192:3

192:3

Clearly, we shall appoint the quitter.

==== Overview ====
Civil Rights: Good (63)
Economy: Struggling (8)
Political Freedoms: Excellent (70)

The Free Land of Gogan is a huge, genial nation, ruled by Doctor Marcin with an even hand, and remarkable for its anti-smoking policies. Its compassionate, intelligent population of 937 million are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, socially-minded government stops and the rest of society begins, but it devotes most of its attentions to Education, with areas such as Religion & Spirituality and Defence receiving almost no funds by comparison. The average income tax rate is 57%, and even higher for the wealthy. The private sector is almost wholly made up of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, although the government is looking at stamping this out.

Protesters are up in arms over new nuclear power stations, unstable couples are known to break up over which one gets parental leave, refugees from other nations are flocking to Gogan's border, and the nation is currently revamping its entire education system. Crime is totally unknown. Gogan's national animal is the Goglodyte, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the Gog.

Gogan is ranked 4,121st in The North Pacific and 94,842nd in the world for Most Armed, scoring -77 on the Magnum-Eastwood Ordnance Scale.

==== Issues ====
18 hours ago: Following new legislation in Gogan, the nation is currently revamping its entire education system.
The overview has been updated following the last decisions made.

The Trouble With Hobos (issue 193)
After several complaints of the tripping hazards presented by sleeping bags on the doorsteps of public buildings, the citizens of Gogan have brought the problem of homelessness to your attention.

1: "To be honest, I'd just like a place to stay," says a scruffy man who's been living under your desk. "Somewhere I don't have some landlord breathing down my neck all the time. If the government could see fit to build some kind of free hostel where people could go if they've fallen on hard times, well, that'd be just great."

2: "You can't possibly think that's a good permanent solution!" cries Fanny Johnson, coordinator of the local soup kitchen. "What these people need is help to get their lives back on track. Yes, they have the right to a place to live, but they also need an honest job to pay for it. They need to be encouraged to work to become integrated into society again! Force our major businesses to create some basic jobs for these poor souls, and soon they will become pillars of the community!"

3: "And who do you suppose pays for all this?" snaps Stan Cruz, one of your advisors. "Your loyal taxpayers, that's who! People who actually work for the things they have! And let's face it: these vagrants bring it on themselves - frittering their money away on rubbish and rollicking in unemployment while the rest of the world slaves away to make ends meet. They're worthless scum and they gave up their 'rights' a long time ago. I say we leave them to their misery until they become a nuisance, then have them dealt with like any other criminal."

4: "As far as I can see, homeless people are already a nuisance," says Clint Rikkard, a proud citizen. "They're mostly thieves and drug addicts, they make the streets a dangerous place for our children, they make honest people feel guilty for turfing them off their doorsteps and, frankly, they smell bad. They're vermin, plain and simple, and as such I suggest they be destroyed before the infestation gets even more out of hand."

When Goglodytes Attack! (issue 194)
After several reports of pet Goglodytes violently attacking, injuring, and even killing citizens, there has been growing pressure from public safety activists for the government to take action.

1: "These creatures are a danger to the public and must be destroyed!" says Erica O, representative of the Public Institution for Social Safety, Equality, and Direction. "I was attacked by one just on the way here and I nearly lost my life! They're a public menace. We must shoot and burn them!"

2: "Why punish the poor things?" asks animal-lover Marlon McKay, covered in scars from previous encounters with Goglodytes. "All they need is good hands to care and rehabilitate them. We need a government education programme to tame them and turn them into loveable pets. The one I'm holding right now shows that it can be done. They are all good, kind creatures deep d- argh!"

3: "I agree that we shouldn't kill them," says Charles Falopian, a famous lawyer. "But I don't think the owner should get away with breaking the law! This is clearly a case of 'intent to grievously harm' if I ever saw it. All citizens should be held accountable of their pet's actions as if they had done the act themselves. It's the only way to be fair - after all, they're just dumb animals."

4: "Who cares!?" screams Rosalia Yeats, transmitting from a pirate radio station broadcast. "Just repeal any laws preventing us from shooting the things when they attack and we'll be able to save ourselves without this stupid, authoritarian, overbearing government and legal system wasting our tax money!"

==== Public announcement ====

193:2 -- depending on the way it's implemented, it could be a sensible safety net.
194:3 -- pet owners should definitely be held responsible for their pets' actions.

193:2
194:3

This. -Yawns- It's too late in the night for me to debate further, it's just right like this!

193:2
194:3

193: 4 - I would say 2, but then that would presume we have companies to offer jobs. Rather I will go with 4 to reduce the surplus population. Ebenezer had it right over a 100 years ago...
194: 4

When can we lead a revolt against the vile Doctor Marcin?

We will make sure the homeless have jobs, and owners of domesticated Goglodytes shall have to answer for what their pet does.

==== Overview ====
Civil Rights: Good (63)
Economy: Struggling (8)
Political Freedoms: Excellent (70)

The Free Land of Gogan is a huge, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Doctor Marcin with an even hand, and notable for its keen interest in outer space. Its compassionate, intelligent population of 942 million are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, socially-minded government stops and the rest of society begins, but it devotes most of its attentions to Education, with areas such as Religion & Spirituality and Defence receiving almost no funds by comparison. The average income tax rate is 55%, and even higher for the wealthy. The private sector is almost wholly made up of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, although the government is looking at stamping this out.

Unstable couples are known to break up over which one gets parental leave, refugees from other nations are flocking to Gogan's border, the nation is currently revamping its entire education system, and the government is avowedly atheist. Crime is totally unknown. Gogan's national animal is the Goglodyte, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the Gog.

Gogan is ranked 3,431st in The North Pacific and 72,861st in the world for Happiest Citizens, scoring 10 on the Relative Cheerfulness Rating.

==== Issues ====
18 hours ago: Following new legislation in Gogan, the government is avowedly atheist.
The overview has been updated following the last decisions made.

Plea Bargains: Tipping The Scales Of Justice? (issue 194)
The high-profile case of Damon 'The Butcher of Gogan City' White, a serial murderer and rapist, has been the subject of outrage and derision by Gogan's news providers. In exchange for a guilty verdict, no trial by jury, and testimony in another trial, White pled guilty to third-degree manslaughter, reducing his sentence to a paltry three months' imprisonment. The justness of plea bargaining is now being called into question.

1: "Plea bargains degrade the fairness of our justice system," argues Brian Washington, a recently graduated lawyer. "Prosecutors are only interested in getting their guilty verdict and plea bargaining is the easiest way to get it! The recent trial of that psychopath mass-murderer is a disgrace! If it had gone before a jury he'd be behind bars by now! He won't though, because the prosecutors and police are too lazy to do their jobs properly. Putting that man back on the streets is not justice. Plea bargaining must be banned."

2: "What that moral elitist is neglecting to tell you," sneers Pete Gutenberg, a prosecutor. "Is that plea bargaining has made our judicial system MORE effective, not less! There needs to be give and take so we can get to the truth and that's what plea bargains allow us. We were able to catch the worst criminal kingpin Gogan has ever seen because of Mr White's testimony. Also, do you realise how clogged up and expensive the court system would be if every trial went before jury? Very, my friend. Very. Plea bargaining must be allowed to continue."

3: "You know, we wouldn't have to worry about any of this nonsense and controversy if we just stopped giving our criminals so many rights," sighs Elizabeth Hernandez, your fifth cousin, five times removed. "Double jeopardy, cruel and unusual punishment, the writ of habeas corpus... there are just so many inconvenient clauses in our constitution that are getting in the way of keeping our streets clean of crooks. I say we abolish the right to a fair trial, and just lock people up if the judge thinks they've done something wrong. I mean, they're pretty smart guys aren't they?"

==== Public announcement ====

194 : Dismiss for irrelevancy. We don't HAVE crime.

194:dismiss

194: dismiss

194:2

Yeah, yesterday was a no-go. That happens.

Issue 194 will be dismissed.