09-11-2003 22:42									#1
	Fix a country! Tired of ads?

Hello, boys and girls!

today, we're going to fix a country! That's right! Fix an entire country and make it prosper! Ok, who am I kidding, we're not going to do this, but we can sure try to discuss the country's current situation, and figure out strategies to get it out of the dirt, and build a great modern society there. To do this, we'll use google to find out about the situation in the country, our general starting point.

Let us decide on a country. I propose Mauritania.

	09-11-2003 22:50									#2
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Too many people

	09-11-2003 22:51									#3
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can't we each choose our own country, do some research, provide basic facts about the country, and our strategies to do what you propose?

	09-11-2003 22:52									#4
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what do you propose to do about it?

seriously, deal with it.

	09-11-2003 22:53									#5
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Ship a whole buncha people to the US

	09-11-2003 22:53									#6
	Got spare money?

quote: Economy - overview: Half the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though many of the nomads and subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore, which account for nearly 40% of total exports. The decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led to cutbacks in production. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in 1986. In the past, drought and economic mismanagement resulted in a buildup of foreign debt. In February 2000, Mauritania qualified for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and in December 2001 received strong support from donor and lending countries at a triennial Consultative Group review. In 2001, exploratory oil wells in tracts 80 km offshore indicated potential extraction at current world oil prices. A new investment code approved in December 2001 improved the opportunities for direct foreign investment. Ongoing negotiations with the IMF involve problems of economic reforms and fiscal discipline. Substantial oil production and exports probably will not begin until 2005.

OK, so we've got lots of:

- iron ore
- fish
- oil (soon)
- unemployed nomads and subsistence farmers

not enough:

- money

I say we need to attract more foreign investors

	09-11-2003 22:54									#7
	Got spare money?

sure, connor: but it has to be a real 3rd world shithole.

	09-11-2003 22:55									#8
	Full PM-box? Change here!

also, we need to rename our currency. "ouguiya" just doesn't do it for me

	09-11-2003 22:59									#9
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Mauris as large units and mauritos as small 1/100 units. Cool. Euromauribonds

How about law and order and fixing protection of property rights?

	09-11-2003 23:03									#10
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

quote: Legal system: a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil law

Hmm. yep, we might want to do something about that

	09-11-2003 23:07									#11
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Gangerolf: easier said than done. I think we should send a bunch of people abroad to let them study engineering and crafts, or better yet, pay specialists to come to us. Let's use our cheap manpower to operate a more profitable steal mill. and let's use our connection with Israel so that we can get desert irrigation stuff from them. If we'll start exporting oil, it could be great, too, and we should raise our benefits from it, by raising government dividents. We should also somehow reclaim our waters for our fishermen, though how can we do this, I don't know.

	09-11-2003 23:18									#12
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First off- abolish slavery. I believe Mauritania still has more slaves than any other nation.

	09-11-2003 23:18									#13
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Shouldn't we fix the problematic countries first, like France and Germany?

	09-11-2003 23:20									#14
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quote: Originally posted by Lazarus and the Gimp First off- abolish slavery. I believe Mauritania still has more slaves than any other nation.

they do? this is going to be more difficult than I thought.

	09-11-2003 23:24									#15
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interesting side note: on the fact sheet for the US, under political parties, it lists 4, Republican and Democrats, of course, but 2 minor parties as well. . . the Green party and the Libertarian party! Yeah! Go libertarians!

	09-11-2003 23:28									#16
	Suffering from ads?

Actually, one point in Mauritania's favour is that I believe it has very few Libertarians.

	09-11-2003 23:46									#17
	Suffering from ads?

They should invade some other country to get the economy going.

	09-11-2003 23:47									#18
	Suffering from ads?

quote: Originally posted by Lazarus and the Gimp Actually, one point in Mauritania's favour is that I believe it has very few Libertarians.

And yes, Laz is correct. Mauritania has slavery. It's not legal, but it's not illegal. In fact, if you want to be ammong the world's truely decadent, you can fly there and buy yourself a slave.

	09-11-2003 23:57									#19
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As I've understood it, most of that oil is off the coast of western sahara. For that oil to be a viable option to get some much needed cash and a positive trade balance to the country we (or they) have to let all democratic and humanitarian goals aside. That's not good in the long run as it's probably something that will lead to (even more) conflicts in the future. Like the current situation in Sudan for example. Without a sound political system all the money that the oil would bring in would probably be wasted on the elite and the army instead of important things like basic education. Furthermore, much of the profits will probably flee the country sooner or later instead of being invested in more productive industries.

	10-11-2003 00:19									#20
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A very small population; just under 3m.

Securing the fishing grounds and removing foreign fishing vessels should be a primary concern. Especially the factory fishing vessels from the EU and Japan. Dunno how you'd do it without pissing them off too much, but in the long run, it could be worth it. Club together with the other West African nations to enforce a 100km fishing exclusion zone, perhaps.

Desert irrigation is a complete and utter waste of time, if you ask me. The money spent on it could be more profitably spent elsewhere (like sanitation or education), or just used to take the brunt of revenge by the fishing invaders. It's far too hi-tech for a country as impoverished as Mauritania. It will probably result in salt filled soils and even less drinking water than before.

	10-11-2003 00:23									#21
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We're doing it ok. It's not a waste of time. Avocadoes in the desert, baby! They sell very well in europe.

I agree with you on the fishing. there are problems, though. Those same countries that send their fishing fleets (EU, Japan) are probably the largest customers for our iron ore.

	10-11-2003 00:27									#22
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So sell steel instead of iron ore. BTW, enforce a 200K exclusive economic zone. Seize any ships stealing our fish.

	10-11-2003 00:29									#23
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quote: Originally posted by Azazel We're doing it ok. It's not a waste of time.

1. Isreal is a very small country.

2. Israel is strong enough to steal it's neighbor's water and get away with it.

	10-11-2003 00:46									#24
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Might be a bit to hard to compete on the steel market as well. Don't got any figures handy but considering the trade wars between the US and EU a small african country would stand no chance. They'll have to find some market where they got an advantage more than a large pool of unskilled workers.

	10-11-2003 00:50									#25
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Well, then, let's make something with our steel. Everyone needs steel pipes, right, so let's make steel pipes. Forget selling them to Europe and the U.S., sell them in Africa and cut out the imperialist middle man.

	10-11-2003 00:53									#26
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quote: Originally posted by Kropotkin Might be a bit to hard to compete on the steel market as well. Don't got any figures handy but considering the trade wars between the US and EU a small african country would stand no chance. They'll have to find some market where they got an advantage more than a large pool of unskilled workers.

a large pool of unskilled workers screams 'textile industry'. and sadly, we're going to need foreign investors for that. we'll demand higher wages, so our economy will get more out of it. but it will be offset by the proximity to european and NA markets. Btw, We need more port facilities! How can we afford them?

quote: 1. Isreal is a very small country.

Irrelevant.

quote: 2. Israel is strong enough to steal it's neighbor's water and get away with it.

Israel managed to do it before it 'stole it's neighbours' water. back in the 50s and early 60s.

We, OTOH have that river in the south, forgot it's name.

	10-11-2003 02:22									#27
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Time to respond rapidly. What do you do about this?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3254431.stm

	10-11-2003 02:30									#28
	Put an end to popups!

quote: a large pool of unskilled workers screams 'textile industry'.

The textile industry happens to be one of the most protected in the West (primarily in the form of quotas and the like). It has even less of a chance of succeeding than steel.

	10-11-2003 02:30									#29
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Execute Captured opposition leader, declare self God-Emperor, invade France.

	10-11-2003 02:34									#30
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

quote: Time to respond rapidly. What do you do about this?

Pass it off as a pivotal victory in the war on terror (the opposition leader is Islamist), and get massive subsidies from the US?