[Mikitivity]

Today there was an article in the Sac Bee (my local paper) that PETA failed in a civil suit against the state's dairy association. Apparently California has been running ads talking about how California cows are happy cows and good cheese comes from happy cows.

:lol:

Anyway, the issue would be to decide if something as silly is a legal advertisement or not. If it is, Cheese Exports increase. If it is not, they decrease! It is simple, but could be fun.

Gouda, since you're our resident cheese expert, I was thinking this might be an issue for you to work on after your resolution.

[Groot Gouda]

Will do, sounds fun! The Happy Cow Issue

[Mikitivity]

Groot GoudaApr 22 2005, 07:06 AMWill do, sounds fun! The Happy Cow Issue [/quote]
Actually that is a good name for the issue. I couldn't stop laughing when I read the paper yesterday to see PETA was basically suing the state on the grounds that cows aren't happy!

I think one or two of the replies should be something like:

"Who cares is the cows are happy or not? If the ads sell more cheese, let's keep running them," advocated diary farmer @@NAME@@. "In fact, the government should continue to help us with these ads, they ain't cheap to make you know."

vs.

"Happy cows? Of course they are! They aren't being turned into hamburgers!"

[Groot Gouda]

"Hold on!", shouts Hippie Treehugger Federation president @@NAME@@. "No way are our cows happy cows! They should be able to frolic freely on the fields of @@NATION! The bio industry has gone too far! If they want to milk the cows, they'll have to find them in the wild, just like in the old days!"

[Sober Thought]

"Why waste your time on silly advertising claims?" asks Ralph @@SURNAME@@@, sometime political candidate and leader of Deconstructing Each Advertisement Daily. "Let's make every business prove its advertising claims on safety and human health before they run their adverts. I think responsible businesses would be happy to pay the @@NATION@@ Chamber of Commerce to coordinate this measure."

[Mikitivity]

Excellent! Both of them! I think we just need to put the three points of view (POVs) in one issue and flesh it out now.

[Groot Gouda]

I like ST's option, but I'd rather see more cheesy options. We're talking happy cows here, not advertising.

[Groot Gouda]

Cows go "boo" (legislation pending)

The Bovine Anti-Oppression Organisation has filed a complaint against the Dairy Farmers Association's latest ad campaign, "@@NAME@@ cows are happy cows, and good cheese comes from happy cows".

[option]"This campaign must stop!", shouts BAOO president @@RANDOMNAME@@. "No way are our cows happy cows! It's illegal advertising, and the government must put an end to all these deceiving ads."
[effect]companies have to prove their ads are true
[stats]civil rights decrease a bit

[option]"Happy cows? Of course they are! They aren't being turned into hamburgers!", advocated diary farmer @@RANDOMNAME@@. "In fact, the government should continue to help us with these ads, they ain't cheap to make you know."
[effect]government-approved happy cows dance by on television each night
[stats]government size increases a bit, cheese export increases, spending on commerce increases

[option]"The protesters have a point", says Minister of Agriculture @@RANDOMNAME@@. "We should fund biological farmers, so the cows can frolic freely on the meadows of @@NAME@@. Only then will our cows truly be happy and provide superior cheese to the world."
[effect]dairy farmers sometimes have to search all day to find an extremely happy cow
[stats]government size increases a bit, cheese export increases

[Mikitivity]

Groot GoudaApr 25 2005, 12:59 PM [option]"This campaign must stop!", shouts BAOO president @@RANDOMNAME@@. "No way are our cows happy cows! It's illegal advertising, and the government must put an end to all these deceiving ads."
[effect]companies have to prove their ads are true
[stats]civil rights decrease a bit
[/quote]
Hmmm, would civil rights go down or economic freedoms? It seems to me that if you have to prove your advertisement, that it is your economic activity that is restricted. I'd only place a ding on economic freedoms, and also put the kiabosh on the cheese export sector a bit too. Ads work, taking them away might decrease sales in cheese exports, but increase other markets.

Decrease political apathy, because truth in advertising, while an economic negative, shows a pro-active government.

BTW it looks great!

[Groot Gouda]

Cows go "boo" (legislation pending)

The Bovine Anti-Oppression Organisation has filed a complaint against the Dairy Farmers Association's latest ad campaign, "@@NAME@@ cows are happy cows, and good cheese comes from happy cows".

[option]"This campaign must stop!", shouts BAOO president @@RANDOMNAME@@. "No way are our cows happy cows! It's illegal advertising, and the government must put an end to all these deceiving ads."
[effect]companies have to prove their ads are true
[stats]economic freedom decreases a bit, political apathy decreases

[option]"Happy cows? Of course they are! They aren't being turned into hamburgers!", advocated diary farmer @@RANDOMNAME@@. "In fact, the government should continue to help us with these ads, they ain't cheap to make you know."
[effect]government-approved happy cows dance by on television each night
[stats]government size increases a bit, cheese export increases, spending on commerce increases

[option]"The protesters have a point", says Minister of Agriculture @@RANDOMNAME@@. "We should fund biological farmers, so the cows can frolic freely on the meadows of @@NAME@@. Only then will our cows truly be happy and provide superior cheese to the world."
[effect]dairy farmers sometimes have to search all day to find an extremely happy cow
[stats]government size increases a bit, cheese export increases

[Mikitivity]

For option two, I'd increase economic freedoms. You are basically saying, that the ads can say whatever, and "buyer beware". That would help contrast #2 with #3.

Also I'd change #2 so that there is no increase in government ... just say something like:

[option]"Happy cows? Of course they are! They aren't being turned into hamburgers!", advocated diary farmer @@RANDOMNAME@@. "In fact, the government should not really get involved in telling the Dairy Farmers Association how to write our ad campaigns, afterall, we aren't telling the government how to build roads and teach children."

Then you could change #2's stats:

[effect]ads depicting happy cows dancing air on television each night
[stats]government size decreases a bit, cheese export increases, spending on commerce increases


But I think it looks great! It is fun!

[Groot Gouda]

Cows go "boo" (legislation pending)

The Bovine Anti-Oppression Organisation has filed a complaint against the Dairy Farmers Association's latest ad campaign, "@@NAME@@ cows are happy cows, and good cheese comes from happy cows".

[option]"This campaign must stop!", shouts BAOO president @@RANDOMNAME@@. "No way are our cows happy cows! It's illegal advertising, and the government must put an end to all these deceiving ads."
[effect]companies have to prove their ads are true
[stats]economic freedom decreases a bit, political apathy decreases,cheese export decreases

[option]"Happy cows? Of course they are! They aren't being turned into hamburgers!", advocated diary farmer @@RANDOMNAME@@. "In fact, the government should not really get involved in telling the Dairy Farmers Association how to write our ad campaigns. After all, we aren't telling the government how to build roads and teach children."
[effect]ads depicting happy cows dancing air on television each night
[stats]government size decreases a bit, cheese export increases, spending on commerce increases

[option]"The protesters have a point", says Minister of Agriculture @@RANDOMNAME@@. "We should fund biological farmers, so the cows can frolic freely on the meadows of @@NAME@@. Only then will our cows truly be happy and provide superior cheese to the world."
[effect]dairy farmers sometimes have to search the fields all day to find an extremely happy cow
[stats]government size increases a bit, cheese export increases

[Keeslandia]

Beautiful! I hadn't seen this thread before. Thanks to Mik for tweaking option #2. So many of the issue options that one might choose always increase gov't. spending (not necessarily opposed to that) for activities that are essentially actions of private citizens.

[Groot Gouda]

It has been submitted.

Fingers crossed!