Office of Chairman TNF: Red Army takes NM, UT, ID, AZ

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Nonsense, comrade. The People's Republic of Atlasia has the devoted support of the Atlasian proletariat.

[TNF]

I'm sure my defense of Deus in the Senate raises a few questions, given that I have been a vocal opponent of the "goings-on" in Atlasia over the past few days. Specifically, how do I defend Deus, who has been part and parcel of the nonsense going on, while condemning other participants, like former Senator X?

Because I don't think that what Deus has done is a reasonable grounds for expelling him from the Senate. Deus has been active and he has participated in the debates of the Senate; calling for secession (which is not against the law) should not be grounds for expulsion. Rather, it should be grounds for the sort of public shaming that has been going on since this nonsense began. That, not expelling a Senator (and setting a precedent for expelling Senators with unpopular views), will do more for the stability of this game. We must not allow the heated environment to create precedents that will in the future make it easier for Senators with unpopular views to be removed from office on account of those views.

Under no circumstances will I vote for expulsion.

[Maxwell]

All people who committed acts during the great confusion should be pardoned for their behavior.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

All people who committed acts during the great confusion should be pardoned for their behavior.

This is not confusion. This is a revolution.

[TNF]

I would like to welcome Cris, a distinguished Atlasian and Midwesterner, to the race for the Midwest Regional Senate seat. While Cris and I don't agree on a lot, I don't doubt his penchant for public service and hope that he helps make this campaign one about ideas, rather than personalities. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case as of his announcement, wherein he spends more time attacking me as a "partisan" rather than addressing any of my accomplishments while in the Senate or presenting a coherent argument against what I have thus far outlined as my goals in my own re-election bid.

Campaigns should be about ideas and policy proposals, not personalities. I have had fond debates and run in campaigns that were fundamentally ideas-oriented before. My campaign against Rooney falls into this category; although Rooney and I disagree of almost everything, he attack my proposals, not my character, and engaged me in a debate of ideas. I can only hope that Cris will do the same in the future, rather than resort to the tried and true tactic of character assassination first pioneered by the Lumine campaign against me earlier in the year. I am under no allusions that this race will not be tough. Cris is a capable opponent, and so I will need the support of all those who call themselves progressives, regardless of their party label. I can only request a mutual understanding that ideas, not petty personality conflicts, should fuel this debate going forward.

I welcome a candidate forum and a debate between the two of us, because I want to make plain the differences between myself and my opponent. I am a steadfast ally of working people. I have a detailed plan to improve the position of and the wages of the working masses. What does Cris have to offer in return? I am in favor of new hate crimes legislation and new civil rights legislation to protect women and minorities. What about Cris? Where does he stand on the right to choose? Where does he stand on police brutality? These are all open questions that I would like to have resolved sooner, rather than later.

[Mechaman]

This is much belayed, but the Workingmen obviously support the Senator for his re-election.  There is not greater ally in our fight to destroy the landed interests than the former PPT.

-Mechaman

[Maxwell]

I thought you were against hate crime laws. boo.

[windjammer]

Well,
I'm a friend to both of you and I know both of  you very well, basically for you TNF since your first senate bid, and Cris since your first term as representative. I would be happy to administer the debate between both of you, if you want it of course!

[TNF]

I thought you were against hate crime laws. boo.

I was, but a bit of political education on the subject radically changed how I feel on that issue, along with issues like affirmative action, hate speech, etc.

[GAworth]

I hope that the race is one of ideas. Good luck.

[LeBron]

We've definitely had our share of arguments Senator, but nonetheless, I wish you the best of luck in your campaign for re-election. I'll admit, you've done a lot for this region over the past year, some bad, but also some good. I just hope that following this civil war, your campaign gives ideas as Rep. GAworth said and not negative attacks on your opponent.

[TNF]

My opponent continues to dodge real issues and instead focus on my so-called "silence" on the utter nonsense that was "occurring" in the wake of DemPGH's resignation. I will not recant from my position nor will I succumb to these utterly bizarre attacks that focus more on my character than on the issues that are really at hand. Cris continues to make this a race based on personality and style, rather than on the real issues. I don't want that kind of race, but if that's what my opponent wants, I will not hesitate to fight fire with fire, should this kind of nonsensical sniping of my record on the stupidity of the OMG! SECESSION nonsense become the issue, rather than my opponent's refusal to state where he stands on the issues of the day.

I have been nothing but open and honest in my opinion of the 'crisis' that unfolded a few weeks ago following the resignation of DemPGH. As that 'crisis' has been resolved, I see no more reason to waste time discussing it. I want to know where my opponent stands on a higher minimum wage, on a shorter workweek, on the rights of workers, and on the rights of women. If he's willing to step up to the plate and answer those questions, all the better. Let's make this race into one of ideas and step back from the petty sniping currently being engaged in by my opponent and his backers on the Atlasian right. I notice that Cris has announced that he will be posting a platform shortly - great. I welcome it. I cannot wait to see what he has to bring to the table and contrast that with my own platform.

[TNF]

GAME REFORM

Good morning.

Today I voted against the GM Independence Amendment. Why did I do that, you might ask? For reasons outlined in the thread, I believe that the proposed Amendment is woefully inadequate to deal with the problems that have become associated with the position itself. I fundamentally believe that attempting to 'remove politics' from that position is ultimately a fool's errand, because removing politics from it is ultimately impossible. Who among us, if appointed to that position, would not come to it with his or her own biases already in mind when determining the effects of a piece of legislation? Not one of us would be able to be fully and completely impartial. 'Objectivity' is and has always been the stuff of liberal fantasy.

The only solution, as I have proposed before and in the debate over the proposed Amendment, is to realize this as fact and go from there. This is part of my broader idea of what it is we should be doing in terms of game reform. Bicameralism, regional consolidation, and the like have not saved us and ultimately will not save us. They are and will continue to be political dead-ends.

What I propose in lieu of these and other failed game reform strategies is the radical democratization of Atlasian politics. What would that entail?

1. An election for every officeholder. We elect a President, a Senate, Regional Governors, and Regional legislatures. These pale in comparison to the number of unelected individuals that have direct influence upon the course of the game and its storyline. Arguably the most important person in the game, the Gamer Moderator, is unelected and can be dismissed by the President at-will. The Supreme Court, likewise, has lifetime tenure and is not subject to any kind of popular control. This needs to be addressed. I propose that for every officeholder we have, an election be held to fill that office. We should elect the Vice President separately from the President, elect judicial officers and the Supreme Court, and elect members of the President's cabinet. This has the potential to cause a lot of headaches, sure. But it also has the potential to create a lot of more interest in the game and allow for more competitive elections, bringing new concerns to the fore.

2. Ending lifetime tenure for the Supreme Court. It's completely insane that members of the Supreme Court of an online politics game sit on that Court for life. We need to end lifetime tenure and Presidential appointment of Supreme Court justices, and replace that system with the election of members of the Court in competitive elections every year, with term limits that prevent consecutive service.

3. Term Limits. We already have Presidential term limits, and I see no reason as to why we should not adopt similar limits for members of the Senate. This would allow new players to get more actively involved and would yet still allow older members to return and continue legislating after a certain amount of time.

4. Recall. Why shouldn't we allow for recall elections for every public official? Provided that a process is followed, voters should be able to throw out Senators or even Presidents that ultimately fail to deliver on their campaign promises.

5. National Initiatives that Work. We have a national initiative process, but the byzantine system we've got might as well not exist in the first place. We should streamline this process and make national initiatives a much bigger part of the game, with periodic votes on a number of initiatives every few months.

6. Referendums. The Senate should be able to devolve votes on legislation to the general public if they are particularly contentious.

7. Frequent Constitutional Conventions. There's no reason that we should be held hostage to the prejudices of the past, as far as constitutions go. I propose an automatic constitutional convention process be added so that a new constitutional convention must be held every 24 months. This will allow us to continue to experiment with new forms of government, figuring out what does and what doesn't work, and reinvigorating our game.

These are just a few suggestions for how we might approach game reform in a way that strengthens our game and our democracy while making it a lot more fun for everyone involved.

[Yelnoc]

Good suggestions. I'm particularly amazed that the lifetime tenure of Supreme Court justices was never seriously been examined in the time that I was active (and as far as I know, hasn't been visited since).

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Senator, you know we disagree on a lot of this. Good luck with it though.

[Gass3268]

Good suggestions. I'm particularly amazed that the lifetime tenure of Supreme Court justices was never seriously been examined in the time that I was active (and as far as I know, hasn't been visited since).

During my brief time in the Senate I attempted to put a term-limit of like 2-3 years on Supreme Court justices. There might have even been a claus that would have grandfathered current justices and allowed them to keep their position as long as they wanted it. Still, the amendment failed miserably.

[windjammer]

You want to Introduce term limits? You re not running for a 5th term???

[TNF]

Comrades,

I would like to thank all of you who came out and supported my campaign. It's not easy to hold on to office for this long as an admittedly divisive, radical public figure, but without your help, it never would have been possible in the first place. The working people of the Midwest have spoken, and they have entrusted me with this office for another four months. I will do everything in my power to represent them well in Nyman and continue fighting the good fight on behalf of the working class.

To my opponent, Cris, I would like to thank you for making this an exciting race, the likes of which we have not seen in the Midwest since my race against President-elect Lumine back in February. I wish you good luck in your future endeavors and thank you for keeping this race one that was ideas, not personality, based.

I am glad to see that former Vice President Windjammer will be joining us in the Senate, and am nothing but impressed at his stellar victory in the right-wing Mideast Region. We on the left must be ready and willing to fight going forward; the election of Lumine is a definitive signal that unless we change our tactics, unless we make common cause with those who do not always agree with us, we will be crushed and our gains thrown to the wayside. I will not stand for a repeal of the great social legislation enacted by Labor under the most right-wing President-elect in Atlasian recent memory. You can count on that.

Keep up the fight, comrades.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Congratulations Senator - while I voted for Lumine, it is important that the checks and balances on his power are very strong and clear.

[SWE]

Congratulations, comrade

[windjammer]

Congrats Comrade!

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

[Adam Griffin]

Congratulations, comrade!

[Napoleon]

"In recent memory"

Look at the list. A number of so called progressives are wholly responsible for the most radically right wing President in history.

[TNF]

"In recent memory"

Look at the list. A number of so called progressives are wholly responsible for the most radically right wing President in history.

Are you referring to Lumine, or?