| abstract
| - The enormous, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Education, and Healthcare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Portsmouth. The average income tax rate is 92.9%, and even higher for the wealthy. The all-consuming Ikandian economy, worth 737 trillion Ikand Dollars a year, is highly specialized and led by the Book Publishing industry, with major contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Tourism, and Beef-Based Agriculture. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is an impressive 103,224 Ikand Dollars, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens. The government is ignoring the latest terrorist atrocities in Portsmouth for fear of causing a fuss, the education system is being cleansed of all corporate influence, the nation is ravaged by daily union strikes, and the only places to see Ferrets now are at local zoos. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Ikand's national animal is the Ferret, which is also the nation's favorite main course.
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