Talk Elections

~~idea stolen from Kalwejt~~

Fire away.

Well, at least you are honest about this ;)

Have you ever been so far even as decided to use go want to look more like?

Why don't you support fetal consumption in spite of the millions of jobs that it creates?

Why don't you support Duke/Cincy?  Why do you disgrace The People so..?

Yes.

And the millions of lives it takes? This is Atlasia. We love EVERY Atlasian.

You didn't get the checks in the mail, did you?

Given your current and blatant disregard for The People in general, can you comment on what has driven you to display your contempt for us on your sleeve? And once you admit that you do hate Us, can you explain to Us how you expect to have a future in this game that is already dying when you continue to spit in the very faces that are attempting to save it?

You're running for President? How do you expect to get elected when The People have already whispered into the ears of millions to rank you last, barring some change of heart? The battle for second preferences behind the Duke/Cincinnatus ticket is heating up and you've essentially said you aren't interested. Why is that?

Social Security number?

Not really a question, but you have my endorsement for Mideast Assembly in May - we really need more activity there!

I believe an inside joke is no longer concealed or funny when you use it like Kurt Cobain used heroin.

Every preference counts to me, whether first or last. I'm honoured just to receive consideration enough to be preferenced.

69

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Thank you! :)

20RP12- I'd be keen to see your comments on my foreign and military policy...I think you'll find we may agree on a bit more then we would've thought...just a bit

In theory, this aligns pretty well with my idea of an "Atlasia First" foreign policy. So long as we are not shunning countries because they initially refuse to work with us, this is a pretty decent idea.


I can see your point with Mubarak, but in no way do I agree with the idea of publicly endorsing him despite the Egyptians strong discomfort with him. I would not have sent in troops, nor would I have done nothing. I would have publicly condemned Mubarak, called for his resignation, in the event that he refused from then on, I would have called other countries to form an alliance behind the rebels, supplying weapons, food, water, etc. At the point of Mubarak's removal from power, the alliance would wait in the wings in the event of a military coup. If a coup did occur, then the alliance would publicly condemn and begin placing sanctions on Egypt. Once Democratic elections were to be held, the alliance would dissolve and from then on it is not our place who the Egyptians elect.

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This is where we'll have agreements and disagreements. To me, there is no rational reason to be a terrorist either...but I'm not putting myself in the mindset of one who genuinely believes that if he sacrifices himself to his god, that he will live forever in paradise. You are right in saying terrorists are wrong and their methods are wrong, so why is it right if we do the same thing to them? Bomb their people? Kill their people? Thousands of civilians have been killed thanks to our involvement in the Middle East. We are essentially stooping to their level. I'm going to have to disagree in saying we didn't invite 9/11. Hear me out before you have a heart attack--when you take a stick and start hitting a bees nest...what happens? The bees get angry. When you continue hitting the nest, they get fed up and attack you and sting you over and over. This is essentially what we did and have done with our foreign policy for the past three decades especially. We invaded the Middle East in the 90's in defense of Kuwait in the Gulf War. Afterward, we were sending missiles into Baghdad, defying international law, and killing civilians. We had been swinging at the bees nest for far too long and so the bees finally got fed up...and attacked us. It's horrific to thing, but had we been more diplomatic and patient, we could have prevented 9/11. I do not subscribe to the notion of "kill them first" over the notion of "let them kill us last." We should go to any measure to make sure we are not the target of a domestic attack, but likewise we should not invade any country and anger the bees.


I believe a two-state solution is the only real way to at least calm the tension. Israel was indeed founded on legal grounds and was supported by the world's superpowers at the time...but it was really only because of the recent occurrance of the holocaust. For quite a bit of time, the land belonged to Muslims and was called Palestine. The land was promised to both Jews and Muslims by Britain after WWII, but only Israel got a peace of the land. I believe the two can co-exist in peace, and a two-state solution would help.

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Something we agree on.

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Something else we agree on.

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I put these two together because it'd be easier to respond to both at once.

Essentially, I agree that there should be no nation-building, but I do not agree that there is really ever a justifiable reason for going to war. I think the idea of going full-on with drones and other deplorable killing machines is not how we build relationships with other countries around the world. If we look like a bully, we'll be treated like a bully. We should engage in diplomatic talks to prevent the need to go to war.

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We had this debate some time ago and we agreed to disagree. I believe that conscription is an outright stab in the heart of human rights and should never be used in any situation ever.

What is this "USA" you speak of? ;) Anyway, I believe we shouldn't have to wait to cut spending. Any true fiscal conservative that says "let's cut spending," should mean "let's cut spending." Across the board. No exceptions. We are in times of trouble in which our spending is out-numbering our revenues. Either we must cut spending...or we'd raise taxes. And the second option is NOT gonna happen. No way. So we have to cut spending in order balance our budget.

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Truly inspirational and mostly agreed. However, because we are prone to nation-building, we are becoming an imperialist nation. We are building an empire, it seems. The only way to restore the image of Atlasia is to be a friend, is to truly live by the words you cited, in which we reject no one from wanting to live in the freest and greatest nation on Earth.

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Sorry, I had to split it into two posts because I exceeded the character limit.

Hopefully I thoroughly answered your question(s).

Jake, I'd be interested to know where you stand on Iraq, China, North Korea, Iran's nuclear program, and the LRA as I asked Clarence.

20RP12- I very much appreciate your detailed response. I am amazed by your maturity and knowledge for your age- I hope that doesn't sound condescending as it isn't meant to be. I look forward to the next two months of debate and discussion

On the contrary, it is very much appreciated :)

Iraq - There is no mission left in Iraq. We went in initially to search for WMDs and then subsequently to topple the regime of Saddam Hussein. We found no WMDS and Saddam is now dead. Our presence is no longer needed there in any way, shape or form.

China - A country that is really thriving off of it's powerhouse economy. However, the nation is in shambles and a huge majority of the population lives in one part of the country. The other part of the country is poor and divided, which is upsetting. China really is not an issue at this point, I think. They are a country competing in a world-wide economic system, and they are playing the game well.

North Korea - Probably one of the most overrated countries in the world when it comes to people being afraid of them. They couldn't hit Hawaii with a missile if they were 25 feet away from it.

Iran's Nuclear Program - It is not our business to get involved. We should let the International community do what it believes is best for the situation, but we are in no place to attack or invade them solely on the basis of their nuclear program.

LRA - Not our problem and is becoming largely inactive in recent years. "Kony 2012" is the biggest sham and the fact that people are buying it is disgusting.

Thank you, Jake.

No problem :)

If you believe that the two (being Israelis and Palestinians) can co-exist in peace, would you also support a binational solution, unifying the nation into one federal state modeled after Belgium, Bosnia, or Switzerland? Also, do you think a three-state solution, where we go back to 1967 borders with 1967 control over land (Jordanian-Egyptian solution) would be feasible?

And related to that, what is your position on the Golan Heights/Sheeba Farms conflict? Give to Israel? Give to Syria? Split the difference? Make Jabal al-Druze?

I don't think a bi-national solution is what Palestinians or Israelis want in order to solve this conflict. Each side wants their own independent nation. I don't think a three state solution would be best either. I believe a two state solution is what is most necessary to resolve the conflict. Also, I believe the Golan Heights/Sheeba Farms should be split between Israel and Syria.

Reasonable, but what is your position specifically on the Shebaa Farms? Lebanon claims it, and 1920-30 reports consider it Lebanese, but it was administered by Syria 1948-67. It's currently occupied by Israel as part of the Golan Heights, while Lebanon claims it and Syria vaguely accepts the claim until Israel withdraws.

It is traditionally a Lebanese piece of land, therefore I'm going to correct myself and say that it should belong to Lebanon.

What is your position on the Tuareg revolt currently taking place in the Azawad region of Northern Mali?

What's your position on the Somalia-Somaliland-Puntland dispute?

As President, would you recognize any/all of the following: Abkhazia, Taiwan, Northern Cyprus, Palestine, Western Sahara, and/or South Ossentia?

I believe the Tuareg people are fighting for their rights as humans, which is great to see and I'm glad to hear that a ceasefire and subsequent recognization of the people has occured in Niger.

I believe the Somaliland-Puntland dispute should be resolved through diplomatic talks and without international military intervention.

I would recognize every nation and territory that seeks recognization. We should offer equal opportunity to every nation and territory around the world.

Where do you stand on Kosovo?

I believe both sides committed wrongdoing, therefore I take neither side.

What is your opinion on the "Empowering Regions in Federal Elections Take Three Amendment" and ilikeverin's "Equal Representation Amendment"?

Even when that recognition might alienate important allies (Georgia, China, Cyprus, Israel, Morocco)?

Both are excellent amendments that promote regional rights.

I believe, through diplomacy, we will not alienate any ally.

Where do you stand on age of consent laws?

No, I'm not asking this to be funny or anticipate any morally questionable responses.

Well, okay.  Maybe a little.

Sex is cool and I'm not old enough to consent to sex so make of that what you will.

Seriously though, I think the age of consent for sex is fine where it is.

What about Transnistria?

Huh, I forgot Transnistria and Nagorno-Karabakh...

If Atlasia recognizes Taiwan (just for one example) as a sovereign state, a military response from the PRC  would most likely occur (and a blockade of Taiwan would almost definitely occur), and recognition would possibly be considered as a act of war by Atlasia against the PRC (recognizing part of their sovereign territory as part of another nation). This, needless to say, is undesirable.

I see. You are very sharp in the area of foreign policy. Perhaps you could serve as SoEA under my administration :)

ASK MOAR QUESTIONS

Where do you stand on the copryright reform?

I believe sometimes copyrights go too far whereas to make the simple usage of a certain song on a Youtube video a criminal offense. Artists are entitled to their money, but art is something that should be available to everyone, regardless of whether or not they can afford it. I've gotten flack for this before, but I stand by this opinion.

<3

;__; <3

Foreign policy is kinda my thing, so here's moar questions... a lot moar:

-What do you propose as a settlement to disputes over the Spratley and Paracel Islands in the South China Sea?

-What's your position on arms control (specifically on nuclear weapons like START?)

-What's your position on the Law of the Sea Treaty?

-As President, would you ever find a situation in which you would need to act as Commander-In-Chief without approval of Congress?

-How do you feel about restrictions on free trade between Atlasia and certain nations, namely Azerbaijan, Belarus, Fiji, Liechtenstein, Russia, Brunei, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, CAR, Chad, Congo, DR Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Gabon, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Uzbekibekibekibekistanstan? Specifically, are you of the opinion that sanctions are an act of war?

-What is your position on the export of "dual-use" technologies?

-How would you reform the foreign aid system?

-What, if any, actions would you take to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Strait of Malacca?

-What, if anything, would you do to "promote democracy" around the world?

-Your position on the ICC?

-NATO?

-Your position on the NPT?

-What would be a 20RP12 Administration's position towards the Balkans? Burma? India? Sudan? China?

-What are your feelings on debt relief for Third World nations?

-What, if anything, would your administration do to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis?

-What was your stance on the Dubai Ports World controversy (included to give an idea of future policy stances)?

-What would you do to combat drug trafficking in Central/South America?

-What would your administration do to try to deal with the Soviet Union Russia?

-What is your position on immigration both to Atlasia and to Europe (and what some people are calling the Hispanization and Islamization of those areas, respectively)? Is this a concern or is this blown out of proportion?

-What would your administration's stance be towards Thailand?

-What would you do to address climate change?

-What steps would your administration take to reduce dependence on foreign energy?

Have fun...

-What do you propose as a settlement to disputes over the Spratley and Paracel Islands in the South China Sea? - Sit down with all sides for diplomatic talks. Despite the disparages between the PRC and Taiwan, I believe an agreement can be reached.

-What's your position on arms control (specifically on nuclear weapons like START?) - Absolutely 110% support. Arms reduction is a key step towards world peace and a 20RP12 administration would reach as many agreements on arms reduction as possible. I plan to detail my Nuclear And Non-nuclear Warhead Reduction Proposal (NANNWRP) within the coming days.

-What's your position on the Law of the Sea Treaty? - A fine treaty that sets a guideline for protection of the world's oceans in times of war and likewise times of peace. I support it.

-As President, would you ever find a situation in which you would need to act as Commander-In-Chief without approval of Congress? - Absolutely not. Atlasian elected officials serve on behalf of The People, therefore I am not to go above the people. It is not within the President's constitutionally given powers.

-How do you feel about restrictions on free trade between Atlasia and certain nations, namely Azerbaijan, Belarus, Fiji, Liechtenstein, Russia, Brunei, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, CAR, Chad, Congo, DR Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Gabon, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Uzbekibekibekibekistanstan? Specifically, are you of the opinion that sanctions are an act of war? - I believe we should always be open to free trade agreements with any country unless they remain hostile towards us despite our peaceful efforts. I do not generally support the idea of sanctions unless the country in question is committing acts of oppression and, namely, genocide against any group of people, whether foreign or domestic. I do not believe sanctions are an act of war, instead they are a warning to comply or face non-violent consequences.

-What is your position on the export of "dual-use" technologies? - By definition, "dual-use" technologies can be used by peacefully and militaristically. I do not support the proliferation and export of weapons that would be used for violent purposes whatsoever; it would be in direct violation of my morals as a person. If weapons (such as rockets) are to be used non-violently and for the betterment of the world at large, then by all means I support the export of such technologies.

-How would you reform the foreign aid system? - I would start by making drastic cuts to the amount of foreign aid we give annually. Generally, what happens with foreign aid is we give it to countries in anticipation that it will help feed the starving and aid the ill, when in fact it is intercepted by greedy and vicious oppressive governments that could frankly care less whether the populous at large lives or dies. We must only give foreign aid to countries and causes that we know will actually go to helping people, not into the pockets of greedy dictators.

-What, if any, actions would you take to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Strait of Malacca? - There is, unfortunately, nothing that can logically be done to end piracy. Perhaps the international community can convene and decide upon a proper course of action, but I am currently unable to think of a non-violent means of ending piracy. It is unfortunate, but it is uncontrollable. There will always be bad people in the world.

-What, if anything, would you do to "promote democracy" around the world? - Nothing at all. It is not our job to promote democracy. A nation should be left to decide their own political system. Atlasia is not the policeman of the world.

-Your position on the ICC? - Well meaning in nature, but deeply flawed. I would work to improve the overall image of the ICC and make sure their goals are reached.

-NATO? - The Cold War is over, therefore NATO is no longer needed.

-Your position on the NPT? - I'm assuming you're referring to this. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_on_the_Non-Proliferation_of_Nuclear_Weapons) As stated before, I support reducing the proliferation of nuclear arms around the world.

-What would be a 20RP12 Administration's position towards the Balkans? Burma? India? Sudan? China? - Openness to free trade agreements, friendship and other diplomatic actions.

-What are your feelings on debt relief for Third World nations? - It is not our place to "bail out" any country. It is unfortunate that some countries cannot sustain, but our elected government should be focusing more on our citizens, not other countries' citizens.

-What, if anything, would your administration do to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis? - I'm in a tough spot on this one, because while I believe that we should help, I don't believe there is anything we can due to help. Perhaps we could work with the international community to provide education for the most afflicted countries, but there is really nothing outside of that idea that we could implicate.

-What was your stance on the Dubai Ports World controversy (included to give an idea of future policy stances)? - I would not have supported selling the ports.

-What would you do to combat drug trafficking in Central/South America? - I wouldn't do anything. It is not our place to combat things in other countries. That is for the domestic government to handle.

-What would your administration do to try to deal with the Soviet Union Russia? - Nothing. Again, it's not our place. We would be open to friendship with Russia, but we are in no place to sanction or criticize them for any reason.

-What is your position on immigration both to Atlasia and to Europe (and what some people are calling the Hispanization and Islamization of those areas, respectively)? Is this a concern or is this blown out of proportion? - Certainly blown out of proportion. It is truly a blessing that folks would want to come to Atlasia, the freest country on Earth. The fact that some want to turn them away solely because they are immigrants is disgusting and, quite frankly, xenophobic. The same thing for Europe. Islam is not a threat to the world. Terrorism is. Not all terrorists are Islamic. See Timothy McVeigh and The Weather Underground.

-What would your administration's stance be towards Thailand? - We would engage in a diplomatic and peaceful relationship with Thailand.

-What would you do to address climate change? - There is no way to combat climate change, as it is not a living entity. I do support converting to more environmentally friendly sources of energy, such as solar, nuclear and wind energy in order to help make a better impact on the world. But we cannot kill climate change. We can only do the least to contribute to it.

-What steps would your administration take to reduce dependence on foreign energy? - See above. I also support drilling for oil domestically. You cannot ween The People off of a substance that our society virtually cannot survive without.

Have fun... - I did, actually :)

Now's when I try to tie the questions/answers together...

-If you support the Law of the Sea treaty, does that mean that you back claims made by Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei to portions of the Spratly/Paracel Islands over those made by the ROC, PRC, and Philippines, due to those three nations basing their claims based on the Law of the Sea's allowance of nations to claim islands on their continental shelf?

-As part of your support of arms control, would you ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty, the Space Preservation Treaty, the Program of Action produced by the UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in SALWs, or even a ban on nuclear weapons like the current ones on biological and chemical weapons?

-On dual-use items, you would basically support the current aims of the Wassenaar Arrangement, correct?

-In your support of the NPT, would you cease exports of technology with nuclear uses to India, Pakistan, and Israel, as they have not signed it?

-(Rephrased) What, if anything, would you do to stop drug trafficking from Central/South America to Atlasia?

-What would be your administration's stance on emissions standards? Emissions trading?

-(I think this is the only bit I sharply disagreed with) Is the benefits gained from domestic oil drilling outweighed by the costs of cleanup of spills and the loss of tourism revenues due to the tourist areas being covered with petroleum?

-By "Atlasia's elected officials serve on behalf of The People", do you mean the people or The People?

Dude, are you in Model UN by any chance? :P

I founded my school's Model UN chapter and am current President. Plus I'm going to a 3-week summer camp on trends towards both democratization and polarization in Middle Eastern politics. So yes.

You have a bright future in this game. :)

Indeed.  And I think I know where.

I'm a little worried by your response on HIV/AIDS, malaria etc etc... there's plenty we can do.

The problem is the countries that foreign aid needs to be given to to fight those diseases are also the one who really shouldn't be getting foreign aid (Zimbabwe, Angola, and Swaziland, to name a few); countries where foreign aid is likely to be used on guns & tanks and other things dictators like instead of its intended purpose. Maybe the answer is to remove all aid and instead fund NGOs; maybe it's to increase aid by a whole lot; maybe it's to only give to democracies; maybe it's to make aid conditional on reforms. I'd be interested to see a response here too.

Dude, this guy really needs to get into national politics both in the game and IRL ASAP.

I'll take questions here if anyone has any :) *steals 20RP12's thunder*

-takes breath and closes google tab-

You okay? :P

I semi-seriously considered running for FL State House a few months ago, just cause I live in a battleground-type district and the Democratic challenger to the 2-yr Rep. incumbent just had a quarter where he raised $20 (and I know at least 2 people with $20 they'd give me), but FL age limit is 21+.

Sjoycefla 2020!

Sjoycefla 2032! (Have to remember about that pesky Article II, Section 1, Clause 5).

Dude, I'd move to Florida just to vote for you.

The SJoyceFla 2032 campaign does encourage supporters to move to Florida... We also encourage moving to Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

How about Massachusetts or Jersey? :3

New Jersey, Montana, Oregon, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Wisconsin, South Carolina, and Georgia are all also encouraged but to a lesser extent. We do not encourage moving to Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming, California, Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, or Washington. These recommendations may all be updated as electoral geography changes.

Officially my favourite new member of the forum. Officially.

*folds arms*

I said new member :P You know I love you :)

Nice save :P

:D <3