292: 2

292: 3 sounds fun

*Yawn* Is it time for a new issue yet?
*Looks up* Five days ago? Oh... um...

With 80 percent of voters speaking against censorship, the media shall be permitted to spew its inane ramblings as they wish.

==== Overview ====
Civil Rights: Excellent (69)
Economy: Reasonable (40)
Political Freedoms: Excellent (70)

The Free Land of Gogan is a massive, safe nation, ruled by Doctor Marcin with an even hand, and remarkable for its museums and concert halls. Its compassionate, intelligent population of 1.813 billion 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 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 59%, and even higher for the wealthy. A large private sector is dominated by the Book Publishing industry.

All new "spies" are fifteen-year-old acne-ridden kids on computers, the nation leads The North Pacific in per capita stalking, strange looking men with big red noses are found hiding behind bushes and inside dustbins, and administrative districts are increasingly defined by their taste in housing architecture. Crime is totally unknown. Gogan's national animal is the Goglodyte, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its currency is the Gog.

Gogan is ranked 2,174th in The North Pacific and 65,805th in the world for Most Subsidized Industry, scoring 3 on the Gilded Widget Scale.

==== Issues ====
No changes in the overview (except the daily ranking line, population count and inherent randomness of statements), due to not running an issue last time.

Arms Industry Demands Respect (issue 293)
Representatives of Gogan's arms manufacturing industry have expressed outrage over the lack of public and private support for their sector.

1. Interviewed by the industry's trade journal 'Our Weapons, Your Victory', the CEO of Gogan Arms Inc, Wil Dredd, said: "It is shameful the way we have been treated over the last few years! Shameful! Our workers, and I tell you we have a great many of them, can barely get to work thanks to disruption by protesters and all that hippie nonsense. And as for this dangerous talk of 'Ethical Trade Practices', I say we need full government recognition of our vital contribution to the economy - relaxation of trade barriers, gun laws, and a crackdown on all these long-haired weirdos who try to shut us down!"

2. "We have a right to protest against this evil business!" screams Bill al-Zahawi through a megaphone. "The arms manufacturing industry is a stain on our nation's character and must be removed. How can we make money from the production of these evil weapons; how can we stand by and profit from the blood spilled by these abominations? The government must take a stand and outlaw the whole sector!"

3. Your Minister of Trade advises taking a middle ground: "We can't ban arms sales without harming the quality of our military and police departments, not to mention the economy. These hippies do have a point though - guns are terrible things in the wrong hands. We should implement additional safety checks on the groups to which the weapons get sold. That way we don't lose too many sales, and the people are persuaded we are making a stand against nations who use the weapons for immoral ends. The arms industry get to sell their guns and the protesters get to protest. Everybody wins!"

==== Public announcement ====

293:3

293:3

293:3 - sounds like a win-win scenario. But knowing Nationstates it will probably cost a lot of money. Ah well, we still didn't reach 100% income tax, so there's still room. :-)

293:3

"The arms industry get to sell their guns and the protesters get to protest. Everybody wins!"

==== Overview ====
Civil Rights: Excellent (69)
Economy: Reasonable (40)
Political Freedoms: Excellent (70)

The Free Land of Gogan is a massive, cultured nation, ruled by Doctor Marcin with an even hand, and remarkable for its keen interest in outer space. Its compassionate, intelligent population of 1.832 billion 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 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 59%, and even higher for the wealthy. A large private sector is dominated by the Book Publishing industry.

The nation leads The North Pacific in per capita stalking, strange looking men with big red noses are found hiding behind bushes and inside dustbins, administrative districts are increasingly defined by their taste in housing architecture, and truth is often impossible to tell from fiction on the evening news. Crime is totally unknown. Gogan's national animal is the Goglodyte, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its currency is the Gog.

Gogan is ranked 892nd in The North Pacific and 36,627th in the world for Most World Assembly Endorsements, with 0 Valid Endorsements.

==== Issues ====
2 days 18 hours ago: Following new legislation in Gogan, truth is often impossible to tell from fiction on the evening news.
The overview has been updated following the last decisions made.

Say Cheese! (issue 294)
After a tabloid newspaper printed a photograph of you picking your nose in a restaurant, the government is considering introducing guidelines for journalists wishing to take pictures of you.

1. "Whatever happened to freedom of press?" asks paparazzo Abraham Levy, indignantly. "Why aren't you allowing honest, hardworking people like myself to do our jobs? If our beloved leader slips on a banana peel, that's big news on the level of national security! We must be allowed to take pictures of you whenever we want, wherever we want! Oh, and any comment on the rumors you had a one-night stand with your nei..." The question is cut off as a horde of journalists crowd in to ask questions.

2. The Minister of Press Relations, who is coincidentally your neighbor, agrees that your privacy needs to be protected. "That photograph was clearly an intrusion on your right to privacy. However, we can compromise and give the media 'authorized photo moments'. It's perfect. You get to keep your privacy, and on special occasions, photographers are allowed to take pictures and ask questions. Of course, anyone who disrespects this media code will have their privileges revoked."

3. Hillary Obama, your overly-attentive aide, grins. "I like that idea, but it doesn't go nearly far enough. How about we control exactly what the media can and cannot publish? That way, we can make the citizens adore you and your skeletons stay hidden in the closet."

==== Public announcement ====

294:dismiss - It's okay as it is.

294:1 - This is basically a continuation of the status quo.

294:1

294: 1 - let them take photos. It's a free country after all.

Gogan shall have full freedom of press.