Marokai Blue/Purple State for Atlasia, Campaign HQ

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Congratulations.

As Chair, I was not in a position to endorse anyone, for what it's worth I'm happy to formally endorse you and will do whatever I can during this campaign.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Congratulations again.

[Hash]

I also thank Ben for dropping out for the party's good. Such an attitude is good. The attitude of leaving the party over such things is not.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

What is your position on Foreign Policy Reform Act of 2010?

[Insula Dei]

We should all gather around Marokai's campaign now.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

We should all gather around Marokai's campaign now.

Funny contradiction with your earlier declaration and a banner you have in your signature.

[Insula Dei]

We should all gather around Marokai's campaign now.

Funny contradiction with your earlier declaration and a banner you have in your signature.

I'll still cast my first preference for Oakvale, but as I've stated aloud a lot of times before, I just don't want this to go to Tmth by default.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

We should all gather around Marokai's campaign now.

Funny contradiction with your earlier declaration and a banner you have in your signature.

I'll still cast my first preference for Oakvale, but as I've stated aloud a lot of times before, I just don't want this to go to Tmth by default.

That's a fair point. I'm affraid I'd have to do the same, even if a likehood of preventing Tmthforu from winning seems to be small.

[Purple State]

Congratulations.

As Chair, I was not in a position to endorse anyone, for what it's worth I'm happy to formally endorse you and will do whatever I can during this campaign.

We appreciate your full throated endorsement...

We should all gather around Marokai's campaign now.

..and we appreciate your second preference. Holding on to grudges wouldn't get us anywhere.

What is your position on Foreign Policy Reform Act of 2010?

It's alright I guess. I'm not sure why the GTO Ambassador role couldn't have been fulfilled by the SoEA, leaving out an extra layer of bureaucracy, but I guess it let us make use of Atlasia's two in-house hyper-foreign-policy oriented individuals, Ben and Hashemite. I would say the Game Moderator Duty Clarification Act was more consequential for foreign policy issues in the game than the FPRA.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

It's alright I guess. I'm not sure why the GTO Ambassador role couldn't have been fulfilled by the SoEA, leaving out an extra layer of bureaucracy, but I guess it let us make use of Atlasia's two in-house hyper-foreign-policy oriented individuals, Ben and Hashemite. I would say the Game Moderator Duty Clarification Act was more consequential for foreign policy issues in the game than the FPRA.

On the other hand FPRA actually ensured regular foreign-related events, without which requirements, all foreign policy reforms are worthless.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Since I don't remember foreign policy issue playing a role in your campaign, in a clear contrast to Ben's, I wonder if you two, once elected, would try to make it more important part of the game?

[Purple State]

It's alright I guess. I'm not sure why the GTO Ambassador role couldn't have been fulfilled by the SoEA, leaving out an extra layer of bureaucracy, but I guess it let us make use of Atlasia's two in-house hyper-foreign-policy oriented individuals, Ben and Hashemite. I would say the Game Moderator Duty Clarification Act was more consequential for foreign policy issues in the game than the FPRA.

On the other hand FPRA actually ensured regular foreign-related events, without which requirements, all foreign policy reforms are worthless.

It wasn't bad legislation, just not something I see as particularly influential considering I was reporting on foreign events far more frequently than once a month during my stint as GM. But it should hopefully be a useful way of maintaing some semblance of future GM activity.

Since I don't remember foreign policy issue playing a role in your campaign, in a clear contrast to Ben's, I wonder if you two, once elected, would try to make it more important part of the game?

Personally, I've been trying to make it a more important part of the game since I was GM. Recall who reminded everyone that the Global Treaty Organization existed in the first place. So as the GM and current events warrant action by a Marokai/PS administration, we will act both proactively and reactively in the best interests of Atlasia.

EDIT: One thing to add is that I can sit here and write wonderful statements about how important foreign policy and that FRPA are to me, but honestly this election should come down to who has demonstrated an ability and willingness to take the steps necessary to make it actually happen. We aren't just writing nice words; we have taken actions in the past that have reformed the game in substantial ways and brought foreign policy to the fore (recall that Hugo Chavez is no longer the president of Venezuela in this game... how did that happen?).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Gin and Tonic Organisation? A bad idea from the early days that we signed up to for no real reason. Was just the way things were going, you know. KILL IT>

[Purple State]

Gin and Tonic Organisation? A bad idea from the early days that we signed up to for no real reason. Was just the way things were going, you know. KILL IT>

I recall you being the one who brought the GTO to my attention in the first place. Revive it to kill it? Quite cunning of you.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Since I don't remember foreign policy issue playing a role in your campaign, in a clear contrast to Ben's, I wonder if you two, once elected, would try to make it more important part of the game?

I don't understand the conception of yours. PS and I have been more than supportive of focusing more on foreign affairs and trying to find ways to strengthen them. That was part of the reason we tried to shake up the SoEA office when were last in power by giving the position to Ben himself.

As I've said multiple times by now, we sill be supportive of either a new GM, GM assistants directed by the GM, or empowering the SoEA office to act as a foreign policy GM in itself, to bring more foreign policy issues to the forefront and make the Senate have to respond to them more effectively and with more thought.

[Marokai Backbeat]

MULTIPLE INJURIES CONFIRMED AT BLAST SITE; HEAVY DAMAGE INFLICTED TO GTO BUILDING.

First of all, it is my sincerest hope that we can get through this horrific incident with as little casualties as possible, as it appears so far that none have died yet in this tragic incident.

I call upon the President to initiate a full scale investigation into this organization, "Reality or Nothing", using Atlasia's finest intelligence agencies. Critical to bringing this organization down are seeking out their motives, their means, their numbers.

We must not bow down to organizations like this, but we must also not react in a way that explodes their numbers. We must be reasonable, yet effective, in our response. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies are the key. By responding in a way that uses the military, or charging ahead in a fashion that disregards our rights, we risk inciting more hatred and helping our enemies such as Reality or Nothing.

Security must be improves at buildings such as these, on this I have no doubt. But now, in this moment, should be time the time that we come together to help the victims and those hurt by this incident recover and move on with their lives, and rebuild this building stronger and sturdier than it was before. No matter how some would want us to react, our best response is to remain undeterred.

Terrorism of this sort is not meant for direct destruction. It is to sew panic, fear, intimidation, paranoia. There will always be crazies out there that are able to concoct a half-assed explosive devices of some sort or another, but if we respond by being fearful and overreacting, that is the moment that they will really have won.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Gin and Tonic Organisation? A bad idea from the early days that we signed up to for no real reason. Was just the way things were going, you know. KILL IT>

It's difficult for me to discuss issues surrounding the GTO, because I was the only Senator to publicly say at the time we were discussing expanding it, that I wanted to scrap ti altogether.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I'd like to point out, now that the dust has settled, how crazy things got without Purple State. I think I called this before it happened. I will now accept my accolades.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I will now accept my accolades.

Congrats, Phil!

[CatoMinor]

Question from The Porcupine

Do you believe you overreacted here where you threatened to draft articles of impeachment for Sam Spade and then attacked Bullmoose for essentially agreeing with him too much?

 

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=103153.0

[Marokai Backbeat]

Question from The Porcupine

Do you believe you overreacted here where you threatened to draft articles of impeachment for Sam Spade and then attacked Bullmoose for essentially agreeing with him too much?

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=103153.0

Fascinating question! I never expected to get questioned on that.

I may have jumped the gun slightly on what I was trying to do, but I found Spade's commentary on homosexuality as potentially being a medical disorder as disgusting and generations old.

Buried into the legalese was this:

First, many religions, entities and individuals, including parents, continue to believe that homosexuality is an aberrant practice and use ex-gay institutions in an attempt to eliminate such thoughts.  Regardless of whether one supports or opposes this view, it is without question that this belief is justifiably founded in a reasonable historical tradition.  Therefore, the Act’s punishment of “attendance” essentially forbids the parents from practicing the tenets of their religion.  Furthermore, if the Court allowed lawmakers to pass laws which forbade “attendance” at ex-gay institutions, similar logic could undoubtedly be used to pass laws to restrict the speech and assembly rights of those who feel that homosexuality is an aberrant practice.  We will not go down that road.

The ruling also entertains whether homosexuality is a medical disorder or not.

In short, the ruling opened a very scary can of worms, where religious traditions are untouchable if the Senate tried to do anything, or protect it's citizens from dangerous behavior. As Ebowed said, would Jehovah's Witnesses now have the power to refuse blood transfusions for the children, effectively killing them, on the basis of religious objections? According to this ruling, yes, they can.

And that's what I'm upset about, not the ruling itself.

I still stand by my decision to cause a ruckus over that opinion. It opens a terrifying can of worms on what we can or can't do in relation to religious institutions or gay-to-straight therapy methods. Spade's opinion basically gives carte blanche to religious institution decisions and ties the Senate's hand on medically dubious and physically and mentally harmful therapy methods as long as religious institutions consider them useful to their religious beliefs. It was one of the worst rulings ever laid down by the court, in my opinion, and in my opinion, should be challenged again.

Bullmoose did admit, I believe, that had he read these lines more carefully, he would've changed some of the opinion, but he did seem as if he signed onto Spade's rulings seemingly out of reflex. Opebo, I think, also should've made more of an effort to stop it behind the scenes. I don't lay the entirety of the blame on Spade's shoulders, but it was a ruling I still strongly disagree with to this day.

[Purple State]

I'd like to point out, now that the dust has settled, how crazy things got without Purple State. I think I called this before it happened. I will now accept my accolades.

And I even asked everyone to play nice. Apparently *hughughug* only works when ILV uses it.


On an unrelated note, I would like to extend my heartfelt sympathies to the victims of the GTO bombing and their families. Acts of terrorism in a peaceful democratic society like ours always come as a saddening reminder of the evil that exists in our world.

As the President's investigation commences and new facts emerge about today's attack and the group that perpetrated such violence, I hope that we can move forward as a stronger more unified nation in confronting the challenges ahead. There will be such moments of difficulty, but I am confident that we can face each one in a way that reflects our core values.

We are a strong and prosperous nation. We must not waver in the face of this challenge. We can and will defeat this enemy and create a safer world for the future.

[CatoMinor]

A question from The Porcupine:

If you were president right now, would you veto or sign into law the current Progressive Tax bill proposed by Antonio?

[Marokai Backbeat]

A question from The Porcupine:

If you were president right now, would you veto or sign into law the current Progressive Tax bill proposed by Antonio?

It depends. My first inclination would be to stand by my desire to not raise taxes anymore during this time, but sometimes the situation does demand it. I would ask the GM, were I President right now, to evaluate the effects it would have and how much revenue it would raise, as well as any potential impact it would have on the economy at large. I would also ask for a snapshot of our deficit. If our deficit was still ballooning out of control, and this Act would raise revenue, then I would lean toward signing it, or asking for the Act to be a temporary increase.

If, however, it doesn't raise that much money, I wouldn't sign an Act just to raise taxes for the sake of it. We already raise a substantial amount of revenue with our taxes as things stand, and if we can get by on our current rates, I would veto the Act. Though, of course, I'm sympathetic to Antonio's intentions.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Questions? Why, Yes...

Alright, so things are getting boring in this race. To mix things up a bit, Marokai and I are going to give you all a taste of something we started under our administration and plan to refine if we are elected: Question Time (QT).

So here is the plan: In one week's time (let's call it for Sunday, January 30 at noon EST) we will open a QT thread for questions from the public. From there we will answer every question, regardless of its nature, as honestly (or wittily, depends on my mood) as possible. This will last for at least 24 hours, or longer if the questions keep flowing. If you are unavailable that day and want to get your questions answered, feel free to send me a PM with any questions you have and we will intersperse those in the slower moments of QT. Follow ups will be encouraged.

Let the fun begin.

What a smashing success that was.