==== Overview ==== Civil Rights: Good (62)
Economy: Struggling (8)
Political Freedoms: Excellent (70)
The Free Land of Gogan is a huge, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Doctor Marcin with an even hand, and remarkable for its anti-smoking policies. Its compassionate, intelligent population of 984 million are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.
It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, socially-minded government stops and the rest of society begins, but it concentrates mainly on Education, although Social Welfare and Social Equality are secondary priorities. The average income tax rate is 57%, and even higher for the wealthy. The private sector is almost wholly made up of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, although the government is looking at stamping this out.
Expensive lawyers are hired to defend citizens in court for public urination charges against their pets, the breathalyser pledge is a traditional part of marriages in Gogan, the government is giving peace a chance, and meat-eating is frowned upon. Crime is totally unknown. Gogan's national animal is the Goglodyte, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the Gog.
Gogan is ranked 1,028th in The North Pacific and 29,074th in the world for Most Eco-Friendly Governments, scoring 27 on the Dolphin Recycling Awareness Index.
==== Issues ==== No changes in the overview (except the daily ranking line, population count and inherent randomness of statements), due to dismissing the issue last time.
Gogan - Without Cars, Going Nowhere Fast (issue 201) Ever since the government banned automobiles, furious soccer moms and commuters have been petitioning the government to revoke the ban, citing any number of troubles people have had without their cars. 1: "The government was being utterly stupid in banning cars, especially at the whim of a bunch of nutjob, tree-hugging bicyclists!" cries Tobias Shiomi, CEO of Coo' Stuff, Inc. "My workers are constantly late, they don't work as much because they have to leave early to walk or bike home... leaving this ban in place will only murder the economy!"
2: "Well, it's extremely difficult to drive my son to and from school and his after-school sports," comments soccer mom Colleen Khan. "But I don't want my boy inhaling all those icky fumes. I say bring back cars, but put some effort into finding cleaner fuels and the like! Who cares if it costs a small fortune?"
3: "What do they know?" whispers a strange woman clad all in green. "You ought to clamp down on these protesters. Without cars, the people are much easier for you to control, are they not?"
==== Public announcement ==== Second national voting lottery is currently running, see
post 1532 for info.