What could the government be hiding? [closed]

Question

The world this takes place in includes a single continent by the name of Aegnap, centered on the equator and surrounded by many islands. The high northern and low southern areas of the continent are extremely cold with many glaciers, on the coasts the climate is humid and temperate with a tropical sense to it, while there are several deserts in the eastern part of the continent, correspondingly the western areas are more mild in there temperatures but with rich soil making them perfect for farming. Volcanic eruptions are frequent around the islands and dust storms and the expansion of the desert(desertification) are a problem for the continent.

You may anticipate that their would be many nationalities and conflict between them would be the obvious problem in the story, however that is not the case due to all of the continent being controlled by a single nation by the name of _______. Sure, there are rogue ones who spells problem for the nation, however their power is so weak that it hardly matters. One may think that the difference in language and cultures would break down the possibility of one nation, however over the years as this one nation has existed for many centuries, cultures have dispersed, and languages have broken down to the mere _______ that is spoken.

The people of ______ tend to have moderate salaries and live healthy but not opulent lives. The unemployment rate is at a staggering 22%, yet most of these people are provided with aid which has burdened the government. Malnutrition which had been a problem in the past, was no more as GMO’s have created new breeds of plants that give large harvests, and there is enough food for everyone.

The middle class is the largest, the upper class is almost obsolete with only the government and certain oligarchs having large sums of money and power, however nobody knows how they got into such positions because it was rather hard to become successful in the nation of ______.

The lower class makes up 12% of the population and includes the vagrants, criminals, and the homeless. They are the rebellious and express there displeasure often at how everything is run, but they don’t do anything themselves which makes them worthless to society.

Disparities in race are unknown due to the diversity of this one nation. Many large cities lie around the continent and the people are shaped by the environment around them.

Anyways this society is undergoing a 3rd science revolution and the government is keeping something secret. What could this secret be that would affect everyone, the middle class, the lower class, and the environment itself?

Answer 1

• A breakthrough in AI and related fields, possibly not intelligence as we know it but the new technology is going to make many middle class jobs obsolete. Once the oligarchs get their hands on actual working examples and not just the executive summary of the progress report, the social contract will break down because the welfare for the unemployed is paid out of income taxes on the middle class.
• A breakthrough in energy production and storage, which will "open" the polar regions for settlement and exploitation. It is now easy to heat buildings in the winter, raise food in greenhouses, etc. That would lead to interesting times as the proverb goes. Populations will be needed in the cold areas, and the oligarchs are trying to reshape the welfare system so that those 22% are pressured to take jobs far from home.
• A technology is developed which requires raw materials from the polar regions, with results as above.