Atlasia Chronicle - Presidential Debate

[Clyde1998]

Hello and welcome to the Atlasia Chronicle Presidential debate. With us today are four Presidential candidates with different visions for Atlasia. Over the next few days, we'll be focusing on some of the important issues in this election campaign - with questions on a wide range of topics.

All the Presidential candidates have been invited to take part in this debate. The candidates are: DTC of the Progressive Christian Union, LumineVonReuental of the Alliance Party, Ninja0428 of the Progressive Union Party and North Carolina Yankee of the Federalist Party.
Our questions will focus on some of the big political issues that will affect us all. We request that any comments regarding this debate are kept in this thread to keep the debating chamber following freely.

First of all, I'd like to invite the candidates for their opening statements.

[Holy Unifying Centrist]

Thank you, Clyde1998. And thank you to everyone following this debate. It is important that we have these important discussions about the direction of Atlasia.

I am here to advocate for a renewed focus in our "moral economy". Our economic system should focus on encouraging cooperative and good moral behavior, while still allowing freedom and individual choice. We should discourage risky investments and gigantic mega corporation consolidation that only serves to benefit a select few. We should encourage donating to charity and we should do our best to invest in our children. We must also make smart investments - the system of collecting property taxes for funding our schools makes it so that some school districts, specifically the richer ones, get far more funding than the poorer districts that really need the investments. And finally, we must learn to put country before party, and not allow scoundrels to advance because they are a member of your tribe.

[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.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

First off, I would like to thank Clyde for hosting us and thank my distinguished opponents Lumine, DTC and Ninja for attending.

I am running for President because I think that fundamentally this is an elections game with a government simulation to provide purpose to said elections. Our strength, our vitality comes from our ability to attract and maintain an active and engaged populous who will engage in energetic and principled debates on the issues and thus give meaning and purpose to our various elections.

I am running because everything we do and everything we seek to change must be ever mindful of this important principle. Atlasia is a nation of newbies. New people and returning old people as well, come to together and create the interest and vitality that keeps the game afloat. When we lose sight of that, when we take it for granted, we do a disservice to the game.

I am running to create a more Welcoming and Engaged Atlasia and I hope to inspire everyone in this game to ask themselves each day not what the game can give you, but what you can give the game, and just as importantly, how you can involve someone else in the process? No success for one person is a success for the game if it comes from solitary action or worse, from the exclusion of other people and ideas.

I have served in various legislative capacities over the last decade and I had the distinct privilege of serving as President for half of a term over a year ago. I have interacted directly with over two thirds of Atlasia's Presidential administration and I have seen many fail and I have seen some succeed. Our best times and best accomplishments in those times were when we worked as a group, the most painful and most meaningless were when it was one man against the world. We have a number of challenges facing us, our deficit chief among them. But I am confident if we work together and get people engaged and active, there is nothing that we cannot solve and solve in a way that strengthens the game.

We must remember though, as we solve problems, that we need to go back to those important questions above. "What can you do for the game?" "How can you bring others in to contribute?" Because everyone has a role to play in this game and we are at our best when we accomplish stuff in a manner that involves the most people.

As we go forward with this debate and with this campaign, both my running mate, dfw, and myself hope to earn your trust and your vote because if there is but one thing that leads to me think we are on the wrong track right now, it because we have lost sight of what is truly important in this game. Our number one priority is to create a Welcoming and Engaged environment for all, so that all want to continue to participate and others want to join in the fun.

[Clyde1998]

Thank you all for your opening statements (I'll allow Ninja to come in with his, once he's able to).

The first couple of questions are on the game structure and how to best utilise it to make the game work as well as possible.

Firstly, the idea of moving Atlasia to a parliamentary system has arisen again over the past few months, what's your view on a parliamentary Atlasia and do you believe that it would make a difference to Atlasia to change the system of government?

Secondly, the regions can become overlooked in the current game. How would you attempt to get the regions to be more involved in Atlasian politics?

[Sirius_]

I would like to thank Clyde for hosting this debate, as well as my fellow candidates for attending. I hope that this debate will paint a clear picture of this election for all of the voters.

I've decided to run for president because it is high time that we had a renewed sense of activity and progress here in Atlasia. We have now had a Federalist in the White House since January of last year. That's over 16 months now. This has a resulted in a 16 month period in which our ability to make progress as a nation and pass major policy to help us all has been greatly inhibited. By electing me president next month you can end this period in favor of one in which we can finally fix our problems. And take note of the fact that it was Mr. NC Yankee himself who ushered in this period.

My opponents may talk about their experience. They may talk about their greater levels of experience. But what I have is the experience that counts. I have served in the Lincoln assembly and the House of Representatives and in my tenure I haven't been afraid to tackle what is important. A lot of big issues, such as wages, gun control, and criminal justice get candidates elected, but I have contributed to successful solutions to all of these. Both my running mate and I have expireance creating reasonable and creative policy initiatives and you can have no doubt that I will continue to do this, more successfully than ever, as the president of Atlasia.

Recently our White House has been quieter than ever. Our presidency should be more than a signature. In order to pass successful policy we need a policy leader. That is the kind of president that I would like to be. We need a person who helps lead the congress, and works with all of the members of congress, to solve our problems. Working with my fellow legislators is something that I have done ever since I was first elected to office. Everyone has good ideas that lead to some wonderful legislation when it is all put together, and encouraging ideas from everyone is another way in which I want to lead our government.

I hope that everyone who wants a new direction for Atlasia and a White House the leads us towards functional solutions to our problems goes out and votes for Governor AZ and I. We're here to lead a government for everyone, because we're on everyone's side.

What's your view on a parliamentary Atlasia and do you believe that it would make a difference to Atlasia to change the system of government?  I neither see a parliamentary system as a necessity nor as a horrendous idea. I do believe that switching to a parliamentary system would help the executive branch lead our policy initiatives, which is something I would like to do, and possibly increase activity, but I'm not here to force that system on everyone. I wouldn't be opposed to holding a referendum on the topic to determine if this is something that we as Atlasians really want, but I don't want anybody to vote for another candidate because of my position on this issue.

How would you attempt to get the regions to be more involved in Atlasian politics? Being a former regional legislator and likely future member of Lincoln's cabinet I certainly understand the importance of regional government. One idea I've had is holding a summit of the regions to discuss policy, functions, and activity. This creates a new way for regional governments to find ideas for legislation and increase activity within their governments. Despite now being a member of federal government I would be entirely willing to contribute as a policy leader to our regions, and I would help encourage Atlasians, especially new Atlasians, to run for regional offices.

[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.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Parliament

I am open the idea if it has substantial support, but as I said in Charleston, I am going to stand up for and fight for checks and balances and a system that preserves and protects natural liberty and the rights of minorities. I don't think a Parliament necessarily has to be hostile to these noble principles, but there are certainly some models that would push us towards a unitary state and I think that would be a mistake of epic proportions. Our Regions make us stronger and that gets me to the second question.

Regions
Our regions provide a launching pad for new members to get experience in the game. Everyone of my opponents has had the luxury of starting this game in an era where there were regional legislatures to run in and serve in. I didn't have that luxury when I joined there was only one region that had a legislature and it was not the South. While we should be conservative when it comes to the number of offices, we should not to go extremes in office reduction lest we shut out and deny newer people the opportunity to get their start in the game, and it bears repeating we are a elections game built on voluntary participation and we are stronger when we have more people participating.

When it comes to summits, I will do you one better. I plan to restore the regular meetings that we held in my short Presidential term last year with the Governors and the Secretary of Internal Affairs present and I will tell you the President and the administration most certainly has a role to play in assisting the regions to understand the laws passed at the federal level, how they interact with the regional level and so forth.

Experience and Regional Interaction
Experience is about more than having just held an office, it is the impact you make while you hold that office. In 2014, we passed a health care law with a regional component but it was over a year before any region took action on it and the administration at the time certainly didn't take action. Last summer we passed a similar law on a bipartisan basis and I assisted first then Secretary of Internal Affairs Fhtagn and subsequently her successor Rfayette to ensure that implementation was accomplished and the regions knew what had to be accomplished on their end. I think this kind of interaction with improvements obviously can serve as a model of how the Federal Gov't interacts with the Regions and helps bring them to table and helps enable them to lead on their areas of responsibility.

Progress on Issues and Administration of Congress
To address a point by one of my distinguished opponents, which disappoints me since I was hoping we could stay positive. It is kind of hard to point to a shared term with a member of the other party as ushering in anything.

In terms of inhibition of policy, Federalist control of the Vice Presidency has oversaw the greatest unleashing of legislating and functionality that Congress has seen since the reset. We have had several congresses leap frogging each other in terms records set for number of passed bills and this one currently is on track to break all records, thanks in no small part to the work of Vice President PiT. It is hard to say that Federalists have obstructed legislating when under Federalist Presidents we have seen, often bipartisan bills, pushing forward on health care, reigning in too big too fail banks, infrastructure, energy, the environment, Immigration Reform, equality and the minimum wage. Some of these were collaborations with the running mates of my distinguished opponents like with Immigration and one of the several energy/infrastructure bills. We also completed and passed the Foreign Relations Review last fall and thanks to the BPC, we finally have a FY2018 Budget. And lastly, in terms of silence, it is hard to say President Fhtagn has just been signing bills when she has actively redrafted legislation to fix glaring mistakes and/or substantially improve the quality of the bill. Care for Veterans being such an example and on a critical issue.

Question Time
To bring this response back full circle, if I elected I plan to restore question time for members of Congress. This is certainly one aspect of a Parliamentary System that we can implement immediately, and we had a couple such sessions back in my partial Presidential term. This will enable a greater interaction with the executive branch in legislating as well as significant strides in accountability and transparency.

[Clyde1998]

Thank you all for your responses. We now move onto domestic policy:

What would be your biggest priorities domestically?

A bill that would see the establishment of a commission to develop a high-speed rail project is making its way through Congress; what’s your view on high speed rail and what would your Presidency do regarding infrastructure?

A bill that seeks to make higher education free for Atlasians is before Congress at the moment; what’s your view on this and what would you like to regarding education?

[Lumine]

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

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

My Biggest Priorities


My first priority is to preserve, protect and defend the Atlasian Republic. That includes not only ensuring we have a military with strong abilities, but also that we have an economy that is able to sustain it and a budgetary situation that also doesn't imperil our country.


When we find ourselves in a situation where we are at cross purposes in terms of geopolitics with the country that has more than any other served to sustain and subsidize our irresponsibility, then it is truly time for us to make the hard choices and tough decisions necessary to bring us to reasonable fiscal situation.

There are those on the left who say that we need cannot cut the deficit because we need fiscal stimulus. Well if the deficit hasn't so far helped in that regard, I fail to see how we can correct an economic problem through fiscal stimulus when said economic problem is generated by an activity metric in the calculation by the game moderation system. It would be impossible to engage in any policy be it either tax cuts or spending with an eye towards stimulus when such may not even make a dent in such numbers. Therefore, I am hesitant to worsen our fiscal solution absent some kind of greater understanding about how the economic, unemployment and the deficit interact with one. If we spend a trillion dollars, only to have the unemployment double because a governor in a region has to be removed from office, there is a slight problem.

Absent that, we should strive to remove unnecessary programs and expense, reform and innovate to achieve our objectives more efficiently (and that certainly applies to the Pentagon) and when reforms and innovation cannot address structural deficiencies in revenues for automatic spending then we must work to put those programs that help the elderly, the veterans and our nations most vulnerable on a solid financial ground with dedicated funding streams.

Infrastructure

I am completely in support of having more infrastructure, but we must be responsible and ensure once again that said programs are funded and only in the specific instance of stimulating the economy should we ever deficit fund infrastructure and then we must be sure of the financial impacts with clear understanding of the system from a game mechanic perspective before we do so.

Affordable College

We are in a situation where we have conditioned people to go and get degrees that lead to no gainful employment and to encumber themselves in the process with an unseemly amount of debt, under the promise that they will reach nirvana, the promised land and 5th Avenue, if they do so.

Education is important and we need advanced skills for the economy of the future, but we need to bring reason back into the education system. We see pushes for free college with no one ever thinking to question why college is facing rising tuition costs and why it is so expensive. We see people falling over themselves in a purist quest to grab the mantle of true progressive hero by ensuring that even Bill Gates and Donald Trump have their kids sent to college with the cost covered by the tax payers. Free College in this fashion, is wealth redistribution from the middle class to the rich.

While we should eliminate the cost barrier to working, poor and middle class entry to college based on merit, education should be based on merit instead of "send everyone to college" While people should be encouraged to pursue their dreams, we must end the biased conditioning to seek sometimes worthless degrees at sky high prices, and stop quietly discouraging many respectable fields that now face chronic shortages of skilled workers and/or the work force for such fields is rapidly aging and shrinking. The average age for a truck driver is now 53 for example.

Education

What I want on education is in general is for the regions to take leadership and use Internal Affairs as a department providing support and assistance in said leadership. We need better and more skilled teachers and thus they need to be paid what they deserve. We need innovation in teaching methods, integration of technology and finally the curriculum must work to build those skills that make students successful and productive members of society. Too often we favor memorization over critical thinking, regurgitated facts instead of analysis and independent thought. The regions can pioneer solutions for this and serve as a model for other regions to experiment with and develop further with the support and assistance of the federal government. Only through such a shift will we finally be able to start gaining ground in K-12 performance instead of the drift we have been seeing in terms of failing schools and/or schools accomplishing success only through diluting the quality of the education and rigor of the curriculum.

[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.

[Clyde1998]

Moving on to foreign policy:

How would you approach foreign policy?

How involved should Atlasia be in international issues?

[Lumine]

(Been very busy with work, answers later today)

[Sirius_]

How Would You Approach Foreign Policy?
     I would like to carry out our foreign policy in a way that is peaceful and beneficial. While I do not deny that wars are inevitable, under a Ninja administration there would have to be a solid reason, which poses a legitimate threat us or our allies, for us to go to war. There have been plenty of wars in the past which we had no business being involved in, such as the 2003 Iraq war started by the old United States, and those would not happen if I am elected. I did mention our allies, who I do believe are important for us to stand by. We put our trust in having allies across the globe, and it comes with numerous benefits for us, but we will lose our benefits if our allies lose their trust in us. If we let them down if they come under attack, it would be easy for our close relationships to be ended.
     In general, I much prefer to look at ways where we can use diplomacy to settle our differences and to make partners, not enemies, in this world. Foreign policy creates results, and they can be positive and negative. The results we've seen from war are death, life altering injuries and mental states, and long, hard periods of recovery. Isolation cuts of the benefits that the many other people around the world have to offer. Clearly, neither not optimal. But we don't have to see these things. When nations research together, we make great discoveries. When we trade with each other, our economies grow and more jobs are created. It is clear that we work best together, which is why I want to push for more global cooperation.  

How involved should Atlasia be in international issues?
     I believe that we should be involved in global affairs, but in a positive way. Our involvement should help people, not harm them, and build our nations, not destroy them. As I stated before, working with other nations across the world benefits everyone, in numerous ways. The ideologies of isolationism and protectionism have not shown results in the past, and are becoming increasingly impractical in the present. We also have a responsibility to work towards having a better world as a wealthy nation. We can spare some more money to other places with less wealth, and we should also help respond to natural disasters in countries that can't help themselves, even if it didn't impact us directly. The world should be good for all people, including but not limited to Atlasians.

(I'll do domestic policy I promise!)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Foreign Policy
My foreign policy approach has long been guided by both restraint and avoidance of conflict unless necessary and also a realistic analysis of the world how it is. Sometimes you have no other choice, and sometimes you have to be credible that when you say you will use force. Realism cuts both ways though and generally I have found most utopian ideologies to be foolish and misguided, so too does the same apply to the arena of global affairs. I like to examine a given situation based on how each side benefits and work from that basis to encourage and promote mutual objectives and at the same time hold aggressors accountable. At various points in the Cold War, crop failures and later on oil price collapse helped to reign in and eventually push the Soviet Union towards collapse. Such circumstances provide an opportunity to offer an incentive towards cooperation. At some point foreign policy is motivated by, supported by, or hindered by various economic forces.


Atlasia in international affairs
I think Atlasia needs to provide leadership in key areas and also set up a context or move towards a context were the benefits of cooperation outweigh the costs of rogue action. Some of those key issues I think involve anything related to international drug policy based on our large consumption of illicit drugs, certainly for non-proliferation, disease control and environmental protection as well based on our resources and our impact in these areas presently for better or for ill. As for the latter, trade can be one of the most powerful tools to reward cooperation and discourage rogue action, but for a number of these countries in question, the most important consideration is the price for energy more so than trade and energy diversification will go a long way to reduce the influence of many countries who have a negative impact.


Korea
Since this may or may not come up here, I will touch on this to make sure that it is discussed at least somewhat. The situation that has evolved in North Korea, is both unfortunate and tragic. Sure enough we see China working to expand its sphere of influence, but like I said in my interview the other day, China has long been a country that does stuff for specific tangible reasons and lets face it, China doesn't want Western troops on its border. It goes without saying that any further escalation should be avoided at all costs since the stakes of such an escalation could be devastating globally. Therefore, I think the only possible outcome to this that is acceptable, will require a diplomatic solution.

[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.