[War] World report vol 5

[Patrick B]

AR: World Report

- For all actions since Volume 2, advancing the timeline to 22 Apr-6 May 
2014.

United Nations Security Council (Permanent Members): United States,
United Kingdom, France, China, Russia

United Nations Security Council (Non-Permanent Members):
Until September, 2007:  India, Egypt, Norway, Mexico, Venezuela
Until October, 2007:  Canada, Chile, Italy, South Africa, Japan

Pending UN Security Council Actions: None
Pending UN General Assembly Actions: None
United Nations Secretariat: No news.
==============
The return of France, The olympics ended the only winner was coke or 
diet coke not sure which one.
===============================================

ACTION RESPONSES
=============================

CHINA (PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF)

Population Approval: 55%
Government Approval: 57%
International Favor: 45%
Economic Growth: 9.7%, high
Inflation: 3.0%
Unemployment: 10.1%
"The Chinese people are more than a little nervous at the government's 
response to Iran - while it's understood to be the right thing, 
karmically, it also unnerves many as yet another step away from China's 
principle of non-intervention, particularly as cyberattacks continue, 
now seemingly 24/7, from
hackers around the world operating as the "Anti-Communist League of
Hackers". They've attacked and defaced seemingly the entire data
network of the central government, but seem to be scrupulously
avoiding infrastructure nodes. For some reason Chinese government links 
have been replaced with everything from pictures of cats with captions 
to a video titled "two girls one cup" which was linked to the People's 
bank itself.  The Great Firewall has cracked under the strain and 
Chinese citizens are getting access to sites they should not including a 
free tibet site, Amnesty International, and various pro democracy sites.

This may be fortunate for Beijing, as the spring harvest is reported
to have failed in rice and wheat, possibly due to the bitter winter in
Eastern China. Food riots have already broken out in rural areas, and
the price of a kilogram of rice has tripled in Beijing - on the black
market, that is.

The Iranian invasion has only increased the pressure, as oil's rise
squeezes Chinese industry drastically - China remains more oil
dependent than Western competitors, and the upward jump in the spot
price hurts.


JAPAN

Population Approval: 52%
Government Approval: 53%
International Favor: 61%
Economic Growth: 2.8%
Inflation: 0.6%
Unemployment: 4%

During Golden Week, on April 29, a 7.6 Earthquake struck 10 km from 
Tokyo, at 0546 local time. Strikingly, the Diet building was moderately 
damaged - the timing, coming on Showa Day, is regarded by many 
superstitious Japanese as punishment by the Kami for the neglect of 
Japan's position in the world.

CANADA

Population Approval: 40%
Government Approval: 36%
International Favor: 50%
Economic Growth: 2.5%
Inflation: 5.6%
Unemployment: 6.2%

While green types laud the government for its intention, the plans for
massive expansions of the National Park system run into a few
interrelated problems.

Firstly, there's something of a rural-urban divide in reaction to the
plan; In more urban parts of Canada, the plan is approved without
issue; Rural Canadians are more opposed, and since private land
acquisitions, under eminent domain or outright purchase, are required
to link many of the proposed sites into usable habitat corridors, this
could torpedo the plan.

Next are the perhaps inevitable legal challenges, including a legal
case brought by Canadians for Land Reform that challenges the whole
system which has 89 percent of Canadian land area owned by the Crown
in some form, a suit that has been joined by First Nations groups,
resource extraction companies, and farmers and ranchers, all applying
for a permanent injunction against any such designation, or at least a
temporary injunction so the government can't do an end-run around what
is projected to be a long and complex court case. The courts have yet
to rule either way.

Finally are the budgetary objections - the designation would be
pointless without adequate increases in park personnel and the like,
and those are...expensive. Early projections place it at 3 billion
Canadian dollars. This, naturally, ticks off the Finance Ministry, and
budget hawks.

However, if the government wanted to spend political capital, all
indications are that they might be able to turn their intentions into
more than political posturing for which they're being mocked by This
Hour Has 22 Minutes and The Rick Mercer Report. Polar bears protected
by...environmentalists in nuclear submarines is an image rich in
irony, after all.

France


Population Approval: 55%
Government Approval: 62%
International Favor: 45%
Economic Growth: 2.5%
Inflation: 5.6%
Unemployment: 6.2%

The change in government gets a degree of mockery from late-night
comedians, but that ends quickly as all hell breaks loose in the
Caucasus - now, the French people are nervous, and the calm, dignified
demeanor of the new President gets kudos suddenly. In the climate of
fear, money is quickly found to rush the construction of the US
missile defense system, after being taken away from funds dedicated to
assistance to French Muslims in a bit of anti-Muslim fear on the
legislature's part.

The French people are confirmed in their nervousness, it seems, when
the Armee d'Air and Marine Nationale are forced to ground the entirety
of France's complement of Rafale fighters after an engine caught fire
in midair during air-to-ground training. with the pilot being killed
in the ensuing crash. The MOD is investigating, but there are rumors
of a design or manufacturing defect in the engines.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Population Approval: 63%
Government Approval: 59%
International Favor: 61%
Economic Growth: 2.5%
Inflation: 5.6%
Unemployment: 6.2%

Like in other countries, food riots have broken out in Moscow, St. 
Petersburg, Novgorod, and Smolensk. The price of bread, hit by a failed 
spring wheat harvest, has risen by 150% in the last month.

The silence from the Kremlin has unnerved many - the opinion on the 
street says Nemerenko is more concerned with winning a Nobel Peace Prize 
than the bread lines at home.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Population Approval: 52%
Government Approval: 50%
International Favor: 64%
Economic Growth: 2.9%
Inflation: 3.1%
Unemployment: 4.2%

The president's vacation was recieved with amusement from the press 
especially when his physician said directly, "if any of you guys get 
within 5 meters of him I will have the Marines use you for bayonet 
practice."  While some tried to make a big deal of it most of the 
country seemed to say, let the guy vacation, and the clip of 
Captain(admiral selectee) Spaulding threatening the media is one of the 
most popular on Youtube.

Though the COmmandant of the US Marine Corps did agree with the doctor's 
decision and actually personally issued M-14's with bayonets to the 
security at Camp David with instructions to 'use this on any reporter 
necessary'  Defense Department press spokesmen did say that no reporter 
would be bayonetted.

As for automating the white house the biggest problem identified has 
been a culture of 'overwork' since people spend millions to win the 
office, people want to do so much, however the medical slash and burn 
which has included several dozen enforced vacations, even threatening 
one staff memeber with execution if he stepped foot in the White house 
over the next month.

The food crunch people are feeling the pinch, prices have gone up. And 
there are some grumblings, protests have broken out over the failed 
summit but the leaking of the transcripts puts the blame off the US, 
which results in people protesting Chinese Embassies.


In Chicago Mayor Richard Daley continues to fight the good fight against 
guns in his city, defying a federal court order and instructing his 
Police bodyguards to arrest a Federal Judge for violating the city's 
handgun registration ordinance, which caused the media to report about a 
standoff beteween the Chicago Police Department and the US Marshal's 
service. However video footage caught one of the officers referring to 
the mayor as 'an idiot' during the standoff. Daley however remains 
defiant and has called on the citizens to "protest the forces of order 
and chaos in his city."

The NATO summit is well recieved and the media hopes we won't go back in 
to Iraq, Anti War protests have broken out and the city of Berkley 
California called Williams a War profiteer and mass murderer on par with 
Hitler's worst efforts.  The rest of the country laughs at them.


=============================================

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

NOTE: Initial indicators were gleaned from as recent sources as
possible, for the most recent term possible (annualized). In some
cases, the numbers used are published estimates, but the English-
speaking nations' data is more or less right from the source.

Depression: Economic forces retracting uncontrollably and at a
dangerous pace with little end in sight.

Recession: Economic forces retracting, but more shallow than
Depression and more controlably. Sometimes necessary and part of
regular economic trends, although prelonged.

Revision: Economic forces retracting slightly and short term,
associated with economic systems refitting to accomodate new
industries, concentrations, etc.

Zero: No movement one way or the other.
Low: Comparatively low Economic growth/activity. (miniscule to about
2%, depending)
Good: Average economic activity (ranging from 2%-5% normally)
High: Above average performance (Greater than 5%) Sometimes
dangerous if in excess of 8% continuously.

SITES OF INTEREST

WAR Website: http://war.dagarcia.net/
Nova Horizon Simulations: http://www.novahorizon.com
United Nations: http://www.un.org/
Central Intelligence Agency: http://www.cia.gov/
CIA World Factbook: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
Federation of American Scientists: http://www.fas.org/
GlobalSecurity.org: http://www.globalsecurity.org/
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/
BBC: http://www.bbc.com/
New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/