NationStates and NIP

[minkajane]

If you're not familiar with the concept, "Jennifer Government: NationStates is a nation simulation game. You create your own country, fashioned after your own ideals, and care for its people. Either that or you deliberately torture them. It's really up to you." That's in the words of the creator. I have a country and this issue came before me for my decision today.

ETA: I've been asked to edit this to comply with MDC's copyright policy, so unfortunately the witty writing will have to go, since I can't provide a link to this particular issue. I will shorten the three options and a link to the NationStates homepage.

The Issue
A young mother was recently thrown out of a restaurant in Harianda for publicly breastfeeding her baby and 'upsetting the customers'. There are now demands for the government to state their position on the issue.

The Debate

1. "We should have a perfect right to feed our babies where we want and when we want without fear of harassment from anyone," declares Catherine Gratwick, a likewise young mother.

2. "I think it's just wrong, wrong, wrong," says Freddy Jong-Il, in reply to an online survey.

3. "I'm not against mothers breastfeeding in public," says George W. King, a manager of human resources. "But what I find objectionable is that women could be allowed to breastfeed at the workplace when they should be doing more productive things like, well, working."

Wanna guess which one I chose? We'll see tomorrow what kind of effect this has on my country.

Here is the NationStates page.
http://www.nationstates.net/

[Caden's Mom]

Interesting. I haven't gotten that one yet.

[ThreeBeans]

So other people on line are your citizens? How do you get them?

[minkajane]

No, it's not really like that. Basically, you get a certain amount of issues each day/week (however you set it up) like the one above and choose which option you want. This will change the economy and politics of your country. They also have forums where you can do some role-playing as the ruler of your country (declare war and whatnot), but the forums have no bearing on your actual country. Google NationStates if you want to check it out.

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

Sounds like fun!

[MamaVolpe]

I just got my own NationState and I am all excited. I cant wait to get more issues. I want to join their UN and so I can submitt suggestions for legislation such as Breastfeeding Laws, Genital Mutilation Bans (circumcision) and other such fun stuff. This looks like it is going to a lot of fun. I have already started imagining how I would rule the world now I get to do it. He he, sort of.

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

I joined the other day to!

[JamieCatheryn]

Wow, that's still up? I played that for a little while YEARS ago, but it was still in early development so the options ran out fast and I got bored. Basically everybody has a country and options come up for you to make decisions on, your choices define the style of government your country has.