The National Gazette (Official Publication of the Game Engine)

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

The National Gazette is the official organ of the game engine, and thus, by law, the final arbiter of the truth in foreign and domestic events. Publication will commence shortly; requests for official action should be referred to the Office of the Game Moderator, to be found here.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

World Leaders

full size image

Brazil – President Michel Temer
France – President Édouard Phillipe & Prime Minister François Baroin
Canada – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
China – President Xi Jinping
Germany – Chancellor Angela Merkel
Iran – Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei & President Hassan Rouhani
Israel – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
India – Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Italy – Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte
Japan – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
Mexico – President Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Netherlands – Prime Minister Mark Rutte
North Korea – President Choe Ryong Hae & Prime Minister Thae Yong Ho
Paflagonia – President Adolf Freiherr Von Kummerspeck
Palestinian Authority – Mahmoud Abbas
Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte
Russia – President Vladimir Putin
Saudi Arabia – King Salman
Spain – Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy
South Korea – President Moon Jae In
Turkey – President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
United Kingdom – Prime Minister Owen Smith
Venezuela – General Francisco Antonio Espinoza Guyón, Chairman of the Provisional Government

*All other heads of government and state are as in OTL

[wxtransit]

Where is Paflagonia?

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Where is Paflagonia?

It's a country Kalwejt invented during his second tenure as GM, about half the size of Croatia, located in central Europe between Austria, Slovenia, and Hungary. The last government was overthrown by a military coup d'état in 2016, resulting in the death of one Atlasian and the passage of this legislation by the Second Congress.

[wxtransit]

Where is Paflagonia?

It's a country Kalwejt invented during his second tenure as GM, about half the size of Croatia, located in central Europe between Austria, Slovenia, and Hungary. The last government was overthrown by a military coup d'état in 2016, resulting in the death of one Atlasian and the passage of this legislation by the Second Congress.

Alright, thanks.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

VOL. I | ISSUE 1
FOREIGN AFFAIRS

France: Bairon Wins Confidence Vote as LaREM Collapses
The government of François Bairon survived a critical test of its tenacity yesterday when deputies of the Democratic Movement joined parties of the presidential coalition in voting down a motion of no confidence brought by the opposition Socialist Party. Bairon was chosen to form a government on behalf of President Édouard Philippe in September, but his party — The Republicans — and their allies on the parliamentary right were unable to muster a majority in the National Assembly. Ultimately, opposition parties lacked the discipline and unity necessary to dislodge the government, which has won the right to continue into the new year.

The result of the confidence vote gave further evidence of the continuing collapse of La République En Marche, the political movement begun by late President Emanuel Macron following his victory in the April–May presidential election. A grassroots coalition of political neophites from the left, right, and center, LaREM and their coalition partner, the Democratic Movement (MoDem), won an outright majority of seats in the June legislative elections, but has struggled to maintain unity in aftermath of Macron’s untimely assassination earlier this year. Even before the vote, the party had begun to fracture between “Left” and “Right” factions, the latter backing Bairon’s government, while an increasing number have deserted the new party. The confidence vote has only accelerated the disintegration of Macron’s movement, as members friendly to Bairon leave for The Republicans, while others have defected to the Socialists, MoDem, or various smaller parties on the right and left.

Partisan composition of the National Assembly
PRESIDENTIAL COALITION (263)
167 – The Republicans
072 – La République En Marche–Droite
018 – Union of Democrats and Independents
006 – Miscellaneous right

PARLIAMENTARY LEFT (188)
98 – La République En Marche–Gauche (98)
75 – Socialist Party
03 – Radical Party of the Left
12 – Miscellaneous left

OTHERS (133)
51 – Democratic Movement
28 – La République En Marche–continuity
17 – Insubmissive France
10 – Communist Party
08 – National Front
05 – Regionalists
02 – Greens
01 – France Arise
12– Miscellaneous others

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

VOL. I | ISSUE 1
FOREIGN AFFAIRS

United Kingdom: Discontent Riles Conservatives as Brexit Negotiations Plod On

Prime Minister Kenneth Clarke faces rising discontent within his party and the increasingly likely prospect of an open challenge to his leadership, anonymous sources told the National Gazette. The prime minister has led an uneasy coalition of moderates and Brexit hardliners since January, when he was asked to form a government after a wrenching, months-long leadership contest that bitterly divided the governing Conservative Party. Then and since is has been often remarked that Clarke emerged as premier not for any particular popularity or confidence within the parliamentary party, but because a weak field of adversaries — led by the scandal-ridden Boris Johnson, now Clarke’s foreign secretary, and the discredited Theresa May — left no viable alternative to the rebellious Rushcliffe Tory.

Clarke argued forcefully against British withdrawal from the European Union during the 2016 referendum campaign and emerged as the leader of the pro-European “One Nation” Tories in the ensuing snap election. In public, the prime minister has argued for a moderate course, seeking to carve out a “special relationship” with Europe that would perhaps resemble the EEC; this approach has been repeatedly frustrated by hardliners, who have threatened to scuttle any deal that does not “uphold the spirit of the referendum.” In recent weeks, clashes between Clarke and hardliners in the cabinet have grown increasingly bellicose in tone, with rumors of a challenge to Clarke, a leadership spill, or even new elections circulating within the parliamentary party.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

VOL. I | ISSUE 2
FOREIGN AFFAIRS

North Korea: China Demures on Recognition for Yun Regime as Tensions Escalate

The People’s Republic of China continues to withhold diplomatic recognition for the government of General Yun Jong Rin, who seized power in a so-called “Citizens’ Revolution” that deposed the post-war government of Pak Pong Ju late in the last month. Yun’s rise to power has been marked by increasingly bellicose language towards South Korea and threats to reopen the war only recently concluded by the Peace of Pyongyang, to the consternation of China and others in the region.

It remains unclear to outside observers whether the late revolution represents a genuine popular uprising or a carefully-orchestrated coup by the old guard against the promised democratic reforms of the Pak regime. The terms of the peace treaty ending the Second Korean War required North Korea to open its economy to the global market and conduct free elections for the national legislature, the Supreme People’s Assembly, signaling a dramatic shift in policy for a country that has long been a pariah in the eyes of the international community. While aid from China and the Allied nations has helped to alleviate the extreme devastation wrought by two wars and decades of communist rule, Pak is believed to have suffered intense dislike within the ranks of the military, where he was viewed as a puppet of foreign governments.

In the weeks following Yun’s ascension, the vigilante justice shown in Pak’s seemingly-spontaneous arrest and execution of November 17 has been extended to other members of the deposed regime, as Pak’s ministers have either fled the capital or been taken into custody by troops loyal to Yun and his allies. While Yun now enjoys total control over Pyonyang and the surrounding region, several commanders continue to withhold their support for his regime, raising the specter of civil war in a country already ravaged by war, famine, and disease.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

VOL. I | ISSUE 2
FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Spain: Accusations of Meddling Abound as Independence Referendum Nears

The campaign that will decide the future of Catalonia and her relationship with Spain is awash with accusations ranging in seriousness from petty rumors to explosive charges of foul play as the province counts down the final weeks before the scheduled January 7 referendum. Recently, online advocacy for the independence movement has become a matter of public controversy, with the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy alleging “foreign saboteurs” seeking to “undermine Spanish unity and the integrity of the referendum” are responsible for reports, since debunked, that Spanish authorities used poison gas against pro-independence demonstrators at a rally in Barcelona on December 8.

Less serious rumors, apparently begun by an anonymous blogger for the pro-independence publication Catalunya Lliure, that Rajoy had erotic relations with a goat while a student at the University of Santiago de Compostela have also come to light. The prime minister’s office declined a request for comment.

Advocates for independence have returned fire, alleging the Spanish government is purging the voter rolls in an attempt to disqualify pro-independence voters in advance of the referendum. Spanish officials have denied these claims, stating that Madrid wishes to ensure the referendum is “free, fair, and representative” of the Catalonian people.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

VOL. I | ISSUE 3
FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Paflagonia: Regime Promises Fresh Elections in the New Year

Long-anticipated elections for the National Assembly will be allowed to proceed in January after more than a year of direct military rule, a spokesperson for the National Council for Peace and Development announced on Tuesday. The elections will be the first held in Paflagonia since the suspension of constitutional government in August 2016, and are the first step in what the ruling junta described as a “gradual transition” to civilian rule.

The announcement comes after months of diplomatic pressure by Paflagonia’s neighbors, Austria in particular, who had grown uneasy with a military government that betrayed no plans to relinquish its hold on the country any time soon. Yet even with the advent of democratic elections, Field Marshall Adolph Von Kummerspeck — who since August has ruled the country in his capacity as chairman of the NCPD — is likely to retain broad influence within the new government. The legal dissolution in March of the Conservative Party of Paflagonia—The Greens, known colloquially as the “Conservagreens”, renders what was the largest opposition party unable to contest the election. While former members will be eligible to stand as independent candidates, the leadership of the party are being held under arrest on charges of terrorism and corruption. The choice of a January date for the election gives other opposition parties little time to organize a campaign, giving pro-regime candidates an advantage over their potential rivals.

The elections are to proceed on January 13, 2018, with the prospect of a presidential election in March.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

VOL. I | ISSUE 3
DOMESTIC AFFAIRS

Suspects in Houston Massacre Case Killed by Police Near Angleton

Two men suspected of orchestrating the Black Friday massacre in Houston, Texas were killed by police in a gunfight this afternoon, the Texas Department of Public Safety told reporters. The men were found hiding in an abandoned home outside the city of Angleton and were ordered to surrender, a spokesperson said, but refused and opened fire. No officers were seriously wounded.

The death of the two suspects ends a sixteen-day manhunt that eventually involved the Houston Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and numerous municipal police and sheriff offices across the state. The men are believed to have been Peter and Alexey Rusanov, based on documents found in their possession. The two were carrying more than ₽59,000 Russian rubles in bills — the equivalent of more than 1000 Atlasian dollars — are are believed to have had ties to Free The People. An anonymous source close to the investigation indicated that the Rusanov’s may have been the driving force behind the attacks, providing funds and organization to the attackers. Seven Atlasian nationals have been arrested in connection with the attacks and are now in police custody.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

VOL. I | ISSUE 4
FOREIGN AFFAIRS

United Kingdom: Challenge to Clarke Apparently Imminent

Hardliners within the Conservative Party are expected to bring a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Kenneth Clarke within a matter of hours, a source close to the relevant actors revealed this morning. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the source indicated that Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is preparing to announce his formal candidacy less than a year after conceding the leadership to Clarke in the aftermath of the chaotic snap election of 2016.

The Hardliner’s are believed to be motivated by frustration with Clarke’s progress in negotiations with the European Union to accomplish the so-called “Brexit” that was approved narrowly by referendum last year. Clarke, who opposed withdrawal from the E.U. during the referendum campaign, is believed to favor a “special relationship” with Europe that would leave Britain subject to some E.U. regulations after the exit is completed. This strategy has been complicated by politics within the parliamentary party, where the majority of MPs campaigned on unequivocal exit from the Union following the success of the referendum; sources close to the prime minister have indicated his frustration with the hardliners, who he feels have obstructed his European policy and weakened Britain’s negotiating position as a result.

Independent observers judge Johnson to have at least fifty sure votes in the bag if and when the leadership contest is brought before the parliamentary party, while the prime minister is expected to be able to rely on the one hundred-odd MPs who campaigned on the pro-European “One Nation” line in 2016. The remainder occupy a middling ground, nominally pro-“Brexit” but in practice hesitant to abruptly sever all ties with Europe, as some hardliners have proposed. Should one or more hardliners enter the race in addition to Johnson, this would complicate matters still further, possibly forcing multiple ballots before the choice may advance to the general membership.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

VOL. I | ISSUE 5
FOREIGN AFFAIRS

United Kingdom: Clarke Sacks Ministers As Hardline Challenge Falters

In a dramatic move to reassert his leadership, Prime Minister Kenneth Clarke dismissed seven hardliners from the cabinet yesterday afternoon, hours before those same ministers were expected to announce support for a brewing campaign to remove Clarke as leader of the Conservative Party. The announcement of the ministers' dismissal came moments before several leading moderates within the parliamentary party declared support for Clarke and disavowed any effort to remove him before the next general election.

The one-two punch of dismissing his hardline ministers and rallying support for his government among moderates on the Brexit issue was described as a "preemptive strike" against the effort to unseat him by sources close to both camps, who agreed that the night's events had struck a dizzying blow to Boris Johnsons' campaign to become the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Independent observers speculated that the hardliners may have weakened their position by leaking news of the leadership challenge to the press, a move which forced moderates to move quickly either to support or oppose the challenge before Johnson had gathered sufficient support within the parliamentary party. In this strategy, the hardliners appear to have overestimated the popularity of their case, assuming reflexive opposition to Clarke would be great enough to propel Johnson into office in spite of his public controversies and personal scandals. Johnson, who was among the ministers removed by the midnight purge, declined to be interviewed for this article and issued a cursory statement early this morning which made no comment on a potential leadership bid.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

VOL. I | ISSUE 5
DOMESTIC AFFAIRS

Anti-Electoralism Wins New Converts on the Atlasian Left

A dispiriting result for the Labor Party and their allies in the December 2017 midterm elections has led to new and heightened interest in leftist groups outside the traditional party system, as thousands of new converts have flocked to anti-electoral movements amidst growing dissatisfaction with the state of politics in Atlasia. Representing a diverse array of ideologies ranging from “social justice” liberalism to democratic socialism, the movement’s adherents preach a doctrine of civil disobedience and grassroots organization outside the traditional left, which they argue has become “irrelevant” to the battle for social and economic equity.

The movement has seen its greatest upsurge of membership in Lincoln, where anti-electoral groups have reported more than 6,000 new members since the midterm elections. The Orange County, Vermont chapter of the Atlasian Revolutionary Workers’ Party reported attendance at their December meeting was nearly double that of the previous month, a phenomenon that has been observed elsewhere in Lincoln the upper South.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

VOL. I | ISSUE 6
FOREIGN AFFAIRS

North Korea: Pak Ministry Reforms in Seoul, Declares War on Yun

Remaining ministers of the deposed government of Pak Pong Ju assembled in the South Korean capitol of Seoul today to issue a fiery condemnation of Supreme Leader Yun Jong Rin, attacking his government as “illegitimate” and calling on loyal forces within North Korea to “reclaim the fatherland for the people from the clutches of this barbarian pretender.”

It was not immediately clear to what extent the self-proclaimed government-in-exile could command a loyal following in the North, or whether any generals would respond to their call to restore a government that has widely been described as unpopular with the North Korean military. Just as unclear was how powers in the region, especially China, who has so far declined to recognize the Yun regime, would react to this attempt to reestablish the post-war government.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

VOL. I | ISSUE 7
FOREIGN AFFAIRS


Choe Ryong Hae, right, has been named interim premier of the exiled North Korean cabinet

Japan: Diet Poised For Vote to Amend Constitution as ROK Recognizes Exiled Cabinet

Amidst rising tensions on the Korean peninsula and with the blessing of former president Goldwater of Atlasia, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe is expected to call for a vote of the National Diet within the week to amend Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution. The measure, a source of sharp controversy within and without parliament, would strike language adopted in 1945 formally renouncing belligerent warfare and allow Japan to raise an offensive military for the first time since the Second World War.

While Japan already possesses a limited military in the form of the Jieitai, or Japan Self-Defense Force, the amended Article 9 would greatly expand its power to wage and declare war and represents a symbolic transformation of the post-war order in East Asia. To pass, the bill requires the assent of two-thirds of the lower House of Representatives and the upper House of Councilors, where Mr. Shinzō’s Liberal Party forms the majority. Even if the governing coalition votes unanimously for passage, however, the prime minister will still need the support of some independents or members of opposition parties to adopt the measure.

As Japan considers its future as a military power, South Korean officials yesterday extended formal recognition to the exiled government of North Korea (DPRK). The provisional cabinet, now under the interim leadership of Choe Ryong Hae, is believed to command forces in the south of the DPRK numbering approximately 50,000 in all, including several units of light infantry and artillery, concentrated in the Kangwon Province, around P’yonggang.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Economic Report – 12/21/17
Unemployment numbers

Fremont	6.927%	▲0.120%
Lincoln	8.315%	▼0.280%
South	7.338%	▼0.730%
National	7.527%	▼0.230%

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Question for the GM.

Were net neutrality rules repealed in-game as they were IRL?

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Question for the GM.

Were net neutrality rules repealed in-game as they were IRL?

They were not; support for net neutrality among elected officials is sufficiently overwhelming to butterfly away that decision.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

VOL. I | ISSUE 8
FOREIGN AFFAIRS

East Asia: Diet Reclaims War Powers as Korea Smoulders

Japanese lawmakers voted Wednesday to repeal language of the 1946 Constitution barring that state from raising a national army, reclaiming the right of belligerence hours before Prime Minister Shinzō Abe announced recognition for the exiled government of Choe Ryong Hae, forcefully asserting Japanese influence in an increasingly volatile struggle for control of the world's least-understood country.

TOKYO, Japan—The proposed repeal of Article 9 — the clause of the 1946 Constitution adopted in response to the Second World War which formally renounced the right of the Japanese State to wage war or raise an army — had been a source of great controversy within and without the National Diet, where the vote only narrowly delivered the necessary majority of two-thirds needed to amend the Constitution. In the House of Representatives, the vote proceeded largely along party lines, with the opposition opposing the measure to a man while Shinzō's Liberal Democratic Party, their coalition partners, and a smattering of independents gave the measure 319 votes to 142 agains (three members of the governing coalition abstained).

Mere hours after the result of the vote was confirmed, a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced formal diplomatic recognition of the government of Choe Ryong Hae as the legitimate government of North Korea, so becoming the second sovereign state to recognize the exiled cabinet since its reformation in Seoul eight days ago.

SEOUL, South Korea—Two junior ministers of the deposed government of Pak Pong Ju were put to death in Pyongyang on orders of Supreme Leader Yun Jong Rin, whose rise to power last month has precipitated a bloody reign of terror marked by the mass execution of loyalists to the post-war government. Before their execution, the condemned publicly confessed to having hoarded bread rations and sold them at great profit to the starving citizens of Pyongyang. Whether the confessions were truthful, or coerced by the regime to justify the continuing purges, is unknown.

To the east, Legitimist forces loyal to Choe Ryong Hae have seized Ichon and now stand in control of Kangwon-do province south of Sepo and east of the Imjin River.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Map: The Situation in East Asia, 12/27/17

Key
Red – People's Republic of China (PRC)
Blue – Nationalist Korea (NNK)
Light Green – Legitimist Korea (PRK)
Grey – Unaffiliated forces
Dark Green – South Korea (ROK)
Green – Japan (JPN)

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

VOL. I | ISSUE 9
DOMESTIC AFFAIRS

Utah Lawmakers Protest RSEA

More than fifty members of the Utah State Legislature rose in condemnation of the Responsible Sex Education Act passed by the regional parliament this afternoon, calling the law an "egregious assault on liberty of conscience" and vowing to resist regional efforts to reform sex education in public schools. The legislators took issue with provisions of the new law which would bar 'abstinence only' curriculums from public schools and require instructors to address methods of birth control and "LGBTQ+ sexual health and acceptance." Their angry denunciations of "regional overreach" stopped short of promising to resist the law's implementation, though some lawmakers proposed diverting funds from the Utah public school system to a state voucher program.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

VOL I. | ISSUE 10
FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Spain: Leaked Dossier Sows Chaos in Catalan Referendum
A slew of leaked documents alleging to expose a massive plot by the government of Mariano Rajoy to rig the impending Catalonian referendum on independence have sparked outrage and pressed the region to the brink of violence as the date of the plebiscite that will decide the future of Catalonia, either as an autonomous province of Spain or as an independent power, draws nearer. The so-called “Rajoy Dossier” — thirty-six pages allegedly drawn from memos, classified documents, and correspondence between Mr. Rajoy and his deputies — depict an expansive campaign to ensure a victory for the unionist camp, with tactics ranging from selective purges of the voter rolls and the shuttering of dozens of polling sites to plans to suppress the results of the referendum with military force should the results tend against Madrid.

The allegations were initially brought by the pro-independence digital publication Catalunya Lliure, whose editors claim to have compiled it based on testimony from an anonymous source within the Spanish government. Spokespersons for the prime minister’s office and the Interior Ministry have categorically denied the accusations, terming the dossier a “forgery” and the product of “foreign agents seeking to silence the voice of the people with slander and fabrications.”

Recent polls indicate that while a slight majority of Catalonians favor independence, the “Yes” vote is likely to come in well below the requisite two thirds necessary for independence.

[wxtransit]

VOL I. | ISSUE 10
FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Spain: Leaked Dossier Sows Chaos in Catalan Referendum
A slew of leaked documents alleging to expose a massive plot by the government of Mariano Rajoy to rig the impending Catalonian referendum on independence have sparked outrage and pressed the region to the brink of violence as the date of the plebiscite that will decide the future of Catalonia, either as an autonomous province of Spain or as an independent power, draws nearer. The so-called “Rajoy Dossier” — thirty-six pages allegedly drawn from memos, classified documents, and correspondence between Mr. Rajoy and his deputies — depict an expansive campaign to ensure a victory for the unionist camp, with tactics ranging from selective purges of the voter rolls and the shuttering of dozens of polling sites to plans to suppress the results of the referendum with military force should the results tend against Madrid.

The allegations were initially brought by the pro-independence digital publication Catalunya Lliure, whose editors claim to have compiled it based on testimony from an anonymous source within the Spanish government. Spokespersons for the prime minister’s office and the Interior Ministry have categorically denied the accusations, terming the dossier a “forgery” and the product of “foreign agents seeking to silence the voice of the people with slander and fabrications.”

Recent polls indicate that while a slight majority of Catalonians favor independence, the “Yes” vote is likely to come in well below the requisite two thirds necessary for independence.

Were the polls taken before or after the release of the dossier?

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Were the polls taken before or after the release of the dossier?

The most recent round of polling was published before the dossier was leaked by Catalunya Lliure.