A Response to the Comments

Day 671, 09:43 • Published in Australia USA • by Chris Stanwick

In my earlier article, I explained the duties of Congress members in regards to game mechanics. However, in doing so, I did not explain my own opinions regarding those duties and how they apply to Australia, as several have commented upon. I will rectify that to an extent, as well as comment on a few of the discussions that occurred over the weekend on the forum.

The Western Australia Situation: Aus-Indo Relations

I understand the contention that Indonesia's occupation of Western Australia causes in most Australian citizens. No one wants to see any region of their nation occupied by another, especially not one as rich in resources as WA. However, it is infeasible to assume that Australia could forcibly retake WA from Indonesia. Firstly, they outnumber Australians 5 to 1. Secondly, they have a stronger, better organized military that currently is not being utilized directly in the battles of the current world war. If Australia attempted to retake WA, either through a formal declaration of war or a resistance war, the full might of Indonesia would be turned against us. Therefore, I cannot support such an action and stand by the government's decision not to act on the recent suggestions.

Prime Ministerial Line of Succession: Forum Debate

Being the President of a New World nation can be very demanding. At times, the incumbent will need to take a short breather over a weekend to recover from the stress of the office. This occurred this past weekend, with Prime Minister Melchizedek Smith taking a brief period offline. Nothing urgent occurred during this period that warranted the PM's immediate attention or that could not be easily handled by the Cabinet Ministers, however, before a full day was complete, there were no less than three discussions on the forum regarding his absence and who would replace him. Unless a nation is at war, there really is no reason to worry about a president's absence unless it continues past 72 hours. Past that point, there is already a system in place in-game to replace the president - impeachment. This might not be a favored method, but if president becomes inactive, it is necessary for continuity. Only a player who in-game is considered president can fulfill the functions and duties of the office. Deputy Prime Ministers and temporary replacements do not have the powers of the office and can therefore not fulfill the duties. Follow the game mechanics rather than inventing lines of succession that hold no meaning in-game.

Free Trade vs. Protectionism: Import Taxes

I have always been a staunch believer in free trade throughout the New World. Several nations have absurdly high minimum wages that effectively destroy their companies' ability to compete internationally, resulting in a forced protectionist economy that cannot always supply all the goods needed for a nation to prosper. Minimum wage in every nation should remain 1 unit, with low import taxes (preferably under 10😵 set to encourage foreign competition. Governments should do what is best for their citizens by allowing low priced goods into the local market. Domestic companies will simply need to learn how to manage their affairs to compete.

Q5 Hospital Placement: Infrastructure

There are currently two Q5 hospitals in Australia - in New South Wales and in Victoria. With a population as small as ours, we do not need another Q5 hospital. Citizens living in the other four regions should be encouraged to move to New South Wales or Victoria rather than spending extra gold for a few players' benefit. I will vote against the placement of any further hospitals in Australia - use the gold for other projects.

Tanking vs. Weapon Distribution: Military Organization

There is much debate regarding how the world's militaries should operate, either through tanking or through equal weapon distribution. Tanking is an incredibly expensive system of fighting that produces a lot of damage, but at a much higher cost than slowly building up the damage capabilities of the entire nation. Australia is a neutral nation, which means that we have time to build up the entire military's damage capability, rather than that of just a few soldiers. The military should donate Q1 weapons during each war game battle to every soldier, no matter their strength level. Over time, Australia will become a powerhouse of damage production, able to inflict large amounts per player, rather than relying on the handful of tanks the government can support.

Transparency: Congressional Votes

As the only votes that truly matter are those done in-game, Congressional transparency should extend to those alone. I am a great believer in government transparency - the citizens should know how their Congress members and President vote and why. Since voting is anonymous in-game, it is the responsibility of each individual Congress member to report on their own votes. I personally prefer using the wiki for this, and use my own record as an example. Because I display my voting record publicly, I can be held accountable for every vote I make. Accountability keeps Congress members honest.
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Not every issue I have discussed here requires voting in-game, however, they are some of the most important issues facing Australia today and need to be addressed. I play according to game mechanics and will not propose any legislation on the forum that cannot be voted upon in-game. I promise to maintain my voting record after each vote for all citizens to see. I will consider each proposal seriously before voting, weighing the pros and cons of each decision. Every decision and vote I make will be in the best interest of the citizens of Australia. Remember to vote for Chris Stanwick in Tasmania on 25th September!