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A World of Mud and Sweat - A Future Nation Development Quest

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Sorry for the super late update, my housing situation is a bit wonky atm so between that and work it kinda zapped my writing. The quest will continue tho! Im enjoying it too much
 
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2079; Cyrenaica United
  • Threadmarks

    • Cyrenaica United
    ​
    Overview: The Minister's resignation was quickly accepted. Incompetency was a stain on the government which the President could ill-afford. He might be reelected, he might be popular, but leveraging that power against the good of the state and people was exactly the type of hypocrisy and acceptance that defined the previous regime. The Minister would be replaced with an Independent aligned to El-Harir. In a similar vein, the protestors of El-Harir Square were not evicted. Though members of the military and national security advisors argued in favour of removing these individuals, the President was aware the optics. He could see the GNN articles; "Revolutionary president fires on protestors, revolution ensues". Police kept watch, members of the Presidential Guard patrolled the gate, but a tense peace existed. The protestors continued to squat, much to the delight of GNN's increasingly anti-El Harir optics, but remained peaceful. While GNN continued their narrative, a meme spawned of a officer buying an orange from a pop-up market with a friendly pun which the Minister of Public Affairs stressed was a good sign. Taking this advice as is, El-Harir turned to more important matters. The year was drawing to a close, and the President hoped to bring good news to Egyptians in time for New Year celebrations.

    The city of Derna was a large city of 190,000 citizens, having shockingly grown since the initial civil conflict in 2011. Described internationally as the city of houses built in the ruins of houses built in the ruins of houses, the city has been besieged numerous times. Now it was Egypt's turn to break down resistance within the city, who's has developed the pride of a city state. Tanks rolled up as artillery began general bombardment and high-altitude drones dropped precision munitions. The explosions lasted for hours, so loud that the Egyptians could not hear the city wailing as it was once again attacked. But an eternity later, the explosions ended and the Egyptians advanced. The pounded silence, broken only by the quick shifting of soldiers from cover to cover and the rolling of treads on berubbled streets, stretched. But it only took a rifle shot, and the chaos of violence and war exploded as Egyptian (and for the first time, Cyrenaican) soldiers made their way. The day ended then the next, and the next. Advances pushed and pushed, sometimes quickly and sometimes stubbornly slowly, but always forward. To their credit, at least one concentrated counter-attack led to an element of the Cyrenaicans to break and rout, capturing much needed munitions, but it was ultimately futile. The city, facing a real military with modern technology, fell after two weeks, more than Tobruk and Benghazi together. By spit and spite, Derna proved itself the toughest nut to crack in all of Cyrenaica. Cyrenaica was united at last.

    News of the fall of Derna was initially applauded, until video arose from both the GNN and social media of the costs. Hundreds of refugees fleeing the city towards Tobruk, screaming families, destroyed housing complexes which were used as adhoc bunkers by the defenders, hundreds of dead Egyptians being returned to their families. The Liberals, comfortable in opposition, began preaching pacifism to growing audiences. The Technocrats spoke in hushed tones to business leaders about the costs of the war, and how it'll directly result in greater taxes. This discontent only rose as another round of automation was announced, this time in the once fabled "automation-proof" civil service. Although the only jobs removed were those that were already vacant due to firings, this only made individuals nervous. Indian-designed computer banks were hauled in while the families of those newly permanently-unemployed protested outside. However, completely unrelated in the minds of protestors, civil programs became easier to access, streamlined in execution, and increased in number. The wait times for contacting members of ministries decreased by hours, while cheques made out to individuals saw a radically lowered amount of mistakes. Further, costs of civil administration decreased, somewhat softening the financial outlooks from it's once harsh light.

    These outlooks would only get better as the El-Harir regime, perhaps to spite the rumors spread overseas, showed that it was not a hermit kingdom, just not a Western facing one. Agreements regarding the free transit of goods, or the easing of the movement of people, were signed with Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia, MERCOSUR, India, and Sri Lanka. This slew of successes were noted due to Egypt's democratic, anti-western, and pro-Indian diplomacy. Although the vast majority of these agreements did little to actively improve the life of individuals, the Sudanese agreement was initially pitched as an opener. What the Sudanese government was really interested in was the development of a bullet train from New Cairo to Khartoum, cutting the 52 hour car journey to a 10 hour train, with stops all between. This would be a massive, long-term project, but it would be the first bullet train built in Africa in nearly 20 years. The prestige would be international in scope. Thankfully, the budget was no longer apocalyptic in nature, only being mildly catastrophic.

    As the year was about to end, Egypt was looking both weak and strong. No one knew what 2080 held in store, but it likely included fighting in Libya, as the Battle of Tripoli extended into it's third month.


    Vote:

    Do anything about GNN?
    [ ] Yes; eject them from the nation, foreign press is nothing but an imperialist force.
    [ ] Yes; make their life a nightmare through red tape.
    [ ] No; free press is an enshrined freedom.

    Allow the president to leave the nation on a good will tour?
    [ ] No, it is too dangerous.
    [ ] Yes, but only in the Middle East and North Africa.
    [ ] Yes, but only in Asia and Africa.
    [ ] Yes, let us have our world-wide tour to all our friends.

    The Sudanese have offered us a proposal, shall we take it?
    [ ] Yes; we must work together with our historical, democratic friends.
    [ ] No, we cannot spare the expense.

    Opposition to the regime grows, does the government collapse?
    [ ] No, the left holds.
    [ ] Yes, the Independents break from their President and join the Opposition.
    [ ] Yes, the Communists can rule better.
    [ ] Yes, the Nasserist cannot abide the lack of pan-Arabism.

    OPTIONAL: Are there any other actions which need addressing (x1)?
    [ ] Write In
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] No; free press is an enshrined freedom.
    [X] Yes, let us have our world-wide tour to all our friends.
    [X] Yes; we must work together with our historical, democratic friends.
    [X] No, the left holds.

    What's our budget looking like? I want to settle down military actions and start state building in Cyrenaica, you know, provide housing and food to to the refugees and such, but I don't want to break the budget to do it.
     
    [X] No; free press is an enshrined freedom.

    [ ] Yes, but only in the Middle East and North Africa.
    [X] Yes, but only in Asia and Africa.

    [X] Yes; we must work together with our historical, democratic friends.
    [ ] No, we cannot spare the expense.

    [X] No, the left holds.
     
    Parzival95 said:
    What's our budget looking like? I want to settle down military actions and start state building in Cyrenaica, you know, provide housing and food to to the refugees and such, but I don't want to break the budget to do it.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Mildly catastrophic, so the best it's been in a year.
     
    [X] No; free press is an enshrined freedom.
    [X] Yes, let us have our world-wide tour to all our friends.
    [X] Yes; we must work together with our historical, democratic friends.
    [X] No, the left holds.
     
    Do anything about GNN?
    [X] No; free press is an enshrined freedom.

    Allow the president to leave the nation on a good will tour?
    [X] Yes, but only in Asia and Africa.

    The Sudanese have offered us a proposal, shall we take it?
    [X] Yes; we must work together with our historical, democratic friends.

    Opposition to the regime grows, does the government collapse?
    [X] No, the left holds.

    OPTIONAL: Are there any other actions which need addressing (x1)?
    [X] Work on a Universal Basic Income for the population based on income.
     
    [X] No; free press is an enshrined freedom.
    [X] Yes, let us have our world-wide tour to all our friends.
    [X] Yes; we must work together with our historical, democratic friends.
    [X] No, the left holds.
     
    [X] WRITE-IN. No; free press is an enshrined freedom, but we'll send them a message. An actual message that says 'y u do dis?' with a picture attached:

    [X] Yes, let us have our world-wide tour to all our friends.
    [X] Yes; we must work together with our historical, democratic friends.
    [X] No, the left holds.
     
    [X] Yes; make their life a nightmare through red tape.
    [X] Yes, but only in Asia and Africa.
    [X] Yes; we must work together with our historical, democratic friends.
    [X] No, the left holds.
     
    [X] No; free press is an enshrined freedom.
    [X] Yes, let us have our world-wide tour to all our friends.
    [X] Yes; we must work together with our historical, democratic friends.
    [X] No, the left holds.
     
    [X] No; free press is an enshrined freedom.
    [X] Yes, but only in Asia and Africa.
    [X] Yes; we must work together with our historical, democratic friends.
    [X] No, the left holds.
     
    [X] No; free press is an enshrined freedom.
    [X] Yes, let us have our world-wide tour to all our friends.
    [X] Yes; we must work together with our historical, democratic friends.
    [X] No, the left holds.
    [X] (Write-In) - Working with our friends in Africa and applying the lessons learned from the Sinai and Qattara projects, we will collaborate on research towards developing the Saharan mudsea into a viable region for settlement and farming.
     
    [X] Yes; make their life a nightmare through red tape.
    [X] Yes, but only in Asia and Africa.
    [X] Yes; we must work together with our historical, democratic friends.
    [X] No, the left holds.
     
    [X] No; free press is an enshrined freedom.
    [X] Yes, let us have our world-wide tour to all our friends.
    [X] Yes; we must work together with our historical, democratic friends.
    [X] No, the left holds.
     
    [X] No; free press is an enshrined freedom.
    [X] Yes, let us have our world-wide tour to all our friends.
    [X] Yes; we must work together with our historical, democratic friends.
    [X] No, the left holds.
    [X] (Write-In) - Working with our friends in Africa and applying the lessons learned from the Sinai and Qattara projects, we will collaborate on research towards developing the Saharan mudsea into a viable region for settlement and farming.
     
    [X] No; free press is an enshrined freedom.
    [X] Yes, let us have our world-wide tour to all our friends.
    [X] Yes; we must work together with our historical, democratic friends.
    [X] No, the left holds.
    [X] (Write-In) - Working with our friends in Africa and applying the lessons learned from the Sinai and Qattara projects, we will collaborate on research towards developing the Saharan mudsea into a viable region for settlement and farming.
     
    Seems to be slowing down so I'll close the vote in 24 hrs. Call it 10:00ish 08/07/2021.
     
    Adhoc vote count started by Noroboro on Jul 7, 2021 at 1:36 PM, finished with 17 posts and 13 votes.
    Click to expand...
     
    [X] Yes; make their life a nightmare through red tape.
    [X] Yes, but only in Asia and Africa.
    [X] Yes; we must work together with our historical, democratic friends.
    [X] No, the left holds.
     
    I'll call it there (after delay), I should (should) have something up this weekend (?)
    Scheduled vote count started by Dadarian on Jul 5, 2021 at 2:24 PM, finished with 19 posts and 14 votes.
    Click to expand...
     
    2080; An Attempt
  • Threadmarks

    • An Attempt
    ​
    Overview: Thankfully, the new year was one of good tidings. The government seemed stronger than ever as the individual political components which made up the coalition were all comfortable in their productive co-existence and a lack of parliamentary threat from the opposition. It was in this place of strength that the government sought to challenge itself by the toleration of foreign dissent, most notably the Western-orientated GNN, within Egyptian boundaries. Although disagreements, particularly from loyalists to El-Harir, arose wanting to weak the West's intellectual presence in Egypt alongside economics, they were either convinced or sidelined by the rest of government. They allowed GNN to continue to operate unheeded by governmental interference, and was subject only to normal laws and the whims of the permanently unemployed, ever the source of violence and discontent.

    Perhaps ironically, it would be GNN who would be the ones who broke the news on the Sudanese bullet-train; co-opting the planned news conferences by almost a week. Through confidential sources "within government" GNN's exclusive brought immense positive political and social goodwill to the two nations. With some chagrin, it would be paraded some days after the exclusive as a "monumental piece of engineering and the beginning of permanent, continuous bonds between [Egypt] and Sudan". This was soon followed, in a well-founded attempt to prevent being scooped by GNN again, by the news that another super-project would be founded, which would be the ecological conversion of the mudflats from it's current place as a turmoiled, storm-wrought sea of mud into productive land. Some eyebrows were raised at the idea of settlement and farming, however between the past experiences of the greening of the Suez, cooperation with the Brazilians with regards to Amazonian Savannah, and the Qattara Project, belief and funds were afforded.

    To which, the first news of the Amazonian Project arose. Garbage-strewn and heavily polluted from a mixture of industrial neglect, civil neglect, corruption, and for-profit garbage importation, a semi-private Egyptian-MERCOSUR team had been engaging with local organizations and tribes through paid employees and volunteers. A massive campaign of garbage pick-up, collected, organized, and transported through a charitable supply line to waiting barges on route to clean-energy plants was conducted. Though not a single tree, shrub, or bush has been planted, millions of tonnes of garbage were removed from the savannah. Hope was high, and international donations to the cause quintupled from rich or permanently unemployed citizens throughout the world.

    It was in this spirit that an international goodwill tour was announced. El-Harir, the Eremite of Egypt, was leaving to see his allies and bring this hope to foreign governments. News, domestic and international, reveled in the celebrity. Through his breaking down of traditional barriers, El-Harir made himself world famous. Which, it would turn out, would not be for the best. Successful tours were seen in India, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Tunis. However on his last leg of the Algerian tour, the crowds which fawned over the Egyptian president held a malevolent actor. Pushing himself to the front, his ancient pistol, likely from the days of independence, gave forth three shots before exploding. Screaming in pain, both the President and the newly-fingerless assassin fell. A panic ensues, a crush which left over twenty well-wishers injured and one in critical care.

    Whether by plan or coincidence, this is when the neo-Gaddafist Chadians struck. Satellites captures columns of vehicles, similar to what had aimed for Tobruk the previous year, heading towards Tripoli and the capital of Tauregia, Gao. As the President was flown back to Greater Cairo for critical care, the low-profile Vice President and Joint Chiefs met. What was to be done, as the three months of initial hope were shattered by an assassin's bullet?


    Vote:
    Plan voting is accepted. 18ish hours of discussion prior to opening the voting (opens 08:00 2021/07/13 PST).

    What to do about the Chadians?
    [ ] Write in

    Ask the Algerians to extradite the assassin?
    [ ] No.
    [ ] Yes.

    OPTIONAL: Are there any other actions which need addressing (x1)?
    [ ] Write In
     
    Last edited:
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    • Oof, not sure here. I dunnno about extradition, we can probably trust Algeria to sentence the assassin appropriately.

    Chad, I got not nothing. Try to lockdown the defense of Cyrenaica and hold out maybe, I doubt we're in the position to attack.
     
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