Commentaries on Regime section
by Rowan Bittner of Cavan
As a representative of the great people's state of Cavan, I have great concern with the idea of the people not having any influence or say in the governance of themselves. The idea that these oligarchs provide for your nation is a completely false statement and it is truly the people that work for those rich that supply the nation. You advocate that individuals are free to do as they please so long as they do not conflict with pillars of the nation. This is an outrage! This is the same as saying, you are free to do as you please as long as what you want to do is approved by the government. This is a false freedom! An illusion! We can see this false sense of freedom and security from modern day Russian and Chinese Oligarchs. The people suffer at the amusement of the rich and powerful. Slavery and child labor is rampant. Any movement against a government action is shutdown swiftly with the disappearances of those involved. This government is not for the people, it is for the sole advancement of those already at the top. What you've laid out in the Kurgan Council is not a fair. This veto power put in place is a useless piece of legislation. One head is able to veto only if they have another head on their side? Does this not invalidate the need for a simple majority vote as mentioned in the Kurgan Council, as a veto would be used at any given chance needing the yeas to provide a super majority of 4/5? Any issue that is brought to a vote would need a super majority of 4/5 heads as if only 3 voted yea the vote would fail as one would enact veto powers and have the other nay with them. Not to mention that the average person has no impact on what would directly affect their lives! The people should have the real true veto power!
So to you I beg the questions. Would you advocate for this government if you were one of those common workers? Would you want your own government to ignore you instead only catering to those rich and wealthy. Would you sit around and see your neighbors, your family, your loved ones suffer and die at the government's harebrained pursuit of wealth and ignorance of safety for those that truly matter, the people?
By Almothana Alkhalil
I think the posted regime structure is overall consistent with the country’s oligarchic nature. I just have some concerns about the details.
- Given the fact that Kurgan is the largest country in Zemia, it does not make sense that it is being ruled by a five-members-council.
- There has never been a successful regime without one head, in other words, a leader is mandatory to run even small organizations.
- Who sets the council’s agenda is a major issue, but it was not addressed at all in your brief.
- I could not sense what keep those five oligarchic groups united. For example, a strong federal army, economic interdependency, …etc.
- I believe the number of members in the Kurgan Council should be increased to increase the council’s efficiency. One seat for each group will produce harsh internal competition within groups.
- The mechanism of selecting council members is not mentioned, and internal conflict management within each group is not mentioned as well.
- We are in the 21st century, and Zemia has already become a small village, I doubt that this oligarchy will be able to keep controlling its large population without thick walls of separation from other cultures and civilizations.
- The idea of taxation without representation is not a good one. Historically, similar regimes have either claimed a divinely right or crafted a form of pseudo representation.
- In today's world, an oligarchy must deceive its people in order to exist. They have to convince their people that they are working as hard as possible for the benefit of everyone, not for the benefit of the few.
- In my opinion, oligarchy is one of the worst types of government, it does not only practice injustice, but it also legitimizes it. It creates two kinds of people; one is full of arrogance and greed and the other has no pride or dignity, I cannot tell who is worse.
Rebuttals to Regime Commentaries
IN REFERENCE TO THE COMMENTARY OF ROWAN BITTNER:
Firstly, I would like to address the comment regarding “slavery and child labor” being “rampant” within Kurgan. We acknowledge that the majority of our population is uneducated, however this does not mean there is any type of child labor nor slavery. Higher education is available within Kurgan borders, as is public high school education. However, oftentimes families choose to have their children begin working after graduation from high school. In fact, within the Central Ukugan Tribal Lands, the agricultural industry is based on sharecropping. Though there are families that own the fertile land that supports not only every citizen in Kurgan but also a great number of people throughout Zemia, they are only paid a portion of the profits that the sharecropping families make off of the land. This is an individual right that the Council believes is reserved for citizens of Kurgan, and there will be no amendment prohibiting the employment of high school-aged workers. Additionally, if this is seen as the right choice and is one made by individuals and their families, it is one that the Kurgan Council will support because it also supports the economy of Kurgan.
There was also mention about how the Kurgan government is supposedly responsible for the disappearances of individuals who are displeased with the government. There has not only been no accusation of any such thing happening, there is no evidence of any such occurrence. As stated before, the Council is “committed to maintaining order and structure within its borders, accumulating wealth for the nation as a whole, and achieving international power throughout Zemia.” This does not, however, extend to or justify any harm coming to Kurgan citizens. On behalf of the Patin Oligarch, Barbol Oligarch, Polyarny Oligarch, Ukugan Central Tribal Leader, and myself, we deny the existence of this behavior.
Lastly, in regards to the statement that the way our lawmaking process works is “useless,” allow me to further explain our Council’s structure. The veto power for the Kurgan Council Members only applies to pieces of legislation that impact each of the Member’s respective sectors. The unanimous vote among the remaining Council Members to overturn a veto is implemented as a check within the Council to ensure legislation that needs to be passed for the good of Kurgan is implemented. For national bills, the Council only needs a simple majority to make them into laws.
Being that the five individuals who sit on the Kurgan Council represent each of the most significant contributors of funding, resources, and connections within Kurgan, they have all maintained their positions as Council Members for years. These contributions create a sense of stability and protection for all in Kurgan, and without the resources of each, our nation would not function as effectively as it currently does. Therefore, to answer the question if I, as the Ukugan Coastal Tribal Leader, would advocate for the Council Members to maintain their current positions of power if I were an average citizen, I would answer yes. The long lasting stability and protection from these five oligarchs provide every individual with a nation that values order and structure, as well as one that accumulates wealth and is powerful internationally. Finally, so long as the actions and intentions of each citizen does not oppose or contradict the pillars of the nation, individuals are free to do as they please. This includes acceptance of all races, religions, genders, sexualities, and cultures. Minority groups throughout Zemia are persecuted and oppressed. Citizens of Kurgan are not marginalized for their differences, but celebrated.
IN REFERENCE TO THE COMMENTARY OF ALMOTHANA ALKHALIL:
To address your concerns, I will cover the two main problems I took away from your comment.
[1] The structure of the Council
The main issues identified about the Kurgan Council are the number of representatives, the Member’s relationships among each other, and its future ability to effectively govern Kurgan. Firstly, I would like to reiterate that the Council is composed of five individuals who represent each of the oligarchies wielding the most significant power within our nation. These sectors are allowed to choose their representative in any manner they like, however oftentimes the seat on the Council is passed down generationally. For example, the Patin Council Member has historically been from the same founding family that established the Kurgan Council and the current oligarch’s own son is said to be taking over the role in the coming years. This also allows the Council to incorporate new ideas from younger generations. Overall, these oligarchs are used to political infighting and each have their own methods of determining who is best suited to become a Council Member. Secondly, the issue of five. Every Member represents one of the main sectors of the Kurgan economy: oil, potatoes, military, coal/energy, and agriculture. Therefore, there are five Council Members in order to pass laws in the most efficient manner. The Council could have had ten or even 20 members, however it is safe to assume that all Council Members would act in their region’s best interest and vote as a unit. Therefore, in order to reduce inefficiency and lengthy debate within our legislative body, the Kurgan Council only has as many members as it needs. Third, it is important to note that each Member having an equal vote is actually a strength of the Council, not a weakness. This structure promotes the idea that all industries within Kurgan are equally as beneficial for obtaining the main pillars of the government—order, structure, wealth, and power—and because of this, no “leader” is necessary. The Council Members are united because they all are dependent upon one another to create a functioning government and economy. Without food from the Barbol and Central sectors, without power and coal from the Coastal sector, without oil and manufacturing plants from the Patin sector, and without military protection from the Polyarny sector, Kurgan would not be able to run as seamlessly as it currently does. Therefore, this sense of interdependency is what incentivizes the Council Members to work together in Kurgan's best interest as a whole.
[2] The relationship between the Council and the people of Kurgan
One specific comment you mentioned is that the oligarchy will not be able to effectively “control” our population “without thick walls of separation from other cultures and civilizations.” First, I would like to state that the Kurgan Council does not seek to control, but to govern. There are many individual freedoms guaranteed to our citizens, including the acceptance of all races, religions, genders, sexualities, and cultures. As previously stated, individuals are free to do as they please as long as they follow the main four values of Kurgan Council. In simple terms, as long as the government and economy of Kurgan is functioning as it is supposed to, Kurgan citizens can take pleasure in whatever activities or identify as anything they choose. To address the idea that Kurgan citizens should not be allowed access to the way of life in other nations, I must also reiterate that there are very strong cultural connections between the Kurgan Ukugan Coastal and Central Tribes and the various Amurian Ukugan Tribes. We have found that this historical relationship is actually a source of strength in terms of international relations for Kurgan, and these cultural similarities are celebrated annually during cross-national events celebrating Ukugan culture hosted by our Ukugan Coastal Tribe. Secondly, you also mentioned the need to “deceive” our people and make them believe “they are working as hard as possible for the benefit of everyone, not for the benefit of the few.” This is something I agree with you about. Kurgans are working for the benefit of everyone. By showing up to work everyday and contributing to our society, each and every individual is a part of the functioning machine that is the Kurgan nation. Without the people, every sector would fail and there would be no country to govern. Lastly, I would like to comment about your criticism of “taxation without representation” in reference to civilians not being on the Kurgan Council. There is no need for a claim of “divine right” or “pseudo representation” because the stability and protection that Kurgan citizens have experienced from the Council since its founding is its source of legitimacy. The people understand the value of the founding oligarch’s contributions to Kurgan society, and because of this, they recognize the value of the Kurgan Council. Additionally, each Council Member will work in the best interest of their sector, and so this is, in fact, representation of the five regions within Kurgan.
By: Bella Sasselli, Ukugan Costal Tribal Leader
Commentaries of Ideology section
by Sophia Campbell, Democratic Council Moderator, Orissa
As stated within Kurgan's ideology, Kurgan operates under an Authoritarian Oligarchy. The Oligarchs who run Kurgan, those present on the Kurgan Council, are the sole lawmakers and sovereign figures within the state. I understand the Kurgans main goal in the government operation is to secure the stability of the nation and to promote the economic growth of the nation. I respect the focus on creating a strong community of the nation as well as the goal of economic growth to bluster the people's success.
As an Orissian, a question that arose is how does the state of Kurgan keep the peace between the ruling Oligarchs and people who do not have a say in government action? To further my question in Orissa we deeply believe in the approval of the people. With that being said, in the authoritarian regime of Kurgan is there any mechanism at which the government has engagement with the citizens approval in government action, or a system in which their voices may be heard. If the Oligarchs continually make decisions that act against the general populace there is a serious threat of long term disdain that could lead to uprising in the state. To continue, it was mentioned that the Oligarchs are chosen for the success within their given fields. That being said the Oligarchs then sovereign authority of law have the ability to contract law that benefits themselves personally economically, etc. This could create monopolies in the Kurgan industries that would ultimately hinder the peoples own way of life, effectively creating a system working against them.
If the people lose the confidence in their leaders to provide for them, the state will break its own stability, order, and structure. So how does the state maintain this order through the confidence of the people when they lack representation in their government?
I look forward to your response.
by John Flores, Anointed Leader of Donethal
Kurgan’s ideology of Authoritarianism has a well-defined political program of building economic success for the nation. With prosperity as its primary aim, Kurgan Authoritarianism intersects with the oligarchy’s moral basis, which is ostensibly the concentration of power among the wealthy in accordance with Plato’s definition of oligarchy. I also see how leadership roles within the oligarchy are legitimated in what seems to be an ablest society, since continued economic success is the primary goal. What appears to be lacking is a description of how Kurgan Authoritarianism explains why the world is the way it is and what individual citizens should be in an ideological sense.
A political ideology needs four functions: explanation, evaluation, orientation, and political program (Ball et al., 2020, p. 8). Political program is described well with a clearly stated goal for Kurgan, and the ideology evaluates policies according to how they impact Kurgan’s economy. What the ideology does not adequately explain is a description of why the situation in the nation, and perhaps the world, exists the way it does. Why is economic wealth so important, and why does it relate to the ideals of order and structure so strongly? Ideologies offer simplistic explanations to complex situations (Ball et al., 2020, p. 8). This would bring insight into why a Kurgan citizen would support this ideology. Also, orientation is not fully fleshed out. How would a Kurgan citizen, who supports Authoritarianism, describe how they fit into society? The identities of the leadership and the power structure are clearly stated, but what should the ordinary citizen strive for? Is there a virtue of wealth that motivates the average person to work hard and want to contribute to the wealth of the nation? A descriptive explanation and orientation offered by Authoritarianism would clarify why the ideology is supported and could plausibly gain support among the population of Kurgan.
References
Ball, T., Dagger, R., & O'Neill, D. I. (2020). Political ideologies and the Democratic ideal. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
By Noah Sullivan (I was sent an email that my post was not ready, so I am commenting here):
Kurgan being an authoritarian government, while providing a strong central rule of power in the hands of a few important people, seems to disregard the good of the vast population of citizens. I would be concerned about the people becoming knowledgeable of their lack of rights to decide how their lives are impacted by their government, which could lead to revolt. In the countries used as an example in the Ideology section, China and Russia, populations are currently staging protests on a frequent basis. These protests are forced to end with violence from policing forces as any who wish for democratic freedom are incarcerated.
To ensure that power can be kept in the hand of the few powerful people, they have to find a way to keep the general population in line or accepting of power. This could be accomplished through propaganda, through fear, or by making it very difficult for people to come together in organized protests/militias. The government would also have to make sure that their people are not able to acquire any modern weaponry as this would allow them to grievously harm any police forces during protests/revolt. While propaganda has been successful in the past, the increasingly connected and online nature of citizens would make it much more difficult. Fear can be used as a powerful tool, but it requires a lot of organized police forces and tight supervision of all citizens, which is expensive and can spread power too thin over many armed forces.
Kurgan take a lot of notes from China right now, both from their protesters and their government control methods. To live in China, a citizen is basically required to use an app called WeChat, a messaging app that also controls important things like identification, transportation passes, a virtual wallet, and much more. Messages are able to be censored and people can easily be tracked through their phone. This is very useful, as protesters have to organize in more discreet ways, such as posters spread around a city, which will generally draw less people. On the other side of China, the people who are currently protesting have developed strategies to avoid policing forces. They are able to move very quickly through the city, and police have a difficult time keeping up to organize a united front against them. Kurgan would do well to learn from this and equip police with fast transportation and training on how to herd protesters to one location, where they can be arrested.
If Kurgan is able to keep its citizens complacent with government control, then they can focus their efforts on central economic growth and expansion.
Rebuttals to Ideology Commentaries
When it comes to the ideology of Kurgan, I do feel as if this is consistent with the overall idea of oligarchy. This structure provides stability not only for our citizens but for our economy as a whole. If I were one of the citizens within our society, I would feel a sense of security and assurance that our financial affairs are in order due to the proven track record of those in power, no just in a domestic sense but in an international sense.
Additionally, within our domestic society, our citizens are not equipped with the necessary critical thinking skills needed to ensure the success of the government which is why they are only limited to working as labors. When it comes to their rights as it relates to labor, we ensure that our citizens are able to maintain their a modest lifestyle while still being able to provide for their families. This is another reason why only a few are in charge, to ensure a strong and consistent central government that is able to provide and take care of its citizens.
Nonetheless, this structure maintains trust being us (the central government) and our citizens as they are confident in our abilities to deliver and to ensure their needs are met while again ensuring the success of our county.
Thank you for your response.
By: Marcus Brown, Patin Oil Oligarch
Commentaries on Ideology Section
by Marisa Leal
Hello Kurgan!
After reading your ideology section, I have a few important things to express. To start, putting the power in the hands of one person (or few), I have to say, is the best way to run a government. It will not allow for your citizens to become too strong or demand too much power to be able to overpower your government.
I notice that your Authoritarian ideology does somewhat incorporate an essentially branch type of government, you stated that the power should not just be in one persons hands, however, Donethal has had a lot of success within their nation leaving all of the decisions and power up to one individual, our Supreme being, our God, Plutus Zemani. While fully trusting our God to lead us in the right direction, there is no room for any sort of checks and balances. Everyone in Donethal is fully devoted to the Zemia faith and fully understands the decisions the head of our Holy Church makes because it comes directly from Plutus Zemani. It is essential to have some sort of "cabinet" in your government to assist you, as one person cannot lead the whole nation ny themselves, but they should not have any decision making power if you wish for your nation to not have any threat of rebellion from your citizens.
Donethal does not find your Authoritarian form of government very threatening, however, we do have to fear you might one day want to take over land from other nations, as many other Oligarchs have before. We do have allies that we have made military agreements with, and will have to stick with them if you Kurgan ever does crave more power. However, we do respect your initial statement that you are not like other Oligarchs, such as Russia and China, but were a little thrown off when you later mentioned that they were influential when creating your systme of government. Your ultimate goal is to accumulate wealth.. will you eventually need to accumulate it at the expense of other nations? We are not open to any nation that would risk our devotion to Plutus Zemani and the Zemia faith.
I do hope Donethal and Kurgan can keep their peace from now into the future.
Commentaries on Education Policy
by Elijah Domine
Before going into my constructive critique of your Education policy, I will preface this with the understanding that my commentaries are removed from my position in the role-playing State Games and are made from an objective point of view; they also factor in the involuntary nature of assigned ideology. In other words, rather than critiquing ideological policies for the shortcomings of an ideology in comparison to others, I critique policies based on their adherence to the ideology, and the objective effectiveness. I think my previous critiques/rebuttals were not received as constructively due to misunderstandings of my self-interpreted role in debating policies.
Luckily, oligarchy is not an ideology necessarily tethered to a certain social leaning, nor even necessarily associated with a high or low degree of governance. Kurgan has opted for the authoritarian brand of oligarchy, bestowing decision-making power its council of 5 powerful leaders. This has certain advantages in the realm of policymaking, particularly in avoiding the inefficiencies of bureaucracy that other nations implement to ensure protections from corruption and inequality. Since we are unable to currently assess corruption due to the structure of governance in the State Games, we can watch for subsequent inequality as a result of ideological structure. Most importantly, though, justified elitism in an oligarchy requires effective policies, above all.
I don't have much valid critique for Kurgan's plan to tackle high rates of illiteracy, or the proper diagnosis of low education problems in relation to national & regime security. The benefits of becoming independent from foreign nuclear power plant staff will address a key vulnerability to reliance on skilled foreign labor, and perhaps help Kurgan begin to address the ongoing Polyarny military base debacle. Integrating regime-favorable education might help the oligarchy to offset the increase in educated opposition, since educated citizens may start demanding more rights. It is widely debated, but generally accepted, that high education is correlated with democratization, or at least an environment welcoming to democratic values. You mentioned that this will involve teaching citizens the 'proper' narrative of history and will dispel fake news, but given that you also consider the opinions brought to work by foreigners as problematic, you should have also addressed how foreigners will be treated if they continue to present opinions other than what Kurgan approves. One might suggest limiting the rights of foreigners altogether, but this comes with its own problems.
Consider the drawbacks of going all-in on educating Kurganites. Without a specified mechanism to allow an alternative scenario, education is likely to lead to the gradual increase of average household income and other human development side effects such as urbanization. In this aspect, Kurgan's current strength - agriculture and natural resources - may suffer if the population overwhelmingly turns to educated professions. A supply of low-skilled workers is valuable. You can't uneducate citizens, and I theorize that citizens who are overqualified for their work value their profession less. However, Kurgan could develop industries more efficient than low-skill labor, but if you do so, you need a plan for employing the vast number of Kurganites who will find themselves unemployed and thus more susceptible to anti-government ideas.
Furthermore, increasing literacy rates is a great place to start, but I can't help but see a noteworthy gap between the actions and goals of Kurgan's education policy. The desire to staff nuclear power plants with an educated domestic workforce requires more than a literate population. The Continued Education Program is good for opening a window to higher education, but it isn't clear who will provide the designated raises to college graduates. Will the government do it? Will it mandate it to employers? Either method raises questions of sustainability, which also share common ground with critiques of socialist policies. Nevertheless, devising a more thorough plan for making higher education available to a significant portion of the population is in order, along with preemptively accounting for further dissidence of well-educated citizens and determining how and by whom the costs of that higher education will be covered. I will conclude my commentary by stepping back into my role as the President of the Cavan Federation - we can potentially provide a solution to this higher education discrepancy with our highly reputable and prestigious Princeford University in Mercatura. Reach out to us to negotiate details.
by Sarah S. Meyers, Press Secretary and Joint Chief Economist of Orissa
Dear Emily,
I understand the literacy program you have instituted for your nation that is an oligarchy. My question arises from your notion that illiteracy rates prove Kurgan to be reliant on other countries. China opened up its borders in the 70’s and 80’s, and the top communist leaders were educated abroad. Do you send your citizens abroad to be educated? But I also understand that you want to educate the working class in Kurgan, have the residents be home grown, due to your unique ideology, so that you can have home grown innovation and technological development. It’s true that once a citizen leaves the country to be educated abroad they may bring back opposing ideologies that risk the stability of your state. In addition, it’s well known that opening up borders to trade and investment by other countries makes both countries better off due to the theory of comparative advantage.
Moving on, the incentivised national curriculum for high school and GED studies makes sense for your ideology. I hadn’t heard of compensation for studies except for in developed European states, so the idea strikes me as slightly socialist. However, your policy is different than, say, Sweden’s or Norway’s, because the aim of Kurgan’s education policy is to provide for the country as a whole. Do your students/citizens have a high degree of national pride? If not, there is a risk that education will, in fact, enable the citizens to “rise up” against your ruling powers.
Good job on the education policy and I hope that the newly educated population don’t pose a threat to the sovereignty of your state.
On a final note for your rebuttal, what is the time-line to increase literacy rates? Do you have a goal for the percentage of the population that will participate in literacy movement you have proposed?
Thank you for reading my commentary, best wishes from the nation of Orissa.
By Marion Samuel.
It is good to the Kurgan Council has recognized that a majority of their population are uneducated and that furthering education is significant. Although, the motivations for this has to be called into question. It seems that the Kurgan council only became concerned with education because of the rise of opposing viewpoints and not really to raise the education level. The education policy itself while quite generous in payment does not take into account the time needed to finish such an education. Workers would be working during the day and going to classes in the evenings for an extended period of time. Even though they will be paid the same as working for going to school. For the history classes covering fake news, how would you determine what is rumors are true or not, especially if they are against your nation. It seems that the opinions of foreigners in Kurgan is an issue and that the state wishes to make sure that the history they set is truth.
An education for all policy ,while great will also cause the devaluation of skilled labor jobs as those who got an education would not want to do work that they deem beneath them. Especially if the reason for this policy is for the energy sector and nuclear power plants. What will happen to other sectors of the economy as we hyper-focus on educating people for only working in nuclear plants. Also, how will this affect areas where education is not greatly needed or required, such as low skill jobs as farming and so on. Overall, this policy is helpful on getting more citizens in Kurgan educated, but at what cost? It seems that this might cause a rise in the average income and cause inflation as prices will rise to match average income. Also there seems to be a lot of criticism and dislike of foreigners; the adaptation of truth and the treatment of foreigners by the Kurgan council might alienate them from the other nations of Zemia.
Rebuttals to Education Commentaries
Rebuttal to Elijah Domine
By Emily Garcia, Ukugan Central Tribal Leader
Dear Mr. Domine,
Thank you for your insightful commentary, I appreciated your thoughts.
To answer your first concern about foreigners spreading false information, the oligarchs will not be taking any steps at the moment to address this concern. The reason being is that if we implement your suggestion of limiting their rights it will cause an uproar among our citizens and sow distrust in our leadership as oligarchs. Moreover, we are not anti-speech and cannot dictate what individuals express. Instead, our strategy is to combat misinformation with the facts. We will do this through our education policies and through our state-run media channels that only communicate facts and dispel rumors. However, we as oligarchs, reserve the right to change this policy stance if these individuals start plotting to overthrow our government. Then, the issue will become one of national security rather than an issue of speech. In summary, our strategy is to educate the populace to refute these claims and to make the individuals who spout these lies a vast minority within Kurgan.
For your second concern, I would like to point out that our education program is not compulsory and our predictions doubt that the whole populace will enroll in the program. Furthermore, there will still be jobs that only require a GED education or less and those individuals will not lose their job. The purpose of this is to give individuals the choice to continue their education and have the opportunity to contribute to Kurgan in other occupations. The reason why we are not worried about losing our natural resource supply by implementing this program is that our citizens are very proud of the areas that they come from and their work. Overall, not all of the Kurganites will enroll in the program, and will produce more opportunities for them to contribute to society.
As for your last comments, the oligarchs will be covering the costs of the incentives in the program. The reason being is that the oligarchs see this investment as an overall investment that will reap benefits that go beyond the cost. The policy will be mandated and employers must comply with the policy. The plan for higher education will be created in a timely manner.
Thank you for your comments,
Emily Garcia, Ukugan Central Tribal Leader
Rebuttal to Sarah S. Meyers, Press Secretary and Joint Chief Economist of Orissa
Dear Ms. Meyers,
Thank you for providing your thoughts on our education policy, it is much appreciated!
To answer your first question, no our citizens will not receive education abroad. The reason being is that as an oligarchy, we want to ensure that the education Kurganites receive is consistent with our ideology and that cannot be guaranteed if their education occurs in a different country. We are open to engaging with other countries through trade.
As for your second question, yes, Kurganites have a great sense of pride in our nation. The reason for the strict curriculum is to ensure that the pride they hold for our country is fostered and that they have the tools they need to combat the rumors that rarely circulate amongst foreigners in our country. As oligarchs, we believe that this program will disincentivize our citizens from rising up and will only encourage them to become more appreciative of our ideology.
Finally, our goal is to raise literacy rates by 15% by the end of the first year of the program being piloted. If we do not meet that goal, we as oligarchs will conduct an audit to determine the factors that went into the program's failure.
Thank you,
Emily Garcia, Ukugan Central Tribal Leader
Rebuttal to Marion Samuel
Dear Mr. Samuel,
Thank you for your comments!
First, I would like to address that the reason we implemented this program is to reduce our reliance on other countries for energy. Addressing misinformation within our nation is a secondary reason why we created this program. Secondly, we acknowledge that it will take several years for the workers to complete their education, which is why we are paying them to participate in this program. We are hopeful that the financial incentive will help alleviate some stress that will arise from participating in the program. For your third concern, we as the oligarchs will determine what is true and will be included in the curriculum. We will make these determinations off on our primary sources and documentation to refute outside misperceptions of Kurgan and our ideology. To address your other concerns, I will re-emphasize what has been previously stated. The oligarchs and I do not believe that every citizen will participate in the program and will continue to contribute to society in their current occupation. The reason is that our citizens take great pride in the region and occupation that they hold. Moreover, because not every citizen will participate, we are anticipating our economy to remain stable and those that do receive higher wages will increase our overall GDP, which will be extremely beneficial for all Kurganites. Finally, Kurgan is welcome foreigners and we appreciate the assistance that they offer us. We are not trying to create a hostile environment or alienate ourselves from the outside world, but will not tolerate misinformation being spread in our country.
Thank you for your concerns.
Emily Garcia, Ukugan Central Tribal Leader
: [name and title]
Commentaries on Energy Policy
by [enter name of person writing 1st commentary]
[insert Commentary1 text]
by [enter name of person writing 2nd commentary]
[insert Commentary2 text]
Rebuttals to Energy Commentaries
[insert Rebuttal]
By: [name and title]
Commentaries on Immigration Policy
by Jacob Wingett, Security Chief, Orissa
I am interested to see the new direction the state of Kurgan is taking in regards to its immigration policy. It appears that there is a great desire for the government to course correct to curtail issues that have arisen in the past that are perceived to be from poor immigration policy. Though, upon reading the new policy of Kurgan, I do have a couple of questions.
There is one line in particular that has me needing clarification. You state, “To summarize, the problems that accumulated in the past decade, such as illegal, lower-skilled, non-diversified foreigners, and social tension,”
I begin by asking, what measures are being taken to curb illegal [immigration]? Coming from a country whose ideology places a high value on independence, order, and stability, I can understand the desire to address the topic of illegal immigration. However, I do not see it addressed in the policy.
Additionally, there is mention of lower-skilled immigrants presenting as a problem. Yet you acknowledge the potential need for migrant labor “ depending on the perspectives for development of the economy and the national labor market.” Hereby I do not understand how the lower-skilled immigrants have been held accountable for past problems while you acknowledge the potential need for them moving forward.
Lastly, I fail to see how the issue of “non-diversified foreigners” is being addressed in the new policy. I read much about how highly-skilled workers will be recruited and be competitive immigrants; however, what is preventing those from coming primarily from one country/region?
To conclude, I see immigrants of the past being scapegoated for much of the “social tension” and “negative effects its demographic decline.” There is much rhetoric about sweeping changes while little meat is on the bone of the “Concept of State Immigration Policy of the Kurgan Oligarchy.” I would recommend taking a firmer stance than proposed if you believe certain immigrants are responsible for past problems. Otherwise, I would appreciate you addressing the points of clarification I have raised above.
by [enter name of person writing 2nd commentary]
[insert Commentary2 text]
Rebuttals to Immigration Commentaries
Jacob Wingett
Security Chief
Orissa
Dear Honorable Security Chief,
Thank you for your time in reviewing and providing feedback regarding the Concept of State Immigration Policy of the Kurgan Oligarchy. Allow me to address your comments you annotated in your original post.
With regards to the line, “To summarize, the problems that accumulated in the past decade, such as illegal, lower-skilled, non-diversified foreigners, and social tension,” this was a synopsis of our previous immigration policy that focused on foreigners by place of origin. We articulated this in our opening paragraph that this motivation was to bring in like immigrants from nations we deemed friendly.
To your question regarding what measures we are taking to curb illegal immigration, Kurgan will not provide any specifics as this is an internal problem. I will state that Kurgan is creating conditions that would enable ethnic Kurgans, and foreigners to move to Kurgan for work, permanent residency, or citizenship.
To your statement regarding lower-skilled immigrants being presented as a problem, that was the old policy of only viewing these immigrants as temporary workers. One of the problems Kurgan faces is the spatial disparity. To reduce these challenges, the Kurgan government is trying to incorporate a variety of measures such as ensuring transportation, connectivity of the regions, forming an affordable housing market while meeting the economic, social, education, professional, and cultural needs of citizens.
To make Kurgan more attractive to foreigners, another objective the Kurgan government is commencing is to help foreigners with their entry and settlement. Kurgan will support those who wish to develop economic, business, professional, scientific, cultural, and others ties with Kurgan. The Kurgan government will help these foreigners learn the language, history, and culture so they may contribute to the economic, social, and cultural development of Kurgan.
To your last point, a return to the “non-diversified foreigners” line, it is in reference to the old policy as stated above. They are not, as you put it “scapegoated”. The biggest target in immigration is towards “blue collared” workers. However, to continue the development and rebuilding of Kurgan more attractive, these blue collared workers and the special skilled workers are necessary. The Kurgan government has laid down measures to protect foreigners against spatial segregation, formation of ethnic enclaves, and the marginalization of foreigners.
With rising nationalism and other polarized sentiments, citizens from all nations in Zemia are slowly becoming intolerant towards other people. We see this referenced by your unsubstantiated allegations that Kurgan places blame on certain population of foreign immigrants for the social tension and demographic decline. These issues are specific to Kurgan internal policies and not towards a specific group of immigrants. Xenophobia against migrants is increasing, but to demonize the nation of Kurgan will not be tolerated.
In closing, Kurgan will welcome anyone provided they become a positive net fiscal impact on the local economy, as well as to enhance its competitiveness. Nobody knows better than Kurgan on strengthening and improving our own nation. Thank you again for taking the time to review and provide feedback on our immigration policy.
Regards,
Matt Meyers
Polyarny Base Oligarch
Kurgan