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Confederation Coverage | Issue III Series 2 | April 2019



CONFEDERATION COVERAGE
an imprint of Confederation of Corrupt Dictators
"Justice and Truth, perfectly balanced"


21st April, 2019. Issue III Series 2
Published from the Confedereichstag, 1 Emperor Avenue, 3926, Vocryae, Jocospor

IN THIS ISSUE:


  • Repeal "Liberate CCD"

  • April Fool's explained

  • CCD Discord attacked

  • Hear from Mikeswill

  • Westphalia: Hawks swoop in

  • Pancake Palace opens

  • Budget 2019 revealed

  • Introducing: Civil Congress

  • Valerox exiled

  • 1000 days of Shronok

  • Genomes, adoptions and more

A new Coverage, a new story

VOCRYAE: To all our readers from within and beyond the Confederation, welcome to Issue III, Series 2 of Confederation Coverage. Confederation state broadcasting (CSB) has worked hard to bring you this issue; we're sure you'll enjoy it.

There's yet again been a highly enthusiastic response to CSB's call for submissions. It's wonderful to see some of the Confederation's newest nations sending in their articles to further tell NationStates about their nation. If this is a trend that continues, we'll only be left smiling.

There's a lot going on in Issue III, Series 2. Most exciting for us is CSB's new approach to involving other nations outside of the Confederation. Reporter Brad Jensen of Shronok is renowned for his interviews; in this issue, he spoke with Mike of Mikeswill, NationStates's longest serving World Assembly Delegate. The interview was an absolute delight for all involved parties, and the Confederation feels blessed to enjoy the support of both Mikeswill and NationStates. Otherwise, Confederation Coverage is back with all your favourites - exempting Sean Connery's clone, who's currently deployed on some secret mission.

This last quarter has been a busy time for CSB, but our targets have been met. Readership is trending upwards. Special coverage was delivered during the Congress Chairman's election, to much success. And on that, accusations that CSB skewed the results of that election are unfounded and slanderous.

A less than desirable incident also took place on April Fool's Day, when two CSB employees infiltrated our networks and published the hoax article Jocospor Out. The individuals responsibility have since been dealt with, permanently. I would like to personally apologise for this, and hope no nations were in any way inconvenienced. I trust Issue III, Series 2 will placate any frustrations.

Hail the Confederation!

Judas Lyon, CEO
Confederation state broadcasting


WORLD ASSEMBLY


“Just another swing,” claims Chancellor

ROYAL ULE: Supposedly intended as part April Fool’s joke, part swipe at the WA elite, "Repeal: Liberate Confederation of Corrupt Dictators" caused quite a stir within the World Assembly when the Chancellor of the Supreme Judiciary, Grulain Curronfold of ShrewLlamaLand, submitted the proposal to the Security Council earlier this month.

The Security Council forums were exceptionally active during this time, and the discussions quickly became heated, progressing into mudslinging, guilt shaming, and a distinct lack of understanding that different regions have different regional dialects, ultimately requiring divine intervention.

While the proposal proved exceptionally popular among everyman delegates, requiring less than two days to obtain quorum and reach the voting floor of the Security Council, it was ultimately shot down by several large feeder delegates dropping several thousand votes against it only hours into the vote. With the lemming effect in full swing, the proposal was defeated by a large margin after the five day vote.

But that's just as well, and exactly what we had planned…read the next article! We still love our shiny liberation badge, and we still hope to add to it soon... wouldn't it look fabulous next to a commend?

800 nations; April sees Confederation fool WA Elite (ha ha!)

VOCRYAE: The World Assembly predicted that the Confederation was on the downwards trend, that its days as a regional superpower were numbered. How wrong the World Assembly was.

Only a few days ago did the Confederation achieve a new record of 800 member nations. Right now, the Confederation sits as being NationStates’s 16th largest region (out of 24,381), 14th if puppet and card-farming regions are discounted and 5th if game-created regions (GCRs) are also removed. At the time of writing, there is only 37 nations’ difference between the Confederation and The Communist Bloc; 123 nations’ difference between the Confederation and her eternal rival, Imperium Anglorum's failed democracy of Europe.

His Supreme Majesty, Emperor Emanoel II of Jocospor lauded the efforts of both the Supreme Council and the Imperial Cabinet. “Through collective design and determination, the Confederation continues to climb higher and higher, and there shall not come a day when she ceases to climb.”

(The Confederation's big and only gettin' bigger)

The Supreme Council was particularly overjoyed when the news first broke, celebrating at once with several bottles of Monet & Chardon. They had a right to revel, after all: their ingenious gambit had paid off.

For too long now, the World Assembly and its Elite has significantly underestimated the Confederation’s exploitation of its two chambers: the General Assembly and the Security Council. It is true that the Confederation has never passed a World Assembly resolution, nor has it been particularly influential in determining the outcome of any vote. This might be of any interest if it was so to the Confederation; passing resolutions, as of now, is not our main focus.

The World Assembly, stripped down to basics, is one great, big billboard. It’s advertising space. The Confederation realized that long, long ago. The proposals we have submitted and commented on have only publicized our name far and wide. The Confederation is a common topic of conversation throughout certain circles that outwardly claim not to know of the region’s existence. That’s certainly satisfying.

In the case of the Confederation’s most recent venture into the Security Council, the repeal attempt of SCR#263 was never expected to pass. The Supreme Council cleverly described it as an April Fool’s joke, nothing more. The WA Elite ended up buying this; better, they were of the opinion that the Confederation seriously wanted to repeal SCR#263. How wrong they were.

The liberation against the Confederation will never be repealed: the Security Council honestly believes that it’s too important to throw away, in the off chance that Jocospor might cease to exist. This makes SCR#263 the perfect bartering chip. By raising a repeal motion against it, the Confederation is free to advertise its name free of charge without having to worry about losing its shiny badge.

The advert strategically in place, the Supreme Council authorized the second stage of its plan: a new recruiting campaign, including a tag:all telegram, 50,000 telegrams to new nations, 10,000 telegrams to refounded nations and 5,000 telegrams to ejected nations. In total, 240,000 telegrams were wired. And with everyone already talking about the Confederation, well, needless to say recruitment statistics were overwhelmingly positive.

The World Assembly and its Elite may continue to undermine this Confederation, but it’s this Confederation that continues to make a fool of them. And quite honestly, that suits this Confederation’s agenda just fine. As they say: Hail the Confederation.


FOREIGN AFFAIRS


Sobchak fights off Discord attack, crowned hero

CHARLES ROCK: February the 23rd started out like any normal day in the Confederation’s Discord Server. Representatives from a variety of nations were enjoying a nice chat while going about their daily business. But that peace would soon be interrupted when the server came under an attack by a group of nations taking advantage of the lax security of the Confederation Discord had at that time.

The perpetrators, including prominent nations like Blood wine and Malphe, went about doing many acts of terrorism including but not limited to ping spamming, posting anti-Confederation propaganda, and verbally attacking innocent nations caught in the crossfire. By the time a Supreme Councilor had logged on it was too late. The damage had already been done.

Overseer of the People, Naora Natson of Shronok, was outraged when she saw what took place. “I was furious when I saw what had been done. The fact that a group of our enemies would stoop this low just too attack us is quite sad. It seems the time has come to add extra security measures so something like this is less likely to happen again.”

Naora was greatly assisted by Walter Sobchak of The Chuck in cleaning up the mess left in the aftermath of the attack. Using screenshots compiled by Mark Maples of the United Federation Of Pancakes, Sobchak creating comprehensive logs of what had transpired and had them sent to the appropriate people so the perpetrators would hopefully at least suffer some sort of consequence for what they had done.

Despite not even residing in the Confederation, Sobchak also went along assisting in the reformation of the Discord’s moderation features so an attack like that would be nearly impossible to pull off again. Over the next few weeks, Sobchak would go about assisting in adding Virtual Assistants capable of auto-moderation features and a border control channel so that any person that tries to enter the Discord would have to fill out some verification papers before they are allowed to access the Confederation Discord.

Because Sobchak proved to be an expert on the Discord program, Viceroy of the Confederation, Sir Walter Memmon, saw it fit to bestow Sobchak with Confederation Discord administration privileges, awarding him the title Chief Superintendent of Discord.

“Despite not even being a resident of the Confederation, Walter Sobchak has proved to be one of the most trustworthy people I have ever known. He is worthy of his newly-received honours,” Memmon explained.

Sobchak was also installed as a Hero of the Confederation, First Class for his response to the attack on the Confederation’s Discord. This makes him only the second non-resident to receive the honour (the first being Andrew Campbell of The north american powers) and the first to have never been a resident of the Confederation.

“The Confederation is lucky to have Walter Sobchak and The Chuck as allies. Both certainly deserve all the respect they have been given,” Natson stated.

Mikeswill: Humble but unmatched

AUSTIN: Brad Jensen’s interviews have become something of a frequent and loved occurrence. Confederation Coverage is excited to have commissioned Jensen to embark upon an ambitious program: interviewing some of the biggest names in NationStates. In this issue, CSB brings you the transcript of Jensen’s interview with Mike, leader of Mikeswill, NationStates longest reigning World Assembly Delegate.

(OOC: Mikeswill’s interview was largely conducted out-of-character; this is just how the player behind the nation chooses to play NationStates – an ideal the Confederation heartily supports.)

(Jensen thought it appropriate to interview Mike in a room of a more noble nature)

Brad Jensen: Thank you, Mike, for speaking to CSB and, by extension, the Confederation.

Mike: It’s a pleasure.

BJ: How did you first discover NationStates?

M: I first discovered NationStates in October 2003 when my cousin sent me an e-mail about this political game he had heard about. Given my degree in Political Science he thought I might be interested so I joined. My first flag was that of Albania.

BJ: What was the NationStates region like when you first joined?

M: After I joined, I told another friend about the game and he joined, somehow finding the NationStates which had only around 15 nations at the time. I then created my first puppet, Mikes hope, who flew the Bosnian flag and moved to NationStates. At the time the region had almost died out but was being revitalized.

BJ: Was it your goal to become WA Delegate of NationStates or did it just happen by chance?

M: As Mikes hope, I started recruiting every nation that I saw, often breaking the rules at the time due to my ignorance. I took the WFE and made up a short message which I still use to this day. Back then every message was individually sent so I scrolled through the Pacifics for new nations. As nations joined I posted a welcoming message on the Regional Message Board. Soon, these new nations began endorsing me and within my first month Mikes hope became what was then called UN Delegate.

BJ: Did you ever expect back then that you would still be the region’s Delegate over fourteen years later?

M: Considering that Mikes hope got deleted by moderation the following September, no. Apparently, I had a disagreement with another player and my pursuit of said disagreement over a few regions and using two additional puppets was considered bad taste. Mikes hope and the two puppets were deleted as punishment. This led to a void in the region and two factions emerged. Over the next ten days, I solidified power as Mikeswill and a faction of players moved over to our sister region, NationStates 2 and Free States of Gaia.

BJ: How would you describe the government style of the region?

M: There is no government. In all these years, attempts to create a government have faltered. Part of the problem is that if a player cannot ascend to the top position in a region there is little motivation to work hard in a government when a plethora of alternative regions exist. It is very important to note that NationStates was created before founders were given credit; therefore, we have no founder. Moreover, as the namesake region of the game, I have felt a responsibility to keep the region from the near destruction it experienced just prior to my joining. In order to accomplish this it is imperative that the WA Delegate be exceptionally strong in order to thwart invasions which, in the early days, were ever prevalent. This one fact has driven my gameplay these fifteen years.

BJ: What makes your region unique, in terms of its operation or its beliefs?

M: We are unique in that we are simply chill. No silly role play, prattle, government, or alliance with other regions. Each Nation in the region is free to behave and act as it wishes so long as they do not interfere with other nations’ freedoms. We have posts on Tao, Jeopardy, Nation of the Day, occasional brownies, and sometimes songs.

BJ: What issues you have you encountered during your long delegacy? Have you had incidents involving raiders, or political insurrection on the home front?

M: We have had a few invasions early on, the last of which led me to add an endorsement limit. There was a time when the top invader regions claimed that the region was off-limits given my anti-Security Council stand. I’m not sure how true that position is today.

BJ: Can you talk about that anti-Security Council stand, what this means, for you, your people, and the WA?

M: My stand against the Security Council is due to the arbitrary power of the Security Council (often a popularity voting body) to curtail the password ability of the delegate via a liberation resolution. It is my contention that no outside body has the right to usurp a game created mechanism which in my case as the delegate of a founderless region is my last defense against an invasion. I get it. A region gets invaded and the new delegate is all powerful. But where was the vigilance by the “natives” before the invasion? Founders cease to exist all the time; either strengthen the delegacy or refound the region. But NationStates does not have that luxury. We do not have a founder to resurrect at the last minute to save ourselves. Further, the whole concept of the Security Council came from the defender faction who continually sought to change the rules of gameplay. Every time defenders change the rules, invaders adapted and so more mechanisms were invented. Not all were bad (i.e. influence), but still one-sided. And since I vocalized this disparity, raiders began to like me and defenders not so much.

BJ: Have you ever considered stepping down? If so, did you have a succession plan for the delegacy?

M: When NewTexas was a day behind me regarding the delegate streak, no. But Texas got invaded for one day and his streak was broken a few years ago. I am pretty sure that whatever happens in this game my streak will be the longest ever. But it is hard to let go when enveloped by the notoriety of being the longest standing delegate in the game. NationStates is kind of like my baby and I want to ensure that it continues. And yet it is very possible that my mere existence is limiting the potential of the region. The problem is that as a personality driven region without a government succession is non-existent.

BJ: That’s interesting. On population, the region saw some peaks in 2016. What were these caused by, and have there been any other population highs over your time as delegate?

M: With the exception of the year my mother died, our population numbers have been very consistent with the population cycles of the game. Prior to automated recruiting, our percentage was greater because I worked harder than anyone else in recruiting. Since then the percentages have tanked given the plethora of recruitment messages a new nation receives. On that note, I only target new nations as I want to be considerate on other regions borders. The exception is when another region recruits from NationStates and crosses into my border. Typically the populations of regions spike in the fall and spring, when school is in session.

BJ: What are some of your favorite memories in all your years of playing NationStates?

M: Nothing can top my first year in the game. It was a time when I needed an outlet and the first players who grouped together to make NationStates an enjoyable region were awesome. We had players spanning the globe and two of them from Canada and the UK actually married for a while. Some of us even shared pictures of our real lives to each other. The split in regions changed some of that and then players moved on.

BJ: What do you feel are some of the most notable differences between NS now and when you first started playing it?

M: The forums weren’t as sophisticated or a big deal back in 2003-2004. But other than that, I think the game has evolved rather nicely. I am far more detached than I ever was. With the trading cards, I have joined a Discord and have seen the camaraderie amongst gameplayers equal to my first year experience. Mostly, I’m just an old player whose influence might have been important once but whose presence is slowly fading into obscurity.

BJ: A respected player, certainly. I think we’re nearing the end, Mike. Would you like to share hobbies or interests you enjoy when you aren’t playing NationStates?

M: I am foremost a teacher. My primary hobby is that I am a Competitive Amateur Dancer who has actually won a World Championship or two or three.

BJ: Wow – seriously?

M: True story.

BJ: Incredible. The Confederation’s honoured to speak with someone so successful. What are your opinions on the Confederation?

M: As a leader of a neutral region I am ambiguous as to your Confederation, meaning that as long as it does not interfere with the nations in NationStates, I respect your position and wish you well.

BJ: Then you don’t think there will be repercussions for you directly related to this interview?

M: No.

BJ: Thank you, Mike, on behalf of CSB and the Confederation.

M: Thank you for giving me an opportunity to share my opinions in your publication. I am humbled and grateful for the endeavor.

Hawks raze Westphalia

DUBROVA: Many disturbing events have taken place in the past few months. The Black Hawks have invaded and captured the Confederation's friend Westphalia, and have forcefully ejected many of the natives of the region. The infamous raiding group also carried out several other attacks on regions that share embassies with the Confederation. As a result of these attacks, Sir Dimitri Ivanov of Depackya, Minister for War, ordered and directed several operations to free the Confederation's allies from The Black Hawks' oppression, to much success.

However, Westphalia remains occupied and lawless. Hawk raiders continue to ravage the poor nations that remain, and the future looks bleak unless Chrome Company steps up to assist.

Ivanov invites all able-bodied nations to sign up and join Chrome Company today! Participate in exciting raids, rise through the ranks, and help defend the Confederation and her allies against the repulsive Black Hawks and democratic liberators!

(The prominent Westphalian nation of Xiulens, ransacked by invading Black Hawks)

From the Foreign Office

VOCRYAE: The past quarter had been a busy time for the Confederation. Numerous activities, events, and campaigns had passed, engulfing the Confederation and her member nations. The Foreign Office was no exception, itself having its share of successes and troubles.

First, the Confederation was able to expand its diplomatic relations to 140 regions, which is noteworthy considering that raiders had forced several of the Confederation’s other embassies to close. This was a growth of more than 20 regions since the last flurry of constructions. The Foreign Office remains confident that the Confederation’s diplomatic connections will continue to grow in the future, allowing the expansion of its reach into regions yet unknown.

Second, the Ambassador Program was an ambitious program started by the Secretary of State, Brendan Mendara of Castelia, a few months ago. However, the Foreign Office now regards the project as a mixed blessing. On one hand, it had successfully recruited upstanding individuals as ambassadors. These included George Nastal from Waratendia (now retired), Bartolomé Gallego from The order of the holy inquisitors and Fritz H. Bendler from 2nd imperial german reich.

On the other hand, the original target regions for the Ambassador Program were less than receptive. The Foreign Office found its requests were responded to with hostility, or even outright ignored, much to the consternation of Mendara.

“I would have rather received a letter of rejection than being outright ignored. And even then, a certain Foreign Minister from a certain region had the gall to metaphorically spit in my face, despite my approach being nothing less than civil.”

“This conduct by my counterparts, from regions I would prefer not to mention, is nothing less than unprofessional and uncouth. I had taken efforts to contact them with good faith and civility, and they failed to display even good manners and professionalism.”

Later, Mendara would mention that the Foreign Office would continue the Ambassador Program despite the hostility, as several other regions had expressed interest in the program.

“With any luck, we’ll be able to improve our relations with these regions. Building up good relations with like-minded regions is the Foreign Office’s goal, after all.”

Finally, the biggest triumph of the Foreign Office for the quarter was the successful vassalisation of The Free Mediterranean States. After a short round of negotiations between Mendara and Imperator Acacius Acre, the treaty was finalized and declared official, with Acre serving as the first Proconsul of the region. Mendara had nothing to say on the matter, however.

First casino; pancakes for all

MAPLE WOOD U.F.P.: On March 3rd, the Imperial Pancake Palace officially opened in the United Federation Of Pancakes to an eager public, many of whom had travelled from their home nations just to see what all the hype was about.

“While we figured it would be popular, we didn’t quite anticipate that the crowd would turn out to be as large as it was,” explained Pancake Palace Head of Security Mark Johnson. “Luckily opening night went without any major incident.”

Ironically, the casino itself was an idea proposed by a Walter Sobchak of The Chuck, a nation not even residing within the Confederation. He, along with a group of other people such as Mark Maples of the United Federation Of Pancakes, went to Supreme Councilor Lucius Sulinus of Riakou to possibly see if the Imperial Treasury would fund construction of the casino. What exactly was said within that meeting was never publicly revealed but the funds needed to start construction were secured.

After getting everything organized, they brought in the Super Duper Construction Company of Advanced Building Techniques for the Future (SDCCABT), a company hailing from Castelia known for its advanced building techniques. As a result, construction was completed in record time.

“We figured we needed to get the best we could find,” said Sobchak. “All it took were some extra bribes.”

After deciding to construct the casino in the United Federation Of Pancakes, the executive development board agreed to name it the Imperial Pancake Palace. To this day, the Imperial Pancake Palace has remained profitable and its organizers hope that it can continue to remain successful going forward.

The Imperial Pancake Palace is open for business within the Confederation’s Discord server and includes a wide variety of games and activities. The casino is open to all nations of NationStates, not just those residing within the Confederation. Why not pop down and try your hand?


INTERIOR AFFAIRS


2019 Budget Statement announced
(A breakdown of just where taxed Confederation money is going)

NEW WORTHINGTON: Following a new initiative of the Supreme Council, the Confederation is to release an annual budget to its member nations, published henceforth within Confederation Coverage’s second quarterly issue.

Administration
The government of the Confederation operates at a high efficiency and as such only requires receipt of a miniscule sum. In this financial year there will be a general 1.5% salary increase to all government employees, changes in the pension workplan and car sharing incentives.

Renovations to the east wing of Confedereichstag II, including ambassadorial quarters and recreational areas for foreign dignitaries, will also be made in late September.

Arts
The Confederation is committed to developing its cultural scene. The recently opened Imperial Pancake Palace will receive a loan to be determined by the Treasury, to stimulate its initial prosperity. Artistic projects will be commissioned from a designated fund, including new works by Jocospor’s Ritter von Walsek. The Imperial Symphony Orchestra will also receive a generous pension so that it may give some thought to touring to less-centralised Confederation nations.

Construction
Many new modern projects have been put forward to enhance the cultural and economic value of the Confederation. While we are looking to fund as many projects as reasonably possible and create dynamic, modern city centres, we also hold interest in retaining the natural flavour of countryside villages and delicate renovation of particularly historic buildings.

Demolition will be encouraged of brutalism period architecture, and a certain level of grants will be permitted for new buildings that follow the Confederation’s mandate for neo-futurism and new classical architectures, giving a unified and elegant skyline to a regional cultural capital such as the Confederation.

Defense
Significant contributions have been allocated to our defense budget for this financial year, the Confederation is a global contender and attracts international attention from many other regions of wildly varying sizes, the Imperial Treasury is committed to ensuring the Confederation is equipped to deal with threats that come of such notability.

As we have also been persistently engaged in numerous global peacekeeping operations, the Minister for War, Sir Dimitri Ivanov of Depackya, has actively expressed desire to ensure the continuation and ideally further expansion of these operations, they have been labeled the highest priority by Ivanov to guarantee a proactive approach to conflict, eliminating the potential for conflict before it develops.

The large portion of the defense budget will be allocated to the commissioning of new high-tech naval vessels in a deal struck by Ivanov with Admiral Hina Takan of Regna Loreau. This will support the Confederation in holding on to its global military presence. There will also be a rollout of a newly issued main battle rifle; the Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR) will be issued to all standard infantry ground forces of the Confederation Army. Chrome Company has also received a generous fund to continue its inter-regional operations.

Development Aid
Aid will continue to be paid out to assist in developing weaker nations in the Confederation.

In owing to many new nations there has been a minor dip in the overall economic efficiency in the region. This will be something the Treasury will continually review in the coming year as we look to stimulate the economic growth of these nations. The Treasury looks forward to nations upholding set what targets it sets.

Energy & Environment
The Confederation is committed to developing its renewable energy plan incentives for hybrid and electric cars will be continued, nuclear power will still be the main source of power for the region, the development of a new plant to remove strain on the system from new nations will be pushed in the first quarter.

Self-sustaining communities will be looked at more depending on the level of success of the new housing scheme.

Healthcare
Funding to healthcare to keep costs down is crucial to the Supreme Council. Healthy and productive citizens are the backbone of the Confederation, and hospitals and emergency care will continue to rollout the latest technologies and medicines.

Small clinics for more impoverished areas are planned, but the plans are still in their conceptual phases, health officers are still reviewing the best way to tackle this project and its logistical difficulties.

Housing
The Treasury seeks to fund a newly developed housing project, from the collaborative effort of years of research. A structure designed to house nearly one million people and entirely self-sustainable with all-natural energy sources. Like the great pyramids of old, these megastructures placed in key locations throughout the Confederation will be giant, covering 2.3 square kilometers and able to sustain a community of up to one million people.

The Treasury will be offering two weeks free rent for apartments below a certain value as an incentive for relocation.

International Affairs
Our international priorities this year lie in developing stronger bonds with existing allies, through construction of new embassies, joint military operations and cultural exchange fairs.

Some funding will be allocated to WA assembly drafting, but this will be considered a low priority.

Science & Education
The Imperial Treasury takes a special interest in being a leader in the technological advancement of the world, as such in this financial year the largest expenditure has been given in this sector; this will help the Confederation support its ambitions for the future in aspects such as business, medicine or military.

The main forward focus for our R&D labs will be in bespoke AI technology: while artificial intelligence has followed a consistent trend for several years no, Confederation scientists foresee a shift from stand-alone AI to a collaborative AI network. Artificial intelligence is increasingly providing autonomy in areas such as computing, drones and autonomous vehicles, empowering them to more naturally and efficiently interact with both their surroundings and with people.

Supreme Council Expense
The Supreme Council will be awarded a humble stipend for their business expenses incurred in the line of duty, including items such as the hiring of employees, office fees, transportation, residence, entertaining foreign dignitaries and any other expenses deemed necessary by the mentioned Council, the Imperial Cabinet or His Supreme Majesty, Emperor Emanoel II of Jocospor.

Transport
The magnetic levitation railway, dubbed the Lightning Rail, will continue to be constructed in this year; the plan sees the Supreme Council’s capital cities linked by an ultra-high speed railway. An overhaul of commercial aircraft flight plans will also take place, ensuring transportation via the sky remains efficient and safe.

Workforce
The Confederations workforce has never been stronger and unemployment is at its lowest levels in 60 years. However, a commitment in the jobs of tomorrow must be upheld, and predicting what job roles will exist in the years to come is important for staying ahead of the curve.

Investment in the fundamental key skills in the modern working environment will be a priority in the coming year, and free government sanctioned computing and technology courses will be offered to those over 40 years of age.

Democracy More corruption hits Confederation

VOCRYAE: On February 1st of 2019, Chancellor Grulain Curronfold officially signed the Civil Congress Act 2019 into law. The Civil Congress, as defined in the preamble of the legislation, is a “voting body that has the ability to define the Confederation's social scene without interfering politically.”

While it was conceptualized as early as 2017, the idea didn’t gain traction until early 2019, when it was decided that the Confederation needed to provide interactive opportunities for non-governmental nations, along with further encouragement for nations to join the World Assembly.

Some were skeptical when the Civil Congress Act first passed. Though, that skepticism wouldn’t last long. The more people learned, the more people grew to accept the fact that the Confederation needed something that could provide its many loyal non-governmental nations with a chance to help define the region’s social scene. It also helped that its creators admitted that it was more or less designed to mock the concept of democracy.

Shortly after the Civil Congress Act was signed into law on the first of February, it was announced that the Office of the Overseer would start accepting nominees from World Assembly Confederation nations for the election of the first Chairman of the Civil Congress. Many nations put names forward. Edan Guthrie of Tertania was one such candidate who, despite being very qualified for the position, only managed to receive a single vote by the time the election came.

Judging by the Regional Message Board posts at the time, it seemed at first that the people who had the highest chance of becoming the first Chairman were Benjamin Perise of Morover and Allende de Cristóbal of the now defunct Airstrip nine. Perise’s eloquent style of speaking proved to be popular with many throughout the region and Allende’s ability to appeal to the region’s sense of pride made him quite popular with many.

Then in a shocking development, de Cristóbal withdrew from the election and threw his support behind Perise. As the election officially started on the fourth of February, it seemed like Perise would run away with the election. But then Khanbaliq Mongolia’s Udutai Choban started to gain some traction.

An experienced politician, Choban worked very hard on his campaign and managed to put himself out on the spotlight. Choban would later say “I think it helped that I had over 50 years of experience in the field of politics. I served in Khanbaliq Mongolia’s Department of Foreign Relations, which gifted me a wealth of knowledge in political and legislative proceedings and Foreign Relations, with the final 5 years of it as the Foreign Secretary, then later the Secretary of State for the remaining 25 years, which gave me a seat on the Imperial Kurultai of my nation, the top advisory council of the nation, second only to the Khan.”

With several key endorsements, including that of the Viceroy of the Confederation, Sir Walter Memmon, Choban managed to finish with the most votes by the time the election was over. But because Choban failed to get a majority of the total votes, a run-off election was put into place between Choban and Perise.

This idea was controversial, but according to section V.III of the Civil Congress Act of 2019 it was mandated. While Perise managed to have the lead for a little while, the Office of the Viceroy’s endorsement of Choban ended up giving him the needed support to officially be elected as the first ever Chairman of the Civil Congress.

Choban has maintained excellent success in getting his motions passed through the Civil Congress so far. He has managed to pass all 10 of his motions so far, the details for which can be found here.

Not only have his motions been passing, they have been passing by a landslide. Besides The great beaver consistently voting against many of Choban’s motions, there have been no signs of anyone expressing any sort of disappointment with him so far.

Then again, that seems to be mostly because he has managed to avoid being controversial at all. This seems to be at the expense of any sort of real progress being made in the region’s social scene. Perhaps, with his four previous motions having “recommended” Confederation Supreme Councilor’s home nations, one could argue that he may be using these to gain favor within the region’s government, so he can try to gain more power within the region with future motions.

After all, if he can gain their support, what’s to stop him from passing what would be considered controversial motions in the future? We’re only a little more than halfway through his first term and we have yet to see any indication that there will be any major obstacle to his bid for re-election in June.

Salt mines are in season, poll reveals Chancellor

ROYAL ULE: The Supreme Judiciary had a relatively quiet period over the past few months, with only a single Inquisitional Hearing taking place. Inquisitional Hearing #26220119 saw The Corporate Conglomerate of Valerox charged with some of the most serious offenses in the history of the Supreme Judiciary: insurgence against the Supreme Council, conspiring to overthrow the Supreme Council, inciting dissent against the government of the Confederation, obstructing the course of justice, and defying specific directives of the Supreme Council.

This was no ordinary hearing, and was conducted in rather unusual circumstances - the nation in question is one of the Confederation's oldest, and despite multiple, repeated offenses, Valerox continued to swear loyalty to the Confederation.

While these offenses would, in more normal circumstances, be more than enough to warrant permanent banjection from the Confederation, the Chancellor decided to test this nation's loyalty by offering them a choice: three months in Vangmar, the longest sentence ever handed out to a guilty nation, and the stripping of the nation's title as Hero of the Confederation, First Class; or banjection.

To the surprise of many, including the Chancellor himself, Valerox chose to serve out their sentence, and after 84 days in Vangmar it is expected the nation will return to the Confederation in a week's time.

Finally, the Chancellor wishes a warm welcome to all newly arrived nations, and encourages all our new members to familiarize themselves with the law of the Confederation, specifically the Imperial Law and RMB Act which can be found in the Confederation's World Factbook entry.

1000 days of Shronok

(Celebrations erupt across Shronok to mark its monumental Confederation residency milestone)

SHRONOK CITY: The nation of Shronok celebrated 1000 days in the Confederation on March 12th of 2019. Notable for being the home nation of the Confederation’s Overseer of the People and Confederation Coverage Co-Editor, Naora Natson, Shronok currently ranks first in the region for having the longest consecutive residency streak for a nation in no way affiliated with Jocospor. The Office of the Viceroy, acting on orders from Sir Walter Memmon, saw fit to recognize this with a congratulatory post on the Confederation’s Regional Message Board:

“Congratulations to Shronok, a proud and loyal nation which today celebrates its 1000th day in the Confederation. We greatly appreciate all the work that the Overseer does for us, and we know the region would be worse off without her.”

In response to the invitation to make a statement on the occasion, Natson gave a well-received speech outside Confedereichstag II in Vocraye, Jocospor. The transcript of this speech was then distributed across the region. The full transcript for this speech can be found on the Confederation's Regional Message Board.

Last “pre-genome” man dies; new era for Nachfolgia

STURMGEISTBURG: Citizens of the Reichsmilitarstraat are out in celebration today as news of Bastian Nemetz's death at the age of 102 has reached national news outlets across the Reich.

Bastian Nemetz, a lifelong resident of Münzenholz, was the last Nachfolgian alive that didn't possess the 387-A genome. Born just a few weeks before the introduction of the genome, Nemetz and citizens born before him were the latter part of a genetically different citizenry than the citizenry born just nine months later, dubbed the ‘old Nachfolgians.’ Although this time frame is small, the gap in the generation is wide due to the population control that was implemented to introduce the 387-A genome.

The 387-A genome, or the Purity Genome as it been known as, was manufactured in 1917 by the late Dr. Stanislaus Döhl. Döhl, the then Chief Genetic Scientist at Nachfolgia’s National Bio-Tech Center, was dedicated to discovering the secrets of the human DNA strand and how it worked in creating genetic disease in the hopes to prevent then. After years of research and intensive studys and tests, Döhl was able to map out and clone the human DNA strand, eventually creating an entire new DNA strand, the 387-A genome.

With the pre-genome generation now entirely deceased, Döhl's manufactured genome is now effectively in 100% of the national population, marking the end of genetic disease in Nachfolgia. Unfortunately, news of this has come 60 years after the death of Döhl in 1959. His legacy lives on, however, in the National Genetic Monitoring Service (NGMS), an organization Döhl established to monitor and study the genome as it progressed through the populace over the years to come.

In response to the news of Nemetz's death, Obersterfuhrurin Angelika von Sturmgeist called a press conference in front of NGMS Headquarters in Sturmgeistberg, the site of Döhl's statue that was erected in 1961. The Obersterfuhrurin said:

"While I offer my condolences to Herr Nemetz's family, this is marks a new era in our history. We are no longer genetically bound to our ancestors and thus no longer plagued by the genetic diseases they faced daily. We are the new definition of human."

In the same press conference, the Obersterfuhrurin announced that the Reich would share its eugenics technology with other member nations of the Confederation, just days after the Reich's admittance as a member. This came as a surprise to many Nachfolgia, as the Reichsmilitarstraat has held an isolationist policy throughout most of its history.

A funeral pyre will be held for Herr Nemetz on Friday in his hometown of Münzenholz.

Project Kremlin begins

MACEN: As the Department of Transport has considerable influence in the glorious Confederation of Corrupt Dictators, the Department has recently initiated Project Kremlin, a mega-infrastructure project to transport nuclear weapons, planes and other military weapons across the Confederation through an army of aircraft carriers. Due to the Confederation's accolade-winning military strength, the Department of Transport decided on a military-based transport project as its next task to tackle for the massive region.

There were an enormous amount of problems with this huge project, which made it a logistical nightmare. Not only did it require regular military crews and supplies from Ingostan, who happily supported the project, the Department also needed immense productivity levels to execute its plans for Project Kremlin.

With Ingostan's formidable military prowess and the Department's enormous ambition and fierce working standards for its employees and contractors, the project was completed in no less than a month, while most military transport projects may take up to half a year at least.

(One of the aircraft carriers commissioned for Project Kremlin)

Arka Vandez, the Head of the Department of Transport for the Confederation, marked the commencing of Project Kremlin as a marvelous achievement for the region and the Department and said that there have been no major problems with the Confederation's new transport system as of yet.

The Department sees possibilities of conquering new heights for the Confederation and hopes that this project will create a spark that ignites a fire of prosperity for the region.

Calling all (peaceful) nations

MAPLE WOOD U.F.P.: Does your nation have what it takes to join the Confederation Peace Force (CPF)? If so, you’re in luck. The CPF is currently accepting membership applications. Help nations with their internal troubles, explore new frontiers, enforce “peaceful” agendas – you can do all this as a member of the CPF.

The CPF's past operations have been numerous. It has been mobilised to deal with various cases of unrest across the Confederation, including but not limited to the extended crises in Max1and and Winter gulley.

The CPF was an initiative orchestrated by the United Federation Of Pancakes's John Jacobs, Field Marshal of the Confederation Imperial Army, and quickly gained traction throughout the Confederation.

The Viceroy of the Confederation, Sir Walter Memmon, was quick to endorse the CPF when approached by CSB reporters. "The program is one that has great potential, and both the Supreme Council and Imperial Cabinet believe it will ensure continued stability throughout the region for years to come."

Minister for War, Sir Dimitri Ivanov, also approved the the CPF. "The work of Field Marshal Jacobs is exemplary. The Confederation is in his debt."

In accordance with its international peace-keeping policy, the CPF has already significantly reduced the region's crime rate, working closely with the Confederation Police Unit and the Confederation Secret Police to thwart the operations of those who would seek to undermine the Confederation.

File your application here, and for more information on the CPF, see this factbook.

All applications must be telegrammed to the United Federation Of Pancakes. And remember: the CPF is the only organization where you can violently enforce the peace!

Revolutionary weaponry for Confederation

SHANGXIANG: On 15 April 2019, as Titanic Day was celebrated in Scherzinger, Liliana von Goetze successfully tweaked and installed the particle glassing canon on High Charity II, to deal with the backwards thinking, democracy loving nations that infect NationStates.

During the gathering in ShangXiang, von Goetze decided that, while she had ensured that the pride of Scherzinger's technological prowess remained the weapon of the Confederation, it was time to give the same to the Confederation military. von Goetze has been working on a small project for the last three years that will revolutionize military firearms for years to come: she has designed a weapon that is powerful enough to atomise its target, whlst being safe and portable enough to replace standard assault rifles.

"Recently,” said von Goetze, “I have been thinking, what if I can shrink High Charity II’s glassing canon down to a compact size for the armed forces of the Confederation to use? Certainly, I can, if I make some adjustments, shrink it down and dab down the energy fluctuations, while making the system itself compatible in single, semi, and fully automatic fire, as well as classify separate powers for separate classifications of weapons.”

“For example, a Particle Plasma Sniper Rifle would have a high amount of raw energetic power, while a Particle Accelerated Pistol may carry a charge that is significantly weaker, but accomplishes the same goal. One must also take into account the danger of these weapons, for a misfire could severely change the wrong person's life. I am talking about possibly atomizing and dissolving solid matter after all.”

With these questions surely already answered well in advance of this interview, Goetze Manufacturing has developed the Particle Acceleration Weapon, or the PAW-II. This weapon is similar to High Charity II’s glassing weapon, in the sense that it fires an accelerated particle beam projectile. However, unlike the canon, the PAW-II fires in energized rounds, instead of one solid beam. It has semi and full auto and upon impact, atomizes the target in the affected area; instead of going clean through to infinity.

However there is a problem. "I have but a few prototypes of my new weapon that are unproven and will have little to no effect if I cannot test them. If I test them in ShangXiang, and they are successful, then I am only testing my weapons in one controlled environment. If I send them to the cold regions of Regna Loreau or a humid area in Riakou or even a desert somewhere in The fascist waffle empire, and they don’t work, then I have wasted time as well as a massive amount of Confederation Resources.”

The Confederation stands ready to commit itself to von Goetze’s developments, with Viceroy of the Confederation, Sir Walter Memmon of Jocospor, describing the initiatives as “exciting and groundbreaking.”

War ends; Commissioner dead

SAN ANTONIO: The end of the Southern Civil War has come, and horrifying details from the Supreme Leader following an immense attack on the San Antonio government building have since emerged.

Today, the 15th of April, brings both good news and bad news for our glorious nation.

The good news: the Southern Civil War has officially ended, as all the rebels were crushed under the might of our alliances. We wish to hold a banquet to all Confederation nations at the Alamo in celebration.

Now, quoted here, is the bad news from a speech by Leader Erin Blaire:

"My dear Confederates, tragedy has struck in both my family and in The Dixie Confederate Union. The Dixie government building here in San Antonio was bombed by Union rebels shortly before the ending of the civil war, and many were killed. The saddest death of them all, I am afraid to say, was my husband and Commissioner of the Confederation Police Unit, Gerald R. Lee. Today will be a day of mourning, and no commercial business will be conducted."

The Dixie Confederate Union will shortly announce who will take Lee’s place as Commissioner of the Confederation Police Unit.

Supreme Diviner reassures

MT EREBUS CITY: The evening after interrogation of the captured Gray Entropy anarchists concluded, Riphe Aretung, Supreme Diviner of the Dictatorship of earth, made a televised speech in the Capital's downtown.

“My countrymen, today is a sad day in our great nation. Today, forces seeking to topple our country struck at the heart of our City. We lost many patriotic and brave Earthians.”

“This will not stand. Those who were behind this act of terror will not escape consequence. As we speak, our police forces are already searching for traitors and foreign spies among us. Retaliation will come swift and without mercy. We will give the Gray Entropy the freedom and justice they want, which will be earned in death.”

“They also seek to bring chaos and destruction to our allies in the Confederation, which we will not allow to happen. We will fight side by side with our allies to wipe this scum and everything they stand for off the face of the planet.”

“Have faith in yourselves. We are a people that are strong and unshakable. I will not rest until peace is restored to our nation. We will prevail. Hail the Confederation, and good night."

ISSA and the Rift

BLOODBATH: Recently, the Small Scientist opened up a high class group of scientists called the Imperial Society of Scientific Advancement (ISSA), with the approval of the Viceroy of the Confederation, Sir Walter Memmon of Jocospor. This group is dedicated to improving the scientific discoveries within the Confederation.

(The ISSA's facilities are some of the most developed and sort after in all of NationStates)

The positions of the ISSA are held by the Small Scientist of Krvava koupel, Dr. Mikhail Kennewick of Rossiyaana, Walter Gerlach of the 2nd imperial german reich, Dr. Yekaterina Arlovskaya M.D. of Castelia , Khours Ra'an of The aktani order, and Ferre Snyers of Redluin.

As of now, the ISSA is going through a small overhaul in hopes to make it more unique and worth it to get in. As of April 18th, the ISSA has dedicated its time in figuring out the ominous codes coming from the most dangerous and undiscovered parts of the Rift, a mysterious entity present within Krvava koupel. More on this Rift will be coming at a later date.

Who’s bad?

PORT CASH: On exactly 21 January 2019, newly appointed Commander of Chrome Company Bad wolfe stepped down from his position in the unorthodox method of leaving the discord and the region as a whole. The cause of this scandalous behavior was a time zone mix-up where Bad wolfe entered a target region a day before the raid was scheduled, effectively ruining the operation. This abrupt action has branded him a traitor to the Confederation and a disturber of the peace.

The official order that branded Bad wolfe a traitor came from the Minister of War, Sir Dimitri Ivanov of Depackya, himself.

This act has certainly left a stain on the bond between the Company’s raiders, however a small stain nonetheless. The High Commander of Chrome Company, Cameron DeLong of Delongtasia, gave a quick insight on the incident:

“What’s done is done. Bad wolfe is now a traitorous nation, no doubt about it. I personally am grateful his true colors were revealed sooner rather than later in a more urgent situation. In the future, the leadership of Chrome Company will be sure to appoint only truly loyal raiders up to a prestigious rank like Commander.”

Bad wolfe was the first, but sadly not the last to take such action. The free islands of independence pulled a similar stunt whilst holding the position of Commander. Their records have since been erased from Chrome Company also.

Fortunately, Bad wolfe has now ceased to exist, an empty, irrelevant shell for the members of the Confederation to forget, but certainly not forgive.

A new face for loving parents

PORT HARUNA: Four months have passed since the elegant marriage of Barefoot Empress Takao I of The barefoot anime girls and now-Empress Rosehip Bellator, and the Confederation had previously mentioned its eagerness to see the child of the new couple. However, a simple biology class will remind us that two women cannot make a child by themselves.

Empress Takao had no real aspirations to become pregnant, since she liked her perfect form. Since Takao had some very close friends of hers, she went out with her wife and adopted a family. On the 12th of April, Takao announced the newest additions to the official Royal family. Adopted daughters Kei, Riko, and Maki were officially declared daughters of The barefoot anime girls, with Kei, the first adopted daughter, being declared Princess Takao II of The barefoot anime girls.

Kei accepted this title graciously, though most still call her by her given name, out of respect for her wishes. Takao has expressed that she does indeed hope that these daughters of the nation are adequate for the Confederation.


Confederation Coverage is brought to you by Shronok, Confederation state broadcasting, the offices of the Social Assembly and the community of Confederation of Corrupt Dictators. Enquiries should be sent to Shronok.

Printed with the express permission of the Viceroy of the Confederation, His Excellency Sir Walter Memmon. Authorised by the Imperial Palace, Jocospor. Copyright 2019.

HAIL THE CONFEDERATION!


Confederation state broadcasting

Edited:

RawReport