351: dismiss - agree with PaterAlf and others

I see, thanks for the info. From what I've witnessed so far I was even suspecting that it's just a random shuffle of issues. Good to know that there are at least some of these that have parameters attached to them, aiming to tie them in logically to a wider array of issues. If this would only work better.

351:3 - fruit basket based peace? I'm in ;)

351: dismiss

351:3 - everyone loves fruit, right? :)

351:dismiss

Exactly ^_^

351:1 -- We tried to go the fruit basket route once already, if memory serves. Doesn't seem to work as well as advertised.

351: dismiss

Most voters seem to have a strong opinion about this issue; we will dismiss it for not being important enough to care about.

==== Overview ====
Civil Rights: Excellent (71)
Economy: Fair (28)
Political Freedoms: Excellent (74)

The Free Land of Gogan is a massive, genial nation, ruled by Doctor Marcin with a fair hand, and remarkable for its keen interest in outer space. Its compassionate, intelligent population of 2.32 billion love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent government stops and the rest of society begins, but it devotes most of its attentions to Education, with areas such as Religion & Spirituality and Defence receiving almost no funds by comparison. The average income tax rate is 68%, and even higher for the wealthy. A large private sector is dominated by the Book Publishing industry.

The study of medicine is popular throughout Gogan, the tenet of free speech is held dear, the Gogan Mental Asylum Party have recently won seats in parliament, and anyone who so much as frowns is referred to a mental health unit. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Gogan's national animal is the Goglodyte, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its currency is the Gog.

Gogan is ranked 809th in The North Pacific and 24,919th in the world for Most Politically Free, scoring 74 on the Diebold Election Inking Scale.

==== Issues ====
19 hours ago: Following new legislation in Gogan, anyone who so much as frowns is referred to a mental health unit.
The overview has been updated following the last decisions made.

Death Penalty On Agenda (issue 352) (#12)
Following a tragic double-murder, capital punishment has surged as an election issue. There now appears a real possibility that right-wing candidate Anne-Marie Wilson, running on a "Do the Crime, pay the Penalty" platform, will gain power. While society's intelligentsia is outraged, debate rages as to whether the government should intervene.

1. "This is a democracy, remember?" rhetorically questions Professor Billy Dredd of the University of Greater Gogan. "That means that if the people want something, the people get it. I hate to say it, but in the name of political freedom, we need to accept that our country will have the death penalty."

2. "I'm sorry," says Civil Rights Unionist Maria al-Zahawi, "but this travesty cannot be allowed to pass. If the government needs to crack down on lunatic fringe groups in order to keep our great nation free of the death penalty, then so be it. We must ban the politics of hatred and fear!"

==== Public announcement ====

Remember, people, it only requires one vote to change the status quo of none.

352:2

352: 2

Death penalty should be a no-go.

First: Woohooo! I have internet again!

Second: difficult decision. Democracy means also to accept decisions that one doesn't like if the majority votes for them. But then again there are limits. Minority protection for example should not be abolishable, because otherwise minorities would be defenseless in a majority controlled society. Similar rules should apply to irreversible changes to the rights of people. For example, if some momentary majority votes to instate a Dictatorship, this change would go against the constitution and could not be taken back easily.
And a death penalty is THE irreversable change on a personal level. Judicial mistakes can not be corrected. And it can be too easily abused. So it should stay a no-go for any democratic legal system.

Short version: 352:2