Siren/Muad'dib: Hope & Adventure! - (End of an Adventure)

[Anna Komnene]

Since I came back, I've been doing some thinking about what I want to do with my new time in Atlasia. At the same time, it's come to my attention that a lot of you are going through the motions, tired of the same old, same old. You're feeling sluggish and bored. Maybe I can help with that! I want to do something new and exciting too, and well, running for president is really the only thing I've never done in my Atlasian career. So let's see where it goes.

For those that don't know me, my career in Atlasia has ranged from the shores of Arecibo to the frontier of Nevada, from the Southern Chamber of Delegates to the House of Representatives and Fremont's Senator in Nyman. I've been Speaker in the South and President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Through it all, I always stayed true to my principles: compassion, pragmatic policymaking, and advocacy for those who are struggling the most, domestic violence victims, poor people, unemployed, immigrants, and many others. Times when we're down on our luck is when we need someone looking out for us the most, but it's when we're least likely to find someone actually doing that. The ultimate irony is that it can happen to any of us.

Among other things, I sponsored Atlasia's first ever comprehensive immigration reform, programs to eliminate food waste and feed the hungry, provide for family leave, and revitalize Native Atlasian languages. I pushed for the constitutional amendment abolishing the draft and promoted peaceful foreign policy based on alleviating poverty around the world. I stood up for civil liberties, regardless of race, gender, creed, or orientation and protected people's right to wear religious garb. And through it all, I worked with all parties to achieve my goals and help them with their's.

At a time of crisis like this, it's more important than ever that we hold true to these ideals and more and come together as one community in support of the type of world we'd like to live. One without famine and lack of access to clean water. One without human trafficking, slavery, and child labor. One without pointless death and destruction in an endless race to the bottom for fossil fuels and power. One where people are paid a livable wage for the dignity of their work. Because if we don't come together, we will surely fall apart.

If you like what I have to say, I'd love to have you with me on this journey. Feel free to endorse me or offer feedback. Join the Peace Party if you want free hugs. If you're interested in being my running mate, PM me!

Let's go on an adventure Atlasia!

Policy Proposals
Main Street Revitalization Package
Infrastructure and Volunteering
Holistic Foreign Policy
Environment: Clean Air and Water for the Whole Community

[Anna Komnene]

Thanks for your interest and well-wishes PSOL. Don't worry! We still have about a month until the election. I'm planning several exciting new proposals coming down the pipeline, which will hopefully inject some life into Atlasia's veins, even if only to inspire mobilization against them.

While I agree that Pericles has done pretty well responding to the pandemic, I see other areas where the game can be improved, such as the general apathy many are feeling about Atlasia lately and in the best way to ensure we live in a world where we are not so vulnerable to crises like this, as well as finding the best ways to ensure they it doesn't happen again. I'll leave his campaign up to him. I'm not here to be negative but to showcase my own ideas. Some of the elections I've enjoyed most in Atlasia had candidates from lots of parties with different ideas. I think that Atlasia is always healthiest and most interesting with choices. Hopefully Pericles, HCP, and I will just be the first of many. I encourage anyone who's thinking about it to jump in and enjoy the journey!

[Anna Komnene]

Fully endorsed! It's so exciting to have you back and for you to run. Miracles do come true.

Wow, thank you for the endorsement and this wonderful comment, Spiral! Very inspiring.

Always wonderful to see you running for office, Siren. The very best of luck!

Thanks! I'll do my best.

I already endorsed Pericles, but I'm glad to see you getting back in the game _{(even though I wish you would run for something like House)}.  Endorsed for second preference and good luck!

I appreciate whatever preferences I can get. Thank you!

To be honest I was thinking of something like this myself, though I decided October would be a better time and Pericles is too politically close to me to actually run against him

Anyways good luck with your campaign!

I've been around long enough to know exactly what you mean, but if the way of the current world has taught me anything, it's that life is too short to wait around for things to happen and to enjoy every moment. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Anna Komnene]

I am not sure who I plan to endorse or vote for, but this is certainly long overdue (in fact, I expected to end up running against you in Feb. 2018 )

I wish you the best of luck, and it would be pretty rad to have another woman on the list of Presidents tbh

Oh fhtagn, now you have me scouring the wiki to try to remember what was going on in my head in February 2018. I don't know tbh, but it probably would've been fun to go toe to to with you. Anyway, I have a few ideas that I think you might like, but I'm not sure how to articulate them yet. Stay tuned!

Endorsed.

Aw yay I was hoping you would endorse me peebs. Thanks!

I will be supporting the LJP ticket this cycle, of course. Nevertheless, it's great that you're back in the arena.

Naturally. I was glad to see you back too, and even a little bizarre how we both came back around the same time.

Eh, why not, endorsed for now.

Thank you! I appreciate your support and hope to earn it.

[Anna Komnene]

...I've been Speaker in the South...

The Inaugural Speaker of the great region of the South no less. As the current Southern Speaker, welcome back to being an active Atlasian. Even if you're in the land hungry, expansionist region of Fremont.

Thanks Muaddib! I have fond memories of my time in the South and in the Chamber of Delegates. Everything was so new and unknown and we had to figure out how to set it all up, the symbols, names, procedures... That was pretty exciting and I learned a lot from it. Glad to see you carrying on the traditions down there!

I already endorsed Pericles, but I'm glad to see you getting back in the game _{(even though I wish you would run for something like House)}.  Endorsed for second preference and good luck!

Thank you for the second preference endorsement Mr First Minister!

[Anna Komnene]

Vice Presidential Announcement
Live Stream from Virginia City, Nevada aka Home

Having thought long and hard about the kind of campaign I'd like to run, I keep finding myself centering around the same idea. We're all going through hard times right now. Probably a lot of us are feeling down. There's no shame in that. If I can, I want my campaign to be an optimistic vision for the future, providing a ray of sunshine in a dark time. I want to focus on how we can come together and build a vibrant, thriving, and tight-knit community, not just in Atlasia the game but in the world we all live outside of it too. We will get through this, and I believe we can emerge in a better place than we were before if we all do our part. It will take hard work and courage to put ourselves out there, but we can do it. It's like in Robert Frost's famous poem: two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.

With that in mind, I considered several fantastic people to be my running mate from a mix of backgrounds and parties. The person who I arrived on is someone who will challenge me to think deeply about policy, someone who is excited about Atlasia's future and wants to have fun, someone who has a strong track record of leadership that I can rely on to lead congress. Above all, he is someone who shares my passion for service and who exemplifies the spirit of my community centered campaign.

He has a distinguished legislative record and a strong passion for the South, my original home region. With the unfortunate and ill-timed unrest between Fremont and the South over the state of Kansas, our alliance is a symbol of friendship between our two regions. While strongly principled and a fighter for his region, he's also well respected by his colleagues across the aisle for his bipartisan negotiating style, activity, and commitment. He's shown a commitment in his campaigns to find solutions to help people who are struggling through difficult moments and to build a stronger community. He's brimming with hope and excited for adventure. He also writes a fantastic newspaper!

My friends, please give a warm welcome to my running mate and hopefully the next Vice President of Atlasia: Southern Speaker Muad'dib!

[Anna Komnene]

Endorsed.

Thank you RC, it's an honor to have your endorsement, especially with your experience running last time!

Recanting my endorsement as this is a(n unfunny)meme ticket.

Sorry to see you go PSOL. I assure you this isn't going to be a meme campaign though. Sure I like to have fun, but we have several serious policy proposals in the works. I hope we can earn a high preference if you're willing to hear us out.

Two really good tickets, but ultimately, I think this is the best path forward - Siren and Muaddib are extremely competent leaders who compliment each other well. Endorsed!

It's an honor to have your support tmth. I hope we can do you proud! *hughughug*

This is a wonderful ticket! I am proud to endorse you both for the White House! It's long overdue for our country to have a real opportunity for some hope and adventure.

Thank you LT! I'm thrilled to have you along for the ride (I love your banner btw!)

     I remember when you rewarded my service and voted for me to remain PPT after my party lost control of the Senate. You're one of the best people I have worked with in Atlasia, and I am excited to vote for your ticket. Even more so with your excellent choice of running mate. Endorsed!

Wow, thank you for this wonderful comment PiT! You were a fabulous PPT and it was well deserved. I really enjoyed the Senate while you were in charge. Honored to have your support.

Endorsed.

Thanks Spark! I really appreciate your support.

Endorsed!!

Thank you WM!! Wonderful to have your support after spending so much time together in the Peace Party back in the day.

Endorsed

Thanks Celticempire! I really appreciate your support.

For Siren: I am interested in your thoughts on a cis tax (not to be confused with a CIS tax; that is, a tax on your running mate's publication). I am aware that both you and your running mate are cisgender, and you'd probably lose Federalist endorsements if you were to endorse such a position, but I'll tell you exactly what I want, and I want you to very carefully explain to me why it cannot be.

Sorry but I can't support it. Here is my best effort for a nuanced and heartfelt response: I really strongly believe in equality, not just with the law but with how we treat each other. It's one of the reasons I founded the Peace Party and included "free hugs" in the platform. Because I think we should always try our best to treat everyone with respect and kindness, even if it's hard, and we suck at it sometimes. I definitely have my moments. Of course, I don't believe everyone should be taxed equally. I believe in progressive taxation, but a tax on cisgender people is a tax based on the fundamental identity of a person, just the same as a tax on a transgender person would be or a tax on a person's race would be. And fundamental identities of a person need to be respected and not discriminated against via the law, taxation, or whatever else. It's a constitutional right IMO.

Thankfully, Atlasia is an amazing place when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights. There's a huge collection of LGBTQ+ laws on the books. I still remember way back when we were starting out together in the Chamber of Delegates, one of the first laws passed in the federal government was the Evergreen-Tmthforu LGBTQ+ Rights Act. What a good way to start off with the new reset! That bill had a lot of great features, including health insurance for hormone replacement therapy, marriage equality, and a ban on conversion therapy. There are also bills which gives protections for LGBTQ+ from workplace discrimination, discrimination with adoptions, bathroom discrimination, and programs for anti-bullying programs. One of them was even written by your's truly (even though I can't find it on the wiki - I know it passed both houses). A bill to provide comprehensive sex education which ensured sexual orientation and gender identity in schools would be taught as natural and not a choice, trained guidance counselors on sexual orientation/gender identity needs, and created programs sponsored by LGBTQ+ groups. There is even a national LGBTQ+ Celebration Day on June 26!

It feels strange compared to the real world we live in where things are really difficult. I truly sympathize with everything transgender people have to go through, even if I can't claim to understand how it feels personally. I'd have to guess that the situation for LGBTQ+ in Atlasia is so much better. I hope all of those laws have created a world in Atlasia where LGBTQ+ of all ages live happy and fulfilling lives. And if you think about it, a tax singling out cisgender people wouldn't really be in the spirit of all of those wonderful laws. Anyway, I hope that answers your question.

[Anna Komnene]

Main Street Revitalization Package

Locally owned small businesses are the lifeblood of towns and cities across this country. They are an important part of my life that I've cared deeply about for a long time. Unlike multinational corporations, many local businesses provide essential community services, events, and activities that bring people together. They are places where customers walk in the store and are greeted by name with a smile. They are places where you can make new friends, learn new things, and enjoy yourself. Frankly, it's necessary to survive against massive companies like Amazon, but they also do it because they actually care about their community.

I know of several local businesses that have come together to support one another during covid-19. Restaurants bring lunches to bookstores offering curbside pickup, bakers and flower shops leave gifts for other business owners to brighten their spirit, just to name a few heartening examples. As the owners are members of the community themselves, they are more invested both in the well-being of their employees and in the success of their town. Even when it hurts their margins, many provide better wages for their employees and more flexible working arrangements for their staff. While the image many people think of when they hear the word "Mom & Pop store" tends to be a little corner market or trinket store, these businesses are so much more. They are bookstores, artisans, hardware stores, restaurants, cafes, computer shops, farmers markets, bakeries, natural food stores, flower shops, beauty salons, and many more.

These places have been hit hard by the pandemic. Their cash reserves are low, and given the importance placed on community involvement to their success, stay-at-home orders (while necessary) are making things very difficult for them to survive. At the same time, people are hurting too. They are afraid of contact and crowds, depressed, and we fear many may develop post-traumatic type symptoms even after the pandemic is over. It is our firm belief that in order for us to overcome covid-19 and find ourselves in the kind of world that we want to live after it's over, that we have to be looking to that future right now. Loans to small businesses, while very necessary and helpful, aren't enough and can be problematic if the businesses are left in debt. We need a comprehensive strategy to help local businesses and their communities not just survive the pandemic but to thrive and succeed after it's over so they can do the essential work they do to provide community services and heal the people of this country.

Muad'dib and I talked about this issue quite a bit over the past couple days. It's one of the reasons I picked him to be my running mate. He highlighted several proposals about this issue in his southern governor campaign. We both care about the issue, and together we came up with the outline of a plan that will not only help local businesses provide community service but also create the conditions needed for their success. We are proud to unveil this Main Street Revitalization Package as the first of a series of community-based policy proposals from our campaign over the coming weeks.

Television, radio, and online marketing campaigns on public broadcasting channels

This would provide a much needed supplement for local businesses, some of whom have very little money left over to spend on marketing. It will help bring more awareness to people about the wonderful services available to them in their community and neighboring towns and cities helping local economy and tourism. 7 in 10 people research their products before buying them. Many local businesses offer niche products that can't be found on the likes of Amazon and Walmart, so awareness and exposure is key. The more people know about it, the more everyone benefits.

A grant program for local businesses to provide community events and activities

While many local businesses already provide community functions, a grant program to which local businesses of a certain size would be able to apply, would help them by allowing them to redirect the funds they would normally spend on other aspects of their business, such as inventory, marketing, and payroll. For local businesses that haven't sponsored community events and programs, it will encourage them to do so, thereby increasing their exposure and improving their community, encouraging people to get involved in their community, meet new people, and develop a stronger bond with the people around them.

A networking website that fosters regional local coordination networks for local businesses

This is incredibly important and we think underappreciated. There's a lot that goes into running a small business. Even if business owners and/or their employees have gone to school for it, their expertise only goes so far. Whether it's legal issues, marketing campaigns, or finding the right inventory, there's always something to benefit from someone with more expertise. Creating an environment where local businesses can create connections with each other helps them meet the demands of a challenging environment. At the same time, it also fosters the connections in the local business community that facilitate Shop Local campaigns, festivals, and other events. When times are hard, they'll have a strong group of people they can rely on to get through it.

Reduced taxes for NEW small businesses during the first five years of their existence

Starting a new business is challenging even in the best of times, with most local businesses failing in the first five years of operation. During and following the pandemic, it's going to be exponentially worse. It's kind of like growing a flower. The initial stages are the most difficult but once it grows to full length, you'd be surprised how resilient it can be. This is why we support lowering the tax rate for new locally owned small businesses during the first five years of operation in order to shield them from what can be a challenging and predatory market. Generally, we believe that government tax policy should reflect the values of the community and encourage the type of community we want to live in. This rate would increase incrementally each financial year until they reach five years in business when they would resume paying the normal tax rate for small businesses. That way there's no risk of a sudden cliff at the end of the five years. This may also encourage more local entrepreneurs to jump in if they believe they have a greater chance of success, allowing communities to experience new things that they wouldn't have otherwise.

A pledge that a Siren/Muad'dib administration would favor products from small businesses for all of our functions and events

Presidential administrations are a large operation. They need a lot of stuff to function. If we have to do it, why not make sure we're supporting local economies across the country? Under this program, the interior or a related domestic department would identify small local businesses across Atlasia in Lincoln, the South, and Fremont for which we would purchase the materials our administration needs for daily needs, function and events. At functions and events, we would also make sure people in attendance know where the goods they're enjoying come from so they can buy more if they so choose. It's a symbol of our commitment to fostering locally owned small businesses in towns across this country.

Stay tuned for our next announcement which will include some exciting news for nation wide infrastructure development.

[Anna Komnene]

Main Street Revitalization Package TLDR

• Local small businesses are the lifeblood of towns across the country
• They are deeply invested in their communities, their employees, and the lives of those around them
• Both local small businesses and people are hurting. They can help heal the country together.
• Public marketing campaigns to increase awareness about community businesses
• Grants for small businesses to provided community events and activities
• A networking website that fosters regional local coordination for community businesses
• Reduced taxes for NEW small businesses
• Pledge that a Siren/Muad'dib administration would favor products from small businesses for all of our functions and events

[Anna Komnene]

Endorsed.

Thank you Ishan! I really appreciate it.

Ah I guess I'll have to wait until 2021 for the federalists to have their own candidiate for President.

Jokes aside it's great to see you back Siren & to see someone from the old era return and jump into the deep end.

I'm curious that you've picked a running mate who supports the Conferderate Flag but elections are about choices.

Thanks for the welcome and for sharing your optimism about my chances Blair.  Jumping into the deep end is definitely how it feels. I'll address your other point below in my answer to Razze.

Legitimizing neoconfederate voices… you hate to see it.

I'm sorry that I disappointed you Razze, but I won't apologize for my ticket. Sure, I admit it wasn't the race I was expecting to run, but when I got the chance to get to know Muad'dib recently, I found that he's someone that cares about communities and community service. He's someone who has volunteered his time working to feed hungry kids with a breakfast club at his local school. He supports local businesses. He's been super active and responsible as speaker, basically keeping the CoD functional, which is pretty much essential for a VP. He agrees with me about a peaceful and non interventionist foreign policy. I think those are some pretty worthy things. There are several things that he and I disagree on, but I think now more than ever, it's important to engage with people and make progress in areas where we can find common ground. It doesn't mean I've suddenly changed my views. I'm still the same person and I would be if I'm lucky enough to be president.

We're going to be making several policy proposals during the campaign to build a stronger community. I will do my best to earn your vote if you're willing to give me a chance, but if not I understand.

[Anna Komnene]

Love seeing talk of supporting small businesses - this is especially important to rural Atlasians who continue to face obstacles as communities lose population and lack resources. One of those resources lacking is rural broadband, which is especially critical during COVID-19, with more and more Atlasians working and learning from home.

To my knowledge, I don't think any substantive action has been taken in Atlasia on the subject, at least federally. I hope you'll consider adding it to your platform!

Thanks for your suggestion Tmth. I couldn't agree more. We owe it to rural Atlasians to provide the broadband infrastructure that allows access to the same resources as everyone else for school, work, and entertainment. After you suggested it, Muad'dib and I included it in our infrastructure development plan.

I stan this ticket.

Sunriso endorses Siren/Maud'dib.

Our very first stan!    Thanks Sunriso.

The experience and detailed positions brought forth by this ticket have me very excited. Enthusiastically endorsed.

Thank you Josh. We truly appreciate your interest in our proposals and your support.

There will be more coming soon.

[Anna Komnene]

A Holistic Approach to Foreign Policy: Peace, Prosperity, and Security

Some of you might remember I'm a big fan of Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman 1984 was supposed to come out tomorrow, but it's postponed for months due to covid-19. That makes me sad! In her honor, we'd like to present our foreign policy approach. "Only love can save the world," says Diana Prince. It takes that sort of mindset and commitment to foster peace around the world. We believe that it requires a holistic approach with multiple strategies to fit the circumstance. By applying these principles in given situations, Atlasia presents to the world in a spirit of cooperation toward the goals of achieving peace, prosperity, and collective security.

Building Peace: Addressing Root Causes

This level of the peace process is going on all the time. By addressing the root causes of conflict, such as poverty, resource scarcity, lack of access to health and education, and lack of inter-community dialogue, peacebuilding seeks to create the type of world where conflict is less likely to happen. Reducing violence is good in and of itself, but it's also a win-win. With less violence, trade relationships also improve and we achieve collective security by diminishing hate and misunderstanding toward Atlasia. We propose to do this by reforming Atlasia's foreign development assistance in two ways.

Invest in NGOs

By redirecting a portion of money currently allocated to certain foreign governments which can be wasteful or corrupt, we can instead provide it to a list of NGOs, civil society organizations, and nonprofits working on issues such as poverty, health, education, necessities such as food and water, and gender empowerment. These are organizations working on the ground, sometimes even risking their lives, to improve conditions in countries around the world and react to disasters. They have the expertise and passion to provide the outcomes that we want better than many governments and train to know the needs of the people and causes they serve. Perhaps, with more support, they could have even helped shield us from the impact of covid-19. Examples of such organizations are the American Red Cross, Doctors without borders, charity : water, Heifer International, and the Jane Goodall Institute.

Establish an Atlasian Microloan Bank

In many areas of the world, people living in remote, rural areas lack access to local banking infrastructure to finance their livelihoods, with no other option but to look to neighbors for help or rely on local predatory lenders. By redirecting a portion of the foreign aid budget, we can establish a microloan bank to provide low interest loans to people in developing countries to help them become self sufficient. This would especially help women who normally lack access to opportunity to gain the tools they need to better provide for their families. For example, a farmer who needs to take goods to market can get access to money to buy transport, enabling her to get more of her food to the market, and provide both for her family and for her community.

Conflict Resolution

In relations with states at war, we believe in using all of the diplomatic avenues available, in concert with the international community to achieve conflict resolution. When possible, we would bring parties to the table to negotiate terms through promoting mutual understanding, compromise, concession, and bargaining between the aggrieved parties. However, we view war as a last resort usually reserved to self defense and extreme cases in which the world must come together to prevent a humanitarian disaster like the holocaust.

Post-conflict Peacekeeping

Peace is difficult work, but the effort is well worth it to achieve prosperity and collective security. This is especially true when you consider that nonprofit and NGO workers put their lives on the line to work in dangerous areas. Therefore, Atlasia should take a greater role in UN peacekeeping missions to ensure that lasting peace is maintained in post-conflict situations, such as election monitoring and power sharing agreements. By joining more peacekeeping missions, Atlasia can improve the missions' chances of success and increase the legitimacy of the UN. It can improve Atlasia's standing in the world and increase Atlasia's diplomatic leverage at the negotiating table during conflict resolution. It can also win hearts and minds on the ground by showing Atlasia is committed to peace and committed to working together with the world to maintain it.

--

Applying all of the above principles to the Atlasian situation of war-torn Korea could uplift and build bridges between communities, thereby promoting mutual understanding. If we can help them see that they all have a role to play in improving their community, they are more likely to begin the slow process of healing. As in most situations of conflict, optimism toward a better life can be the best medicine. It would encourage everyone involved to negotiate in a spirit of compromise, while the international community monitors the situation to keep tensions low, facilitating their peaceful transition.

[Anna Komnene]

Endorsed without needing to read the platform. Highest quality public servants right here.

Thanks for this great comment Mr. R. We really appreciate it.

Endorsed!

Thanks for the endorsement Thunder. Glad to have you along for the ride!

While I have criticized this ticket in several occasions, when playing Mario Oddisey the other day I found this quote and was instantly reminded of this ticket lol

I'm making an introspective travel to find myself and while I am at it, I am traveling around the world

Tbh I had already thought about the Siren=Captain Toad comparison before I found this quote, but this just makes it even better

Guess you can use the Captain Toad theme as your campaign theme

I am always trying to find myself for sure. For this post, I award you a power moon!

[Anna Komnene]

Environment: Clean Air and Water for the Whole Community

There are many reasons to be passionate about environmental policy. Some want to preserve the world's natural beauty: its plants, animals, and ecosystems. Others are concerned about the pressing concern of climate change already being felt around the world with drying rivers and resulting famine. And for some, it's simply a matter of the basic dignity of access to clean air and water in their communities.

Either way, environmental policy, maybe more so than any other policy, requires commitment from the community to succeed. Without actions taken by our ancestors over the past century, we wouldn't have places like national parks and many species like brown bears, bald eagles, chimpanzees, and gray wolves would likely be gone forever. We owe it to them, to ourselves, and to future generations to continue that commitment.

Unlike many other things in politics, the community benefits from its collective action. Clean air and water, thriving ecosystems, pristine lands, and quality food products are things that can be shared by all through tourism, photography, film, and markets. And for some people, especially in rural areas, the environment is central to their way of life. Helping the environment isn't just about plants and animals. It's about the community with live in. For the time being, Earth is the only home we have. We should treat it that way. “Indeed I have not seen them roused like this for many an age. We Ents do not like being roused; and we never are roused unless it is clear to us that our trees and our lives are in great danger.” -Treebeard from Lord of the Rings

Clean and Healthy Communities

Everyone should have access to clean air and water, but sadly, many still live near major pollution centers, dumps, and toxic rivers. These are almost always the poorest communities, including predominantly African American and Latino areas. Places like Flint, MI, Newark, NJ, and Fresno, CA. When you compare it to the staggering over representation of the African American and Latino communities when it comes to covid-19 transmission and deaths, it becomes clear that while many factors are involved, it's likely that the pollution these communities encounter every day is further endangering them to the pandemic. We believe Atlasia should respond to this tragic situation, and when it comes to environmental policy, we propose a comprehensive water supply infrastructure update to ensure that all Atlasians have access to clean water. This would go hand in hand with our infrastructure development plan and ensure that Atlasian reservoirs and sewage systems are updated with modern technology and monitoring systems for lead and other toxic chemicals. In addition, we would direct the EPA to prioritize enforcement of regulations in the communities experiencing the worst levels of pollution.

Innovation and Advancement in Green Technology

While we've made good strides in pursuing green technology, we still face problems of efficiency and geological suitability in certain areas with what we currently have. We support making use of available funding to research, develop, and support innovative green technologies to help move us to a cleaner future. One example of a promising project worth developing is soil carbon. Soil is very effective at storing carbon in the right conditions. By using sustainable farming practices such as planting crops year round with cover plants, farmers can both increase the soil's ability to store carbon to reduce emissions and increase the soil's fertility and ability to produce more crops. This is good both for the environment and for agriculture, but it requires research and investment into the best ways to accomplish it. We support innovating new soil carbon techniques, along with other new green technologies which are both efficient and environmentally friendly.

Protect Public Lands

Atlasia has a long and proud tradition of protecting public lands going back to 1872 when Yellowstone became the first national park. National parks and monuments provide places for community recreation, appreciation of Atlasia's natural beauty, and protection of endangered wildlife and plants. In the case of wetland ecosystems, they can also be another solution to help reduce the effects of climate change. Wetland ecosystems, while often overlooked, are more efficient at storing carbon than the typical forest ecosystem, storing as much as ten time more. This makes it critically important to identify and protect wetlands, especially in areas with rare plants or wildlife where a protected lands area could serve all of the above purposes at the same time. We would prioritize the protection of wetlands, identifying areas to potentially serve as new national parks or forests.

Find Solutions that Fit the Regions

Many aspects of environmental policy depend on the climate, geography, and topography of specific regions. For instance, some green technologies like solar work better in certain areas of the country than others. Some areas of the country face water infrastructure problems, while others face water scarcity problems. Environmental policies should be tailored to fit the communities they serve. We would work with the regions to create solutions specific to their needs, bringing everyone into the policymaking process.

Get the World Onboard

There is much we can do to live in a cleaner, environmentally friendly community, but it only goes so far if we can't get the international community on board with our efforts. It truly will take a worldwide community effort if we are to achieve the results we need. We support the negotiation of a new comprehensive treaty with binding commitments from all parties in the vein of the Kyoto Protocols but fitting of modern science and technology. This treaty would represent a bold new commitment by the world to the goal reducing emissions, addressing deforestation, and investing in innovative green technologies. If it works, this could provide an exciting new twist to the roles of the presidency and the GM. Either way, taking the lead on the environment presents Atlasia as a symbolic leader for the world to follow on environmental policy.

[Anna Komnene]

Siren, this is a pretty good platform. I'm just not sure why you're running on a ticket with Muad'dib. Most of these ideas seem antithetical to the Conservative/Fed Alliance. I’m glad that Muad'dib is offering you public support for your policies, but what do you offer them in exchange?

Thanks DC.

Muad'dib and I spent quite a while chatting and brainstorming for pretty much all of the policy posts we've made so far. There's elements from him and elements from me in each one of them. It's truly been a collaboration. If we were elected, that would continue like with any president and vice president pair. I'm not afraid to stand up for what I believe in when necessary, but sometimes there's more to be gained by listening to each other. For the federalists at large, there's the vice presidency. They might feel more comfortable bringing their ideas to us with a representative in the administration. And the same thing I've always tried to offer everyone in Atlasia: my willingness to engage in the issues in good faith to try to find the best solutions. But there wasn't any backroom deals that led to our ticket, if that's what you're asking.

[Anna Komnene]

Forgive me Siren, I didn't mean to imply any shady deals or backroom shenanigans on your part. I'm just curious if there are any Federalist or Conservative policies you support.

No worries. I didn't really think you did but just wanted to be sure.

I feel like there's some good things in our platform that Federalists could get behind. Our main street revitalization program, for instance, has gotten some good feedback. It's all about trying to create the best conditions for small local businesses to succeed. We tried to think of the best things govt can do to help, but at the end of the day, it comes down to the individuals running the stores and working for the stores making good decisions.

In some of our proposals to reform foreign aid, some of the money goes to nonprofits instead of foreign governments or helps poor people grow their businesses. Both of those things are encouraging individuals to take action and promote entrepreneurial spirit rather than relying on foreign governments to do it for them. It's just a bottom up approach to innovation rather than a top down approach. In our infrastructure program, it gives unemployed an option to do volunteer work for a higher bonus payment. There's lots of stuff in there that I think promotes individual responsibility but at the same time also community engagement.

I'm also very libertarian when it comes to personal privacy/surveillance. I think govt should get out of people's bedrooms (assuming no violence of course!), their computers, and their phones, which I think federalists of a certain stripe would appreciate. And I do think that religion has an important place in society and that people should be free to worship how they please, provided that people aren't being discriminated against. I'm not an expert on Federalist policies, but I feel like they might appreciate those things.

[Anna Komnene]

Endorsed!

This is a wonderful ticket! I am proud to endorse you both for the White House! It's long overdue for our country to have a real opportunity for some hope and adventure.

Thank you so much alancia and RGN. I really appreciate your support!

[Anna Komnene]

The election is almost here!

When I started this race, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I took a step into the unknown to see where it might lead. It's been a wild ride, and I've really enjoyed sharing it with everyone involved. I'm very thankful to everyone who's expressed their support and well wishes and for Muad'dib for being patient and spending countless hours chatting about our proposals and how to go about this adventure together.

I'm happy to say that we've run an old fashioned Atlasian campaign, filled with speeches, policy proposals, conventions, and interacting with so many wonderful people both in public and in private. It has been a lot of fun.

If you like what we have to say and want to join us on this adventure, we would love to have you with us.

I want to express my very best wishes to all of the candidates for every office. Let the fun begin!

[Anna Komnene]

The polls are open!

Here's a handy link to the voting booth.

Forgot to do this earlier, but endorsed!

It's never too late! Thanks so much Encke.

[Anna Komnene]

End of an Adventure: Concession Speech

Congratulations are in order for President Pericles and Vice President-elect Sestak on their victory.  You guys ran a strong campaign and clearly earned the respect of the voters. I wish you the best of luck in your next term. To HCP and Ted, it was fun competing with you two as well. The race wouldn't have been the same without you. Congrats to everyone else who won other races tonight too. I hope you enjoy your time serving in office.

This is the third time I've had the honor to be on a presidential ticket, first as running mates for Clyde and Lumine, and now on my own ticket with Muad'dib, which means I've paired myself with three different parties on a presidential ticket! More importantly, three fascinating and fun people that helped me grow as a person and three active, passionate, and detailed campaigns. Weirdly enough, all three of these races happened in June (17, 18, and 20). The first two were announced on the same day! Another fun fact: when I ran with Clyde, we led a few polls heading into the election only to get like 32% of the vote on election day. So to have it happen again this time in pretty much the same way seems like a strangely fitting capstone to my Atlasian career. The good thing about the result being clear is that I was able to write this speech last night since today was father's day.

I'm proud of our campaign regardless. We highlighted issues that I think are really important. Building strong, inter-connected communities, helping local stores and businesses, reviving town and city centers, lifting people out of poverty, providing basic necessities like clean water and broadband, and trying to find innovative ways to improve the world we live in without settling for a boilerplate platform (not referring to anyone here – just speaking about what's important to me). I did the best I could to emulate the old fashioned Atlasian presidential campaigns that I came to love during my time in this game. And I think I stand in good company among a lot of fantastic people who I admire that also lost big time in national races but who had a big heart! I hope I might have inspired some of you to do what you can to help your own communities outside of Atlasia and bring a little happiness to your friends and neighbors even if you didn't vote for me.

For all of my supporters, thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you did. Whether it was offering words of support, endorsements, suggestions, or taking a more active role in the campaign, I appreciated everything. Some of the things you said to me in public and private were truly inspiring and heart warming. To my friends who stuck with me through thick and thin, I'll never forget that either. A special shout out to Muad'dib for being a wonderful running mate and to LT, fhtagn, NC Yankee, tmth, Encke, and many more for all your help. I could not have done this campaign without you. I'm sorry that I couldn't give you all a more exciting election weekend, but hey, all we can do is our best. I feel like we did that. I hope you enjoyed following our campaign over the last month. Don't lose hope. Maybe next time, one of you will succeed where I failed.

Despite the result, I really enjoyed this. It gave me a chance to connect with people, have fun, and learn new things. It also gave me a new found respect for anyone who's ever run an active presidential campaign because this is a lot of work! For me personally, this was also about facing a fear I've always had of putting myself out there. I don't care so much about the outcome. Fitting of adventure, I care more about the journey than the destination. Rather, it's that I had the confidence in myself to actually go through with this and the knowledge that that confidence remains stronger than ever even after being thoroughly beaten. It's quite a liberating feeling to be honest. The journey of this campaign, for me, was well worth it. For anyone who's thinking of running a campaign for president, no matter what party you're in, my unsolicited advice is to go for it. You never know where it might lead or what treasures you might gain along the way.

Godspeed Atlasia.

Sincerely,

Siren