The Hardships We Bear || 2015 US PolSim

*We were hardly aware of the hardships they beared,*
*for our time was taken with treasure.*
*Oh, life was a game, and work was a shame,*
*and pain was prevented by pleasure.*
*The world, cold and grey, was so far away*
*in the distance only money could measure,*
*but their thoughts were broken by the ringing of Revolution.*

- Phil Ochs, __"The Ringing of Revolution"__

The year is 2015. America is, as it has been for some time, divided—left against right, rich against poor, majority versus minority. Not collapsed, not thriving, but locked in place: wages that have barely moved in a decade, cities expanding while rural economies hollow out, and a political system that argues loudly while moving slower than a one-legged muskrat.

For many, day-to-day life has improved since Baruck Obasi first took office. Yet that improvement has plateaued into something more frustrating than hardship; it is a kind of comfort severely lacking in confidence. Obasi is term-limited, and with his departure, the field is open for both sides of the aisle for the first time since 2008; Governors, senators, activists, executives, and outsiders alike are preparing for what comes next. Elections are not just contests of policy, but of identity and direction, and every faction believes the country is drifting away from them.

Can you change America? Probably.

Will it be for the better? Only time will tell.

You can expect:
> 🧭 A steady, narrative-driven political simulation with measured pacing
> 📊 Regular polling updates, evolving events, and in-universe media coverage
> 💰 A semi-realistic campaign and influence system
> 📰 Opportunities to write op-eds and shape public discourse through media outlets
> 🛠️ A dedicated administrative team solely focused on making the sim keep moving forward

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