Office of Chairman TNF: Red Army takes NM, UT, ID, AZ

[TNF]

I encourage all comrades visiting my office to say #420YES and use my complimentary ashtray:

[TNF]

Thanks for the endorsement, but I'm going to stand by my abstention from an endorsement in the Midwest Senate race since I disagree with you heavily on foreign policy and drug policy, on the constitutionality of the You-Know-What Act, and because there was clear, backdoor sabotaging of the next Althing elections.

[citation needed]

[TNF]

Coming to a Senate near you:

[TNF]

Congratulations on another term

Thank you!

[TNF]

Thank you all!

[TNF]

I invite all those in my office to join me in song:

Arise, the workers of all nations!
Arise, oppressed of the earth!
For justice thunders condemnation:
A better world's in birth!
No more tradition's chains shall bind us,
Arise, you slaves, no more in thrall!
The earth will rise on new foundations:
We, who were nothing, shall be all!
  Forward, brothers and sisters,
  And the last fight let us face;
  The Internationale
  Unites the human race!
  Forward, brothers and sisters,
  And the last fight let us face;
  The Internationale
  Unites the human race!

We see through their disinformation:
Designs to turn us into war.
But soon, the soldiers in formation
Will break ranks and fight no more.
And if those cowards think it's their right
To sacrifice us to their dream,
They'll see the power of our own might;
It's time to end the old regime.
  Forward, brothers and sisters,
  And the last fight let us face;
  The Internationale
  Unites the human race!
  Forward, brothers and sisters,
  And the last fight let us face;
  The Internationale
  Unites the human race!

Just we, the workers of the world-wide,
The mighty army of labor,
To own the planet have a true right -
But the parasites — never!
For too long we've endured exploitation,
Too long we've been the vulture's prey.
Farewell to days of condemnation!
The red dawn brings a bright new day!
  Forward, brothers and sisters,
  And the last fight let us face;
  The Internationale
  Unites the human race!
  Forward, brothers and sisters,
  And the last fight let us face;
  The Internationale
  Unites the human race!

[TNF]

Congratulations comrade.

Thank you for your support, comrade. Here's hoping that you win election to the Althing!

[TNF]

We had a massive storm system come through my neck of the woods last night that collapsed power lines and knocked my cable out. I'm currently posting via a WiFi hotspot (that I won't have access to after a few hours) and so I wanted to take the opportunity to note that I will be absent as a result. The cable company says that they'll try to get us back up and running in the next 24-48 hours, but the outage could last as long as 4 days, and so I might not be able to post until July 6.

In lieu of that, I would like to declare a leave of absence until Sunday, July 6, or until my cable gets back up and running, whichever comes sooner. I apologize for this and ask that legislation of which I am sponsor not be put to a final vote in the time that I will be gone, if that is at all possible. Thank you all, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

[TNF]

[TNF]

COMRADES!

What Federalists are imagining right now

For the first time in the history of our fair Republic, the working class has taken control of the Senate. With the rightful certification of the ballots cast for proletarian leadership of the Senate by our esteemed comrade Windjammer (he shall be sorely missed), I have taken up the position of President Pro Tempore of the Senate. I shall make it my utmost priority as PPT to reform the outdated and counterproductive body of Senate rules and procedures, and utilize my power as PPT as a bludgeon against bourgeois sensibility and against the oppression of the working class by the parasitic vampires of the bourgeois class.

[TNF]

Official seal of the Office of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate

SENATE DIRECTIVE NO. 1
Proletarianization of the Senate
President Pro Tempore of the Senate and Regional Senator TNF of the Midwest

The salary for members of the Senate shall be reduced from its present $174,000 per year to that of the average median income for a skilled worker. Henceforth, the salary for all members of the Senate shall be $50,000 per year, adjusted annually to account for increases in the average median income for skilled labor in the Republic of Atlasia.

Henceforth, the Senate leadership shall no longer be paid a salary higher than what is paid to rank-and-file members of the Senate.

Henceforth, no Senator shall be permitted to claim an income outside that of income earned as a Senator, until his or her term has expired.

This directive shall take effect immediately.

[TNF]

Official seal of the Office of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate

SENATE DIRECTIVE NO. 2
Regulations concerning the Senate cafeteria
President Pro Tempore of the Senate and Regional Senator TNF of the Midwest

The Senate cafeteria shall henceforth only procure materials from worker owned and managed cooperatives. In cases where a worker owned or managed cooperative does not produce materials needed by the Senate cafeteria, the procurement of materials must be from a company that uses union labor.

All renovations to the Senate cafeteria, or to any part of the Senate chambers, shall henceforth be made with union labor.

The Senate cafeteria shall henceforth not employ managers except those chosen by the workers of the Senate cafeteria themselves by secret ballot. The workers shall manage the cafeteria themselves, set working hours, and determine their roles at work by democratic means from this point forward.

[TNF]

Congrats on finally breaking through. When do I get guillotined?

I could never guillotine a fellow Laborite. Thank you for your kind words and keep up the good work as GM, Comrade Napoleon.

[TNF]

Official seal of the Office of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate

SENATE DIRECTIVE NO. 3
Honoring Revolutionaries Past
President Pro Tempore of the Senate and Regional Senator TNF of the Midwest

The Office of the President of the Pro Tempore shall utilized excess funds gained as a result of the reduction in Senate salaries (as established in Senate Directive No. 1) to contract union sculptors to create a series of busts for display in the Senate foyer. These busts shall honor those revolutionaries and fighters for the working class of the past that have shaped and continue to shape Atlasian political thought and help make sense of a world torn apart by the class struggle.

The busts shall be of the following persons --

Thomas Paine
Thomas Jefferson
Maximillien Robespierre
Karl Marx
Friedrich Engels
John Brown
Abraham Lincoln
Eugene Debs
Mary Harris 'Mother' Jones
William 'Big Bill' Haywood
James Connolly
Vladimir Lenin
Rosa Luxemburg
Leon Trotsky
Alexandra Kollontai
Malcolm X
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Adam Griffin
Averroes Nix
Dallasfan65
Mechaman

[TNF]

None of this falls within the purview of the PPT.

[citation needed]

[TNF]

Official seal of the Office of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate

SENATE DIRECTIVE NO. 4
Concerning recreational use of Cannabis
President Pro Tempore of the Senate and Regional Senator TNF of the Midwest

The President Pro Tempore henceforth recognizes the right of all Senators to engage in the recreational smoking of Cannabis while on the Senate floor or elsewhere in the Senate chamber.

[TNF]

I am disappointed that all but two of the personages honored are white.

I am prepared to correct this problem at once. Who did you have in mind, comrade?

[TNF]

Perhaps we should nationalise UPS and FedEx and merge them into the post office?

Sure, assuming that the UPS/FedEx/USPS workers all have the right to manage the combined service in question.

[TNF]

COMMITTED TO PEACE

Senator (and President Pro Tempore of the Senate) TNF joins us today from Missoula, Montana, the birthplace and home of legendary Congresswoman Jeanette Rankin

Missoula - Comrades, it's nice to see such a crowd today, to see so many people committed to making peaceful and progressive change in Nyman. And that's precisely what I'm here to talk about today - foreign policy matters. The Senate has seen a lot of debate over the proposals pushed by myself and by my colleague and our former Governor, Senator Lumine, over the direction that Atlasian foreign policy should take. With a new Senate to be inaugurated and new elections to soon be held, we should take a moment to reflect upon the proposals being laid out by those of us who wish to continue a foreign policy based upon peaceful cooperation and dialogue, and those of us who would push us into the role of international policeman for finance capital.

I mean no disrespect for many of those who do not share my view when it comes to foreign policy matters. Some of them are earnest comrades who believe that Atlasian military might is a force for good in the world; I disagree, but nonetheless believe that those comrades who believe as such do so not out of any malice or willingness to engage in wars on behalf of the 1 percenters who run the economy, and would condemn any characterization of my position as such. We in Nyman disagree, fiercely at times, over the course of our national politics. It gets heated and sometimes names are thrown around that are, shall we say, unbecoming of our national debate. I will be the first to admit that I am guilty of such, and would personally like to apologize for those instances in which I have allowed the heat of the moment to overcome measured and forthright debate between colleagues.

But I will not apologize for the views that I hold on these matters, and I will not retreat one inch. I will make my case before the Senate, I will introduce legislation that I believe is prudent and will help establish a better policy going forward for this nation, and I will be heard. Even if I fail to win, I won't give up. I will keep fighting. You may not always agree with me, but you'll always know where I stand and that I will be an active and fighting legislator on behalf of the international working class.

That said, I would like to now go into a bit of what I've been working on in the Senate and what I think needs to be done going forward in the realm of foreign policy. First and foremost, the Peace and Prosperity Act is in the queue and is being debated as we speak. I believe that this legislation, in its amended form, is a clear piece of legislation that reduces our overall troop levels, expands the use of advanced technological infrastructure in our armed services, and fully integrates the lot of them into a single unified force not unlike the Canadian Forces. There are a few adjustments that still need to be made, but we shall make those in the Senate and I hope that we can do so with broad, quad-partisan support in the next Senate session.

The Peace and Prosperity Act, as currently written also makes a commitment to close down overseas bases and at long last, bring a portion of our men and women in uniform home. This is only a baby step, and it may yet not be part of the final package, but it is important and helps us move to a foreign policy structure that is less reliant upon the Republic intervening abroad militarily, and frankly gives us more room to move toward a foreign policy posture that is based around the needs and the demands of peace, rather than conflict abroad.

But what is next? Where do we go from here? For starters, I think that we should move to fully and firmly make sure that the foreign policy of this nation is open, honest, and immediately reviewable by the public. We should not engage in secret diplomacy, covert operations abroad, or sign off on secret treaties. A government for, by, and of the people should not keep secrets from the people it purports to receive its power from. In that vein, going forward, I will support all efforts to end covert operations abroad and at home, end secret diplomacy by making diplomatic communiques publicly accessible, and seeking a constitutional amendment to ban the negotiation of and the signing of secret treaties. Furthermore, I would like to see all of our treaty obligations brought up for a review by the Senate of Atlasia, and would, in the future, like to see a built-in expiration date for negotiated treaties that will allow us to consider altering or withdrawing from treaties at certain increments, rather than being bound to honor every single one of them for eternity. The agencies that conduct covert operations, that spy upon Atlasians and upon our brothers and sisters abroad, must also be brought under heel. I have long supported the abolition of the CIA and the NSA, and continue to support their abolition.

A peaceful foreign policy, one that is open and honest in its intentions, one that does not engage in underhanded covert operations can best be built by adopting new forms of organization in foreign policy that emphasize cooperation and peaceful dialogue. I have supported the Canada-Atlasia Common Market since it's adoption, and I believe that agreements similar to the Common Market are vital to the future of our foreign policy and to the development of the hyper-exploited nations of the Global South. In that vein, I would support a renegotiation of the Canada-Atlasia Common Market to cover the whole of North America and the Caribbean, the adoption of a common currency, and the establishment of a supranational Congress of North America with real lawmaking power and the ability to govern and make rules for the conducting of commerce on the continent. If that is not in the realm of possibility in the near future (and unfortunately, I do not think it will be), then I support the opening of borders on the North American continent, and the opening of borders in general to allow for the free migration of persons to the Republic of Atlasia. If capital is free to move where it pleases, so should labor be free to move across national borders in search of work.

Another cornerstone of building a better foreign policy is fundamentally changing the way that the Republic interacts with the hyper-exploited nations. We must stop recommending that these nations privatize their economies, sell off their public goods, and destroy organized labor. This nation developed with the aid of protectionist policy. So did the United Kingdom, so did Germany, so did France, so did Japan, so did South Korea. The list goes on and on and on. We know how to develop an economy -- we should stop pretending otherwise in order to flood the hyper-exploited nations' economies with our own goods and place a vice-grip on their own economies. Instead, we should alter the structure of the World Trade Organization and other bodies to allow for more participation from these hyper-exploited nations, and turn a blind eye toward protectionism in these nations. Protectionism is not appropriate for the developed economies of the West, but it is appropriate for those nations reeling from centuries of colonial domination and under-development, and we should recognize that and allow our brothers and sisters in these nations to pursue the path we ourselves pursued two centuries ago.

[TNF]

A lot has been said about my position on the conflict in Ukraine, some of it fabrication, some of it a blatant mis-characterization of my position. Let me set the record clear: I do not support any of the actions of the Russian government in the region, nor do I think that Russian imperialism is, in any way, justified by past foreign policy mistakes of any power in that region. I strongly condemn the attempts by the Russian government or any of its terrorist auxiliaries in the region to transform Ukraine into a Russian satellite state. That being said, I should also reiterate that I do not support any of the actions by the Atlasian government in the region, nor do I think that Atlasian imperialism is, in any way, justified by past foreign policy mistakes of any power in that region. I strongly condemn the attempts by the Atlaisan government or any of its terrorist auxiliaries in the region to transform Ukraine into an Atlasian satellite state. The people of Ukraine must decide their own future. We should not interfere militarily in the region, nor should the Russians. I have in the past opposed sanctions directed at the Russian government for its involvement in the region. Today, I would like to announce that I am now fully in support of sanctions against Russia for its involvement in sponsoring paramilitary groups in Ukraine and its flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the Ukrainian government to police its own territory. That said, I will continue to oppose any and all efforts by the hawks in the Senate, regardless of which party they represent, to escalate the conflict in Ukraine or to aid the Kiev junta with Atlasian arms and resources.

So far as the conflict raging in Iraq is concerned, I will continue to reiterate my opposition to airstrikes against the Islamic State militants in the region. Islamism is abhorrent and the Islamic State an organization committing severe and disturbing acts of brutality, but these do not justify the intervention of Atlasia, because intervention will not be carried out in the interests of the Iraqi people, but in the interest of rolling back the Arab Spring. The Islamic State is a counterrevolutionary force with counterrevolutionary aims, but our intervention would not serve to save the revolution, it would only serve to soak it in blood and embolden those forces which seek to destroy the gains of the Arab Spring. I therefore cannot in good conscience support the actions of the administration with regard to the Islamic State, and condemn these and all attempts at forcible regime change abroad. Airstrikes should be halted at once and the armed forces of Atlasia removed from the region.

I celebrate, however, the rise of progressive and proletarian forces in the region, and their steadfast commitment to defeating the Islamic State. The Kurdistan Workers' Party and its armed forces are liberating the people of Kurdistan, beating back the Islamic State, and constructing a new society that all of us should envy and support. As such, I will introduce legislation to recognize Kurdistan as a free and independent nation in the upcoming Senate session, and will continue to support the right of all nations to self-determination. The people of Scotland will soon decide their own future as well, and let me state that, as someone with familial roots in Scotland, I support your struggle. Nothing would please me more than to see a secular, democratic, republican Scotland free itself from the yoke of British imperialism. And of course, to my comrades in Ireland, another land in why my roots run deep, your struggle is my struggle. Tiocfaidh ár lá!

Oppressed people everywhere need to know that Atlasia is an ally, not an enemy, of their struggles. We must commit ourselves to becoming an anti-imperialist power, one that supports the struggles of the oppressed, rather than siding with an aiding the oppressor. We must support the Scots, the Welsh, and the Irish against the British government, we must support the Quebecois against the Canadian government, we must support the Palestinians against the Israeli government. But we must not do so in a way that breeds resentment with the working classes of these nations. We must, at the end of the day, always accept the right of self-determination, but never accept nationalism or parochialism. We should be in the camp of the international working class, and support it in its struggles, be they against national oppression, racism, sexism, or other forms of bigotry or chauvinism.


Our armed forces must reflect this posture. We must make every effort to make the leadership of our armed forces and our foreign policy apparatus reflect the composition of society as a whole. We must promote women in proportion to their numbers. We must emphasize and implement policies that combat rape culture and misogyny in the armed forces, we must weed out and eliminate those backwards policies that endanger working class unity across racial, color, national, sex, gender, or orientation barriers. Fundamentally, we must make sure that our armed forces are answerable to the working class, rather than to the owning and the employing class. In that vein, we should support the expansion of the National Guard and other proletarian military formations (be they official or unofficial) and reduce the number of full-time, professional soldiers. We must become a nation in which all are armed and ready to spring to the defense of the Republic, rather than a nation in which a special body of armed men and women exist that have separate interests and designs than the public at large. I therefore support the universal arming of the public and military training for all. Soldiers must have the right to organize, the right to strike, and the right to elect their direct superiors. I will introduce legislation in the next session giving soldiers the right to form unions and elect their direct superiors. The armed forces of a democracy must themselves be democratic.

In all this, I believe that democracy and peace shall be served well, but I believe that, at the end of the day, the people must decide the issue of war and peace. We must all have a vote on when and why to authorize military force, a national referendum on any military action engaged in, unless the Republic be directly attacked. A war referendum, a democratic armed forces, support for the oppressed peoples of the world, fair trade, and an open foreign policy are the requisites for a foreign policy committed to peace. I am committed to peace, and I am committed to prosperity for the proletarians of this nation and of all nations. I will not retreat from this position, and I will not give up on a vision of mankind united in a peaceful, cooperative commonwealth.

In this you can be certain - a vote for TNF is a vote for peace and prosperity. October is only a month a way, but I want to make that clear. Whomever my opponent is cannot guarantee you activity, they cannot guarantee you legislative accomplishments, they cannot guarantee you a voice at the table. I can. My record reflects that. Like I said, you may not always agree with me, but you will always know where I stand. My inbox is always open and my office is, as well. I will answer any and all questions and continue to be an active, committed legislator.

Let's go forward together, comrades. We can chart a path of peace and prosperity. Another world is possible.

[TNF]

As someone who doesn't support your foreign views at all,

Endorsed comrade, you're an active and dedicated member of the senate.

Thank you for your support, windjammer. You've always been a good friend and comrade, and I'm glad that I can call you as such. I hope that you'll join us in elective office once again one day.

[TNF]

I wouldn't exactly put the Welsh and the Palestinians on the same boat . Otherwise, excellent address from the PPT.

Perhaps not, but both are a people denied the right of self-governance. Of course the situation in Palestine is much graver, but nonetheless, I think the comparison is worth making. Thank you for your kind words, Comrade Attorney General.

[TNF]

What are you talking about? There are elections in Wales.

There are indeed elections in Wales, Governor. But the Welsh people should be allowed to choose independence alongside the Scots and the inhabitants of occupied Ireland.

Thanks for your support, Senator! You have mine - I think you've been a model for activity, a voice for peace, and you have definitely eased life for the masses. Endorsed!

Thank you for your kind words, Comrade President. I am glad I can count you as a friend and as a supporter. Atlasia is moving forward under your enlightened leadership.

[TNF]

Schedule of events for the Week of August 31, 2014

Sunday, August 31
Foreign policy speech "Committed to Peace" in Missoula, Wonderment

Monday, September 1 - Labor Day
Domestic policy speech on labor issues  "Greater than their Hoarded Gold" in Minneapolis, Joy

Tuesday, September 2
Domestic policy speech on economic policy "Vote Yourself a Factory" in Omaha, Grit

Wednesday, September 3
Domestic policy speech on civil rights "Solidarity Forever" in Osawatomie, Harmony

Thursday, September 4
Domestic policy speech on civil liberties "The Free Development of All" in Denver, Mirth

Friday, September 5
Domestic policy speech on farm policy "Land to the Landless" in Cedar Rapids, Moxie

Saturday, September 6
Domestic policy speech on energy policy "Sustainable Socialism" in Fargo, Serenity

[TNF]

Followup question: Do you support Atlasian recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic?

At this juncture, I'm not entirely sure, and given that I do not know enough about the region, I would prefer not to comment until I have researched the issue further. Thank you for your question, however, Comrade Attorney General. I will respond as quickly as I can.

I also missed the part where Scotland is going to become a Republic...

I never said that Scotland would be a republic, but it would of course be disappointing to see a Scotland that recognizes Elizabeth II as its head of state. Nonetheless, should the Scots choose a republic (inherently superior in every single way to the parasitism of monarchy) or should they choose to remain a monarchy, the Scottish struggle for independence and self-governance is something that I strongly and fully support.