Speech From Arlington, VA.

[Frodo]

Soulty, you know I have a generally high regard for you, and your choice of vice president really shows your acceptance to reach across the aisle; that makes you so much more commendable in my opinion than most anyone out there!

Aren't they both in the CDP?

I think he is referring to the avatar colors, in that in real life Supersoulty is a Republican, while I am a Democrat. 

[Frodo]

I would like to first express my heart-felt gratitude to Mr. Supersoulty for having selected me as his vice-presidential candidate, and to all those who recommended me to him, seeing me as qualified enough to serve in the second-most powerful office in Atlasia.  As I never had such an exalted opinion of myself, I am humbled by the trust and confidence placed in me.  I can only hope that I do not let any of you down.  

We face many challenges in this age of transnational terrorism, not least of which is our moral obligation to pass down to future generations a world better than we had found it.  To deal with the threat of terrorism, we must fight not just with the sword, the spear, and the shield, but also lend a helping hand to those most susceptible to Islamic extremism and terrorism -namely, the impoverished and the downtrodden.  We must, in addition to pursuing the enemy by means of our military and intelligence services, also lessen our reliance on oil, and other fossil fuels by seeking alternatives so as to achieve energy independence, as well as wage a global war on poverty and corruption in conjunction with our allies in the developed world, including the European Union and Japan, among others.  

We cannot successfully prosecute a war with no clear end if we are to be held hostage to the very chain that binds us to the very forces that have created the monster that we have had to contend with since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.  This chain is the 'black gold' that so alarmingly dominates our society and world economy, that if there are any serious disruptions in its flow to our shores be it through natural disaster or a terrorist attack, it could force us to our knees.  This state of affairs is intolerable, and one that cannot be solved simply by expanding domestic production of fossil fuels.  We must ultimately transition ourselves to a society that is based primarily on hydrogen fuel-cell technology.  Then, and only then, can we achieve true energy independence.  Such an accomplishment cannot be achieved overnight, and as such we should invest over the short and medium-term in clean coal technology, expand the development of nuclear power plants, and offer tax incentives for automakers to develop hybrid vehicles, while gradually replacing the infrastructure of oil and natural gas refineries, pipelines, and gas stations with technology more amenable to hydrogen in preparation for the day when fossil fuels like oil will no longer be kings of energy production.

We must also work with our allies in Europe, Australia, and Japan in waging a global war on poverty.  It is no secret that the many evils we have encountered over the course of the 20th century -totalitarian ideologies like fascism, Nazism, Communism, and now Islamic terrorism- took root and flourished among those who were most susceptible to their appeal: the impoverished.  If there is one commonality that each of these ideologies share, it is their ability to exploit despair born of poverty and despotism.  While we cannot (and should not) run Third World countries directly, we can however help them develop public health care systems to better deal with such menaces like HIV-AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and Avian influenza, among others, as well as cut our farm subsidies so Third World farmers will not be at a severe disadvantage when competing with our goods on the world market, encourage the usage and development of genetically-modified foods and seeds that will not be held hostage to drought or floods.  These are just a few of the actions that can be taken to deal with Third World poverty, and in turn drain the swamp so terrorists will find fewer receptive ears to their message of hatred and violence.  

These are the challenges that face our generation, and, God willing, let us be the only generation that will ever have to face them.  We owe it to future generations that the world that will be passed down to them will be freer, safer, and more prosperous -it is our moral imperative.

If we are elected, these objectives will be the primary focus of our administration.  We aim for no less.

God bless you all, and may God save Atlasia.