Now Premiering: US Monthly F***D-UP Index, June-July

Day 3,169, 18:18 • Published in USA USA • by it is just khotko

“...the ratings agencies' problem was in being unable or uninterested in appreciating the distinction between risk and uncertainty.” 
― Nate Silver

Ratings don't last. Good journalism does. 
― Dan Rather

It's a weekly rating, but this time it's monthly. Don't ask why. 
― me

Greetings, my fellow Americans.
I go by the name khotko, a former eRussian President, Pacifica co-creator et alia. There's more info regarding my previous game activity here. I've been around in eUSA for several months already, and I should say my primary reason for moving here: the community — has proven my inclination to move was right. For some time already I'm also Deputy Secretary of State, and some of you who do forum talk already know what I am (and that I am not a werewolf).
But f*** me, this is not what this article is about.

For a couple of months I've been relishing the idea of a project named US Weekly F***ed-up Index (FUI).
Goal 1: summarize the positive and negative effects of events and actions happening each week (or 10 days, we shall see) on the US and its community.
Goal 2: promote the agenda of American success and condemn the failure.
I should thank the community members for their feedback on the initial idea, with special credit to Hadrian X, Wild Owl, Antonio Wimer, Gnilraps, Pfeiffer and Cthulhu.

I decided I should start with a short overview of June-July 2016, without long and profound analysis to avoid annoying you and links to the articles and media stories. If you can help me collect these articles, I'll include the links below and compose a digest.

Rating is assembled on a weekly basis, with the total grade of 1.0 to 5.0 where 5.0 is zero f***ed up and 1.0 is totally f***ed up. It started at 3.0 on June 1, 2016.
Advances on military or foreign or internal or quality media activity make the rating to grow. YUUUGE advancements trigger huge progress (+1.5 the highest). 
Scandals and failures cause its decrease. YUUUGE failures trigger huge decrease (-1.5 the lowest).
Sound resolutions of scandals which help mend the fallout raise it again (example: TB's handling of Iranian issue).
Dull weeks without any things happening bring in a 0.25-0.45 decrease.
It's a kind of rating + small news digest to be exact. With time, every month and every CP will have an index which will stay in history (or what is left of it lol).
Experts from parties and MU's can be included later to give their assessment on a weekly basis if this venture starts well and receives at least some acclaim.
This will also help the rating be less biased on my personal assessments, plus avoid missing out important events.


Success: Resource Wars, +1,5
The brilliant handling of the Resource Wars event by the team to which now PotUS Yui made a vital contribution let America sit on a wonderful 19/20.
Success: Spaniard War, +0,2
A well planned operation with allies from Pacifica and outside it can be rated successful, although with more information for the population on the media regarding our withdrawal that could have gone better.
Success: FYROM airstrike, +0,1
You may be surprised to see a failed airstrike attempt rated as a success, but in the long run it helped overstretch the enemy lines and eventually help Argentina free its lands.
Failure: PACIFICA status, -0,8
With Argentina and Brazil leaving shortly after joining and the disagreements between member states on alliance policy and war issues, the inter-PACIFICA events of June-July can't be viewed upon as something succesful. August will show how the things develop, and maybe a viable solution to that will be found.
Failure: Russian situation, -0,6
Ongoing personal conflict between some leaders of US and Russia seems to have gone beyond a point of no return. Or is there still hope for the Bear and the Eagle to do a high-five? For now, this conflict cost Yui's administration, considering the Congress talks on that, a sound -0,6 points on foreign.
Success: Executive stability, +0,4
American leadership may be criticized for internal trifles or operating in a somewhat secretive manner, but as a whole the executive staff operates effectively and in coordinated manner. There was some public criticism as to how much some team members are involved, but rather see below.
Failure: Election scandals, - 0,7
One could say that where's Tenshibo there is trouble, but the FUI cannot fully agree with that in terms of success or failure of the country as a whole (plus, you can hit me with something, but I like Tenshibo, though that doesn't mean he's right). I'm not even referring here to a Fed/WTP conflict in the media some time ago (that would get a mere -0.1), but to the situation surrounding the CP elections. The Tenshibo public criticism of Yui, with Tenshibo using PDB screenshots following Derphoof's unsuccesful attempt to make the elections truly contested, as well as the reactions to it, put a dent to our internal. Should this dent be healed, the next FUIs will follow it with positive marks. For now, it will not.
NB: Congress selection and internal proceedings are not mentioned here since I had no access to these threads. A corrected assessment of June-July FUI may be made afterwards. Taxation issues are left aside for now as their impact is assessed on a long-term basis.
Success: Quality Media, +0,4
Custer and Hadrian. Hadrian and Custer. Official Media and the X-Files. X-Files and the official media.
Put it whatever way, these two guys, and, of course, Custer's big media team working on WHPR (let's not forget Aramec too) provided us with tasty and quality content. Hopefully they'll keep up that pace, or we're f***d up in terms of media.
Success: Werewolves, +0,1
A classy forum game hosted by Ilene Dover helped liven up things a bit, to say the least, and even reanimated General Custer's wife. What a success!
Failure: Overall activity, - 0,3
Let's admit it: summer is usually dull, especially when the admins delay the updates. But, seriously, if my calculations on the number of active citizens and fighters, let alone classy media people, are correct, we're going down the hill. Like the whole world, of course, but who the f*** cares?
America did a somewhat good job under two Yui administrations: we're +0,3 from the initial default 3,0 mark.
But let's admit it: we could have done it way, way better. For now, on a 1 to 5, we're quite f***d up.

And we will definitely do better.

We'll meet again on a weekly or a 10-day basis, next time, most likely, after the CP elections. 
This is going to be fun!

Thanks to Hadrian X for technical assistance and moral support.

P.S. Link the most important media stories of the last two months here please, I'll include them here.
And volunteer for the FUI jury expert panel: I'll launch the expert marks somewhere in Mid August.

P.S.S. RATE this FUI itself from 1.0 to 5.0: 
the one whose assessment will be the closest to the total average will get a good prize!

This article has been presented to you by my cat