NationStates Jolt Archive

A tall, medium built, and distinguished gentleman slowly approached a stone podium, as several dozen reporters from newspapers, internet news-sites, and television stations were assembled. Excitement surged throughout the crowd as each person present knew deep inside that something vital always occurs whenever the gentleman gives his speech at the podium.

People began murmuring quietly amongst themselves, asking subdued questions and adding their own speculation on what the gentleman would announce, as every time these podium announcements are made, history is created or altered.

The man finally arrives at the podium, and raises both of his hands. The entire audience abruptly became quiet, as if a switch was thrown and all sound was simply turned off. The father-like man began speaking in a gentle, yet firm voice.

"Greetings and salutations to all.

I have several issues that needs to be brought up, and announcements to make. This will significantly impact Sharina's future, as these issues will have a profound impact in our lifetimes.

First of all, based off intelligence gathered from several captured terrorists, spies, and sabtoeurs, it has became apparent that our neighbors of Uruguay, Guyana, and Paraguay have nothing but ill intent and has a overwhelming desire to harm us. These three countries want to tear us down to their own level, because their technology, economy, and industry are sorely lacking.

They believe that if they tear us down, then they will gain some kind of boost, elevating themselves from a third or fourth world nation to a first class nation. They believe that by attacking our people, factories, schools, and attempting to undermine our industries, they would succeed.

They are wrong.

This brings us to my second issue. Several documents were found that reveal their plans for invasion, assasinations, and biological attacks upon hospital sectors in our major cities. They think that by utilizing underhanded tactics to sow confusion and terror would make their invasion of our provinces of Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil much easier.

I ask you. Shall we allow that?"

A thunderous roar erupted from the crowd, speaking one word, with one unified voice.

"NO!"

The man nodded before raising his hands and continuing.

"Excellent. This brings us to issue three.

After some serious debate and strategizing, I have decided on a course of action that will do several things at once. We shall take over these three rogue nations. This shall be known as Operation Rainforest.

First, their government and military will be destroyed. They will become toothless and claw-less dogs.

Second, we will indoctrinate the misguided people of these nations into our way of life and beliefs. This will remove their rebellious tendencies, as they will begin to realize that our way is the best way. They will no longer desire to cling to outdated and out-classed ways of life and thought.

Third, millions of our people will be given the opporunity to settle in these lands. This will further secure our position and tighten our control over these rogue states.

Fourth, eventually these nations will become true Sharina provinces as the old Uruguay, Guyana, and Paraguay cultural and national identities will be essentially erased and overwitten by our proud Sharina history, identity, and traditions."

Shouts of approval surged through the assembled crowd. The man had to raise his hands a third time to silence the crowd before continuing.

"As of now, a state of war exists between Sharina and the nations of Guyana, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

I have ordered a Blitzkrieg attack, this past midnight. This was done so to increase enemy casaulties, maintain the element of surprise, and reduce our own casaulties. Our troops have been trained extensively in jungle and night-time warfare, utilizing the best technologies that our engineers and technicians have developed.

From intelligence reports, these three nations can only mount a token defense, as our military has training, size, and equipment several orders of magnitude better than theirs.

Hopefully these campaigns will be over within a month or more, as we completely destroy their defensive and offensive capacities.

Suffice it to say, these third world countries would several divine miracles to defend aganist 2 million combat ready troops per targeted nation, for a total of 6 million troops.

I, President Rand Veristek, simply have this to say."

He closed his eyes, then inhaled deeply. He began building up pressure in his lungs, and slowly opened his eyes. He released the stored air in his lungs as he spoke one sentence.

"VICTORY WILL BE OURS!"

The crowd cheered as President Rand Veristek walked off the stage.

"Let me make myself clear, the invasion of Uruguay will not stand. Indeed I am ordering the rapid response airborne forces to be ready for deployment should Roger and I decide intervention is necessary..."


Czarina Alice Fabus

A woman looked straight at a camera, as she sat behind an obisidian table with the Sharina national symbol emblazoned across the front of the table. She began speaking in a friendly, yet professional tone.

"Greetings and salutations, all.

I am Kasina Lusvan, reporting on today's top stories for the Sharina InterEarth Information Network, or SIEIN.

Today's exclusive story is the ongoing Operation Rainforest in South America.

Our troops have easily occupied and annexed the nation of Guyana, as it only had an estimated 700,000 people living in it. Our 2 million man strong Task Force C has overrun the small nation, and are already pressing their way into Venezuela.

Relief forces, medical personnel, technicians, and colonists have begun streaming into Guyana, providing it with much needed technology, healthcare, and intelligence quotients to make it a full province of Sharina. Many native Guyanans have died from either the short massacre of its government and military, or from diseases brought by Sharina military and civilian personnel. Deaths are estimated to be 140,000 native Guyanans, which reduces Guyana's population by nearly 1/5.

Our military has suffered 82 deaths. A considerable number of these deaths stemmed from storming small fortified positions in Georgetown, Bartica, and Parika. These three cities were Guyana's only major strongholds, along with major centers of government. Several other deaths were the result of suicidal Guyanans attacking supply and colonist convoys with crude grenades.

With the fall of Guyana, our forces are poised to attack Venezeula, adding its considerable land and resources to the holdings of our Technocracy.

Our military analysts have determined that Venezeula will put up more of a fight than Guyana, as its active military is estimated to be around a million. However, their military is poorly equipped, with weaponary and technologies over 30 years out of date. In addition, their military training doesn't even come close to Sharina's standard conscript training, as Venezuela apparently only spends 555 million Sharina Diamonds, or 1 billion US Dollars annually, compared to our 2.6 trillion Diamond or 4.7 trillion US Dollars military budget.

The analysts expect that Venezeula will fall to our forces within a month and half, as we will have to cover considerable dense jungle terrain while securing already occupied lands to bring them up to our living standards.

On our second front, our operations aganist the rogue terrorist nation of Paraguay have proven just as successful. Our 2 million man strong Task Force B has steamrolled through Paraguay, inflicting considerable casaulties to the poorly equipped and trained medium sized enemy military.

The heaviest resistance has occured in the cities of Villarrica, Villeta, San Pedro, and the capital city of Asuncion. Most of Paraguay's government and military retreated to these areas during our initial Midnight Blitzkrieg. Our forces are combing the jungle-side for secret caves, hideouts, or bases of operations of terrorists, gurriellas, and hardcore loyalists.

Half the personnel of Task Force B is going to remain in Paraguay to cleanse resistance, and begin full process of annexation. The other half is returning to Brazil, in preparations to either aid Task Force C in Venezeula, or re-integrate into our main Defense Military.

However, there have been some problems in Uruguay. Our 2 million man Task Force A has ecountered more stiff resistance than expected, as it appears that the Uruguay military has been employing weapons and material that they wouldn't have been normally capable of producing themselves.

There has been some speculation that outside nations are supplying Uruguay with weapons and material. Despite this, it is expected that our 2 million man strong Task Force A will eventually roll back Uruguay's 400,000 man military within a few days.

Unlike in Guyana and Paraguay, Uruguay employs much more modern fortifications and much closer to modern times technology than the backwards Guyana and Paraguay people.

We will bring you more news as it develops in the ongoing Operation Rainforest.

Stay tuned for these messages for more news. When we return, a large pile-up on Skyway 10 in Los Angeles in Sharina Alpha."

(Cuts to commercials)

================================
OOC:

Sharina Alpha = Earth V.

President Rand Veristek rubbed his temples as he read the message from Czarina Fabus. He sighed as he settled into his plush chair, facing a maghony desk, with several apparel on it, including a flat-screen display.

He took a sip of green tea, Sharina's most popular drink, before activating his new voice recongition software. He began speaking into the small microphone and text began appearing on the computer screen display. After an indeterminate period of time, Rand nodded and input the string of commands to transmit his message to the leaders of the Mississippian Federation.

==================================
Message to Mississippian Federation:

"Greetings, Czar Roger Fabus and Czarina Alice Fabus.

Why are you concerned about Uruguay? It is quite far from your sphere of influence.

Uruguay is a backwards country that has insigated terrorist attacks aganist my people. I am enclosing several documents and footage as proof of their intentions. They also have planned military action aganist Sharina civilian sea vessels operating off the coast of Brazil.

That country only wants to tear Sharina down, as they are jealous of our living standards.

Once I am finished annexing Uruguay, their people will be given the opporunity to see how Sharina is much better than their corrupt and terrorist government. The people of Uruguay will realize that living under Sharina rule would give immense boosts in economy, health, and education that their old government saw fit to deny them.

So again, I would like to ask you why Mississippi is so interested in Uruguay that you would consider sending military forces."

~President Rand Veristek.

President Rand Veristek rubbed his temples as he read the message from Czarina Fabus. He sighed as he settled into his plush chair, facing a maghony desk, with several apparel on it, including a flat-screen display.

He took a sip of green tea, Sharina's most popular drink, before activating his new voice recongition software. He began speaking into the small microphone and text began appearing on the computer screen display. After an indeterminate period of time, Rand nodded and input the string of commands to transmit his message to the leaders of the Mississippian Federation.

==================================
Message to Mississippian Federation:

"Greetings, Czar Roger Fabus and Czarina Alice Fabus.

Why are you concerned about Uruguay? It is quite far from your sphere of influence.

Uruguay is a backwards country that has insigated terrorist attacks aganist my people. I am enclosing several documents and footage as proof of their intentions. They also have planned military action aganist Sharina civilian sea vessels operating off the coast of Brazil.

That country only wants to tear Sharina down, as they are jealous of our living standards.

Once I am finished annexing Uruguay, their people will be given the opporunity to see how Sharina is much better than their corrupt and terrorist government. The people of Uruguay will realize that living under Sharina rule would give immense boosts in economy, health, and education that their old government saw fit to deny them.

So again, I would like to ask you why Mississippi is so interested in Uruguay that you would consider sending military forces."

~President Rand Veristek.


"Firstly, we don't believe you that Uruguay has done anything to harm you. We've seen firsthand how governments can perpetrate terror attacks against their own people. Secondly, we have distant relations with Uruguay. And lastly, the people of Uruguay did not ask for your left-wing soviet system to be brought to them, nor do they want it."


Czarina Alice Fabus

"Firstly, we don't believe you that Uruguay has done anything to harm you. We've seen firsthand how governments can perpetrate terror attacks against their own people. Secondly, we have distant relations with Uruguay. And lastly, the people of Uruguay did not ask for your left-wing soviet system to be brought to them, nor do they want it."


Czarina Alice Fabus

Rand read the latest response from the Czarina and sighed.

Why is it so difficult to understand?

Rand began producing an response, and within half an hour, it was sent to the Fabuses.

==========================
Communication to Czarina Alice Fabus:

"Czarina Alice Fabus, I must address your points.

First, what leads you to believe that Sharina perpetuated terrorist attacks aganist its own people?

Second, if you are concerned about your distant relatives in Uruguay, I understand. They will not be harmed, or treated badly. You can still contact them, and all their property and holdings will not be touched. For all intents and purposes, they will live as they have been, with a few differences, mostly in better living standards and greatly enhanced infrastructure.

Third, Uruguay has low living standards compared to us. I am certain that the Uruguay people will enjoy high speed internet, pure drinking water, first class hospitals, excellent education systems, and many other things several orders of magnitude greater than what they already have. All of this shall take place once Sharina builds world class infrastructure in Uruguay.

It is in human nature to seek better things, and the people of Uruguay will be able to do so under Sharina rule."

~President Rand Veristek

Rand read the latest response from the Czarina and sighed.

Why is it so difficult to understand?

Rand began producing an response, and within half an hour, it was sent to the Fabuses.

==========================
Communication to Czarina Alice Fabus:

"Czarina Alice Fabus, I must address your points.

First, what leads you to believe that Sharina perpetuated terrorist attacks aganist its own people?

Second, if you are concerned about your distant relatives in Uruguay, I understand. They will not be harmed, or treated badly. You can still contact them, and all their property and holdings will not be touched. For all intents and purposes, they will live as they have been, with a few differences, mostly in better living standards and greatly enhanced infrastructure.

Third, Uruguay has low living standards compared to us. I am certain that the Uruguay people will enjoy high speed internet, pure drinking water, first class hospitals, excellent education systems, and many other things several orders of magnitude greater than what they already have. All of this shall take place once Sharina builds world class infrastructure in Uruguay.

It is in human nature to seek better things, and the people of Uruguay will be able to do so under Sharina rule."

~President Rand Veristek


"Nations of the world have a long history of staging attacks against themselves to gain excuses to go to war. As for the other matters you bring up, it matters not if you think Uruguay has a low standard of living compared to you, for that matter, Sharina has a low standard of living compared to Mississippi, shall we add you to our Commonwealth?"

Czarina Alice Fabus

"Nations of the world have a long history of staging attacks against themselves to gain excuses to go to war. As for the other matters you bring up, it matters not if you think Uruguay has a low standard of living compared to you, for that matter, Sharina has a low standard of living compared to Mississippi, shall we add you to our Commonwealth?"

Czarina Alice Fabus

Rand chuckled as he read Alice's response. He manipulated his keyboard to bring up information on the flatscreen display. Rand chuckled once again as the information scrolled across his screen.

Rand calmed down and began composing himself before beginning another message to the Fabus family.

==========================================
Communication to the Fabuses:

"I feel that I need to clarify a few things.

What about geniune terrorist attacks? Are you denying that there are actual terrorist attacks throughout history? I do admit that states do use false terrorist attacks, but on the other hand, non-invader sponsored terrorists do exist.


You say that Sharina has a lower living standard than the Mississippi Federation? Your declaration is false because the opposite is true, as strong evidence indicates. Sharina indeed does have equal or better living standards than Mississippi. Don't believe me? I shall run the evidence by you.

Technocracy of Sharina:

Gross Domestic Product: $33,884,458,853,279.62
GDP Per Capita: $36,911.18
Exchange Rate: 1 Diamond = $1.7882
Unemployment Rate: 3.09%

Healthcare: $4,068,936,896,351.04
Education: $8,816,029,942,093.92
Commerce: $4,747,093,045,742.88
Public Transport: $2,712,624,597,567.36


Mississippi Federation:

Gross Domestic Product: $22,948,614,155,884.96
GDP Per Capita: $18,462.28
Exchange Rate: 1 Dollar = $1.2647
Unemployment Rate: 10.39%

Commerce: $1,564,325,642,880.00
Public Transport: $1,787,800,734,720.00


As you can see, Sharina has nearly double your GDP per capita, $11 trillion more GDP total annually, and 7% less unemployment than Mississippi. In addition, we spend vast amounts of money on education, health care, commerce, and public transportation. These areas of Education, Health Care, Commerce, and Public Transportation combined would be near your entire GDP, not counting Sharina military Defense budgets, Law and Order, Social Welfare, and so forth.

This demostrates that Sharina indeed does have a higher living standard than Mississippi Federation in several areas. Yet, do I declare that Sharina will make Mississippi a part of Sharina? I have not, as Sharina does not have any interests or ambition in doing so. Your sphere of influence is in North America, while Sharina has interests in South America.

Uruguay only has approximately $7,000 GDP per capita, and they cannot afford many things essential for First World living standards under their current government. Once Sharina takes over, the Uruguay people will have access to First World living standards nationwide, and they will no longer have to suffer poverty, poor health, being illiterate, and so forth.

Sharina is bringing civilization and First World standards to the less fortunate.

~President Rand Veristek

Rand chuckled as he read Alice's response. He manipulated his keyboard to bring up information on the flatscreen display. Rand chuckled once again as the information scrolled across his screen.

Rand calmed down and began composing himself before beginning another message to the Fabus family.

==========================================
Communication to the Fabuses:

"I feel that I need to clarify a few things.

What about geniune terrorist attacks? Are you denying that there are actual terrorist attacks throughout history? I do admit that states do use false terrorist attacks, but on the other hand, non-invader sponsored terrorists do exist.


You say that Sharina has a lower living standard than the Mississippi Federation? Your declaration is false because the opposite is true, as strong evidence indicates. Sharina indeed does have equal or better living standards than Mississippi. Don't believe me? I shall run the evidence by you.

Technocracy of Sharina:

Gross Domestic Product: $33,884,458,853,279.62
GDP Per Capita: $36,911.18
Exchange Rate: 1 Diamond = $1.7882
Unemployment Rate: 3.09%

Healthcare: $4,068,936,896,351.04
Education: $8,816,029,942,093.92
Commerce: $4,747,093,045,742.88
Public Transport: $2,712,624,597,567.36


Mississippi Federation:

Gross Domestic Product: $22,948,614,155,884.96
GDP Per Capita: $18,462.28
Exchange Rate: 1 Dollar = $1.2647
Unemployment Rate: 10.39%

Commerce: $1,564,325,642,880.00
Public Transport: $1,787,800,734,720.00


As you can see, Sharina has nearly double your GDP per capita, $11 trillion more GDP total annually, and 7% less unemployment than Mississippi. In addition, we spend vast amounts of money on education, health care, commerce, and public transportation. These areas of Education, Health Care, Commerce, and Public Transportation combined would be near your entire GDP, not counting Sharina military Defense budgets, Law and Order, Social Welfare, and so forth.

This demostrates that Sharina indeed does have a higher living standard than Mississippi Federation in several areas. Yet, do I declare that Sharina will make Mississippi a part of Sharina? I have not, as Sharina does not have any interests or ambition in doing so. Your sphere of influence is in North America, while Sharina has interests in South America.

Uruguay only has approximately $7,000 GDP per capita, and they cannot afford many things essential for First World living standards under their current government. Once Sharina takes over, the Uruguay people will have access to First World living standards nationwide, and they will no longer have to suffer poverty, poor health, being illiterate, and so forth.

Sharina is bringing civilization and First World standards to the less fortunate.

~President Rand Veristek



Ooc- I already RPed what my economy is, it's listed in my factbook since I used RPs and other forms of calculations, I write-off most calculators as loony UN stuff. So I don't accept any of that stuff you cited as true, and will reply as such.

http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=389202

Ic-

Alice nearly laughed, they were using UN statistics to tell her, the Czarina of Mississippi, how things were in Mississippi.

She sent a letter back,

"Don't believe everything the UN tells you. They are well-known for flat-out lying. Our economic data is as follows.

Domestic (Mississippi) Economic Information:

Total Budget (as of May 2005): 47,000,000,000,000

Total Military Budget (as of May 2005) 18,400,000,000,000

Unemployment: 1.5%

GDP by Sector:

Industrial: 65%
Agricultural: 15%
Service: 20%

GDP Per Capita: $54,210 (As of May 2005) (Not counting the 40 most wealthiest individuals http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=385510)

GDP Per Capita: $17,814,080 (As of May 2005) (Counting the 40 most wealthiest individuals)

Gross Domestic Investment: 29.8%

Major Industries: Munitions, Oil Refining, Automobile Production, Steel Production, Chemical Production, Commodities Production, and other heavy i industry.

Population below the poverty line (Mississippi) 2.9%

Population below the poverty line (North American Commonwealth Territories) 3.5%

Population below the poverty line (African Commonwealth Territories) 35.5%



I hope that helps clear things up for you."

Czarina Alice Fabus

OOC:

I was under the assumption that NES economy was a good calc, since it gives a lot of info.

I just checked out the other calc, and it showed I had a 7 trillion defense budget, and I put in your stats like population and tax rate, and it showed a similiar budget, give or take a trillion dollars.

I just use calc's to gauge my strength compared to other nations (as I haven't RP'ed direct confrontation aganist other players yet other than the Hataria Mammalia incident a while ago).

I'm learning, so please bear with me. :)

OOC:

I was under the assumption that NES economy was a good calc, since it gives a lot of info. I apologize for the mix-up.



Ooc-

No need to be sorry, it's really a matter of personal opinion, but my rant about economic calculators was a good one, since I've always wondered why anarchies get better economics than Corporate Police States. The NES economic calculator is just biased, that's all there is to it.

I use this one for my economics and then just fill in the rest (the specifics of the budget, unemployment, etc) with stuff that goes along with my RPing style.

http://members.fortunecity.com/thracetailteann/html/gnp.html

Ooc-

No need to be sorry, it's really a matter of personal opinion, but my rant about economic calculators was a good one, since I've always wondered why anarchies get better economics than Corporate Police States. The NES economic calculator is just biased, that's all there is to it.

I use this one for my economics and then just fill in the rest (the specifics of the budget, unemployment, etc) with stuff that goes along with my RPing style.

http://members.fortunecity.com/thracetailteann/html/gnp.html

I'd like to discuss more about this in AIM, but I'm at my friend's and he doesn't have AIM installed on his computer. I'll try to AIM you when I get back.

I'm looking forward to this RP.

OOC:
Actually, looking at it, Decisive Action seems to have an inappropriate GDP, at least in part.
His calculations for the higher one include accumulated wealth for the wealthiest individuals. However, accumulated wealth is completely irrelevant for the purposes of GDP.

Gross domestic product, or GDP, measures the total income of a nation . . . GDP is the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time . . . people's accumulated wealth (in the forms of physical assets and financial assets) is not counted in GDP

Thus, the 40 wealthiest individuals have no effect on the GDP, because it is the value of goods and services produced. Unless they all spent their entire fortunes at once, they wouldn't be able to raise GDP like that.


The $54,000 GDP per capita is okay, but pushing it. Same goes with the military budget and army size. I'd say that DA has a tendency to push the absolute limits of what's accepted, occasionally going beyond them even.
The military budget, for example, which should be slaughtering his economy. One doesn't spend 20% of one's GDP on the military for an extended period and not suffer dire economic consequences. A lot of players will ignore you for such things.

That said, he's right about the calculators. I gave up on them after a bit myself. That $54,000 GDP per capita was probably gleamed from one of my own rants.
And thirdgeek is notoriously unreliable for a breakdown of government spending, even if it gives all those nice pretty numbers. All the others as well, have serious flaws. You're best off digging up some info and creating an economy profile from scratch.

OOC:
Actually, looking at it, Decisive Action seems to have an inappropriate GDP, at least in part.
His calculations for the higher one include accumulated wealth for the wealthiest individuals. However, accumulated wealth is completely irrelevant for the purposes of GDP.



Thus, the 40 wealthiest individuals have no effect on the GDP, because it is the value of goods and services produced. Unless they all spent their entire fortunes at once, they wouldn't be able to raise GDP like that.


The $54,000 GDP per capita is okay, but pushing it. Same goes with the military budget and army size. I'd say that DA has a tendency to push the absolute limits of what's accepted, occasionally going beyond them even.
The military budget, for example, which should be slaughtering his economy. One doesn't spend 20% of one's GDP on the military for an extended period and not suffer dire economic consequences. A lot of players will ignore you for such things.

That said, he's right about the calculators. I gave up on them after a bit myself. That $54,000 GDP per capita was probably gleamed from one of my own rants.
And thirdgeek is notoriously unreliable for a breakdown of government spending, even if it gives all those nice pretty numbers. All the others as well, have serious flaws. You're best off digging up some info and creating an economy profile from scratch.



Ooc-

I've been in numerous economics classes and am a student of economics/law. I know how economics works. In MS, we choose to record our GDP differently, to our own (my personal) standards, thus accumulated wealth is often included for my own purposes.

And we spend 40% on the armed forces, not 20%. 40% of a lot is a lot, but it still leaves 60% of a lot to spend on other things.

Besides, why do we need welfare, we have labor camps for those who refuse to work. :)

Ooc-

I've been in numerous economics classes and am a student of economics/law. I know how economics works. In MS, we choose to record our GDP differently, to our own (my personal) standards, thus accumulated wealth is often included for my own purposes.

And we spend 40% on the armed forces, not 20%. 40% of a lot is a lot, but it still leaves 60% of a lot to spend on other things.

Besides, why do we need welfare, we have labor camps for those who refuse to work. :)

Are you sure you are a student of economics? Because spending 40% of your GDP on the military doesn't work. You say you don't need welfare, but you have a 100% income tax. Guess what? That means that the government has to feed, house, and clothe everybody. In short, unemployment has no effect: even if everyone in your nation is working, they still need welfare. Jobs don't feed people, paychecks do.