Ever since i started playing regularly, i've researched anonymity in places. Here is what i have for each state plus a bunch of other countries. If anything is outdated or incorrect, please comment.
United States
Alabama: No current lottery. Source: https://www.wtvy.com/content/news/Lottery-bill-other-legislation-is-likely-dead-in-Alabama-legislature-569059451.html
Alaska: No current lottery/Not Anonymous. "Unlike most other states, Alaska doesn’t have a state-sponsored lottery." Source: https://www.lotterycritic.com/lottery-results/alaska/ Alaska does permit charities to run lotteries, the largest one is Not Anonymous. Source: http://www.lottoalaska.com/
Alaska's governor has proposed a bill to create an official Alaska State Lottery. Source: https://apnews.com/78cacca5137f6b47e41be2de37600044
American Samoa: No current lottery. Source: https://simonsblogpark.com/onlinegambling/simons-guide-to-gambling-in-american-samoa/amp/
Arizona: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner for all wins of $100,000 and over. Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/arizona-becomes-latest-state-shield-lottery-winners-names-n995696
Arkansas: Not Anonymous/Other entities unclear. "Winner information is subject to disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A winner who receives a prize or prize payment from the ASL grants the ASL, its agents, officers, employees, and representatives the right to use, publish (in print or by means of the Internet) and reproduce the winner’s name, physical likeness, photograph, portraits, and statements made by the winner, and use audio sound clips and video or film footage of the winner for the purpose of press releases, advertising, and promoting the ASL". Source: https://www.myarkansaslottery.com/claim-your-prize
California: Not Anonymous/Only individuals can claim. “ The name and location of the retailer who sold you the winning ticket, the date you won and the amount of your winnings are also matters of public record and are subject to disclosure. You can form a trust prior to claiming your prize, but our regulations do not allow a trust to claim a prize. Understand that your name is still public and reportable”. Source: https://static.www.calottery.com/~/media/Publications/Popular_Downloads/winners-handbook-October%202018-%20English.pdf
Colorado: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. “As part of the Open Records Act, we are required to release to the public your name, hometown, amount you won and the game you played. This information will be posted on coloradolottery.com and will be furnished to media upon request.” Source: https://www.coloradolottery.com/en/games/lotto/claim-winnings/ Source: https://denver.cbslocal.com/2016/01/15/in-colorado-and-other-states-lottery-winners-can-keep-names-secret/
Connecticut: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via a trust or LLC, "Certain information about our winners is public information: Winner's name and place of residence, date of claim, game played, prize amount won, and the selling retailer's name and location. While most winners claim prizes using their individual names, some winners come forward using other legal entities (i.e., trusts, business partnership) to claim their prizes. In those instances, the Lottery will promote the win using that legal entity's name. For more information about such instances, please consult your personal accountant or legal advisor.” Source: https://www.ctlottery.org/Content/winner_publicity.aspx
Delaware: 100% Anonymous if requested by winner. "Many winners have chosen to remain anonymous, as allowed by state law, but their excitement is yours to share!" Source: https://www.delottery.com/Winners and https://www.delottery.com/FAQs
DC: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via a trust or LLC. Anonymous question is not directly answered on lottery website. "In the District of Columbia, specific lottery winner information is public record." However, a Powerball Jackpot win was claimed via a LLC in 2009. Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/04/AR2009050402008.html
Florida: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via LLC. "Florida Lottery winners cannot remain anonymous. Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide the winner's name, city of residence, game won, date won and amount won to any third party who requests the information; however Florida Lottery winners' home addresses and telephone numbers are confidential." Source: http://www.flalottery.com/faq
The Florida Lottery allows trusts to claim it, however winner information is still released in compliance with the law. A $15 Million jackpot was claimed by an LLC. Source: https://www.fox13news.com/amp/consumehit-the-lottery-remain-anonymous-not-in-florida Source: http://flalottery.com/pressRelease?searchID=199128
Georgia: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner for all prizes over $250,000. Source: https://www.stl.news/georgia-governor-signs-bill-allowing-lottery-winners-remain-anonymous/121962/
Guam: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://www.kuam.com/story/11218413/guamanian-wins-big-in-sportsbingo-but-has-yet-to-claim-2m-prize
Hawaii: No current lottery. Source: https://www.kitv.com/story/40182224/powerball-or-mega-millions-lottery-in-hawaii
Idaho: Not Anonymous."By claiming a winning lottery ticket over $600, winners become subject to Idaho’s Public Records Law. This means your “win” becomes an offcial Idaho public record. Your full name, the town where you live, the game you won, the amount you won (before and after taxes), the name of the retailer where you bought the ticket, and the amount the retailer receives for selling the ticket are all a matter of public record." Can seek anonymity if you have specific security concerns (rarely granted). Source: https://www.idaholottery.com/images/uploads/general/winnersguideweb.pdf
Illinois: Not Anonymous/Anonymous if requested by winner for all wins over $250,000 however info will be released to a FOIA request. "However, Murphy also cooperated with the Illinois Press Association in adding an amendment that ensures that Freedom of Information Act, an act designed to keep government agencies transparent by allowing the public to access any public record by request, supersedes the privacy law, according to attorney Don Craven, the press association’s legal counsel." Source: https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Hidden-riches-Big-lottery-winner-in-Beardstown-13626173.php
Indiana: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via LLC or trust. "Indiana law allows lottery jackpot winners to remain anonymous, with the money being claimed by a limited liability company or legal trust." Source: https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-indiana-mega-millions-winners-20160729-story.html
Iowa: Not Anonymous/Can use a trust to claim but information will be released. "When you win an Iowa Lottery prize of $600 or more, you have to fill out a winner claim form that includes your name, address and Social Security number before you can claim your winnings. Iowa law makes the information on that claim form public, meaning that anyone can request a copy of the form to see who has won the prize. We redact sensitive information, such as your Social Security number, from the form before we release it, but all other details are considered public information under Iowa law (Iowa Code Section 99G.34(5)." Source: https://www.ialotteryblog.com/2008/11/can-prize-winne.html.
For group play, "Prizes can be paid to players who play as a group. A check can be written to an entity such as a trust or to a single individual." Source: https://ialottery.com/pages/Games/ClaimingPrizes.aspx
Kansas: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. "Kansas is one of a handful of states that does not have this requirement. If you win a prize in Kansas, you may request that your identity not be released publicly." Source: https://www.kslottery.com/faqs#faq-8
Kentucky: Anonymity appears to be an option. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website. But multiple instances of winners claiming anonymously have been reported in the news. "Kentucky Lottery spokesman Chip Polson said the $1 million Powerball winner claimed the prize on May 15 and the Mega Million winner claimed the prize on May 12. He confirmed that both players wanted their identity to remain a secret." Source: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2017/05/19/two-1-million-lottery-winners-who-bought-tickets-louisville-want-privacy/101870414/
Louisiana: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. "Under the Lottery's statute, all prize payment records are open records, meaning that the public has a right to request the information. Depending upon the amount won and public or media interest in the win, winners may NOT be able to remain anonymous. The statute also allows the Lottery to use winners' names and city of residence for publicity purposes such as news releases. The Lottery's regular practice is not to use winner information in paid advertising or product promotion without the winner's willingness to participate. Source: https://louisianalottery.com/faq/easy-5#35 Source: https://louisianalottery.com/article/1050/the-williams-trust-claims-share-of-50-million-powerball-jackpot
Maine: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. "In the event that Maine does have a Mega Millions winner, he or she can opt to remain anonymous — but Boardman says that’s never happened. “What a winner could do in Maine is they could file their claim in the name of a trust, and the trust becomes the winner. So that’s how a winner could claim their ticket anonymously,” he says." Source: https://www.mainepublic.org/post/lottery-official-reminds-mainers-they-re-exceedingly-unlikely-win-16-billion-jackpot
Maryland*: Not Anonymous by Law, Anonymous in Practice. "However, the legal basis for this anonymity in Maryland is thin. The Maryland Lottery does not advertise that lottery winners may remain anonymous, but it posts articles on its website about winners and notes those winners who have “chosen to remain anonymous:” Source: https://www.gw-law.com/blog/anonymity-maryland-lottery-winners
*"Please note that this anonymity protection does not apply to second-chance and Points for Drawings contests run through the My Lottery Rewards program. Those contests are run as promotions for the Lottery. As such, they are operated under a different set of rules than our draw games and scratch-off games. The rules of participating in our second-chance and Points for Drawings contests state that winners' identities are published."" Source: https://www.mdlottery.com/about-us/faqs/
Massachusetts: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust "Lottery regulations state that a claimant's name, city or town, image, amount of prize, claim date and game are public record. Therefore, photographs may be taken and used to publicize winnings." Source: https://www.masslive.com/news/2018/05/lottery_sees_increase_in_winne.html
Michigan: Not Anonymous for Powerball and Mega Millions/100% Anonymous if requested by the winner for all other winners over $10,000. "Winner Anonymity. Michigan law requires written consent before disclosing the identity of the winner of $10,000 or more from the State lottery games Lotto47 and Fantasy 5. You further understand and agree that your identity may be disclosed, and that disclosure may be required, as the winner of any prize from the multi-state games Powerball and Mega Millions." Source: https://www.michiganlottery.com/games/mega-millions
Minnesota: Not Anonymous. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website but lottery blog states "In Minnesota, lottery winners cannot remain anonymous. A winner's name, city, prize amount won and the place that the winning ticket was sold is public data and will be released to media and posted on our website." Source: https://www.mnlottery.com/blog/you-won-now-what
Mississippi: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. "In accordance with the Alyce G. Clarke Mississippi Lottery Law, the Mississippi Lottery will not disclose the identity of the person holding a winning lottery ticket without that person's written permission." Source: https://www.mslotteryhome.com/players/faqs/
Missouri: Not Anonymous. "At the Lottery Headquarters, a member of the Lottery's communications staff will ask you questions about your win, such as how many tickets you bought, when you found out that you won and what you plan to do with your prize money. This information will be used for a news release. You will also be asked, but are not required, to participate in a news conference, most likely at the store where you purchased your winning ticket." Source: http://www.molottery.com/whenyouwin/jackpotwin.shtm
A Missouri State Legislator has submitted a bill to the State House to give lottery winners anonymity. Source: https://www.kfvs12.com/2020/02/25/mo-house-considers-legislation-protect-identity-lottery-winners/
Montana: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. "In Montana, by law, certain information about lottery winners is considered public. That information includes: the winner's name, the amount won and the winner's community of residence. Winners may choose to claim as an individual or they may choose to form a trust and claim their prize as a trust. If a trust claims a lottery prize, the name of the trust is considered public information. A trust must have a federal tax identification number in order to claim a Montana Lottery prize." Source: https://www.montanalottery.com/en/view/about-faqs
Nebraska: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via LLC. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website but a winner created a legal entity to claim anonymously in 2014. "Nebraska Lottery spokesman Neil Watson said with the help of a Kearney lawyer, the winner or winners have created a legal entity called Carpe Diem LLC." Source: https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/m-nebraska-powerball-winner-to-remain-anonymous/article_a044d0f0-99a7-5302-bcb9-2ce799b3a798.html
A Nebraska State Legislator has now filed a bill to give 100% Anonymity to all winners over $300,000 who request it. Source: https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/anonymity-for-lottery-winners-bill-would-give-privacy-to-those/article_1cdba44d-c8bb-5971-b73f-2eecc8cd4625.html
Nevada: No current lottery. Source: https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/heres-why-you-cant-play-powerball-in-nevada/
New Hampshire: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via a trust. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website but a winner successfully sued the lottery and won the right to remain anonymous in 2018. Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/03/12/winner-of-a-560-million-powerball-jackpot-can-keep-the-money-and-her-secret-judge-rules/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.bec2db2f7d2c
New Jersey: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.nj.com/politics/2020/01/win-big-you-can-claim-those-nj-lottery-winnings-anonymously-under-new-law.html
New Mexico: Not Anonymous. “Winners of $10,000 or more will have name, city, game played, and prize amount and photo on website.” Can seek anonymity if you have specific security concerns (rarely granted). Source: https://www.nmlottery.com/uploads/FileLinks/82400d81a0ce468daab29ebe6db3ec27/Winner_Publicity_Policy_6_1_07.pdf
New York: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via a LLC. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website but per Gov. Cuomo: "For the past 40 years, individuals wishing to keep their name and information out of the public view have created LLCs to collect their winnings for them." Source: https://nypost.com/2018/12/09/cuomo-vetoes-bill-allowing-lotto-winners-to-remain-anonymous/
North Carolina: Not Anonymous. "North Carolina law allows lottery winners' identity to remain confidential only if they have an active protective order against someone or participate in the state's "Address Confidentiality Program" for victims of domestic violence, sexual offense, stalking or human trafficking." Source: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article54548645.html
North Dakota: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.kfyrtv.com/home/headlines/ND-Powerball-Winners-Have-Option-to-Remain-Anonymous-364918121.html
Northern Mariana Islands: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.nmsalottery.com/game-rules/
Ohio: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website but appears to have an anonymous option. "The procedure from there was a little cumbersome. I needed to create two separate trusts. One trust was to appoint me, as the trustee on behalf of the winner, to contact the Lottery Commission and accept the Lottery winnings. The secondary trust was set up for me as trustee of the first trust, to transfer the proceeds to the second trust with the winner as the beneficiary. This enabled me to present the ticket, accept the proceeds, and transfer it to the winner with no public record or disclosure." Source: https://www.altickcorwin.com/Articles/How-To-Claim-Lottery-Winnings-Anonymously.shtml
Oklahoma: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust or LLC. In accordance with the Oklahoma Open Records Act and the Oklahoma Education Lottery Act, the name of any individual, corporation, partnership, unincorporated association, limited liability company, or other legal entity, and their city of residence will be made public. Source: https://www.lottery.ok.gov/playersclub/faq.asp Source: https://oklahoman.com/article/5596678/lottery-winners-deserve-some-anonymity
Oregon: Not Anonymous. "No. Certain information about Lottery prizes is public record, including the name of the winner, amount of the prize, date of the drawing, name of the game played and city in which the winning ticket was purchased. Oregon citizens have a right to know that Lottery prizes are indeed being awarded to real persons. " Source: https://oregonlottery.org/about/public-interaction/commission-directofrequently-asked-questions Can seek anonymity if you have specific security concerns (rarely granted). Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3353432/Man-living-Iraq-wins-6-4-million-Oregon-jackpot.html
Pennsylvania: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. Source: https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/trust-that-won-powerball-no-relation-to-manheim-township-emerald/article_29834922-4ca2-11e8-baac-1b15a17f3e9c.html
Puerto Rico: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/puerto-rico-powerball-winner-claims-prize-chooses-stay-anonymous-n309121
Rhode Island: Not Anonymous/Anonymous if requested but all info is subject to FOIA. "While the Lottery will do everything possible to keep a winner's information private if requested by the winner, in Rhode Island and most other states, this information falls under the Freedom of Information Act, and a winner's name and city or town of residency must be released upon request." Source: https://www.rilot.com/en-us/player-zone/faqs.html
South Carolina: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website but appears to have an anonymous option based on prior winners. Source: https://myfox8.com/2019/03/15/the-anonymous-south-carolina-winner-of-the-largest-lottery-jackpot-is-donating-part-of-it-to-alabama-tornado-victims/
South Dakota: Not Anonymous for draw games and online games/100% Anonymous for Scratchoffs if requested by the winner. "You can remain anonymous on any amount won from a scratch ticket game. Jackpots for online games are required to be public knowledge. Play It Again winners are also public knowledge." Source: https://lottery.sd.gov/FAQ2018/gamefaq.aspx.
Tennessee: Not Anonymous/Can use a trust but info subject to open records act. Anonymity is explicitly noted as not being allowed on the official lottery website. Source: https://www.tnlottery.com/faq/i-won
However if it is claimed via a trust then the lottery will not give out your information unless requested to do so. "The TN lottery says: "When claiming a Lottery prize through a Trust, the TN Lottery would need identity documentation for the grantor and all ultimate beneficiaries. Once we are in possession of these documents and information, records are generated. If a formal request is made by a citizen of Tennessee, the Trust beneficiary's name, city and state must be made available under the Tennessee Open Records Act." Source: https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/in-tennessee--can-a-lottery-jackpot-be-claimed-whi-2327592.html
Texas: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner for $1 million or more IF the winner claims it as an individual AND chooses the Cash option. Not Anonymous if claimed by a trust or LLC or if the winner chooses the Annuity option. Source: https://www.txlottery.org/export/sites/lottery/Documents/retailers/FAQ_Winner_Anonymity_12112017_final.pdf
Utah: No current lottery. Source: https://www.lotterycritic.com/lottery-results/utah/
Vermont: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. “The name, town and prize amount on your Claim Form is public information. If you put your name on the Claim Form, your name becomes public information. If you claim your prize in a trust, the name of the trust is placed on the Claim Form, and the name of the trust is public information.” Source: https://vtlottery.com/about/faq
Virginia: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner for prizes over $10 million. "A new law passed by the Virginia General Assembly and signed by the Governor prohibits the Virginia Lottery from disclosing information about big jackpot winners." "When the bill goes into effect this summer, the Virginia Lottery will not be allowed to release certain information about winners whose prize exceeds $10 million, unless the winner wants to be known." Source: https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/virginia/new-virginia-law-allows-certain-lottery-winners-to-keep-identity-private/291-c33ea642-e8fa-45fd-b3a4-dc693cf5b372
US Virgin Islands: Anonymity appears to be an option. A $2 Million Powerball winner was allowed to remain anonymous. Source: https://viconsortium.com/virgin-islands-2/st-croix-resident-wins-2-million-in-latest-power-ball-drawing/
Washington: Not Anonymous/Can use a trust but info subject to open records act. "As a public agency, all documents held by Washington's Lottery are subject to the Public Records Act. Lottery prizes may be claimed in the name of a legally formed entity, such as a trust. However, in the event of a public records request, the documents forming the artificial entity may be released, thereby revealing the individual names of winners." https://www.walottery.com/ClaimYourPrize/
West Virginia: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner for prizes over $1 million and 5% of winnings remittance. "Effective January 1, 2019, House Bill 2982 allows winners of State Lottery draw games to remain anonymous in regards to his or her name, personal contact information, and likeness; providing that the prize exceeds one million dollars and the individual who elects to remain anonymous remits five percent of his or her winnings to the State Lottery Fund." Source: https://wvlottery.com/customer-service/customer-resources/
Wisconsin: Not Anonymous/Cannot be claimed by other entities. "Pursuant to Wisconsin’s Open Records law (Wis. Stats. Secs. 19.31–19.39), the Lottery is required to disclose a winner’s name, likeness and place of residence. If you win and claim a prize, the Lottery may use your name, likeness and place of residence for any purpose without compensation to you.
Upon claiming your prize, you waive any claims against the Lottery and its representatives for any and all liability which may result from the disclosure or use of such information." "The original winning ticket must be signed by a single human being. For-profit and non-profit entities, trusts, and other non-human beings are not eligible to play or claim a prize." Source: https://wilottery.com/claimprize.aspx
Wyoming: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. "We will honor requests for anonymity from winners. However, we certainly hope winners will allow us to share their names and good news with other players." Source: https://wyolotto.com/lottery/faq/
Other countries
Australia: 100% Anonymous if requested by winner. "The great thing about playing lotto in Australia is that winners can choose to remain anonymous and keep their privacy, unlike in the United States where winners don't have such a choice, and are often thrown into a media circus." Source: https://www.ozlotteries.com/blog/how-to-remain-anonymous-when-you-win-lotto/
Bahamas: No current lottery. Source: https://thenassauguardian.com/2013/01/29/strong-no-vote-trend-so-far-in-gaming-referendum/
Bahrain: Not Anonymous. Source: https://bdutyfree.com/terms-conditions1#.X8ru92lOmdM
Barbados: Not Anonymous. "No. Barbados Lottery winners cannot remain anonymous. The Barbados Lottery mandates the winner’s name, address, game won, date won and amount won be provided; however Barbados Lottery winners' home addresses and telephone numbers are confidential." Source: https://www.mybarbadoslottery.com/faqs
Brazil: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.lotterycritic.com/lottery-results/brazil-lottery/
Canada: Not Anonymous. Every provincial lottery corporation in Canada requires winners to participate in a publicity photo shoot showing their face, their name and their municipality. Can seek anonymity if you have specific security concerns (rarely granted). Source: https://consumers.findlaw.ca/article/can-lottery-winners-remain-anonymous/
Carribbean Lottery Countries (Antigua/Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Maarten/Saba/St. Eustatius, and Turks/Caicos): Not Anonymous. "No. Caribbean Lottery winners cannot remain anonymous. The Caribbean Lottery mandates the winner’s name, address, game won, date won and amount won be provided; however Caribbean Lottery winners' home addresses and telephone numbers are confidential." Source: https://www.thecaribbeanlottery.com/faqs
China: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Must appear in a press conference and photo but allowed to wear disguise. Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/01/22/china-lottery-winners-mask/22108515/
Cuba: No current lottery. Source: https://oncubanews.com/en/cuba/society-cuba/cuban-traditions/lottery-the-national-game-infographics/
EuroMillions Countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and UK*): 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.euro-millions.com/publicity
*United Kingdom: Excludes
*Caymen Islands, and Falkland Islands: No current lottery. Source: https://calvinayre.com/2018/11/02/business/cayman-islands-move-illegal-gambling-doesnt-address-real-issue/ Source: https://simonsblogpark.com/onlinegambling/simons-guide-gambling-falkland-islands/amp/#lottery-falkland-islands
*Anguilla, and Turks & Caicos: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.thecaribbeanlottery.com/faqs
EuroJackpot Countries (Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands*, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden): 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.euro-jackpot.net/en/publicity
*Netherlands: Excludes
*St. Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.thecaribbeanlottery.com/faqs
Fiji: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://fijisun.com.fj/2012/11/08/3m-lotto-win-here/
Georgia (Kartvelia): Anonymity appears to be an option. "2.9.1. Prizes and Winners. Each Bidder shall provide details of:....how winners who waive their right to privacy will be treated;" Source: https://mof.ge/images/File/lottery/tender-documentation.pdf
Greece: Anonymity appears to be an option. "The bearer of the ticket shall keep the details of the ticket confidential and not reveal them to any third party." Source: https://www.opap.gen/identity-terms-of-use-lotto
Guyana: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2013/05/16/winner-says-he-was-too-busy-to-collect-78m-lotto-prize/
India*: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35771298
*: Only available in the states of Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Sikkim, Nagaland and Mizoram. Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/lottery-mizoram-nagaland-sikkim-kerala-975188-2017-05-04
Indonesia: No current lottery. Source: https://apnews.com/45eb94ff1b1132470a7aa5902f0bc734
Israel: Not Anonymous by Law, Anonymous in Practice. “[A]lthough we have this right, we have never exercised it because we understood the difficulties the winners could encounter in the period after their win. We provide details about the winner, but in a manner that doesn’t disclose their identity,” Dolin Melnik, then-spokesperson for Israel’s Mifal Hapayis lottery told Haaretz in 2009." Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com/why-the-israeli-lottery-gives-winners-masks/
Jamaica: Not Anonymous. First initial and last name of winner was released but winner was allowed to wear a mask for photo. Source: https://news.e-servicis.com/news/trending/lottery-winner-takes-prize-in-scream-mask.1S/
Japan: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/09/08/business/japans-lottery-rakes-declining-revenues-younger-generation-gives-jackpot-chances-pass/#.XRYwVVMpCdM
Kenya: Not Anonymous. "9.1 When You claim or are paid a prize, You will automatically be deemed to grant to O8 LOTTO an irrevocable right to publish, through all types of media broadcasting, including the internet, for the purposes of promoting the win, Your full name (as well as Your nick name), hometown, photograph and video materials without any claim for broadcasting, printing or other rights" Source: https://mylottokenya.co.ke/terms-conditions
Malaysia: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://says.com/my/news/a-24-year-old-malaysian-woman-just-won-more-than-rm4-million-from-4d-lottery
Nagorno-Karabakh: Not Anonymous. Source: http://asbarez.com/120737/artsakh-lottery-winner-claims-car-prize/
New Zealand: 100% Anonymous if requested by winner. Source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10383080
North Korea: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.nknews.org/2018/11/north-korean-sports-ministry-launches-online-lottery/
Northern Cyprus: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://www.pressreader.com/cyprus/cyprus-today/20181124/281590946615912
Oman: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: http://www.omanlottery.com/
Philippines: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.rappler.com/nation/214995-ultra-lotto-winners-claim-winnings-pcso-october-2018
Qatar: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.qatarliving.com/forum/qatar-living-lounge/posts/qatar-duty-free-announces-latest-us1-million
Romania: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://www.thelotter.com/win-lottery-anonymously/
Russia: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: http://siberiantimes.com/otheothers/news/siberian-scoops-a-record-184513512-roubles-on-russian-state-lottery/
Samoa: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/191796/samoa%27s-lotto-winner-still-a-mystery
Saudi Arabia: No current lottery. Source: https://www.arabnews.com/police-arrest-lottery-crooks-victimizing-expats
Singapore: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/did-you-win-here-are-results-of-136m-toto-hongbao-draw
Solomon Islands: No current lottery. Source: http://www.paclii.org/sb/legis/consol_act/gala196/
South Africa: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/powerball-results/powerball-winner-r232-million-found-lottery-details/
South Korea: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://elaw.klri.re.keng_mobile/viewer.do?hseq=38378&type=sogan&key=5
Sri Lanka: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2010/01/31/where-do-all-the-lottery-winners-go/
Taiwan: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: http://m.focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201806250011.aspx
Trinidad and Tobago: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/student-wins-the-million-lotto/article_3f3c8550-570d-11e9-9cc3-b7550f9b4ad4.html
Tuvalu: No current lottery. Source: http://tuvalu-legislation.tv/cms/images/LEGISLATION/PRINCIPAL/1964/1964-0004/GamingandLotteries_1.pdf
United Arab Emirates: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.ndtv.com/indians-abroad/shojith-ks-in-sharjah-uae-wins-abu-dhabi-duty-free-big-ticket-4-million-jackpot-rejects-calls-2032942
Vatican City: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/12/04/popes-white-lamborghini-up-for-raffle-winner-gets-trip-to-rome/
Vietnam: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://ampe.vnexpress.net/news/news/vietnamese-farmer-identified-as-winner-of-4-million-lottery-jackpot-3484751.html
Windward Lottery Countries (Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines): Not Anonymous. "Prize winners asked to do so by Winlot must give their name and address, and satisfactory establish their identity. All winners of the Jackpot (Match 6) prize will be photographed. Note that Winlot and CBN reserve the right to publish the names, addresses and photographs of all the winners." Source: http://www.stlucialotto.com/snl/super6_rules_regs.php

This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 60%. (I'm a bot)

The Philippines Bureau of Immigration has announced the deportation of nearly 3,000 "Erring Chinese" nationals for violating the conditions of their stay.
Earlier, opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros revealed that in 2017, Duterte-appointed officials amassed as much as 40 billion Philippine pesos in bribes, mostly from Chinese nationals who wanted a seamless visa approval upon their arrival in the capital Manila.
According to a May 2020 report, about 90,000 Chinese nationals work in the country's online gambling industry alone, and many were suspected to have availed the programme, skirting the more complicated labour visa application process.
The Department of Tourism also reported that 1.74 million Chinese nationals arrived in the country in 2019, pumping as much as $2.3bn into the local economy.
Morente said the programme accounts for "Only around 5 percent" of total Chinese arrivals in the Philippines.
Opposition Senator Hontiveros said contrary to those claims, as many as 3.8 million Chinese nationals must have paid the 10,000 pesos bribe to immigration officials.

Summary Source | FAQ | Feedback | Top keywords: Chinese^#1 visa^#2 nationals^#3 programme^#4 Philippine^#5
Post found in /worldnews, /AutoNewspaper, /ALJAZEERAauto and /CertifiedNews.
NOTICE: This thread is for discussing the submission topic. Please do not discuss the concept of the autotldr bot here.

Call me Azen. Or call me Saya. I go by many names online. Only my friends and my loved ones know my real first name.
I was born in May 2000 in a small city known for the friendliness of its people and the river that runs through it. I live in Northern Mindanao, in the Republic of the Philippines. And a month before my 20th birthday, I began my deconversion.
From a zealous unbaptized publisher, wishing to become a baptized JW, I have turned myself, with the help of friends and unbelieving family and the rest of the world, into a strong positive atheist with leanings towards secular humanism. Of course, I keep that a secret. And I suppose I can consider myself a PIMO, despite being not baptized.
How did this happen?
It is an incredibly long story. I wish I took more time to organize all the things I've written so I may present to you my life from the start until now. I have many pictures and many videos and many documents and many more, but I think it impossible to use all of them. I fear if I try to use all, I may render my story unreliable, irrelevant, and/or too long. So, I'll just stick to things I feel are appropriate. But you may ask me questions, become my friend, and share details with me as I do with you.
My mother was raised Catholic, and so was her mother, and they were born in a town not too far from the city I myself was born in and raised in. My father however was initially raised in the Philippine Independent Church, for his family members before him were members of that, and he related to me many details about that, especially concerning a particular pew that one of his ancestors gave up to that church; but his being raised in that kind of church isn't the matter I'd like to bring great attention to. That is because years later, after his own father died, leaving him alone with his incredibly depressed mother, he had to take care of her and his siblings. He had and still has a brother and two sisters.
Along the way, he lived through hardship after hardship. He was once imprisoned. He was once a man of the streets, both because of poverty and because of the politics of the Philippines under the iron fist of Marcos. And he had gone from religion to religion, just as he went from job to job, all to care for his family. His journey for salvation and for organization and for faith and for some kind of comfort ended with his family's absorption into the encompassing, seductive, and seemingly benevolent organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Years after that, after his mother had turned into a "true" believer of Jehovah, becoming the maternal dictator of her own family, forming my father and his younger sister into fanatics, with the latter being more fanatical than my father, while the others either drifted away from the faith or simply faded so they may do secular things that kept them afloat, my father travelled down from Luzon into Mindanao.
After all, he wanted to settle down with his new lover, my mother.
My mother was a regular Catholic girl who was extremely educated and intelligent. A firm woman who studied with others in the wake of the Jesuits who came to the shores of my homeland. She worked in Luzon, mainly around Manila, as did my father, but my mother seemed to fare better.
But that did not put aside her own beginnings. She too was born into poverty, having to live with a mother who separated from a man who cheated on her for another instead of remaining with him so they may go into the United States. She had a half-sister, and they both worked hard. My mother's mother was a more firm Catholic than she was, using the belt and the hanger and the teeth and the nails and any instrument of the household to discipline them. I guess that is why my mother inherited some of her methods of discipline for me; as did my father, who had to deal with his parents who disciplined him not only through such instruments of the household but also through lengthy sermons. That, and my father had to deal with an alcoholic father; my mother dealt with her own being a smoker.
As implied, and as said, they fell in love, got married, and went down into Mindanao. They had a house, they got new jobs, and they had me. Many months later, they had my brother.
They were not the only ones who raised me. I was in fact raised by my grandmothers as well. My mother's mother wasn't alone; she had many siblings too. In fact, they were survivors of the Second World War. They had lived through a lot, hiding from the murderous Japanese soldiers who came into their village, slaughtering almost everyone, tossing babies into the air and bayoneting them, then burning all the houses to the very ground their blood spilled upon.
If not raised by my parents and my grandparents from all over, then I was raised by and alongside my cousins and other relatives.
I suppose I was raised a Catholic but eventually stopped attending masses in all sorts of Catholic churches and chapels and cathedrals. I suppose that was because my mother and my father were eager to bring me into the fold. What fold was I entering? A fold that was later to be the undoing of all my faith and my hope and my love for and in religion, most especially their chosen form of Christianity.
I started identifying as a JW when I was just a child; that was what my parents told me to do, what they asked me to do. Strange of them to ask me when there was no other choice. But unlike now, I had no faculty nor intuition to determine there was something wrong.
In fact, I thought it was right. And so I went into the same Jesuit school my mother taught in and studied in as a non-Catholic. And so I went there, shy and handsome, as my mother and many of my female classmates once remembered me by.
I think the one good thing my mother did for me as a child was to get me through some therapy. I wasn't speaking; I wasn't interacting with the other children; I wasn't very active; I wasn't very thick-skinned, in fact, I cried a lot as a child; and I just wasn't expressing pain normally, for I held back my emotions. Only after some therapy and some other things which my mother had me go through for my own good did I suppose that I became a new person which my teachers and my classmates did not seem to recognize until they found out why.
From a silent boy into a talkative boy. However, I was not always talkative, and I often preferred to keep myself silent, even in times of happiness and in times of sadness and in times of ambiguous emotional flavor. But I think it was thanks to a few odd things here and there, along with my religion, that I had to deal with some hardships of my own.
I was bullied. For many reasons, I can recall, but not perfectly.
I was asked many questions. I learned to answer them, but not always to the satisfaction of my classmates and teachers.
I was taught many conflicting things. And I learned them all; in my country, you had to learn not only the mother tongue but also the national language and English. And along with languages, you had to learn about religions. In that Jesuit school, I learned many; for in my country, there were Catholics, Protestants of all kinds, fundamentalist Christians, Christian cults, non-Christian cults, native faiths, Buddhists, Shintoists, and Muslims.
But mainly I encountered Christians of all sorts and then Muslims.
And I made friends with them.
Then I grew older. Slowly or quickly, I shed away my innocence and my naivety and my misconceptions. Slowly or quickly, I changed according to my environment (a great many of them, because I wasn't always in my hometown; I often moved from house to house, from province to province, from town to town, but always returning to where I was born) and other factors. Slowly or quickly, I turned into that zealous wannabe JW.
That was not always to the good of those around me.
Because in the increasing influence of the organization, my parents raised me in the fashion that organization desired. But not always perfectly; I am grateful that thanks to my school and to those who were not of the same faith as me that I was, perhaps, delivered from falling too hard and too deep into the fold of the JWs. And it is also thanks to my parents not being able to comprehensively apply all the tenants of the faith into me and my brother that we became as we are now - unbaptized wannabes.
Fortunately, my little brother didn't seem too invested in the faith; but unfortunately, I cannot understand him too deeply. That bothers me. He is the more closed of us; and often he gets in trouble with my parents more than I do at times. I suppose that even in the 19 years of my life, I failed him as a brother.
Regarding my own case, I treated others conditionally and unfairly. And they treated me the same way.
And as a child, I thought I was the one being persecuted, not them. As a child, I thought I was the one who was right, not them. And as a child, turning into a teenager, I thought I was just doing what Jehovah would want me to because it made him happy.
I will hold nothing back:
I hurt people. I insulted them. I made insensitive comments and insensitive questions. I harassed those weaker than me if I could not make them my friends. I despised homosexuals and tried to convert others to my faith. I was against many things. And I let my new talents at public speaking and at the exercise of my emotions serve Jehovah and serve my own purposes. I manipulated people. I destroyed friendships of my own and of others. I was the weird one because of how radical I was despite not being baptized. I even hurled insults and shouted down schoolmates younger than me, older than me, and of my age because they were, to me, misbehaving or being blasphemous.
And yet, I lived a double life; at the age of 12, I discovered porn, and until now, I am a lover of that and of many other pleasures. I started drinking sometimes around the age of 18, almost getting drunk at times and sometimes getting drunk but not getting caught. And before I turned 18, I was caught in school for gambling. I also stole sometimes. I lied many times. I condemned others for their lifestyles and whatever else I did not like.
And that troubled me. Oh, I prayed to Jehovah many many times. And over time, I became more....how do I say this...tempered.
My zeal faded but my passions did not.
My faith remained but doubts came about.
My Jehovah was with me, and I believed that all these things, good and bad, right and wrong, were all for the glory of Jehovah, the organization, his son Jesus, and the future.
And I truly believed, SURELY, YES, that one day, all my enemies and those who wronged me and those who dared to hurt me will be destroyed by Jehovah.
Pathetic, I say to that, because one by one, my faith was "tested" and Satan, his demons too, were striking at me.
I had a friend, a girl, around my sixth grade. She was a weird one, just like me. But she didn't seem to have any religion. I let that be. Then she showed me gay porn. Somehow, that did not bother me too much on the surface, but internally, I was attracted and even aroused. Hell, I even found myself, in my teenage years, having attractions to men. I thought that was just a phase. I thought I can just pray the GAYYYYYYYYY away, as the pamphlets and the booklets and the publications of both the organization and the Jesuits proclaimed. But no.
And yet, despite my friendship with her, I did the most terrible thing to her: I told her to her face that she was no good influence to me and that thanks to her wicked ways, and because my mother told me to, after learning about how I was so into this "odd" friendship with her, stop associating with her.
That was when I realized I had just shunned someone, a nonbeliever.
That one haunted me. As did many other things, such as the deaths of those I loved and those who loved me.
My mother's mother died in her sleep. My mother had to come over to my school to fetch me and bring me home and tell me the news at the very wooden bench my grandmother, whom I affectionately call Mama, while I called my mother Nanay, waited for me for every single day I came home from school. A most painful loss.
I smashed my hands against my knees, I cried incredibly hard, and the grief hung to me for weeks before I could get over it. My mother was hard hit too, more so and longer so than I was. And this, as well as the deaths of ALL my Mama's siblings over the years, affected her as it affected the rest of my family.
That and among other things drove my family deeper into the embrace of the organization and into a silent decay.
For I was facing vengeance from those whom I hurt at school. And I too was facing ridicule for my double life; I had driven away friends with the reaches of my fetishes and pleasures. I also drove away friends for simple misunderstandings and manipulations.
I also was dealing with health problems. In some days, I would simply drop to the ground or floor and lose consciousness. Other times, I broke down crying or catatonic because of reasons not so easily explained by the school clinic and by the hospitals I was brought into. There were many opinions; suggestions that my heart was having a problem, that my mind was having problems, or that my body itself was having problems.
But I think because of the complicated life I had in school that I was able to fit in more rather than stand out by being the FUNDIE which Americans would so easily see. I, instead, turned myself into the man in the background. The invisible one. The silent type.
And I tried to make amends, for real. As I grew older, I realized how much bullshit I spewed out and how much harm I have caused, having been an asshole, thanks to friends who tried to help and thanks to teachers who believed in me and wanted my talents used for better not worse, and thanks to the teachings also of the world around me, most especially the Jesuits. But my attempts were not always successful.
What was lost to me was not always gained back. But whatever I had left, and whatever I could get anew, I treasured more carefully and deeply. I think that made me too clingy and overprotective and so forth.
That was also thanks to my parents being so overprotective in their own ways, being so set in their own ways and oddities.
My father was the type to boss us all around, to stress us all out, to treat us as employees as we became older and more able mentally to do his will. He was after all the head not only of the family but of our company. Though he loved us, he liked to dish out sermons and turn words against us and infantilize us.
He also was the type to touch me too much. Even when I did not like it. Even when he was reaching or poking around or doing whatever around my groin, I thought of all that as merely...play.
This is fridge horror to me, as I realize it now.
My mother was the teacher. But she was also the disciplinarian who replaced the disciplinarian. If my father was not around, she was somewhat more permissive but also more unstable. She lashed out at many times, she was driven to bouts of sadness, and she was more inclined to go on longer sermons than my father. That and she liked to use her teeth and nails when we boys were either doing things she didn't like or simply because we were not acting or doing or saying things quickly enough. Yet she loved us and also complained about my father as I and my brother did.
But both of them were quite strict yet also not strict with the teachings of the organization. It puzzled me and it puzzles me still because of how many contradictions there are and how much cherry picking is being done and whatever else that seemed odd yet not odd because at that point of my life, I was just blind to the reality of the organization.
And I was deaf to the warnings and comments and what not given by my peers and elders and those younger than me, even online.
I boldly asserted and corrected, I proudly became an apologist and said, "NO! MY RELIGION IS A RELIGION, IT'S NOT A CULT, HOW DARE YOU? WHAT ABOUT THE PROBLEMS OF YOUR FAITH, WHAT ABOUT THE ISSUES IN YOUR CHURCH? WE'RE BETTER. WE'RE MORE PEACEFUL AND UNITED. WE DON'T DO DIRTY POLITICS AND ALL THAT STUFF."
BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BALH BALH LBAH BLAH BLAH
But, to me, at that time, I was simply sparring with words but not doing any serious harm anymore. I wasn't an asshole anymore, I was just the quiet guy with a weird religion and a weird way of seeing things.
All that before I got into college.
But I'll not forget the shit I did wrong online too.
Because online, I was more capable of doing shitty things.
And thanks to my online life, I too had to suffer harm of my own.
I threatened others, I attempted to dox those who attempted to dox me, I played victim, I stalked, I fought, I just did a lot of shitty things, and I DID NOT THINK TWICE UNTIL I GOT OLDER AND REALIZED WHAT THE FUCK I WAS DOING.
All that because not only did I let my emotions go wild and my mind and will go STUPID CULTIST MODE but because I was not being careful and not being aware of myself. I will not let these things excuse me. Fuck that.
So. Again, I grew up, and as I did, I started doing more stupid shit. But this time to myself. For years.
Suicidal thoughts haunted me from day to day for some periods, some short or long. Along with them came thoughts of self harm and immense guilt. I thought a lot. And thanks to that, I actually did self harm.
I used a metal comb to scratch at my hands while also using a ballpen to do the same. I burned myself and bashed my head against the walls and the doors. I insulted myself and put myself down. I was ashamed. I was guilty. And I was the monster.
And the doubts never stopped. And I could never shake off my double life. My parents knew, they gave me sermons, they did a lot to take away my gadgets and the Internet only to return them again or replace them because school demanded it and work for the family company demanded it and so on.
But things changed when I got into college. Things changed when I became, perhaps, more open to becoming my new self.
My first year seemed uneventful, but in fact, it was quite important to me. I met more people, I made new friends, and my past was shaken off or at least forgiven. Still, I was doing shitty things, but mainly online. But if I had not gone to college, I may not have gone into something I was really interested in: PSYCHOLOGY.
And this is where I get closer to my present, to now.
I let my second year fly by, but that second year was full of great things.
I rebuilt my reputation. I cared more about others. I used my guilt and my other emotions as passions for my education and my work and other good things. I started getting more comfortable with my double life. And I also became more...open and more engaging and more "decent" and more "worldly" with regards to my own self.
I admitted to myself that I was a bisexual, and I had my first boyfriend, a long distance relationship, for a few months before I broke that off together with him because it seemed better for us to be friends. Of course, I did not tell my family at all that I was a bisexual. I'm okay with being in the closet. But when I was around my classmates and other people in school and online? I conveniently forgot the rules of Jehovah and simply lived as I wanted.
I even got into new online communities that were more welcoming to me and more willing to see me through; I turned myself into a wanderer online because of the shit I did years before, ruining one online roleplaying community I was in thanks to many many problems, a lot of them being mine.
One of those communities was a modding group for a game I loved: Hearts of Iron 4.
I should tell you now that I am and was a history nut. I moved from interest to interest but with great passion and curiosity. History is one I will never ever shake off. Not even as my parents object to that while also turning that on my head. I guess I got their manipulative tactics from them. And I hate that.
And in that modding group, a lot of wonderful things happened. Again, I regret not writing them down in a journal, I wanted to journal but kept forgetting or just was lazy.
There, I wrote and contributed and cared and helped others. There, I found a family beyond my own. And there, I found something that JWs lied to me about: a loving world. A world that wasn't as nightmarish and as corrupted as they told me.
And along the way, after my first LDR, I had another, and that one fortunately lasted longer.
That one, along with the modding group and along with college and along with many other people and things, helped me free myself mentally. To help me become PIMO.
I fell for a woman who was in a roleplaying community I joined at the invitation of another friend online. And until now, she and I are good friends. We really cared for each other, and I did not even care that I was associating with a person my organization and my parents would not approve.
In the years 2018 until 2020, I want to say to you, to admit to you, to confess to you, that those years were the happiest of my life, the most lively of my life, and the most honest. The most passionate and probably the most self-aware I have ever been.
There were bumps here and there, but I overcame them, and I did not stop. I was no longer a trainwreck, but instead I was a fully functional and strong and healthy man.
Then COVID-19 showed up and ruined things not just for me but the whole world.
At least I finished my 2nd year and will now be getting into my 3rd year.
But I think that because of the quarantine, and because of my increasing participation in the online world, and because of all of my new and more healthy real world changes and relationships.....because of all that, I was guided away from the "light" of the organization and rightly so.
I recall one thing that made my doubts serious; I was out on ministry with my 2nd bible teacher. I met an Australian man who told us off politely because he was upset. Upset why? The Royal Commission debacle. We spoke a while. Then we left. At least we left on good terms, not talking about converting him. But when we left, as I rode in the front seat of my bible teacher's SUV, I let my thinking take over.
I let the new person I was becoming take over.
And I think that was good for me.
For I'll compare this and all the other things that were slowly or quickly pushing me away from the "light" of the organization to the transformation I had from a shy boy into a talkative boy.
And like a dam, cracks appeared at their own wish, at their own rate, until finally, that very dam burst, and the waters came out, overcoming everything in its wake.
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, wings burning brightly like the sun, and like the sun dying so the moon may take her place, I set myself free with the help of so many things and so many people.
Though fearful that I was crossing the Rubicon, though doubting the truths the other side had to offer, though thinking it evil that I was becoming an apostate, I did it anyway.
I went forth.
And I do not think I will ever come back again.
For look! I looked into Reddit and found the exjw subreddit, the exchristian subreddit, the John Cedars channel on YT, the videos of Theramintrees and all those other atheist and agnostic and exjw youtubers, the atheism and the agnostic subreddits, and also listening FINALLY to the comments and the warnings and the stories and the testimonies of exjws I met online years before I WOKE UP and BECAME PIMO, to the things those of this world shared to me!
AND EVERY SINGLE DAY, I SPENT POURING MYSELF INTO VIDEOS AND LECTURES AND STORIES AND POSTS AND ALL SORTS OF THINGS.
And I think that was possible because I spent so much time at home because I was sick and because I was doubting my religion and because I was worried about the virus and because I was becoming stressed out from work at my modding community and had to take a break and because I was letting my mental defenses down and because my parents were not taking me to the hospital OUT OF FEAR OF THE VIRUS BUT ALSO BECAUSE THEY DID NOT LISTEN TO ME WHEN I TOLD THEM I WAS FUCKING SICK.
They say the most devout believers can turn into the most fervent nonbelievers.
That the most interested in the faith can become faithless.
That is me, I guess.
AND WITH NO GLOVES ON, NO HOLD BACKS, NO BARS, NO NOTHING TO STOP ME, WITH MYSELF ALONE IN THE HOUSE, IN SECRET WHENEVER THERE WERE PEOPLE, I STUDIED AND LISTENED AND WATCHED AND DID WHAT I COULD TO BE ON THE OTHER SIDE.
And I compared. And I thought. I thought and thought and thought and then it hit me.
Suddenly.
Quickly.
WITH RELENTLESS FORCE, LIKE MY EMOTIONS, THEY HIT ME.
From a believer to an agnostic to an atheist, I REALIZED THAT I WAS FED LIES. THAT I WAS ABUSED. THAT I WAS IN A CULT. THAT I WAS BEING PLAYED FOR A FOOL. THAT I WAS BEING AN ASSHOLE FOR A BIGGER ASSHOLE. THAT I WAS, FOR NINETEEN YEARS OF MY WHOLE LIFE, A TRAINWRECK AND A FUNDAMENTALIST CULTIST SON OF A BITCH.
​
I BECAME FILLED NOT ONLY WITH SADNESS, GRIEF, BUT ALSO WITH ANGER AND CURIOSITY AND CONVICTION AND DISGUST AND ABOVE ALL, A FREED MIND WITH A FREED WILL AND FREED DETERMINATION TO BE WITHOUT THE TRAPPINGS AND THE UTOPIAN EVILS OF A MOTHERFUCKING CULT! A CULT THAT HAS HELPED ME DO BAD THINGS FOR REASONS I THOUGHT GOOD, A CULT THAT HAS MADE THE GOOD PERSON IN ME BECOME CORRUPTED WITH DOGMA!
WITH WRETCHED, WEAK, AND IGNORANT, MAN-MADE TRADITION, SUPERSTITION, AND COMPLETE BULLSHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
​
....
​
​
That was the end.
​
A month before my birthday, I secretly turned against my past and my faith and everything I once thought was good. Now, I must tell you that I am not going to do stupid shit or even go balls to the wall with my atheism or so, no.
​
I'm keeping my atheism secret. I am going to keep being PIMO until I am free and independent. I am going to be myself, my new person, my actual self, in secret. I will do what I must until I am free to be on my own and to be good on my own terms and to be human instead of a slave to the governing body and their organization.
​
For now, I just wanted to tell my story, for once, because I was holding back.
​
Tonight is just the beginning, and tonight is just my first post, after many days of doubting and thinking and whatever else held me back.
​
I apologize for my bad english and for the length of my own story and my own life experiences with the Jehovah's Witnesses. I realize there are still a lot of things I left out but will be happy to talk about in private or in future posts.

Dash to the Future Megaproject

As teased by President Lim, the Legislative Yuan finally put a rubber-stamp on his teased Dash to the Future megaproject. The project is slated to cost $100 Bn, with the goal of launching Taiwan over the $1 Tn GDP mark and well towards the next trillion, to be the largest economic overhaul of the nation since its rise as an East Asian Miracle in the 80's and 90's. The Legislative Yuan has placed a soft completion date for the project around mid 2038.

Greater Taipei

With population in Taiwan climbing, and already having metropolitan spill over between Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan and Keelung, the Ministry of the Interior has included as part of the Dash to the Future Plan a major overhaul of these areas that include full integration into a new smart megacity called Greater Taipei. As part of this integration, the entire city will be called Greater Taipei, but Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, and Keelung will be the new Super Districts while still having jurisdiction of their already existing districts. With the exception of New Taipei City, most of these new Super Districts are extremely old. While there are newer, overhauled areas, most of the residences are small high-rises that have been there since Japanese colonialism and slowly updated. Electrical wires run from street transformers directly through windows into buildings, the same could be said about the internet. Being the oldest part of modern Taiwan, it is no surprise it is the last place on the island that remains this way, and this will have to be addressed when creating Greater Taipei into a smart megacity.
Massive digging projects will begin to streamline the electricity management of Greater Taipei by placing it underground and integrated into each residential and business structure as overhauled in the Housing Boom subproject. The same will be done with the internet as well, to provide fibre optics to every residential building and business. All current sewage piping, and water piping will be completely redone to connect sewage to waste water plants to clean out the waste and filter the cleaned water towards the interior where agriculture is present.
To make Greater Taipei into a world class city like Tokyo, or Seoul, it will need to be clean. While trash has never been an issue with Taiwan’s dominant recycling regimen and daily trash routines, streetside food vending is not only violating health regulations, but looks unsanitary. The Ministry of Interior acknowledges that night markets are an important part of Taiwan’s culture and tourism background so they decided to build several specific large mall-like markets with multiple floors. Vendors will rent out space from the Ministry of Interior, and will be given a license to operate within the lease date so long as they pass the health inspections.
After the Port of Taipei was damaged by the People’s Liberation Army, the Ministry of National Defense was quick to dispatch CSBC Corporation to repair the damage, however the port is important to the northern economy, and President Lim has been vigilant to include it in the Dash to the Future Megaproject. The container port is going to be expanded to service 20,000 TEUs and up to 52 container berths. To do so, the quay length will be extended 15,500 m with 190 quay cranes and 178,000 m² of warehouse. The Taiwan Heavy Industries Shipyard at the Port of Taipei will also be subsequently expanded to provide a larger away of civilian and business vessels to feed Taiwan’s monstrous trade regimen. The facility expansions will focus on crude oil tankers, oil and natural gas drilling ships, LPG carriers, offshore oil and gas rig vessels, semi submersible heavylift ship barge, and superlarge freighters. Most of these will service EVERGREEN’s growing need for vessels as Taiwan’s economic influence expands across Africa and the world, to service LNG and petroleum drilling operations in Africa, the Indian Ocean, and the Philippine Sea.
The Ministry of Interior plans to move the central government from Taipei to Tainan so Taipei can focus on finance, business, and tourism rather than politics. All current government buildings such as the Legislative Yuan, Presidential Office Building, and others will be turned into the Taiwan Smithsonian, so that citizens can visit the historical monuments for free.
Roads in the city will be expanded to feed the growing population and updated to modern standards. The highways will be expanded to ten lanes, while roads will be expanded to eight lanes. The roadways and the highways across Taiwan will be armed with speed and traffic cameras for enforcement of laws by photography and speed signalling. The Ministry of Interior has set their goal of 99% of Taiwan’s roadways to be enforced by camera policing to not only make driving safer, but cleaner. Sound barriers will be added around the freeways, highways to minimize sound.
Having long been delayed, the Taoyuan International Airport, the island’s primary airport is going to undergo extensive remodeling as part of the Dash to the Future Megaproject. With the large-scale international recognition of the Republic of Taiwan, many previously off-limits routes are now available to Taiwan, meaning the airport will have to accommodate the increased traffic. Already a busy airport, they have decided to market themselves towards being the hub to South Asia from North Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas. Meaning that flights headed to South Asia will be directed through Taoyuan International Airport. Two more runways are going to be added, each at 12,467 feet made primarily of concrete. The airport has a target of around 100,000,000 passengers served annually, which is 20,000,000 more than the current 80 million. All of the terminals will be upgraded to be on a loop to the highway so that vehicles can pull up, and drop off relatively quickly.
The integration is expected to cost $20 Bn over the course of the project.

New Capital City - Tainan

The central government has decided to jump ship from Taipei to the old ancient capital, Tainan. Tainan was the original capital to the island government when ruled by their own people, and seemed like a fit for the Republic of Taiwan. Additionally, the transition to Tainan will bring with it a large amount of investment and repurposing of the city from stagnant industry, to bustling political center. A building for each ministry will have to be constructed, as well as a Legislative Yuan, and a Presidential Building. The site for the construction of the new seat of government has been selected in the Annan District of Tainan, mostly abandoned farmland and right on two scenic rivers, right across from Anping Old Fort. All of the ministry-level headquarters will be built in a similar ancient Taiwan palace-style along a single road called Independence Way that connects to Road 17. Taiwan’s new presidential building will be called the “Green House” denoted by its green-colored roof to be as pictured at the end of Independence Way with each Ministry building at its North and South. (See the Green House, pictured center, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pictured left). The area around the structures will be maximized for the growth of vegetable and fruit gardens. The paddies around the buildings should also be preserved as much as possible to maintain the healthy natural image. The Environmental Protection Agency has stated the buildings on Independence Way will be entirely powered by renewable energy, like 80% of the country.
The construction and overhaul of the area to prepare for the transition of the seat of government should cost $5 Bn.

Housing Boom

The island has already built over most of its non-mountainous areas with houses since the early 1900’s. As noted above, the new focus will be about building new, and higher than ever before. While most of Taiwan’s buildings, especially in Taoyuan, and Taipei are very aged, the new push is to build tall and build new. As part of a great urban renewal project and residential housing project, Continental Engineering Corporation has been provided the contract and subsidies to undertake the massive housing project. All of the structures will be replaced with large multi-use skyscrapers. This will allow the ground floors to be used by stores, and restaurants, while the remaining floors can be used for apartments. Electricity, water, sewage, gas, and the internet will run to these buildings. Each unit will have its own integrated HVAC system, a considerable upgrade for Taiwan. These high-scale cookie-cutter apartment complexes will be dotted across the island, replacing the old. These apartments will be sectioned into units of 10, and that will consist of a neighborhood that has a secure vehicle and foot entrance on two sides. Using the home key to swipe at the security gate they can gain access to the neighborhood and to their building. Guests can check in at the security gate by providing their National Identification Card. A section for visitor parking by the security gate will be allotted, while residence parking will be camera detected by parking pass, and will remain underground in the neighborhood. At the center of each neighborhood, will have a park and common area for community activities. The security entrances will be manned by uniformed, unarmed, volunteers to the National Police Agency as part of their new Community Safety Office. They will not have the authority to arrest anyone or detain anyone, but could assist with situations until law enforcement arrive if serious, solve communal disputes, report suspicious activity, and general community outreach activities like helping a child find their home, get into their building, assisting people carrying groceries etc.
Likely the most important piece of the project, and the largest arm of the project, it is expected to cost $50 Bn in upgrades and construction across the island to completely modernize housing and implement the safe neighborhood system.

Connection Penghu

The islands of Penghu, still on Taiwan’s continental shelf, are in shallow waters, easily accessible, and within 10 miles of Chiayi County on the island of Taiwan. A series of bridged highways have been proposed in a loop to link Penghu County and its respective islands to each other which will be linked by a long over-water bridge to the coastal Highway 61. As part of the loop there will be two connections across to Penghu, the first will connect the Hwy 61 to Penghu’s 202 at the Huxi Township. The other connection will connect Dongjiyu Township to the 61 by Jiangjun District. This plan will effectively connect all of the islands of Penghu directly to each other and to Taiwan proper. The connection will be called the Penghu Causeway, and will cost $20 Bn.

Gambling Laws and Tourism

As Taiwan gains a taste for luxury life and culture, the Legislative Yuan decided to generally legalize gambling across the Republic of Taiwan. Previously, gambling was only legal in designated areas, however no areas were ever designated. After the passage of this law, gambling and e-gambling will now be legal in Taiwan. Specifically, the Legislative Yuan has targeted Yilan County’s coast for specific gambling and resort build up on the Eastern Coast. White sands will be poured over Yilan’s coast and allow the targeted foreign resort and casino investment into the area. The Ministry of Interior will be conducting a $5 Bn construction and infrastructure build up of the coast to cater to construction of prospective resorts and casinos. This will include the clearing of the new coast, extending of power lines and water lines, and carving out areas for resorts and casinos, while preparing the white sand beach.
Taiwan will now allow the hosting of e-gambling services, including Simplified Chinese to suck money out of China’s rampant addiction to online gambling that the government can’t seem to crank down on. Currently, the Philippines manages the monopoly for e-gambling in South East Asia, but as an easy market to get into and a sector dominance of Chinese-language, the barriers to entry for Taiwan are extremely low. With the technological prowess of Taiwan, the Legislative Yuan expects it will not be long until most e-gambling could be regulated through Taiwan’s government, and all the digital transactions and gambling fees raking in more revenue from overseas players to Taiwan. The Legislative Yuan hopes that this broad legalization will drive further business, and will make Taiwan one of the first in South East Asia to do so.

The Conference

 
In keeping with the tradition that began in 1866, the Internationale has held a successful conference. Paris, the epicenter of the old order’s great defeat, has birthed new life in the form of the modern revolutionary spirit, as it had done in past centuries. Now, with the great debates, speeches and secret meetings of military importance all concluded, the following consensus has been produced:
 

Political Conclusions

 
The Third Internationale is between a rock and a hard place policywise. It is the conference’s belief that our poor economic, foreign policy and logistical situations can only be remedied by taking certain political stances. Broadly-speaking, this means a focus on efficient autonomy and a very clear delineation between when things are more efficient top-down versus bottom-up.
 
Development of critical industries such as natural resource and war materials production should be top-down, because national decisiveness is key. Similarly, a presidential system is preferable in order to have a single figure able to make decisions that cannot wait for consensus. In regards to local and regional affairs, however, consensus should be built from the bottom up, via legislatures and representative groups. Market socialism is a natural extension of trade unionism, in order to spare administrative resources that would otherwise be wasted on micromanagement. Overall, federalism and municipalism are good options for making these power structures work, as a strong supplement for trade unions. This balance of decisiveness and consensus should provide the best manner from which to make viable revolutionary states.
 
We need to be open for diverse modes of thinking in order to make a broad enough coalition to facilitate our political aims. That means, broadly speaking, an end to the modern conceptualization of colonialism, which we’ve already signed onto. More importantly, we need to recognize that all people must be treated with equality of opportunity, as this is our chance to eke out the most from our limited amount of manpower. Primarily this is concerned with women’s rights, civil rights for oppressed groups, and better education/social services. Investments here will build support for our movement, give us more manpower and industrial power per capita, and increase productivity on an individual level. The revolution’s goals can also serve as the means of achieving them.
 
It is also worth considering the women’s revolution from a different angle than mere necessity. If our revolution is to be victorious, it cannot discard the rights of half of the population due merely to differences in anatomy. It is worth remembering that even in places where women’s political rights are heavily curtailed by patriarchal norms, they still hold massive sway due to the essential part they play in the fabric of all societies. If we appeal to the common woman with a genuine offer of liberation and the right to make their own choices, it is not only a huge victory for our revolution, but our moral and civic duty.
 
During the course of this conference, the so-called “Entente” nations have abandoned the last semblance of democratic norms they still had, unveiling them as the tyrants we already knew them to be. This course of events, combined with a reconciliation with less radical democratic movements in many countries, see the Internationale as the main proponents of true democracy in the world. We should take up this mantle with gusto, as we are up to the challenge of broadening our coalition and making nice with moderate allies when they are willing to make nice with us.
 
Those who espouse democratic socialism and social democracy are the most easily incorporated. While they do not necessarily espouse anarchist or syndicalist views on economics, a shared focus on public welfare and the common good makes our rhetoric a snug fit. Social liberals are perhaps a more challenging group, as they still adhere to many of the tenets of capitalism, especially the concept of a market system. However, their willingness to be open to social change and their firm belief in democracy being supreme over capitalism where the two conflict (in their eyes, at least) will give us openings to make appeals.
 
While it is certainly a much bigger tent ideologically than the revolution began with, we can make it work. It may also allow the revolution to make inroads if we portray our values in ways that our non-revolutionary fellows can understand. While we all agree with the concept of “negative freedoms”, or rights that can only be taken away - such as freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom of public protest - the revolution’s ideals are often embodied in “positive freedoms”. These freedoms can only be attained by working together towards a common goal, such as freedom from hunger, freedom from want, and so forth.
 
Additionally, while the revolution is fundamentally secular, it is not opposed to religion in and of itself. This has not been made clear, usually due to fundamentalist propaganda rooted in fear of our economic stances but peddled in religious terminology. By establishing a firm separation of church and state without alienating the church, we will preserve both the revolution and the spiritual connection that many people have with their faith of choice. There will often be conflicts between the two, as many tenets of faith are somewhat outmoded, but these can be overcome without stamping religion out. This will both preserve the rights the revolution is meant to defend, and allow us lasting appeal with many of those who are of strong personal faith.
 
While much of this discussion about broadening the revolution has been met with derision from purists, it is a compromise that most seem willing to make.
 
 

Economic Conclusions

 
The Third Internationale is critically isolated from essential resources required for war production. The Germans have a significant colonial empire, and the Entente has access to many critical resources simply due to the geographical size and wealth of their remaining overseas territories. The Third Internationale has neither of these things, and is in serious danger of being unable to compete for resources essential for war production. This must be rectified as soon as possible, both by removing the safety nets of our enemies and securing one for ourselves.
 
Oil is by far the most critical natural resource we have a paucity of. While synthetic oil production and coal cracking have broken critical ground, they still provide an absolutely paltry amount of refined oil for use or stockpiling. Exploration of Scottish shale deposits have also proven unsatisfactory for running a single peacetime economy, let alone two wartime ones. The best option currently is investment in Mexico’s troubled oil industry, which has struggled to find buyers ever since the US and Germany refused to trade with them. By investing in Mexico and building considerable storage facilities, we should have enough to weather the storm. Oil security, fortunately, is a problem that Germany also shares. If we’re able to isolate them from their tenuous connection to the oil fields in Baku, we can place the juggernaut into the troublesome situation we’re in, but with far less advance preparation.
 
Rubber is even more troublesome, and is crucial in significant quantity in order to run the vehicles which appear critical for modern war. Rubber is needed for planes, tanks, everything complex that acts in support of the infantry. We have virtually none, and even worse, the Germans control the lion’s share of world production between their colonial enterprises. Any revolts in rubber-rich areas should be given special consideration, and the fomenting of revolution in places like Indochina, Malaya, Siam, Ceylon and Equatorial Africa should be strongly encouraged. Additionally, if an allied regime can be created in Brazil, we could secure vast potential rubber resources with enough investment. Brazil would also be the safest bet logistically, with Germany able to largely disrupt or shut down rubber transfer from other areas. A special consideration should also be made for the Dutch East Indies, and support of a friendly Insulindian revolution could also provide an indigenous counter to Entente and German interests in the region. If we act quickly, we could also seed major rubber plantations in other viable zones of the Americas and Africa amenable to our trade, in order to provide auxiliary sources by the time the war is in full swing, but rubber trees take six years to grow.
 
Copper is another massive challenge. The Entente has many productive copper mines, as does the United States. The Internationale, meanwhile, has to rely mostly on mines in Cornwall that are likely to begin declining in output soon. Our best bet for competing is to exploit the considerable reserve in Chile, which indicates that we must secure Argentina to ensure the preservation of the Chilean regime. Additional sources could be secured in Spain or the United States if we’re lucky, and exploration of unproven reserves in Peru if their government is overthrown. Germany has active copper mines in places like Lubin, but it is unclear as to whether they would be sufficient to sustain a prolonged war.
 
With the second defeat of France, all of Lorraine now lies in Germany, her critical iron ore going with it. Italian ore production is insignificant, and British mines are largely uneconomical but can at least bolster her domestic steel demand. Chile, Brazil, Mexico, the United States, Norway and Sweden are the most accessible producers, with potential for future expansion of the steel industry in India if Jharkhand can be held. Without these imports, war production will be implausible. Germany, meanwhile, has much of their ore production and steel industry near their frontlines in the Lorraine and Flemish-Wallonian Sillon Industriel, as well as the Ruhr. If war comes, it is possible that air power could provide a critical advantage in reducing the Reich’s warmaking capacity in this sector.
 
Bauxite production is minimal, which is unfortunate considering our significant potential for aluminum production. Hydroelectric facilities in Alpine France and Italy could produce considerable amounts of aluminum for planes if bauxite sources could be obtained. Most bauxite used commercially is currently exported from Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana and especially Australia, rendering it out of our grasp. However, there are also proven deposits in Arkansas that could be exploited by an allied America to greatly increase wartime aluminum throughput. Fortunately, Germany is in a similar predicament regarding aluminum accessibility, and knocking out their import sources in China and Brazil could help facilitate the crippling of their aeronautical industries. However, the Entente would be just as likely to sell to Germany for processing, rendering those efforts moot.
 
Cobalt is essential for catalysts, as well as various alloys. Unfortunately, we’re not in a great position regarding cobalt either. The US has some unproven reserves, but the main production sites available to us are in Cuba. It is possible that Chile could provide cobalt in the required amounts to feed our synthetic materials industries, but that is as yet uncertain.
 
The Union of Britain and Commune of France both produce considerable amounts of coal, but it tends to be mediocre in quality and economic viability. Additionally, the most viable French coal deposits in Nord-Pas-de-Calais are directly in the line of fire for German troops, leaving mostly the Loire deposits in a strategically secure region. Meanwhile, Germany’s principle coal-mining region in the Ruhr could be made vulnerable to air power, but their significant coal sources in Silesia and elsewhere could aid in keeping their electricity and steel production online. Unfortunately, accessing coal from elsewhere is not economical, and hydroelectric power should be strongly considered, as well as natural gas or literally anything that can keep the lights on.
 
Manganese is usually found alongside iron deposits, and is critical for virtually all steel production, most aluminum alloys used in military applications, as an additive to reduce engine knocking in unleaded gasoline, and as the key ingredient in current-generation batteries. While the Internationale possesses minor manganese production, mostly in the northern Pyrenees, it is not nearly enough to sustain a wartime steel industry. The best alternative sources at this time are Brazil, India (specifically Orissa, controlled by the Bharatiya Commune), and Mexico, whose reserves are as of yet mostly unproven. Most other sources and potential sources - South Africa, Australia, China, Malaya, Gabon, Ukraine, Ghana - are controlled by the Entente or Reichpakt, with South Africa and Australia being by far the leaders in manganese production.
 
Lead is crucial for bullets, solder and many alloys of copper and brass. By and large, lead can be sourced in necessary amounts from Mexico if we invest, with other potential candidates being Peru, Bolivia, the US, India and Ireland. Again, the Entente has a massive lead (pun intended) due to Australia, who has by far and away the largest reserve of lead. Germany has minor lead mines of her own, but not enough to support her war industry without major supplementation from Sweden, Russia or Australia.
 
Nickel is necessary for several alloys, especially types of stainless steel, as well as being a catalyst for hydrogenation. The primary sources for nickel are German New Caledonia, the Philippines, Russia, Canada, Cuba and Brazil, with the latter two being by far the most accessible. Nickel is especially critical for tungsten carbide machine tools, which are vastly superior to regular steel for many tools and machines needed for war production.
 
Tin is necessary for almost any form of solder, not to mention tin-plated containers, cans and bearings. Outside of the now-declining tin mines in Cornwall, the Bolivian and Chinese tin belts are the primary sources of tin for the Internationale. Unfortunately, Yunnan’s economy is largely controlled by German corporate interests, as are many other potential sources. That said, Siam may be a viable long-term trade partner, as could an independent Indochina, Malaya or Insulindia. Brazil, Peru, Australia and Russia also have significant deposits.
 
Molybdenum is a critical component of alloys in military-grade armor, electrical contacts, airplane components, industrial motors, filament supports in lightbulbs, and many forms of stainless and tool-quality steel. The main sources of molybdenum are in Norway and the United States, with Chile also producing Molybdenum as a byproduct from copper mining. In this respect, it is possible that the Internationale will be able to deny Germany access to major deposits, as Canada has yet to exploit most of theirs and it may be possible to cut much of US trade to the German industrial heartland.
 
Tungsten is straightforward, primarily being used for tungsten carbide in machine tools, kinetic energy penetrators, etc. By far the largest production potential for tungsten is China, but many other sources exist in more convenient countries such as Spain, Portugal, the United States, Australia, Canada, Russia and Indochina. While the Entente and Reichpakt control much of these, Spain and Portugal could be potential sources, and England has domestic tungsten production that could provide a bare minimum of new tungsten carbide in wartime.
 
Vanadium is another extremely useful steel additive, as well as having applications in airframes, axles and other high-wear, critical components of vehicles and machinery. Vanadium is mostly present in Manchuria, Peru, far eastern Siberia and South Africa. It is likely that we could deny the Germans access to significant amounts if South Africa could be somehow isolated.
 
Zinc is essential in galvanization, many alloys including bronze, catalyzing rubber, manufacture of industrial chemicals, and more. Zinc at least can be accessed in reasonable quantities via Ireland, Mexico and India. However, it is worth considering that Peru, Australia, Russia, China, the United States and Canada are by far the largest producers. It is very unlikely that Germany can be cut off from significant access to zinc, given that it is also produced in quantity in Anatolia and Sweden.
 
Nitrates used for fertilizer are largely dominated by production in Chile, Peru, California and the Pacific islands. Fortunately, it is far more abundant in Chile than anywhere else, meaning that agricultural production is more secure. Actual productive agricultural lands that could be tapped into are largely in Argentina, southeastern Brazil, the United States and perhaps unorthodox countries such as India, if properly mechanized. Germany is heavily reliant on colonial and Ukrainian imports, and the Entente mostly relies on Canadian (and to a lesser extent, Australasian) grain. A significant enough disruption from sea traffic could potentially starve the French Republic out, or on a smaller scale could work on the garrisons of Corsica and Sardinia.
 
 

Logistical Conclusions

 
The Internationale is critically reliant on overseas trade in order to support our war economies, even if we manage to acquire the necessary resources to actually further our war aims domestically. This means a rapid change of focus from building up to face Germany on the home continent to instead facing off against the Entente and Hochseeflotte to wrest control of the waves. We start in control of two critical naval passages, the English Channel and Straits of Magellan, but this will not suffice to achieve a victory in the current situation.
 
Most critical and with the most potential is Gibraltar. Control of Spain would allow the Internationale to hold a knife to the throat of Germany’s largest colonial trade artery, forcing them to reroute their trade from Ostasien around the Cape of Good Hope instead of through the much shorter Suez route. This would also be absolutely devastating to the French “Republic”, who relies on Gibraltar for almost all of their imports due to the severe traversability challenge posed by the Sahara. The much smaller ports in Morocco would not suffice, and could potentially be intercepted from a Gibraltar position, rendering them moot, and allowing us to choke the French pretender state into submission. In enemy hands, meanwhile, Gibraltar would force us to move almost all supply overland and would prevent our naval forces from being able to group together if necessary, rendering a major blow to our warmaking capabilities.
 
Additional pressure on the Mediterranean can be provided by seizure of Sicily, thus locking down the Strait of Messina and would allow for considerable strike capability into the Strait of Sicily. Such a position could pose a large threat to German trade, but would have much less of an effect on the French Republic. As such, it would be prioritized in the context of strengthening Syndicalist Italy, and not as a viable alternative to Gibraltar.
 
Now we turn our attention to holding our own trade open, and the North Atlantic becomes our principle battleground. Sufficient deployment of German or Entente submarines could pose an existential threat to Internationale shipping, let alone their surface fleets. If we are to survive, the North Atlantic must be kept open so that supplies from allies such as Chile and Mexico can be received and put to good use. This means that Spain and Portugal are once again critical, as Iberian waters stand to intercept any and all shipments from critical resource regions. Additionally, Brazil would serve as an extraordinarily useful base for naval patrols, allowing the Internationale to put pressure on insufficiently-guarded German shipping between Natal and Monrovia, and use of the Canaries and Azores would allow a significant extension of the Internationale’s air coverage in supply areas critical for the Entente.
 
The Caribbean is rife for potential socialist uprising, and the Entente could theoretically use their bases to shut off resources critical for the war effort, especially Mexican oil and Cuban rare earth metals. At bare minimum, a corridor must be established somewhere via the support of syndicalist revolutionary activity, in order to keep ahold of our Mexican petro-lifeline. Without oil, no strategy will succeed.
 
In the North Sea, it is worth gambling on protections for Danish Faroes, Iceland and Greenland if we cannot take them ourselves, as allowing them to fall into enemy hands could prove disastrous. Already we are at an informational disadvantage compared to the Entente, whose position in the western Atlantic means they are aware of the expected weather across the ocean ahead of time, whereas we… are not. To allow a launchpad for airborne convoy raiding or other activities in such a critical space is exceptionally dangerous, which is the same reason why detente or even occupation of Ireland could prove necessary. We cannot allow any additional bridges towards us, or lifelines for German shipping.
 
Our control of the Straits of Magellan, preferably supplemented by the Falklands and South Georgia, is crucial for segmenting and isolating German or Entente commerce raiders, but is most important as a secure lane for transport for our own supplies, should the Panama Canal prove unusable or fallen into enemy hands.
 
The Internationale should broadly assume that they will be unable to sever trade in the Eastern Mediterranean, unless Egypt chooses to seize the Suez Canal in a wartime situation, which is entirely beyond our control. As such, it is possible that Germany will attempt to reroute their supplies from Suez into the Ukraine and then overland, a far inferior route to purely overseas but still possible. In order to mitigate this, it may be worth pursuing a Sicily -> Malta strategy to allow our navies to put greater pressure on the eastern Med if Russia cannot exert significant force in the Black Sea.
 
Should the Dutch East Indies succumb to revolution by an Insulindian regime friendly with us, or at least hostile to the Germans, it will open up a world of opportunities to disrupt the flow of German and Entente trade in East Asia, a critical theatre for German rare materials and economic interests. Similarly, a liberated Indochina, Malaya or similar power could apply more minor pressure in that direction. This would likely prompt Japan to make significant moves against Germany.
 
 

Overall Strategic Priorities and Considerations

 
We’re backed into a corner, and we must find our way out or potentially see our revolution extinguished. For the sake of all peoples of all times who slowly grasped their way into the light, we must never let the torch fall.
 
The German behemoth sits and glowers from across the Moselle, awaiting our challenge from its throne of colonial pillage. However, that is a challenge that we must admit we cannot face head-on. We must be like the Spanish bullfighter, and dodge their clumsy advance in order to tire them out, much as they did to our fathers in 1918. This time, we have the time and political will to prepare a comprehensive strategy of resistance and attrition, directed towards denying Germany the ability to acquire the resources vital to war production for long enough to wear their warmaking capabilities down to the nub. To accomplish this, we must somehow keep the biting dogs of the old order off our backs, and gain far more allies than we currently possess.
 
First and foremost, we must find some way to regain Haute-Savoie from Switzerland, for it contains significant hydroelectric capacity that will prove essential to keep our coal-starved industry afloat in the future. This should be undertaken primarily as a diplomatic endeavor, as it is unlikely that the Swiss would desire a war given their unique political fragility at this juncture. A mutual trade treaty could gain us access to Swiss financial instruments, allowing us to far more easily bankroll revolutionary organizations worldwide. It could also potentially open up Switzerland to syndicalist influence, at minimum keeping them neutral and perhaps even flipping them to our side in the future.
 
The main German border must be well-fortified. We saw the vast difference in casualty counts when defensive fortifications were a crucial part of a given Weltkrieg battle, especially in Verdun. As such, a massive defensive bulwark should be constructed to shield the remainder of the Lorraine upwards to Sedan, with slightly sparser fortifications across the front from Sedan to the sea. This defensive network will save troops for an effective push into Flanders-Wallonia just west of the Ardennes, where it is possible that more mobile forces could seize Mons and Charleroi and push up towards Namur, with the ultimate goal being Liège. While it would be preferable to take advantage of Syndicalist support amongst Walloons before an actual war broke out, this is unlikely to be possible. That said, a radical shortening of the German front should be prioritized, in order to reduce the effectiveness of their numerical advantage.
 
Other key points of focus should be the English Channel, through which we will be able to choke and reroute a huge amount of German trade, and its sister the North Sea. Shetland provides for a considerable power projection capacity, but securing Bergen across the waves via alliance or occupation would be decisive in culling German abilities to trade overseas, choking them on their own colonial reliance. Even if Norway were hostile or invaded by a superior hostile power, it would be plausible to hold a critical logistical choke point in Vossevangen and either force the Germans to sally out with the Hochseeflotte to be subjected to naval bomber attacks, or make them assemble a logistically strenuous force in Norway, away from the frontline.
 
In a similar vein, we must keep the Danish North Atlantic neutral or otherwise bring it into our hands, to prevent it from providing key bases for bombing raids and submarine traffic. Weather stations in Greenland, or perhaps secret autonomous or one-man stations in Labrador, would allow us to have advance notice of the weather on par with the Entente, nullifying their main informational advantage at sea. For similar reasons, Ireland must be kept neutral or brought into an alliance in order to prevent circumvention of our wartime air blockade.
 
Mexico is our only hope for a reliable partner to fill our military need for oil production, and so access to Mexico must be maintained as best we can. This will require taking express aim at Entente possessions in the Caribbean, which are already seething hotbeds of political and racial resentment. If we can make a power play to secure a gap, we will be able to hold it open against Entente air and naval counterattacks, hopefully allowing enough oil to get through in the process to facilitate our war machines.
 
In Spain lies our most troublesome quandary: Gibraltar and the Canaries. With them, German trade suffers a critical secondary blow, Internationale trade is greatly secured from commerce raiding in the Atlantic, and the French Republic is permanently crippled without outside aid. Without it, we are divided and damned. Gibraltar must be secured at all costs, and the Canaries as a secondary priority, perhaps even as a bridge to Madeira and the Azores as major Atlantic bases. This means backing the CNT-FAI with all possible political, economic and military aid we can, to ensure their success. With Spain, our revolution in Europe lives or dies.
 
In Italy, things are bad but not quite so pressing. The Po River is horrific ground on which to meet an advance, with the Alps being far more to Italy’s advantage should Austria join her old German ally. Additionally, the Two Sicilies are poised to join our enemies should they believe it to their advantage, and it is proposed that some form of attack to eliminate their warmaking capabilities should be committed to before that is possible. Corsica and Sardinia, meanwhile, present a direct threat to the Internationale’s flank, leaving the critical southern ports of Marseille, Toulon, Nice, Genua and La Spezia exposed. If Corsica could be cut off or liberated by diplomatic or economic means without resorting to war, it would greatly relieve the pent-up Mediterranean navies, allowing them to effectively stand off against the French “Republic” and any German forces tasked to the Mediterranean.
 
Critical natural resources, including almost all of our copper imports, come from Chile. In order to secure Chile, we must secure Argentina. We must strike immediately, while the present regime is scrambling to put down their own even more reactionary navy! Securing Argentina will place another economic arrow in our quiver and remove it from Germany’s. It can provide much of the necessary food to sustain our war effort, especially if combined with victory or intervention in Brazil.
 
More broadly, Latin America is both receptive to our ideals and filled with war-critical resources that haven’t been monopolized by German tyrants or Entente corporations. Brazil is by far the greatest priority, as a reliable wartime supply of rubber will be necessary in order to allow our scarce manufacturing sector to field more vehicles cheaply, and they have numerous other key resources in smaller amounts. Similarly, Peru, Bolivia and Cuba have very sizable mineral resources and rubber potential. If possible, any and all syndicalist or allied activity must be directed towards regime change that will secure our power projection and war supply in order to resist the menaces all around us.
 
The United States too is in turmoil, and could be ripe for change. A syndicalist Union is highly unlikely as an outcome, but supporting the SPA in their political activities could at least maintain American neutrality, and perhaps even a thaw that would open lines of credit and vast resources that would vastly buoy our war effort.
 
As for India, while it would be nice to gain more of their present iron and manganese production, the Indian Ocean is practically a German lake unless significant political change occurs. This rather limits our abilities to coordinate with our Indian allies, but it is worth trying to disrupt critical German resources in East Asia that help fund their vast imperial hoard. Disruption of German rubber production would also be excellent if possible, but as of now it seems out of reach.
 
Japan and Russia are both large powers with a mutual bone to pick with the Germans, but they may actually loathe each other even more somehow. As such, we cannot expect anything from the weakened Russian state or the isolated and resource-starved Japanese “Empire”. We must assume that we will have to go it alone if we wish to fell Goliath.