Grandma's Already Dead *updated*
Day 840, 09:11
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Published in Canada 
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by
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by Jacobi
Update
You know, I'm going to admit an error in my figures, unfortunately.
It seems instead of double over the international average, we are merely 40-50% over the international average. Most countries pay about 0.003 gold per unit in grain whereas Canada has two companies at 0.0039 and a few more at 0.0041 and 0.0045. I will ignore that 21 of the 26 companies on the market today are indeed selling at triple the international average. After all, they are on their way to being shutdown or are already.
So maybe my work here is done? There are only 6 competitive grain companies left in Canada. In a country of maybe 2500 semi-active workers that equals to about 2.4% of the active worker population.
Yeah, sorry folks. Looks like the grain industry is already dead
The grain industry is a 90 year old patient in chronic and irreversible pain, kept alive on a life support generator and medication. Its best years are behind it, and all the future brings is inevitable death on the bed of some retirement home in agony. The only question is when. Will it be in the end of days with everything else at the beginning of V2? Or will it be sooner?
Unfortunately for the pain that the grain industry goes through every day it has a large number of family members (rea
"
But the grain industry is not a human being, and so the arguments of hysterical emotion, attacks of credibility and fudged numbers that we see every time this came up try to cover up the simple truth: There is no logical reason why the grain industry in Canada should exist.
When you look at the information put up by the proponents of the grain industry, you'll notice chicken little style gloom and doom with lots of predictions but precious few facts. And then statements that are completely erroneous like that 1/3rd the Canadian population is employed in Grain. They also have brought up that I own a food company. As an aside, funny how I was President of the country for 6 months and Congressman for four and yet I never ever tried to get preferential treatment for the food industry like what grain has. But even so, that company still exists as a favor to a couple friends who still play, if you look at the wellness levels of the people who work there and the amount of people who actually do, you'll know that this argument has nothing to do with me and everything to do with the facts.
Grain in Canada is three times more expensive than it is in Poland, double the international average, and thus could never hope to compete efficiently in a Canada with anything resembling free trade. As TaiwanPanda pointed out in Congress, some Polish companies at the moment could even compete in Canada with a 99% import tariff! Economic specialization is the key to Canada's future in a world where we are a much lower % of the total erepublik population. We have to work with our strengths and focus our efforts on being the best in the world in a few categories, not with a population of 6000 attempt to do everything at once. Grain is never going to be a strength for Canada in V1 because we are much better in wood and diamonds when it comes to competing internationally. If those industries didn't exist, we would be able to have a grain industry that could survive without a full body cast paid for by Canadians. They do exist though, and their existence means that we have to make a choice: either we continue to prop up the grain industry at the expense of everyone or we make the rational decision and cease subsidizing failure. I leave the grain industry with this: you are the only industry in Canada that could never make a profit unless the rest of us were subsidizing you 100%. Every Canadian citizen pays more than our international counterparts just for you. You need to tell us why you're so special that we need to keep doing it.
Finally, while I might have had pity on grain companies in November or June or in any of the other times that the issue of grain industry arose because of the "massive amount of gold invested." I don't feel that way anymore. V2 is at most a couple months away, and when it occurs every single grain company will cease to exist and regardless of whether its making a gold a day or mothballed, each and every one of those grain companies will be worth exactly the same in conversion. Yes, if you mothball your company because it cannot compete, you might be out of profit for the 6 or so weeks from now until Armageddon. But since that was profit you're making exclusively because of your preferential treatment, you will not see any tears shed from me.
Jacobi
Director of the Canadian Finance Department
You know, I'm going to admit an error in my figures, unfortunately.
It seems instead of double over the international average, we are merely 40-50% over the international average. Most countries pay about 0.003 gold per unit in grain whereas Canada has two companies at 0.0039 and a few more at 0.0041 and 0.0045. I will ignore that 21 of the 26 companies on the market today are indeed selling at triple the international average. After all, they are on their way to being shutdown or are already.
So maybe my work here is done? There are only 6 competitive grain companies left in Canada. In a country of maybe 2500 semi-active workers that equals to about 2.4% of the active worker population.
Yeah, sorry folks. Looks like the grain industry is already dead
The grain industry is a 90 year old patient in chronic and irreversible pain, kept alive on a life support generator and medication. Its best years are behind it, and all the future brings is inevitable death on the bed of some retirement home in agony. The only question is when. Will it be in the end of days with everything else at the beginning of V2? Or will it be sooner?
Unfortunately for the pain that the grain industry goes through every day it has a large number of family members (rea
😛grain industry owners) that fondly remember the days of profitability and can't let go of the past to see the present. When some doctor (read government) says from time to time that it might be time to pull the plug, the chorus of family members rings far and wide!
"
😉on't kill my grandma!"
But the grain industry is not a human being, and so the arguments of hysterical emotion, attacks of credibility and fudged numbers that we see every time this came up try to cover up the simple truth: There is no logical reason why the grain industry in Canada should exist.
When you look at the information put up by the proponents of the grain industry, you'll notice chicken little style gloom and doom with lots of predictions but precious few facts. And then statements that are completely erroneous like that 1/3rd the Canadian population is employed in Grain. They also have brought up that I own a food company. As an aside, funny how I was President of the country for 6 months and Congressman for four and yet I never ever tried to get preferential treatment for the food industry like what grain has. But even so, that company still exists as a favor to a couple friends who still play, if you look at the wellness levels of the people who work there and the amount of people who actually do, you'll know that this argument has nothing to do with me and everything to do with the facts.
Grain in Canada is three times more expensive than it is in Poland, double the international average, and thus could never hope to compete efficiently in a Canada with anything resembling free trade. As TaiwanPanda pointed out in Congress, some Polish companies at the moment could even compete in Canada with a 99% import tariff! Economic specialization is the key to Canada's future in a world where we are a much lower % of the total erepublik population. We have to work with our strengths and focus our efforts on being the best in the world in a few categories, not with a population of 6000 attempt to do everything at once. Grain is never going to be a strength for Canada in V1 because we are much better in wood and diamonds when it comes to competing internationally. If those industries didn't exist, we would be able to have a grain industry that could survive without a full body cast paid for by Canadians. They do exist though, and their existence means that we have to make a choice: either we continue to prop up the grain industry at the expense of everyone or we make the rational decision and cease subsidizing failure. I leave the grain industry with this: you are the only industry in Canada that could never make a profit unless the rest of us were subsidizing you 100%. Every Canadian citizen pays more than our international counterparts just for you. You need to tell us why you're so special that we need to keep doing it.
Finally, while I might have had pity on grain companies in November or June or in any of the other times that the issue of grain industry arose because of the "massive amount of gold invested." I don't feel that way anymore. V2 is at most a couple months away, and when it occurs every single grain company will cease to exist and regardless of whether its making a gold a day or mothballed, each and every one of those grain companies will be worth exactly the same in conversion. Yes, if you mothball your company because it cannot compete, you might be out of profit for the 6 or so weeks from now until Armageddon. But since that was profit you're making exclusively because of your preferential treatment, you will not see any tears shed from me.
Jacobi
Director of the Canadian Finance Department
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pole?
The funny thing is that last night I watched an episode of Weeds about the euthanasia of a grandmother. Not sure if she was involved in the grain industry though.
So what your saying: Kill the grain industry, who cares of the thousands of gold our citizens investet in this industry they are fools for investing in an industry that our government doesn't care about!
Now seriously your decission affects a lot of our citizens, could we at least show them the curousy of giving the grain industry a slow death? Kill it slowly so our citizens can recuperate some money from their business. Also may I remind you that in V2 we won't have wood, we won't have diamons. We will be left with oil and grain. GRAIN! Preparing for V2 by killing one of it's surviving industries from the start!
Fram, I'm not sure you should have commented. Perhaps you need to re-read.
Grain companies won't carry over to v2....they'll be liquidated like every other company into the exact same proportion of gold. The "thousands of gold" (again you really should literally read the article) that they invested will be converted back to gold regardless of whether or not a company is mothballed or fully operational or has 500 employees.
Wait... what? Companies don't cease to exist in v2.
That is, of course, unless you deliberately delete it at half price...
Expect wood to become stone, the same thing with a different name. Expect diamonds to become ... who knows, maybe titanium? Or maybe the admins will change their mind on getting rid of gifts... Expect grain to stay grain, and expect oil to stay oil.
The current strengths in the raw materials of Canada, for export, are diamonds and oil... but that's mostly because Poland has destroyed wood for everone else. These things change over time (oil and wood have shifted in relative value multiple times, iron has decreased in value dramatically). Presenting the numbers to potential investors is a better idea than descending to the emotional rhetoric used by the recalcitrant...
You will forgive me but many time I speak from the heart rather than from my brain. The so called "right" thing is not always the right thing to do, killing the iron industry was the thin entering wedge. With V2 so close should we be taking such drastic steps prior to seeing what is on the horizon and how it shakes out. Specializing our industry forcibly is a drastic step in my humble opinion but I guess big brother always knows best.
Same thing has happened in the US.
I mothballed my grain and food companies long ago-- there was no way to compete with companies that are shipping in 500 units every day from some other country.
Companies disappear, and salaries fall.
Welcome to the Great Depression.
Given the current state of the labour market in Land, and the labour market in general, I don't think there's much to be gained by shutting down a piece of it. Furthermore, I can't find any evidence that grain companies will be converted, as grain is still needed in V2 for food production.
What I do see in V2 is an increased demand in food. Since hospitals will no longer allow players to gain more wellness than is lost in battle, there should be increase in demand for high-quality food and grain.
The price of Canadian food is pretty competitive, so I see little benefit to the consumer should the grain industry be killed. Furthermore, to use your analogy, a cure for grandma may be right around the corner with the V2 release! It costs us little to keep the old bird alive, why pull the plug now?
Jacobi, what I learn in congress is: They do not want change
Too late
Jacobi this has got to be the stupidest thing you've ever written. Have you lost your mind? No logical reason for a grain industry in Canada? In the simplified reality of this game, the only determinant of importance to specialisation is high or medium, and we have high grain regions.
If you're concerned about competitiveness in the grain industry, or even the economy as a whole, why haven't you advocated devaluation of the currency? Strong export nations rely on favourable exchange rates to ensure wages are low and competitive, capital outflows are as small as possible, and products can be sold profitably here and abroad. We don't have a problem of a dying industry, we have a problem of too high a currency, and too high wages relative to foreign competitors. A Polish grain company has no inherent advantage over a Canadian one, they have a lower wage rate and a lower exchange rate to support them. Think Canadian companies can't do just as well in their position?
Using the logic of specialisation, we shouldn't have any manufacturing or construction in eCanada, they can be imported from abroad for cheaper thanks to lower price/wage/currency rates in foreign markets, should we kill these domestic industries, as well? Even wood, oil, and diamonds, there are other places with cheaper such products available, so just how commited are you to specialisation? If you really want us to specialise, then we have to do it for real. Pick one industry in each segment, everything else is a waste and needs to be killed. If you want to do it for real, do it properly.
I urge Parliament to disregard this notion entirely. Jacobi, if you want to offer a serious proposal, how about a proposal that will help the entire economy, including manufacturing and construction? And how about ditching the histionics while you're at it? Killing grandma? Seriously?
Cheers,
AR1ARX
Where if any where does it state ALL COMPANIES WILL BE LIQUIDATED INTO GOLD?
If this were true then ppl would be buying up any company on the market under its creation price in order to make money on the liquidation.
I'm undecided on this matter, I'd like to see more discussion. However, I feel I have to cherry-pick a shot here.
"Grain is never going to be a strength for Canada in V1 because we are much better in wood and diamonds when it comes to competing internationally. If those industries didn't exist, we would be able to have a grain industry that could survive without a full body cast paid for by Canadians."
Wood and Diamonds WON'T exist in V2, and we have no guarantees in regard to how the new resources of Stone and Titanium will be distributed. If we kill Grain now, we may be left with just Oil as a healthy industry at the start of V2.
Re: propping up grain companies, yeah we are in a sense since they pay only 6% income tax vs 11% for more other industries. However import tax is at 99%, a price which as you said yourself, foreign companies seem to be willing to pay. By slashing import taxes, we'd be cutting a source of income.
It seems around 1/12 to 1/10 Canadians work for grain companies, mostly young players. It's not huge but it's not nothing either. If they lose their jobs, it would cause more competition for jobs, reduced wages and a reduced currency**. This would make imported iron harder to afford and partly counter attact this attempt at getting cheap grain.
It is true though that our food and grain is more expensive than in most other countries, but such is the case for just about everything but diamonds.
I can see how it would make sense IRL but how would specialization be good from a game mechanics perspective?
**We can't even agree if a lower currency is good or not. Funnily enough, those who support a high currency seem to support killing the grain industry and some of those who don't (AR1AR😵 support a low currency.
brbkillingjacobisgrandma
i think ima go with glados on this one
pity though, i was starting to think you'd joined me in 2 clicking. sadly it seems your still at it, trying to portray yourself as some brilliant reformer. unfortunate that chucky's allowed you to taint his presidency...
Chucky wants a baby boom and has a plan. I'd hate to see the grain industry killed and jobs dried up when the babies get here.
Also, I believe that grain will survive in v2, says so right in the admin reports, why kill Grandma Grain? Grandma Wood and Grandma Diamonds in the lock down floor of the nursing home merit more consideration.
🙁
"One more addition: the “dissolve company” button. This button instantly and completely "deletes" your company. Of course, it also refunds you, according to the currently existing rule (you'll get half of your invested GOLD back)."
That was back a week ago in their "😢New Economic Module) Customization Points" Insider article
"Along with these new and enhanced products, there will be a change in the raw materials used to produce them.
- Grain is used for food;"
"1. Food has two product components: ingredients and packaging."
"Yes, some industries are gone. We assure you that you don't need to worry for your business in gift/diamonds/wood industry. You will not lose your investment, it will be converted."
Notice that they say, ingrediants, not grain, which is a notable specification. Converted to my knowledge has not been specified yet, though they say it will be covered in a future article, which hasn't happened yet. This was from "[New Economic Module] Products" Insider article 19 days ago.
Je n'ai pas d'objection à augmenter l'impôt des travailleurs du grain de 6% à 11% comme pour le bois, les diamants et le pétrole. L'industrie du grain ne mérite pas de privilège particulier.
Par contre, je suis absolument contre que le gouvernement du eCanada tue l'industrie du grain. Laissez le libre marché s'occuper du sort de l'industrie du grain. Il ne faut pas que le eCanada devienne un échec lamentable de la doctrine communiste comme l'ex URSS...
In the very near future, before v2 comes along, the new mechanic the only allows players to regain the wellness lost in battles at the hospital will be integrated into the game. Food, especially high Q food, will be more important than ever.
Grain is still an RM in v2. Yes, there are CPs involved in the manufacture of food, but the Raw Material is still essential.
We need to discourage the purchase of NEW grain companies until we see what happens to the market after the healing adjustment, and/or v2. In the meantime we can only hope some grain businesses will fail - that's the process of natural selection, isn't it? I know I don't want to fight and scratch to make mine work so I'm letting it lie fallow until v2.
"And then statements that are completely erroneous like that 1/3rd the Canadian population is employed in Grain."
Yeah, I suppose you are commenting on my article and fair is fair. However, I said that 33% of the Canadian population was employed in the LAND industry. In fact, of the 7203 working Canadians, 2868 are employed in the land industry. That is actually just about 40%.
Source: http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/canada-stats-top-medals-1241177/1/20" target="_blank">http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/cana[..]1/20
What is the REAL motive for killing off any industry? To make things more profitable for competing business owners? That can really be the only reason, and thus your reason. Otherwise, the market would have corrected itself like the free market economy does. Truth be told, there are quite a few profitable grain companies in Canada. That's why we still 'exist'. And why the basis of your article is a lie, IMHO. Ask Petz. Ask Citizen B. - We run profitable grain companies.
And if and when v2 does roll around - no one knows for sure what will happen to grain and other companies. Will the be transformed into a new industry? Will one be given the choice of which industry to change your company to? Jacobi doesn't know, because the Admins aren't telling. We would rather ride it out. And if in fact, grain is still around; v2 will make its own correction, by allowing anyone that wants to get out to trade their company in for gold. I for one, will keep on profitably selling grain if I can.
Citizen B, A proud Canadian Grain Company Owner employing ten hard-working Canadian citizens.
I have to question the wisdom of PM Chucky Norris placing Jacobi as head of the Finance Department. This is bad economics, bad public policy, and bad gameplay strategy.
Does anyone know if this is just Jacobi talking nonsense on his own, or was this approved and/or sanctioned by Chucky Norris prior to the proposal being tabled?
Cheers,
AR1ARX
I am glad that people have brought up the new economic module. We all know...this is the one where the re-distribution of high regions will be had posibly? Will canada have a high "Titanium" region? Will we have a high "Stone" region? I KNOW we'll have our high grain regions, and I'm guessing the high oil region will be maintained.
Why would you mess with the one sector that will probably survive the transition to V2 without major catastrophy? If you are so sure that other countries can survive the 99% Import value, then place the Imports to 99% and see what happens. Worst case scenario, you find more money in the government coffers?
To all canadian producers of wheat, place "CANADIAN" somewhere in your title, and I implore ALL canadian food producers, where possible and you can afford, to buy Canadian. Send the message to the government that the canadian wheat WILL survive, dispite what government wants.
This is a foolish move, and as I have said before, if this passes(and I have no doubt it will, out of sheer lack of will to defy the PM by congress) it will be a dark day for eCanada.
I think Canada had it too good in V1.. expect less resources available and a need to compete internationally with grain.
Are you kidding, Buyout Takeover and Squash Co? This farce will likely not even make it to a vote, much less pass. MPs are not going to be convinced by this "argument," a term I use in a figurative sense. Parliament will never pass such insanely reckless legislation. This will die on the order paper, or in vote, but either way, it's never going to pass.
Cheers,
AR1ARX
*pulls the plug on Canada's grandmother*
Throw grandma from the train.
DON'T A KILL MA GRANDMOTHAH!
Now, seriously, what IS the motive behind all of this "killing"?
I mean, sure, sure V2 is coming up, but people will get back their gold they invested, so they can create a new company, etc..
But, the problem with this, is that V2 won't come out for some time now (like, literally not until after April or so, as Admins have said a few times).
So let me get this straight, you and the government (which sadly im a part of, and NEVER EVEN HEARD ABOUT THIS), are deciding to just simply "kill" the grain industry for about 1-2 months, from which point you are restricting what a citizen can or can't do... I think there is something in the constitution about that, limiting abilities such as this (compaines), so really, do you think it is worth all the hassle? Why not just let things be.
I mean, let it be, simply because you aren't LOSING money in that sector, I mean sure, salaries and prices may be a little outta wheck, but thats nothing that can't be changed...
Overall, im anti-killing, sorry 🙁
Banking on something that hasn't happened yet along with not knowing when it will happen (V2) is just plain THICK.
The reasons for "killing Grain" are weak. There is no intelligent thought in this article about how eCanadian Grain can be made competitive only NEGATIVE ideas.
Jacobi, you live in a pipe dream of what MIGHT happen in V2.
Shove V2, it isn't here yet and nobody knows everything about it yet.
Grain companies will still be around in V2, wood and diamonds will not...get your facts straight.
Killing grain companies would drive down the cost of salaries for diamond/wood and oil companies since the number of employee's would go up in the market. The ones whom should be most concerned with this idea passing are the ones working in the land industry, your wages are going down.
As to others, please chill out and stop trying to crucify Jacobi for this. It was an idea, we should welcome those who try to bring forward idea's instead of just travelling forward at status quo. Reject the plan all you like, but civility is a virtue.
What? Celebrate negative ideas that would leave more workers than jobs? That would waste high yield regions? Watch as other GM's created diamond and wood companies and drive down profits in ever increasing cut throat competition in ever fewer industries?
Is this a joke???
We all read the same articles about wood and diamonds disappearing in V2 or are we papering over the details these days?
I see a lot of misguided and bad information about V2. Plenty of smoke and mirrors about what "might" happen after Grain is killed.
Lets discuss this where it belongs...on the forums for debate
http://ecanada.ws/forums/viewtopic.php?f=231&t=6082" target="_blank">http://ecanada.ws/forums/viewtopic.php?f[..]6082
Its a bit more serious then letting Grandma pass on...
Yes, your comment does appear to be a joke. I said idea's. I did not say negative idea's, so lets just throw your garbage out the window now.
Throwing out idea's is a great way to get something good and constructive going. Perhaps you are familiar with the concept of tossing out random thoughts and trying to get something going from it, perhaps your familiar with the concept of proposing ridiculous things to see if along the way something innovative comes out of it? Idea's, bad or good provoke discussion and conversation, which engages people and gets them thinking about solving problems.
People like you declaring that tossing out idea's, good or bad as being a joke, and slandering those whom do it are the joke.
Yes, wood and diamonds are disapearing. Titanium is coming though, so is stone. So don't stand there and try and imply that Land is going to have a drought in opportunities because wood and diamonds are gone.
Sorry but when "killing grain" is mentioned I don't see where the room for debate lies...that isn't a joke, neither is it an idea.
Destroying an industry doesn't come across as "debate". The way it has been presented is the reason for my raging hatred of the idea. There is no middle ground in "grain should not exist"...Jacobi's words, not mine. This for a country that has high yield regions for grain.
Tell you what...Canadians want debate, lets head to the forums...
http://ecanada.ws/forums/viewtopic.php?f=231&t=6082" target="_blank">http://ecanada.ws/forums/viewtopic.php?f[..]6082
Lets debate in public rather than in one sided press releases the pros and cons...who's up for democratic discussion about how we can make Canadian Grain competitive. People want ideas...so lets talk about ideas...who's got the balls?
Some facts as of today...
There are 26 grain companies selling on the market right now and lets say they employ on average about 7 people each so that works out to be 182 workers. A very conservative estimate.
How many jobs are available for them in the resource industries if grain is excluded?
69
So you have 113 new workers of different experience levels competing against existing and more to the point new members to the game.
Where does this leave the much planned baby-boom? In tatters.
Thats debate.
I hate to say it, but this is kind of a brutal plan. It's time to abandon ship on this idea.
It doesn't make much sense to me but I trust Jacobi's experience. Fix the economy one way or another.
Pffftt, enough of your logic and reason Jacobi!!! We the masses prefer to flag wave and make emotional nationalistic arguments.
Yet again more negative and non-productive effort in this article.
One still doesn't point out that the excess numbers of workers that are thrown on the unemployment line would badly damage the baby-boom.
Perhaps some time spent working on positive ideas that help would be more productive.
Is everyone going to be thrown out of their old companies any way when v2 comes out? Probably.
And did it ever occur to you that these foreign comapanies would mostly hire Canadians? HMMMMMMMMMMMM?
Jacobi, you've had some fantastic moments. Don't count this among one of them. If you're going to back out of your idea (I mean this "Grandma is already dead" stuff) then don't try to disguise it.
...
So many Grandmas
So little time