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FiHami’s anti-Shark campaign reminds Kliegmeans of a similar, ill-fated campaign that ex-president Pavlov initiated.
* Infamous for being Pavlov’s biggest failure, the Three Pests Campaign resulted in environmental crisis and his government’s defeat in elections
* Kliegmeans draw comparisons between it and FiHami’s anti-Shark campaign.
While Kliegmean officials have refused to comment on the FiHami war against sharks, many Kliegmeans who experienced the 70s and 80s that their policy reminds them of the “Three Pests Campaign”, in which the first president of Kliegme Dmitry Pavlov and his cabinet implemented rather extreme measures that ultimately resulted in a minor environmental crisis.
The Three Pests Campaign called for the eradication of mosquitoes, rats, and sparrows. Rats, carriers of diseases with the potential to transmit illnesses to humans, were deemed a significant hazard to public health in both rural and urban areas. Mosquitoes, particularly those breeding in stagnant water, were identified as carriers of diseases such as malaria, posed a direct threat to public health. Sparrows, held responsible for consuming substantial quantities of grain, were targeted to address concerns about food shortages and protect agricultural yields.
While the eradication campaign of the former two “pests” resulted in a improvement of hygeine and reduce in disease transmission as intended, the overusage of pesticides resulted in environmental pollution. However, pollution would rather seem preferrable compared to what happened in Kliegme as a result of this “war against Sparrows.” Due to his prestige as a war hero and a national unifier, the people of Kliegme were rather enthusiastic in fulfilling Pavlov’s vision. As a result, the sparrow population in Kliegme all but collapsed, and without a predator, more grain was lost due to pests than ever, resulting in a major agricultural crisis. Thankfully, this crisis did not manifest into a famine as Kliegme desparately signed a trade deal with Myria, importing grain and other agricultural products to replace the collapsed Kliegmean agricultural sector.
Historians unanimously agree that the failure of the Three Pests Campaign is, ironically, what cemented Kliegmean democracy, as Pavlov’s government was replaced after 25 years of governance(including the Dominion period), by his opposition in the form of the Social Democratic Party and its leader, Nikolay Yusupov. Despite its adherance to democracy, the DUK government all but ruled as the sole political power in Kliegme due to Pavlov’s prestige. However, with the failure tarnishing Pavlov’s reputation, Kliegmeans began to prioritise policy rather than politicians. With Pavlov announcing on radio that he congratulates Yusupov for his victory in the elections, a fundamental concept in democracy, the peaceful transition of power, had become a precedent for all future Kliegmean governments to follow.
The Campaign also resulted in the growth of the Kliegmean Chemical industry, as Kliegmean chemical plants were made to supply pesticides and rat poison for the campaign. Afterwards, the chemical industry was made to produce artificial fertiliser, in order to heal the crippled agricultural sector of Kliegme. Despite this effort, it took Kliegme 17 years to return to pre-Campaign levels of agricultural production, which occured in 1993. The environmental effects of the campaign remain in Kliegme to this day, with the Kliegme hosting the least amount of sparrows, mosquitoes and rats in Crabry.
One Kliegmean citizen, who requested anonymity due to him being at a beach despite having called a sick day at work, stated his opinion. “I’m pretty sure killing sharks is just a waste of tax-payer money. And look at FiHami. They aren’t exactly in a position where they can just waste money around like that. That being said, watching it unfurl from a distance is rather hilarious.”