Atlasia Chronicle - Presidential Debate

[Lumine]

Opening Statement:

"First of all, I'd like to thank Clyde and the Atlasia Chronicle for hosting this debate and giving us candidates a chance to debate the issues of the day on an informed, responsible and necessary manner for the sake of a transparent campaign.

As our beloved nation sees more and more new citizens enter its ranks as the newer generation expands, it is only right that I introduce myself: I am Lumine von Reuental, a citizen and a player since 2012 and someone who has had the honor of serving in the regional governments as legislator and executive, in Congress, as Vice-President and most importantly as President of this great Republic in the aftermath of a civil conflict which saw much strife inside Atlasia.

Both as a young man with his fair share of both success and defeat I come before the nation to seek a second non-consecutive term as your President, in the hopes that my experience, my record and my vision of a more civic-minded Atlasia can be of help to take us out from stagnation and into a newer, more prosperous and more dynamic era. In this task I am joined by my esteemed friend Siren, a dedicated, empathetic public servant who is just as convinced as I am of the importance of keeping this game engaging, interesting and fun, and of achieving meaningful, necessary reform in areas that range from the environment to foreign policy, to ethical standards, to game reform, to tackling poverty, and so on.

This election will require of every Atlasian to ask him or herself whether we want to look to the past or towards an exciting, new future. And while there is certainly much that works with Atlasia right now, I cannot endorse the view that our present road is the best one moving forward, nor cannot I reject necessary reform for the sake of continuity. My fellow Atlasians, I believe the best road forward is not defined by, on one hand, by keeping things just as they are, or on the other side, by changing things for the sake of mere rhetorical change. I happen to believe, and I will advocate it until the end of this campaign, that there is much necessary reform, innovation and modernization that we can achieve by working together.

This election is a great chance to change the course, and during this debate and the whole campaign I will endeavor to make the case as to why the Lumine/Siren ticket deserves your attention and perhaps, if you decide to give us that privilege and that sign of trust, your vote.

[Lumine]

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It should not surprise anyone to hear that for some time I've believed Parliamentarism to be a viable alternative to our present system of government and one which, as many have pointed out, could reinvigorate the game and add new dynamics to make for a different yet engaging Atlasia. Indeed, I made my own proposal as to how a Parliamentary Atlasia might look in the form of the Monfort Plan (https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=283003.0), which is just one of many alternatives one could enact based on different parliamentary systems. I was more drawn towards the UK because of familiarity, but as others pointed out other models such as the German one could be implemented as well.

However, I also recognize that a chance this drastic requires some significant public support and more than a clear majority of players in favor of it. A President can be a powerful voice for change but not enact this type of change himself, which is why Parliamentarism is one of many options a Lumine Administration will look at via its Game Reform Commission or some other mechanism to define the reform package that will be presented to Congress. I believe it would make a difference, and it could take this game into an exciting new direction after 14 years with the same US-style Presidential system, but I am cautious as well on whether it will be the wish of a majority to move into it.

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It's a complex subject of course, particularly because what makes the regions benefit the most is having high activity levels (which then involves a higher quality of policy debates, more initiatives, greater relevance in the public stage and so on) which the White House is not strictly responsible for, nor should it meddle too much on it. I think my personal answer to this question comes from some of the proposals I've already outlined in terms of Game Outreach, having the Vice-President chair substantial Game Outreach efforts not only to recruit new people across the aisle and beyond mere partisan strategy, but encourage them as well to participate and not only run for office, but do some of the other things you can do in Atlasia.

Having a more impartial officer doing those efforts, coupled with some level of coordination between the Regional Executives and the White House (which I'd be interested on, certainly) could have a positive effect in the regions taking a greater public role, but ultimately it depends on the regions themselves rather than the White House. I also happen to believe a reduction of offices is also a step that we should seriously consider to allow for regional governments to be more efficient and elections more competitive, but that is a subject that requires further debate given the last failed attempt to achieve this idea.

[Lumine]

(Haven't forgotten about this, I'll post my answers tonight)

[Lumine]

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Something which I outlined as one of the main pillars of my campaign was the concept of Modernization, Responsibility and Prosperity, which in my opinion is an excellent way to sum up the general concept to which I approach domestic policies in this race. Something I very much reject is the concept of stagnation and the idea of carrying on with business as usual in what can often constitute managed decline (particularly when a given party has extended itself in power over a long period of time), which is why I advocate for a general spirit of innovation (responsible innovation) that reinvigorates not only this game from a player-based point of view, but the way in which the people of this nation live relative to the hidden potential that remains within Atlasia.

In specific terms, that relates to three main priorities which are vital and, ideally, to be actively pursued with the help of the Vice-President and the Cabinet (not listed by importance):

The first of them is environmentalism and the continued passage of further, stronger environmental regulations, renewable energy, protection of nature and a bold agenda (to be outlined later during the campaign) which I hope comes to resemble the concept of a "green revolution", confirming the general pro-environment trend of Atlasia in the past years to leave behind the times of putting our natural environment behind out of cynical concerns.

The second is social mobility, and particularly poverty and its ramifications in this country. This because even during relatively prosperous times we often find unemployment rates which are still pretty significant, and which essentially doom millions of our fellow citizens to living conditions which are undeniably harsh. And the middle class doesn't fare all that better as well, particularly on account of the cost of living and the difficulty in allowing the next generation to enjoy a better or even similar standard of life than their parents had. I'd like to move towards more active action taken on this issue with a cabinet member devoted to implementing an agenda to address this issue more directly, and ideally move away from the usual US-based debate into something a bit more related to other successful experiences in the rest of the world.

The third is fiscal responsibility as a general principle, and within reason. When I started my presidential campaign I noted my lack of desire to riddle future generations with unsustainable levels of debt, and I certainly mean that. In the Senate I've made a point of attempting to stay consistent in upholding fiscally responsible projects while admitting some necessary investments from time to time, and that is also something I would like to apply from the White House as debate for a new budget will take importance in the upcoming term. Responsible economic management can do a real difference in the way we implement policy in this country, and I refuse to either committ to an irresponsible spending spree just as I refuse the seemingly easy way of some to consider gutting our military as the immediate choice.

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I am certainly in support of it. Since the beginning of my career as an officeholder back in 2013 I supported efforts for a High Speed Rail in regional politics, and I am perfectly pleased to see this issue debated and at the moment approved by the House of Representatives. It actually combines plenty of the  main benefits one would expect from effective transport policies, going from being a credible source of income to also proving more environmentally friendly than other forms of transport, and a useful tool for connectivity across the nation.

I think the time is right in terms of how necessary it is for further actions to be taken in terms of infrastructure, but we should note that we must have priorities in terms of what we spend in. Promising to do nothing is a non-starter, but pledging to make investments here and in an excessive number of programs would also not be sustainable in terms of fiscal responsibility and current budget deficit. Myself I'm prepared to work with my cabinet in terms of some considerable (and responsible) investment in terms of repairing and expanding infrastructure for a large number of reasons, but it must be understood that such an investment will necessarily come at the cost of other policies not being pursued.

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I don't support it, and I stand by my words before the Senate. It is a bit of a misguided priority to consider college the focal point of a major investment (particularly one that it is either unfunded as the version that passed the Senate, and even one funded through what seems like a questionable method) considering some of the other policies we could and perhaps should be pursuing as an alternative (I would much rather invest those funds to combat poverty more directly, for example). This because university is not the sole option for the future that a person has, and because a college degree is no guarantee of employment if you look at the thousands of Atlasians with a degree that still struggle to find a job as many professions are oversaturated. Because of that and because we have alternatives available, I must stand on principle and because I believe it is the realistic thing to do.

Education is one of the areas in which I hope to see the Vice-President (or another cabinet member with domestic responsibilities) promoting some necessary reforms that, with due respect to the autonomy of the regions to make crucial decisions, set some basic standards which rather than turn into unnecessary or unhelpful regulation do make a difference in the way young Atlasians develop and learn the skills they will use in the future. I expect this area will be covered in much greater detail, but there are countless subjects in which some extra emphasis would be of help (be environmental conscience, civic learning and so on) and in which something can be done.

[Lumine]

(Been very busy with work, answers later today)

[Lumine]

(Again, apologies, I've been terribly busy in RL)

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As a foreign policy enthusiast for the past four years this area has often featured in my speeches and platforms, and this keen interest has also manifested itself both in my active foreign policy agenda as President (which included very active work with then VP SJoyce, SOS Potus and GM's Kalwejt and Dr. Cynic), and in my attempts at promoting foreign policy debate and conversation from the Senate and as a private citizen. Ultimately, it is an area in which I fully expect to be active and engaged if elected President, and not just in the work behind the scenes but in front of our citizens.

One of the biggest weaknesses of the past sixteen months of one party rule, I think, has been that even when actions on foreign policy are taken the public hardly hears about it, and we don't get to see much commentary or explanation (or even a narrative) from the White House. And with respect, I don't think that's the proper approach. We are at war at this very moment, a very complex and far-reaching conflict in the Korean peninsula which deserves debate and attention and yet we haven't heard much from sitting officeholders that handle this foreign policy front, even if they are probably working hard behind the scenes. The people of Atlasia can expect me to be upfront about the actions undertaken by a Lumine Administration, and you have my record to rely on that.

Ultimately I covered foreign affairs in detail in a speech a few weeks ago, offering a comprehensive narrative of what you can expect from this ticket with not only is born from the combination of a hawk and a dove (in myself and Siren), but born with the desire to be active on the world stage through what I described as "Realism and Compromise". I want to see a new Foreign Policy Doctrine, a strong, negotiated end to the Korean War that doesn't abandon millions to totalitarian slavery, humanitarian, environmental and foreign aid efforts, the reform of international institutions, increased oversight over foreign policy formulation and action, and the list goes on.

(Voters can check my foreign policy platform here: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=290410.msg6201199#msg6201199)

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We should be involved in an active, positive manner which allows Atlasia to be a positive force for stability and necessary change across the world. I am very much an optimist when it comes to my belief that if we act in a realistic, responsible manner we can achieve a lot by working with our allies and seeking new partners, and staying detached and uninterested when it comes to the rest of the world is, in my staunch opinion, a grave mistake. That is why I have made a point of supporting a common-sense policy when it comes to the Second Korean War, because the ramifications of abandoning our allies and dooming millions of people to a horrible fate is by definition not the way we should be doing things.

That is also why we need a President with experience and a record in foreign policy for the upcoming terms. There's countless challenges to be found now that we have an active and competent Game Engine team, and a President who is well-prepared for what may come can make a great difference on how we conduct foreign policy in this country. I would encourage the voters to carefully think about which candidate is better prepared to lead the way from the White House.