[NationStates] I'm building us a planet

[Lord_Sinclair]

Something along these lines, you mean?

 

[Ray1333]

Yup!
I thought it seemed like a good idea, as it is significant for border stuff, trade, etc. I got the idea from that one illegal border crossing issue, where the cowboy militia is goin' around messing stuff up.

 

[Lord_Sinclair]

Major Land Transportation Routes:

*1st Edition*

 

[Lord_Sinclair]

I just have to mention that I suddenly want to imagine all the nations as Pokemon regions with the different routes.

 

[Centurion]

For notice, Aranudar's borders are currently closed.

 

[Baron]

Major Land Transportation Routes:
View attachment 59314
*1st Edition*

Mechanica Rationalis has begun construction of a superstructure on and around the equatorial island north of its coast, along with a bridge to said structure. Please extend the MR border out onto the island.

 

[Lord_Sinclair]

Are you sure you realize what kind of an undertaking you're asking? You're suggesting building a bridge that would essentially be the distance from Cuba to Panama. I doubt to see why any nation, especially one with the supposed naval prowess of Mechanica Rationalis, would bother to undertake such a task; the construction and maintenance costs would be enormous.

Furthermore, how substantial is this superstructure of yours? Even if you did build a bridge, would it be of enough importance to be classified as a major transportation route?

On top of all that, building a bridge from the mainland to that island would necessitate Mechanica laying claim to the water on the route. I'm fairly certain that would infringe upon international law regulating claims to water territory. If you were to claim all the water between the mainland and that island, you'd force all international trade to detour around Mechanica; this would seriously impact trade to and from Arcturix and Prussoarcturix, specifically. What's more, if you actually did build a bridge, rather than a tunnel, you'd block off trade even more so.

 

[Valonyx]

'If ya wanna play that game, then the Arctrixian high command would be very glad to ''appropriate'' itself the two southern islands directly separating our countries.
And build nuclear fortresses on them. : D

 

[Baron]

Eh, tunnel works too. And I am building a bananas massive structure there, for peaceful purposes.

And build all the nukes you want, we've got missile shields and our cities are underground.

 

[Lord_Sinclair]

Making it a tunnel doesn't solve all the problems...

> It's still not practical, but if you want to ignore that, so be it.
> It still requires Mechanica claiming ocean, and thus causing Mechanica's borders to impact international trade.
> Just suddenly annexing a neutral island on your own authority raises serious issues about Mechanica in regards to foreign diplomacy.
> A banana farm, even if massive, doesn't qualify as a significant enough structure to warrant a "major transportation route" title for the bridge. The major transportation routes almost all run from city to city, not from farm to farm; farms simply don't have the population numbers, generally speaking, to warrant major transportation routes running through them.

 

[Dr.Patriot]

If ya wanna play that game, then the Arctrixian Sprakian high command National Bongo Band would be very glad to ''appropriate'' dance itself the two southern islands directly separating our countries.
And build plant nuclear fortresses trees on them. : D

 

[Baron]

Making it a tunnel doesn't solve all the problems...

> It's still not practical, but if you want to ignore that, so be it.
> It still requires Mechanica claiming ocean, and thus causing Mechanica's borders to impact international trade.
> Just suddenly annexing a neutral island on your own authority raises serious issues about Mechanica in regards to foreign diplomacy.
> A banana farm, even if massive, doesn't qualify as a significant enough structure to warrant a "major transportation route" title for the bridge. The major transportation routes almost all run from city to city, not from farm to farm; farms simply don't have the population numbers, generally speaking, to warrant major transportation routes running through them.

I'm not sure why I need to claim ocean in order to dig a tunnel, but I've got subterranean cities so statwise I should be fine for it. Also, the island is the closest equatorial landmass for a project with international benefits. The plan is to build up the island into a trade hub and anchor for a space elevator. Since everyone is so interested in making their way into space, MR is building an elevator possible thanks to its existing space industry and scientific advancement.

 

[Lord_Sinclair]

If it's not in internationally regulated territory, then it's not a truly international facility. Even the United Nations building is in territory separate from the US.

It would seem, to me, that Mechanica would have to hand over control of the island to the Democratic Council in order to claim the space elevator as an international project. Otherwise, Mechanica is claiming and developing a previously neutral territory, and this all becomes a land grab and international debate rather than a peaceful advancement in the name of science.

And you don't have to claim ocean in order to build the tunnel, but if you start building anyways, you're beginning unauthorized construction in international waters and create a tremendous hole in your security. I can think of a few nations who would jump on the opportunity to cause damage to your tunnel with the excuse that they were simply running military tests in neutral, unclaimed waters and had a technical malfunction.

Furthermore, if you set a precedent of building things in the ocean without claiming the territory first, what's to stop nations from building military platforms off the coasts of every nation in the world? This precedent would cause extreme international concern, and just about every nation in the world would turn against Mechanica, I imagine.

I implore you to rethink the implications of what you're trying to do; the consequences are far more significant than you might at first believe.

 

[Baron]

Eh, the border extension was more to highlight that the particular red island in question was my red and not Corvermell's red. I'll make it a floating dealio that's private to MR.

 

[Valonyx]

I'm the only one here that can invade people's lawn like that! >: C

 

[Deathmoron]

I can think of a few nations who would jump on the opportunity to cause damage to your tunnel with the excuse that they were simply running military tests in neutral, unclaimed waters and had a technical malfunction.

Me! Me! ME! ME! ME!

 

[Jstar]

I'm in the south, somewhere.

 

[Baron]

@Lord_Sinclair Legally purchased with majority approval in the council vote. Can you mark the island as MR turf?

 

[Lord_Sinclair]

Will do! I'll probably get it updated sometime tomorrow.

 

[Lord_Sinclair]

Spoiler

Change Log:
> Mechanica Rationalis purchased the equatorial islands to its north. (Islands because there are a lot of small islands that would naturally have also been bought)
> Mechanica Rationalis is now shaded in Magenta to prevent confusion with Corvermell.
> Legisa's flag has been updated.