Clarence for President- A New Era

[CLARENCE 2015!]

Fellow Atlasians-

I come here grateful for the blessings you've given me. This board has been a community for me- I am honored that you all have welcomed me and enriched my life by my participation on here. Even when we disagree...the conversations I have had with many of you have bettered our understanding of each other and of our experiences. And though we have respectful disagreements- you always know where I stand and what I believe in.

A short while after I registered on this board, I began to participate here in Atlasia. I was appointed by Emperor PiT as a member of the Imperial Legislature where it was my pleasure to have productive debates and discussions... I faced off against President Polnut in a special Senate election and he whooped me but I ran again when he got a promotion and that time- I won. In the Senate I have been learning the ropes and been a voice of respectful opposition to some of the President's policies while proposing some of my own. I am always proud to stand up for the values I hold dear

I was honored to be re-elected as a Senator. I am looking forward to a productive term and I've thought about what more I can do to stand up for the policies I and so many others believe in. We live in a dangerous world with an uncertain future. Our economy hangs in the balance along with our national security...it takes a decisive leader to bring us through these troubling times. I believe I am that leader. With humility, respect, and hope- I announce my candidacy for President of Atlasia.

Over the course of the next few weeks- you will hear from me and I will hear from you. I will lay out my plans for a government which promotes the ingenuity and hard work of the people without breaking our backs...I will discuss a foreign policy based not only on the strength and superiority of our military but more importantly the strength and superiority of our vales...I will present a vision for where I see our nation being a generation from now and what I believe we need to do to get there. All I ask is that you listen...

In return- I will listen to you. I don't shy away from criticism or debate. I have opponents in this campaign- all of whom I respect. I hope this will be a campaign about ideas and about leadership. Likewise- I respect the man I hope to be my predecessor- President Polnut. However... now is the time for leadership. People say the Fantasy board is dying...when I am President let's see if that is the case. You may not agree with me but I am sure you will LOVE to disagree with me- make me the Reagan to your Tip O'Neill as I've tried to be the Gingrich to Polnut's Clinton. The best government is a government where people of differnt ideologies have to come to the table and negotiate their differences-

I am grateful for my the many mentors I have had- who are younger then me in years but whose experience here is greater then mine. I am especially grateful that one of them- a man we all respect- ZuWo has agreed to serve as my campaign chairman. With his guidance and with all of yours, we will run a positive campaign that will bring in a new era for this board. People are calling on some one to step up- and this old sailor is here to throw my hat in the ring

Thank you and God Bless

clarence

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Likewise Napoleon

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Endorsed for Second Preference

LIkewise

Alfred- I love dogs but don't much care- if your culture eats dogs fine by me as long as they are killed humanely

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Thank you very much ZuWo- I pledge to be a decisive and active leader but I do NOT pledge to be tech savvy... I will see if I can switch the logo out to make it visible

Alfred- your definition of important issue involves the muffin act you proposed in Senate. If many want this board to be a fun exprience- people debating muffins and asking for our positions on eating dogs and babies only makes most question why the hell these people runf or office

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ZuWo- can you see the logo now?

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Thank you Alfred- yes I did...I am an expert at Paint nowadays

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In return- I will listen to you. I don't shy away from criticism or debate. I have opponents in this campaign- all of whom I respect. I hope this will be a campaign about ideas and about leadership. Likewise- I respect the man I hope to be my predecessor- President Polnut. However... now is the time for leadership. People say the Fantasy board is dying...when I am President let's see if that is the case. You may not agree with me but I am sure you will LOVE to disagree with me- make me the Reagan to your Tip O'Neill as I've tried to be the Gingrich to Polnut's Clinton. The best government is a government where people of differnt ideologies have to come to the table and negotiate their differences-

an inversion of this lets us in on how banal and platitudinous it is.

I won't listen to you.  I will shy away from criticism and debate.  I do not respect, nor to I accept the legitimacy, of my opponents in this race.  I hope this will be a campaign centered on personalities rather than issues.  I do not respect the President, and think he has failed miserably and should resign.  Now is the time for appeasement and a more general chamelonism.  People claim that the Fantasy board is dying, it is, and this trend is irreversible, regardless of my success or failure in this election.  we are doomed and can only hope to go gracefully.  You may not agree with me, but you must act like you do, lest you be repressed and your opinions censored.  obey and do not think.  The best government is a government which I run and is entirely structured to cater to my whims and desires.

The last few sentences describe your platform don't they- Young Tweed?

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Thank you Cathcon!

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Im not going to release a "schedule" of "campaign stops" because I'd just be saying I was there from the comfort of my living room where I usually use the computer... I think there is enough bullsh**t on this board and me saying I will stop in every town in the country when my fat ass will be staying right here on my La-Z-Boy won't do any thing to get me votes

Also- ask me anything

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Straight from my La-Z-Boy...

Clarence on Foreign Policy and the Military

The Clarence Doctrine
As the elected leader of the Atlasian people, it is the President's responsibility to value their well-being and interests above all others. If elected President, I will act in a manner which strengthens our security, economy, and future. Other nations will be judged and dealt with by how willing they are to work alongside us.

The Clarence Doctrine- Case Study
To put this into an actual event- let's discuss the Egyptian protests last year which resulted in Mubarak being thrown out of power. Mubarak was not a good leader for the Egyptians- but I saw him as being fine for our interests because he worked alongside us. I would have immediately contated President Mubarak to offer my assistance and publicly announce my support of him due to his more moderate foreign policy and more secular domestic policy then many other extremists. I would consider sending in special operators to evacuate Mubarak to a safe area and- depending on who appeared likely to succeed him- remove potential enemies before they assume power. The reason is this- we will not use our military to take out any and all dictator to emerge so dictators will exist- I'd rather have them work with us then against us and if those that stand with us get removed without us lifting a finger- what motivation do the rest have?

On Terrorism
My thought is this- there is NO rational reason for some one to strap a bomb to their chest in order to kill civilians. That is irrational- it is pure evil- and I will not seek to place a justification on it such as "they don't want us to back Israel." Terrorists are wrong and their method of warfare and attacks on civilians do not earn them the right for us to hear their grievances. We did not invite 9/11- we do not invite any attack. Give the terrorists this though- they have resolve. They will try to kill us at all costs so my policy is to kill them first...

Israel
I am a strong and unabashed supporter of Israel. As could also be in my doctrine- I do NOT believe in proportional response and I believe when a nation has a stated policy of proportional response, it becomes calculated in others' decision to strike that nation as a necessary sacrifice. Israel was founded on legal grounds and supported by the world's leading powers at the time...it is the nation in the Middle East where Jews are free and where Christians are virtually free of persecution. Its one million law-obeying Muslims have full democratic rights and a high quality of life (I will address Gaza later). When dealing with Israel- as I have discussed with Ben- I would split Gaza and the West BAnk. From what I understand- the West Bank is largely urbanized and becoming a destination for tourists. There are movie theaters, department stores, restaurants- and of course the basics. This is due to a moderate government there mostly geared to peace. Gaza is an example of what happens when Hamas is placed in charge. I will stand by Israel as they deal with terror from within and threats such as Iran in their neighborhood. I believe in a two-state solution but one which defends Israel's territorial integrity.

Afghanistan
Leave. See you later...nice knowing you...bye bye
(for more information- see "Why I would go to war" and "How I would fight a war")

United Nations
I read an article last week about how us and other prosperous nations are being asked to foot the bill for a new climate change initiative. I also find their stances on things such as the Israel conflict repulsive at times and do not find them to as receptive to our views as they should considering we bankroll their asses... I would consider a funding cut if not an outright withdrawal.

Why I would go to war
I would only go to war if the national interests of our nation were threatened. This could range anywhere from a response to a nuclear strike on the homeland (God forbid) to Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz- which would have truly devastating financial impact on our economy.

How I would fight a war
Forget nation-building- that isn't happening. We got bogged down in Vietnam building their schools and town halls and bridges trying to get them to like us instead of going VC. We are bogged down in Afghanistan trying to encourage farmers not to sell opium and checking if local election voting sites are safe and our guys are getting killed for a nation that doesn't want us there. My warfighting strategy would have this principle-

No boots on the ground unless crucial- including special operators such as the SEALs, Rangers, Army Special Forces (Green Berets), and Delta Force. Any war I lead will be a war which uses our technology- DRONES, BABY, DRONES! The ability to wage war with our young people in command centers instead of the battlefield is one we need to use...a war with no casualties on our side is now conceivable. This also reduces chances of a Haditha or a My Lai taking place and reduces the chances our people are captured and held as POWs. War is not two armies meeting on a field with casualties coming from direct engagement from the enemy- war is now about ambush and our technology allows us to beat that now

Conscription
The warfighting strategy I have outlined above would make conscription unnecessary as we wouldn't need the numbers- but it must be preserved as an option in the event our homeland is attacked.

Military Funding
In the USA- defense is about 20% of our budget yet has been targeted for 50% of this cuts. There is NO MORE important role for the national government then providing for the common defense- yet I know I will be outvoted here so I will propose the following reorganization which result in significant cuts- partially due to ending cross-branch redudance and also by cuts made possible by the drones
ATLASIAN ARMY- All ground forces minus a smaller, expeditionary Marine Corps under the Navy
ATLASIAN NAVY- All sea forces- continue building carriers to increase force projection
ATLASIAN AIR FORCE- All air forces- including transportation
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE- All general services including HR, medical, chaplain, JAG, public affairs, recruiting, personnel- whether these would be members of the military I believe yes- but could have many civilian employees as well

If the three branches focus on fighting- the bloat will decrease. If their charges are distinct- it will reduce redundance

Atlasian Exceptionalism
I have disagreed with a few people on this board- no disagreement was more broad then the thread where it was asked who we would prefer to win a war between us and Iran- many people answered Iran. We are lucky to live in a nation where that doesn't get you pulled out of bed in a mask one night. People are far too quick to disregard the outstanding and pioneering freedoms we have in this nation- and the good we have done across the world. We are NOT a fascist or imperialist nation. We remain a beacon of hope because we ask the world to-

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

What other nation does that... or has our values. I will always approach foreign policy with the resolve and confidence that comes from knowing that our values are not simply different- they are BETTER. We are the greatest nation on Earth and my foreing policy will reflect that


I'm sure I'm missing MANY aspects... I will fill that in over the next day or over the next two months. I hope this can start serious discussion...

clarence

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Agreed Napoleon- and don't forget 20RP12 and Young Tweed...they will make the foreign policy debate VERY interesting...

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Thank you very much- sjoycefla...I likewise find all your posts also very well-worded and well-reasoned

Scott- thank you for the questions...

Iran- I believe it is unacceptable for Iran to gain a nuclear weapon. I find it very suspicious to be hiding a harmless program underground... I would maintain an open dialogue with the Israelis and give them the green light to strike if necessary. Though Iran is a threat to every one with a nuclear weapon- they threatenIsrael most- its very existence. I also take Iran's threats to close the Strait of Hormuz very seriously and if they did so- I would give the order for the Fifth Fleet to engage and defeat the Iranian Navy immediately- I am confident the world would support that action

Iraq- I see no reason to maintain major involvement with Iraq. If Saddam was good for one thing- it was keeping the Iranians in check...now Al-Malaki seems to be a puppet. I would maintain diplomacy with them but don't see much use...that goes for Syria and Hezbollah also- Iran is the source of these problems

China- I am no expert but I read China has major internal problems including the rural and urban divide, Tibet, among others. The order their Prsident gave to prepare the Navy for combat last year was very concerning- I am not prepared to allow China to grow its sphere of influence. I believe the best weapon we can use to undermine China is reducing our deficit- having the burden of trillions of debt allows them the chance to thrrow us into depression on a whim

North Korea- I would send Kim Jong Un a letter congratulating him on his recent missile test...oh wait. As far as I'm concerned- they are attention seekers, trouble makers, but would never pull the trigger. However- haivng a nuclear program at all concerns me and I wouldn't hesitate to use swift military action if they developed a missile capable of reaching our territory...

Lord's Resistance Army- The problem with getting involved in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan is the sectarian civil bloodbath that can happen...the LRA is full of terrible, evil people- Kony chief among them. But I don't know if the other side of the civil war isn't just as bad... This- combined with the fact that our national security is not threatened one bit- would lead me to not get involved. If it became clear a genocide was occuring and one side was significantly overpowering the other- I would authorize drone and air strikes to prevent the massacre of an entire people

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Atlasia's best days don't have to be "behind" us...
VOTE CLARENCE

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As you can see- I will not be posting meaningless "campaign schedules" or bullet-points...but you can expect the following in the very near future-

-the announcement of the next Vice President of Atlasia
-my platform for social issues
-the official campaign song

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We are still very far from the election- I am willing to debate anytime minus May 29-30 and June 17- these days I will be in transit. The other days I will be on the internet at least once per day so can respond

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Official Campaign Song Announcement-

When I was across a continent and an ocean from home...all I thought about was home- the people and places I loved. I was born in Pennsylvania, lived some time in Ohio, and the rest of my life I have called Florida home...North or South I love this country and I am proud of every part of it- I am proud of WHERE I COME FROM!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nujhhgp8qo

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Scott and SJoycleFla- good taste in music!

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Any interest in doing an IRC Q&A session? If even one person wants to- we can set up a time

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Thanks- 20RP12 :-)

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Ladies and gentlemen-

It is my privilege to announce my running mate...

He is someone whose experience in Atlasia have qualified him beyond any doubt to become Vice President- he is a former Secretary of Internal Affairs, a former Game Moderator, and the longest serving Imperial Legislator in history...including serving as Speaker. In this role- I first worked with him when I began as a Legislator. We have since become close friends on the board- he is younger then me in years but sharp as a tack and his experience and intelligence make him one of the finest members of Atlasia.

I give you the next Vice President of Atlasia-

YELNOC

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We will be unveiling our Social Issues platform tonight...

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Clarence/Yelnoc on Social Issues

Abortion
We are pro-life.  Abortion affects not only the mother, but the unborn life.  Yelnoc and I- and others who are pro-life- believe life begins at conception, and believe it is unethical to terminate an innocent life.  We of course support exceptions for rape, incest, and saving the life of the mother.  I founded the Right to Life Caucus to promote this cause and will not compromise it in my campaign.

Gay Rights
We are strongly in favor of gay rights. This may surprise some people and it is a position that has taken me a lifetime to arrive at.  We believe that being gay is not a choice; it is a trait some one is born with. We support the rights of homosexuals to marry and all legal agreements along with it. We also support the rights of gays to adopt children.  I personally would rather see a child in a home with a loving gay couple then an unsuitable man and woman...or aborted.

Drug Policy
Let's face it, a hit off a joint isn't worse for anyone than the glass of whiskey on the table next to my computer or the Swisher Sweets I used to smoke at work. There is no reason for marijuana to be illegal.  Ultimately, people are responsible for their actions. It should not be legal to drive or operate heavy machinery while under the influence of drugs; so long as taking drugs affects only the user- we are fine, but it must not affect the rest of society.

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Hahaha ZuWo...

SJoyceFLA and Pingvin- I believe the regions must have power on both issues...an issue we debated shortly after the formation of Right to Life Caucus was that the best hope is to make regional change happen...we recognize that it would be impossible to issue social policy from the capital- Yelnoc is the founder of a party based upon regional autonomy and that is a concept we both support

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Thank you very much- TJ!

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A masterpiece!