I'm hoping to submit my first NS issue and I'd appreciate some constructive feedback to help maximize my chances of getting it selected. Your feedback would be appreciated.

This topic builds upon issue #532 Desert Island Risks (Warning: potential spoiler: https://nsindex.net/wiki/NationStates_Issue_No._532)

Title: Shell No! Covert Corporations Have Got To Go!

Issue Summary
Legal battles continue over the “Manamana Memos,” a cache of leaked documents detailing how various world leaders used shell corporations in that tiny island nation to engage in all kinds of shady dealings. You return from a ribbon cutting ceremony at a kitten orphanage to discover your personal legal team waiting for you. They inform you that your regularly scheduled “Lunch with Mom” has been bumped due an urgent matter: you’re about to be implicated by court testimony linked to a shell corporation in Manamana.

Option 1
“No need to panic,” assures your lead personal attorney and fixer, Scott Free, as he slithers up next to you. “We can just draft a press release that the corporation was established for legit purposes to protect your personal trade secrets and intellectual property. If the press goes snooping around and asks for details, we can just reply coyly, ‘It’s a secret’ and leave it at that. By the way, if anyone asks how you learned so much about vat-grown meat, just smile politely and change the subject.”

Result: Political pundits on TV are taking bets on how long @@Leader@@ can keep playing the shell game with the public.

Option 2
“Um- Do you really think that will be enough?” chimes in Patsy McFall, your loyal Personal Accountant of several years. “I mean the people are really upset about corruption at the highest levels; they are tired of seeing bigwigs at the top constantly getting away with bad behavior. If your name comes out in court tomorrow, I guarantee the scandal won’t go away until some goes to jail or gets fired.”

Result: In recognition of her years of loyal service, Patsy has been quietly reassigned to a turkey farm on the outskirts of @@Capital City@@. You send a card, unsigned, that reads: Wishing all the best in this exciting new career opportunity.

Option 3
“It’s like you’re purposely trying to do everything besides fix the problem,” accuses your Deputy Minister of Justice, Gung Ho. “Look, in order to separate yourself from other ethically-compromised leaders already tainted by scandal, you need to extract your assets from shell corporations and pay any legal penalties. Then tell the legislature you will sign a law requiring transparent disclosure of the names of all officers of corporations and make all tax returns a matter of public record. Why not call the law the Shell Manipulation Anti-Corruption and Kleptocracy Act?

Result: Passing the SMACK Act is one of @@Leader@@’s signature accomplishments this year.

Option 4
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing,” exclaims your jilted mother, lurking from the hallway with hunger in her eyes. “I taught you better than that. You need to do what’s morally right. Apologize for anything you knew or should have known was wrong, and accept responsibility for your consequences. If the people accept you as their leader, you might still keep your job, but if not, well, I’ll still visit you in prison.” She sighs. “Now, how about I just heat up some soup for us, huh Dear?”

Result: Investigative reporters reveal the “sincere” apology delivered on live TV was actually authored by @@Leader@@’s mother.

09 am, Shen embassy, Hutizica, Xiomera.

Zhu Qing knew that it was going to be one of those days. He was already on his third cigarette and his second cup of coffee and it wasn't even 11 yet.

The 51-year-old ambassador to xiomera, from one ancient empire to another, always felt like he had some innate sense of when something bad was going to happen. Those feelings started with something small. He forgot to set his alarm. The drive to the Embassy was marked with more traffic. Or he couldn't shake the morning funk with his usual routine of a single cigarette and a cup of coffee, having to resort to a much higher dose of the two stimuli to keep his brain working. But whenever small little things, started to go wrong it was an omen. Something far larger was just on the horizon.

The Ambassador was just sitting at his desk editing a small speech he was going to give at an electronics trade show when his premonition came to be.

As he was editing and rewriting the last few lines of the speech, his bad omen came to pass. The sound of loud voices yelling, with tones of shock and confusion filled the building. The shouting rattled the steel supports of the embassy.

The sound of high heels against wood came clicking down the hallway. The Ambassador closed his laptop and adjusted his glasses as the doors burst open. One of the younger people on staff, a recent graduate named Sun Yuan, burst through the door.

Any groggy tired feeling in the Ambassador disappeared in a moment as he stared at the young woman's face. Her face had all the color drained from his. Ghostly pale. Like staring at the surface of the Moon. Her eyes were dilated. A vivid green ring shrunk to the lowest diameter. Orbiting around black balls awestruck in there Stillness.

Her mouth was agaze. Her jaw still open from whatever had put her in this state. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, calming herself.

" sun… what's wrong?" the ambassador said, his face beginning to mimic her expressions. shock becoming a contagion spreading on its own.

" It's the Emperor! He's been shot!"

"What!?" The Ambassador said shooting upward, adding his voice to the cavalcade of chaos that the embassy was rapidly deteriorating into as the news spread from bureaucrats to bureaucrat.

" what happened? Is he alive?"


" I...I don't know sir. The stories were getting are Inconsistent. All we know is that he is being rushed to a hospital right now"

The Ambassador nodded. he took in one single deep breath, holding it for a moment to relax. His face grew stern. A sneer of cold command directed outwards towards the young bureaucrat as he reached down for the phone on his table.

As he typed out a phone number, he looked back up to Sun.

" Get in contact with the Cultural Ministry, Bureau of news and information, television branch. Use my identity code to get to the people in charge of the Morning News broadcast. Tell them what's happened and pass on any relevant information to them."

He picked up the phone and put it to his ear. Waiting till he heard a familiar voice, asking why she was being called at this early hour.

"Foreign minister, I'm sorry to wake you, but there is a situation developing in Xiomera "


6:31 am, heavens palace, Celestial Palace complex, shen Empire.

Shi Riue sat in the hallway outside of the east sitting room in the heavenly Palace. The most important Palace within the complex of palaces, temples and other buildings known as the Celestial Palace. For this Palace served as the home of the reigning sovereign.

The foreign minister looked down at her cell phone. Seeing if any new messages were coming in from her office or the embassy in Xiomera. None so far. The situation hadn't changed. The Emperor was in the hospital and there was no word on whether he would live or die.

The assailant was apparently in custody. While that brought the promise of Justice the foreign minister didn't think that would bring much ease of mine to the empress. Her friend dying in a hospital bed wouldn't be softened by the knowledge that the man who put him in there would also die.

Her trial of thought was interrupted when the door to the sitting-room finally opens. One of the blind servants of the Empress emerged, an old man without a single spot of hair on his head.
" the empress will see you now, "

The foreign minister put her cell phone back in her handbag, adjusted the outer layer of her black silk robe and then finally walked in.

The sitting room was a relatively small (one could even say cozy) room compared to the others found within the Heavenly Palace.

There were several couches arranged in a semi-circle around a coffee table. behind the couches were three Windows which looks out on the Grand River and the Jade Gardens directly behind the palace.

Directly opposite the semicircle was a slightly raised platform with a large lounge chair. And in that lounge chair sat a woman wearing green flowing silk. Lightly wrapping around her old and skeletal frame. A Black Crown rested on her head. The crown rose up a few inches and was held in place by a haircut. there was a short flat extension to the top, and hanging off of it was a piece of gold silk, obscuring the face of the woman.

The god empress, Wu Zhou.

Foreign minister shi dropped to her knees in front of the raised platform. Resting her rear against the back of her knees in a sign of respect towards her sovereign.

" My Empress. I apologize for waking you this early"

" If this matter is as urgent as you would have me believe we have little time for apologies minister" the woman replied, her voice coming from behind the silk sheet. An old and raspy voice. Cold and stern, as a breeze in a blizzard. Quiet but still very much in command, even after 83 years of life. 65 of which had been spent on the throne.

"So speak"


" yes, my Empress. " the minister responded as she bowed her head. “Emperor Topilpopoca has been shot”

“What?” she said in a harsh and sudden tone, that face obscured behind a silk screen twisting into a look of horror. Dilated eyes and lips pursed slightly as a shocked exhale caused ripples to form in the silk.

"... tell me what happened."


" as we briefed you yesterday your majesty, emperor Topilpopoca was meeting with a group of environmentalists. He was making a press statement in front of the Palace of flowers when an assailant pulled a gun and shot him"

The empress was quiet for a moment. She turned her head to the window staring out onto her Jade Garden. Inside where 12 large statues each depicting the 12 animals of the zodiac. From her window, she could see the top of the Towering Jade Dragon that watched over the garden.

"...damn fool. I always told him that he was most vulnerable during events like that” she shook her head and turned back to the minister

“Is he alive?”

“Yes, Empress, but...barley. He was taken to the imperial military hospital. We have no other news on his condition, but ambassador Zhu has tried to get information on his condition. That's really all we have so far."


Empress Xu, nodded in affirmation.

"... this is a most concerning development. I assume that you've authorized the ministry of culture to disseminate the information to the citizenry? "

" yes, Empress. The story is scheduled to be released at 7 am. It'll be the top story for the hour with continual coverage as more information comes in"

" Good...good… I'd like to draft a statement to be released. Topilpopoca may be a stubborn bastard, but I considered him a friend, and have for many years. I'm going to draft a statement on the issue. Have it read aloud during the broadcast.”

She returned to looking out the window, staring at the jade dragon, the symbol of the power of the monarchy, the world over.

This world was once filled with dragons. But over the years more and more of them had pasted. And in this morning one of the world's last dragons stared out the window silently praying that the world wouldn't lose another one.



7 am, sea salt coffee house, Sing Se, Shen


The morning rush was just beginning in earnest, as the clocks finally struck 7. the morning symphony played on as shoes scuffed across the floors, warm coffee flowed from one container into another, men and women quietly nibbled on their pastries and donuts between sips of hot tea. And behind all of it was the simple white noise of the television playing the morning news. Some minor story about flooding causing a delay of a few cargo trains bringing materials from the mines in the south of the country to the factories in the center and North.

The story only got a few heads paying attention to the screen. It was ultimately irrelevant to the vast majority of people. A few hours delay on a shipment of minerals wasn't going to affect anyone who wasn't working at the Mills and refineries.

But soon all the heads began to turn towards the television as the news came on.

" We have breaking news coming out of Xiomera. There has been an attempt on the life of Emperor Topilpopoca. I repeat, Emperor Topilpopoca has been shot. Reporters at the site of the incident said that he was shot from the crowd during a press event. He was rushed to the hospital where he is believed to be in critical condition. at this time there have been no official statements from the Xiomerian about the emperor's condition. The God Empress has which I will read to you right now." The woman in her pink dress unfolded the small piece of paper laying it out over the tables before reading it

" the news of the assassination attempted, against Emperor Topilpopoca, shakes me to my very core. In our years of rule, I have come to know the Emperor, as a friend, and trusted ally. His life of devout service to his nation has been a model, that many would do well to follow. I pray that heaven sees fit to open its Gates and shine blessings upon the Emperor during his roads to recovery and that its divine fury finds its way onto the coward who would strike down a leader like this. when we come across moments of struggle, it's important to remember what makes a nation strong. And one of those things is loyalty. In this time of crisis for the people of Xiomera, the Shen Empire stands beside them as their loyal Ally.

Signed her Imperial Majesty, God Empress Wu Zhou.”


The customers and vagrants in the coffee shop, all stared on with distress, at the screen.

Someone had just tried to kill one of the Dragons. And to them, it made the world outside of Shen seem a little less safe.

I, the International Democratic Union States Assembly Speaker and International Democratic Union Culture Minister do humbly suggest the creation of the following festival/ceremony to you all.


[spoiler=Original Proposal (September 2019)]

The Anglian-Saxian government call for tighter relationship with Launchenoria

In this wednesday (04/09), in a meeting with the Diplomatic Council,the President of Anglia-Saxia,David William,announced:''I'm willing to have official diplomatic relations with more nations. We can't live only in isolation,not to mention that our economy would greatly benefit of international trade. Major powers are our priority. Launchenoria would be the first,and we will gladly align with the previoulsy mentioned country in economic and diplomatic questions,however always promoting peace.''
The Vice-President Andrew Shiao mentioned that David plans an embassy in Launchenoria and an meeting with Josephine Alvarez to sign economic treaties,if it pleases Josephine. Perhaps it's the end of the diplomatic isolation of Anglia-Saxia?

By Charles Heston,04/09/19

The IDUSA Hall

Welcome to the IDUSA Assembly Hall! This thread is your permanent general thread for discussing all things IDUSA.

What Belongs Here

• New Ideas for Legislation
  
• Questions regarding the IDUSA
  
• Issues that should be addressed regarding any aspect of the IDUSA
  
• General debate pertaining to IDUSA affairs

• Legislation proposals (You should make a new thread when you post a proposal)
  
• Discussion directly pertaining to proposed legislation (that goes in the thread for the proposal)
  
• Discussion not pertaining to the IDUSA in any way
  
• Spam :twisted:

Aftermath of War

The Federation of Lauchenoiria is a democracy in central Hesperida which suffered from a devastating civil war in 2018. These tales from present-day Lauchenoiria offer an inside glimpse into the lives of those involved in Lauchenoirian politics and Lauchenoirian affairs. They will give a look into the lives of people such as Prime Minister Josephine Alvarez, along with opposition politicians, and certain individuals whose lives give an insight into what living in Lauchenoiria is like, especially after the war.

PAGE ONE
1. An Uneasy Relationship (1st Sept 2019)
2. Preventing A Deal? (8th Sept 2019)
3. What Aelurians Want (11th Sept 2019)
4. The Liberal Life of Students (16th Sept 2019)
5. Hope of Reconciliation (13th Oct 2019)
6. A Future Stolen (29th Oct 2019)
7. Give Something to Get Something (30th Oct 2019)
8. Vegan Milkshake (6th Nov 2019) - jointly written with Xiomera
9. The Pavía-Chēmā Equation (7th Nov 2019) - jointly written with Xiomera
10. Protests, and an Unexpected Invitation (7th Nov 2019)
11. Deterioration of Relations (8th Nov 2019) - jointly written with Xiomera
12. Aftermath of a Phone Call (9th Nov 2019)
13. Alvarez's New Direction - Part 1 (11th Nov 2019)
14. Alvarez's New Direction - Part 2 (11th Nov 2019)
15. Unexpected Improvements (19th Nov 2019) - jointly written with Kvask
16. Home At Last (4th Dec 2019)
17. Middle of Nowhere (Olivia Pierre Part 2) (6th Jul 2020)
18. Not Immigration Detention (Olivia Pierre Part 3) (11th Jul 2020)
19. What You Want Of Me (Olivia Pierre Part 4) (14th Jul 2020) - jointly written with Xiomera
20. Dinner and Dread (Olivia Pierre Part 5) (18th Jul 2020) - jointly written with Xiomera
21. A New Life (20th Jul 2020)
22. Terrified or Terrorist? (27th Nov 2020)
23. Neutrality Is Complicity (31st Aug 2021)
24. The Children Are Not Okay (21st Sept 2021)

PAGE TWO
25. Unstable Government, Danger of Collapse (28th July 2022)
26. Untitled Document (19th May 2023)
27. Letters from the Devil (18th July 2023)

I will be archiving both Committee Room A (formally used for International Committee RPs) and Elyssian Fields (used for non-NS RPs) at the end of this week.

In the future, if non-NS RP is wanted, I can de-archive Elyssian Fields.