Location: Capitalist Paradise

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Half-ass workers of Platypuses is a huge, economically powerful nation, ruled by Capitalist's right pinky with an even hand, and remarkable for its punitive income tax rates. Its hard-nosed, hard-working population of 782 million are either ruled by a sleek, efficient government or a conglomerate of multinational corporations; it's difficult to tell which.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Defence, Commerce, and Law & Order. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Australia. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 59%. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Arms Manufacturing, Soda Sales, and Book Publishing industries.

Many working fathers have never seen their children, the government extracts trade concessions from poor nations in exchange for humanitarian aid, nervous homeowners have been blamed for rising death rates amongst carol singers and locksmiths, and televangelists flaunt their expensive cars when they attend charity events. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is a problem. Platypuses's national animal is the Platypus, and its currency is the Communist's left pinky.

Platypuses is ranked 274th in Capitalist Paradise and 85,195th in the world for Shortest Average Lifespan, scoring -19 on the Bus Surprisal Index.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and