However, how much an individual works then affects what they get. Working more hours earns the person more benifits. This is in addition to the amount of money they keep after tax. Someone working a full week, even on a poorly paid job, like a store clerk, would still be able to afford a new car, or maybe to live in a nice area instead, or could invest in some shares to boost their long term earnings.
This gives people the incentive to work harder, removes the problems of no minimum wage, without negating the benifits and somehow seems not to dampen the economy. Investment and returns on it are taxed very lightly, to encourage entrepreneurship, and due to the benifit system, anyone working full time could theoretically do so. Infact as other earnings are so punitively taxed, many people do infact do so. This sytem seems perhaps a little punitive, but everyone is fed and the economy manages to thrive. Multi million dollar executies may be many be reduced to milion dollar executivess, but they still remain rewarded.
Free trade is seen as the way foward in the world and Notquiteaplace is internationally competitive.
UN classification: Capitalist Paradise
Civil Rights:Good
Political Freedoms: Good
Economy: Frightening
Present Political System: Democracy
Present Economic System: Mixed Economy
Main Industries: Gambling, Automobile Manufacturing, Uranium Mining
Population: 1,380,000,000 at time of writing
Income tax: 100%
Capital: Notquiteaplace City
Location: Mineral Archipelago, a set of Islands located East of North America, stretching from the Arctic (Irondin) to the Tropics (Southern Notquiteaplace just extends into the tropics)
Climate: Sub tropical/tropical
National Hoildays: Mineral Archipelago week once every decade some time in June, (a regional festival in which cultures of the various MA nations are celebrated)
New years day
Otherwise people are given 6 weeks paid vacation in their job minimum, a high amount (comparitively) and given lots of freedom to take it. A lot of people have Christmas and Easter off as well as a week in the Summer school holidays, but this system allowed everyone to holiday when they want more.
Interesting Facts:
Notquiteaplace is spread Accross six Islands of about 400-125Km Length Primus is the site of the capital, and is the largest, while secondus, is the smallest and most Southerly, it is the tourist destination and is very warm, but also very wet. Due to the nature of the nation, most people own a boat before a second car.
There are dozens of small, mostly uninhabited Islands, these often have holiday cottages as escapes, or campsites which are active during the holidays and weekends. Or in one case luxury hotel and casino, and in another a large tower block with a penthouse suite, a small forest and nothing else!
Present President Kirsty Cox has been in power two terms, her second has seen large economic change in the tax and welfare system of the nation. She actually studied Psychology at university and does her job instinctively.
Notquiteaplace citizens can almost all fish swim and pilot a boat. Or at least row.
Nudity is legal though streaking is illegal, as it constitutes disrupting the sport.
Drugs are legal but not consumed in large quantities.
There is no death penatly.
Elections campaigns are given a set fund per party and this is paid for by the government. All parties have the same budget.
Protesting is legal, but the government doesnt always pay any attention.
History:(Earth III)
(as below but the various islands were united during the 19th century by the conservative party, it occupies the entire antilles bar Haiti and Cuba)
Non Earth III:
In 800BC a series of slave driven Polis or city states warred accross the Islands. They never grew, as slaves provided little incentive for growth and simply fought amonst eachother for goods and slaves so they could enjoy games and feasts as well as more wars. The citizens lived well, and were well educated and invented many modern ideas. Notquiteaplace was the dominant power for 300 years, until one day a tribe from Irondin arrived.
This tribe are little known, but they were intellegent and democratic in the truest of senses. They arrived and despite having poorly trained troops and only a few more than the city could muster, they stole slaves. Or more, offered them instant brotherhood as free equals. The slaves defected in their masses and the civilians were forced to surrended. By allowing everyone freedom and equality, and adsorbing the knowledge of the merchants the Notquiteaplace tribe quiclly adsorbed the other cities on its Island and was soon too large to touch.
Currency was developed by 200Bc and technology flew foward. Boys were chosen at 13 by a master for the career which suited them, scholars, traders, labourers, were all honoured equally. the tribe bore an early form of communism. As technology grew farming techniques improved and luxuries and other less necessary things could develope. Currency allowed traders to distribute this and suddenly the tribe became a free market. The ruler still elected democratically. By 300AD aqueducts, heating, roads and simple armour all existed and were mastered. Agriculture was advanced and due to the island nature of the land, seafaring was studied hard for fishing.
The other Islands grew jealous of the Notquiteaplace people and began a series of wars, but the healthier, better equipped and better disciplined and more numerous people won, despite the lack of war experience the Notquiteaplace warriors had the advantage. The nation stood intact and for a while ruled all six islands.
However in the year 1034 Ad a great storm destroyed 90% of all the boats and sailors of the nation and they were separated.
Over the next thirty years the nations grew apart, rediscovering eachother and finding that they had each learnt something new and changed. Secondarius had farm crop rotation perfected. Primarius had mighty architecture, Tertatarius had the strongest warriors having learnt much in skirmishes with Irondin people and armour desings. But Hexarius was the one who had found mining and better Iron usage. Together they withstood the the wars of other nations and grew strong.
By 1700 AD notquiteaplace began an industrial revolution, its economy grew, but the revolution was slower and less harmful to the people than other nations, It ended in 1890. The nation had changed, drugs had become the new poison of the people and the government had grown to accomodate its new economy.
The government recognised the threat of the rising drug culture and by 1912 began a research program.On finding the hazards it outlawed even alcohol, but mass protest brought this to an end. An new way was needed. Notquiteaplace began educating its people to the hazards of various substances and to this day has no drug laws. Companies may have policies in work and school, but notquiteaplace rapidly became one of the few nations in the world where ingested cannibis is seen as preferable to alcohol.
In 2004 AD there was a small civil war caused entirely by the evil genius of general Danne. He brainwashed significant forces over time and at the turning of the population past 1 billion made his coup. He nearly suceeded but the intervention of Borman and Easy Green saved the nation and with minimal collateral damage, barring the roads of the capital which needed years of repairs where tanks has driven through them. Kirsty Cox won her third election hy a landslide two years later.
The Notquiteaplace mindset:
Notquiteaplace people are infact failry rude and selfish as individuals, there is no hiding from this. However this self interest has a different angle to most others. Notquiteaplace people see their best opportunity to suceed through cooperation and trade and therefore can be quite helpful. Notquiteaplace values all people equally and provided they dont cause trouble anyone is welcome. Other nations are treated simularly. Notquiteaplace people however may not be concerned with attacking others, but to further avoid wars, are a very defence concerned race. Notquiteaplace is dotted with SAM sites and every citizen is vaccinated against a whole host of weapons. Profits from export of weapons and research (which are minimal) are plowed back into welfare.
Defence:
Notquiteaplace maintains a powerful, elite and well trained army. However it is rarely used and its main purpose is to make attacking the nation too difficult to be worthwhile. It is highly mobile and well equipped. The navy is huge as befits a nation spread accross several islands and experienced in dealing with well armed pirates. The airforce is also highly potent. Defence spending is a steady 8% of GDP which seems to allow a powerful military, but doesnt quite dampen the economy. Notquiteaplace economists stae that raising it would have detrimental effects on the economy, but the present rate has been sustainable thus far. All of Notquiteaplace's weapons are manufactured by the government owned NQP arms co. All military hardware is designed by said company also. The ships however are contracted to private sector comapnies as they have plenty of boat building expertise. Approximately 2.5 million people are involved in the defence of Notquiteaplace of which over 1 million are officially logistics.
The notquiteaplace army has also been overhauled and now powered armour is standard infantry equipment allowing for almost total bullet protection (weak points at the eyes and joints) at minimal cost to mobility, even if at a much greater expense. Combined with the slower, larger more powerful and much better armoured battlesuits which provide support and shock troop roles, the army is now a lot more compact, slightly more combat effective overall but the significant improvement in individual combat prowess is mostly offset by smaller numbers. However notquiteaplace's infantry now presents a challenge to all but the best equipped enemy.
The Notquiteaplace economy now:
In these days the Notquiteaplace economy has grown exponentiallu under its present government, however it was at a cost. By her second term Ms Cox recognised the hazards of economic power and saw many poor barely able to live. Income tax was high but most money went into business.
A new system has been invisioned, a bold risk that has paid off. All people are taxed heavily, education is government subsidised but not private and the benifit system uses perhps the most complicated formulae in the world. The new system pays all people in the nation the amount they need to live, pay for housing, school for children and food and still have a handfull of luxiries. However, how much an individual works then affects what they get. Working more hours earns the person more benifits. This is in addition to the amount of money they keep after tax. Someone working a full week, even on a poorly paid job, like a store clerk, would still be able to afford a new car, or maybe to live in a nice area instead, or could invest in some shares to boost their long term earnings.
This gives people the incentive to work harder, removes the problems of no minimum wage, without negating the benifits and somehow seems not to dampen the economy. Investment and returns on it are taxed very lightly, to encourage entrepreneurship, and due to the benifit system, anyone working full time could theoretically do so. Infact as other earnings are so punitively taxed, many people do infact do so. This sytem seems perhaps a little punitive, but everyone is fed and the economy manages to thrive. Multi million dollar executies may be many be reduced to milion dollar executivess, but they still remain rewarded.
Free trade is seen as the way foward in the world and Notquiteaplace is internationally competitive.