The Crusader (An Interview with Scott)

[Lumine]

Losing the Plot:

An utter mess in Foreign Policy

Editorial, by Lumine

A return to Atlasia after not having followed matters closely means one has to get up to speed on a lot of events, particularly on the areas of policy one has more interest on. As most of you  probably know by now, I've made a point of taking a keen interest and role on foreign policy ever since I was first elected to the Senate, leading the charge for a more interventionist and hawkish (without going neo-conservative) role for Atlasia in the world. And when I was President, I delivered on that world view by successfully dealing with Saudi Arabia and other Middle East nations in the fight against ISIS, delivering effective blows without ceding to the temptation and pressure to sending boots on the ground.

And then I found, to my utter shock and horror, that not only we launched a sloppy, near incompetent and failed first strike on North Korea, followed by an unholy mess of franctic negotiations even as the White House changed hands like it was "tag, you're it!". Well, surely we will be able to finally confront the tyranny of North Korea as we should, I thought when I read the updates, even if the start of this conflict was a failure. To my shock, I was even more wrong. Deals have been closed with China and Russia which are being hailed almost as "peace in our time", at the cost of betraying our brave friend and ally in Ukraine, removing crucial sanctions which are one of the few things keeping Russia in place, and opening trade to the Chinese as if our economy mattered little (and it seems to be the case, as we're about to shutdown).

What exactly is going on in Atlasia? When did people lose the plot on foreign policy to such an extent? When will someone step in to correct the course? It is nothing short of frustrating to see a Federalist Administration achieve failure at war and failure in peace, and so one wonders what exactly those in power believe will happen when we leave China and Russia to act as they please while we fight a conflict in North Korea with one hand tied behind our back, to a point in which bloodshed will create bloodshed as a quick end to this conflict might become a fantasy.

I implore those in Nyman to start considering more closely the impact of their actions on the foreign stage. None of us on this nation wishes for World War III or a conflict we cannot control, but screwing things up and then withdrawing and surrendering to pretend this hasn't happened is not exactly the responsible road.

A bit more responsibility on foreign policy, please. That is all what some of us ask.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Lumine made me a GM, which alone makes him one of 3 top Presidents.

[Lumine]

Lumine made me a GM, which alone makes him one of 3 top Presidents.

Easily the best choice I've made as President (that and making Dr. Cynic GM as well)

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Excellent work, as always, Lumine; I'm very glad to see this return!

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Look, I cannot stress enough how much of an expert Lumine is on Foreign policy matters. But I must say, just as I did with Truman, it is easy to consider the deals in isolation as horrible and compare to previous arrangements and situations where Foreign Policy went down.

However, those situation either almost universally occurred with inactive GMs or as part of the self aggrandizing fan-fiction generated by the Secretary of External Affairs (state now), that Oakvale so wisely condemns (even if it is completely irrelevant to the cabinet of today and hasn't been part of the game for almost two years).

The situation know is one of an active, aggressive and bold Game Moderator who presents rather difficult scenarios with reactions that aren't 100% in line with what you would normally expect a China or a Russia to go with, and that is a great thing for the Game. But it makes the position of the President insanely more difficult. You know have to make choices between horrible deals and World War III and frankly that is probably more realistic than the alternative. 

The days of the SoS or President driving Foreign Policy against a yielding backdrop and the official always going home with a shining trophy for their amazing diplomatic feats are over.

Foreign policy is now scene where you have to make impossible choices, and eat the consequences for the less bad option. And as for the plot, the plot is created by the Game Moderator. And you can either let it shoot you through the heart, or beat you too a pulp, and ignoring it and pretending it will go away, is no longer an option.

This is the Foreign Policy simulation we have all desired, talked about, dreamed about for years. Well, we got it! Comparisons to the prior dynamics are frankly out of touch with the new reality because foreign policy simulation has changed.

[Lumine]

Yankee, I understand your argument, and I can agree with at least one of the points you make: it is good to see an engaged Game Engine team posing challenges for an administration indeed, and kudos to the current GM and Deputy GM for their hard work.

I could, however, make the argument that under Kalwejt and Dr. Cynic my own Administration engaged to a very significant degree with them, and it wasn't fan-fiction or the land of eternal accomplishment, we were pushed to make tough decisions on Ukraine and the Middle East. And that was almost three years ago. I'm really glad things are working out now, but that is not to say they didn't at some moments in the past.

Having said that, my point goes to a different area, which is to say that you cannot justify bad decisions by virtue of saying an Administration was facing a bad situation and that the fact that they took what they believed is the "least bad" option is a diplomatic triumph.

And in that context, this is nothing short of a disaster in policy terms. I am not privy to the intelligence the White House has at the time they made their own decisions, yes, but I feel entitled to question why we chose to go forward with a sloppy, unsuccessful first strike on North Korea without seemingly proper diplomatic support. I also feel entitled to question why we caved to the Chinese and the Russians with so many concessions, which looks more like giving in to demands than a negotiation.

I'm grateful for the State Department and the White House for avoiding World War Three, but we shouldn't even be on this mess of a position! I cannot express how deeply it disappoints me that an administration which purports to be from the center-right has put us on this context, I find it rather embarrassing.

In short: It's awesome that there's a complex foreign policy situation coming from the Game Engine, but I absolutely question the judgement displayed by at least the last two administrations on the matter.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

The situation know is one of an active, aggressive and bold Game Moderator who presents rather difficult scenarios with reactions that aren't 100% in line with what you would normally expect a China or a Russia to go with, and that is a great thing for the Game. But it makes the position of the President insanely more difficult. You know have to make choices between horrible deals and World War III and frankly that is probably more realistic than the alternative. 

I'll let Lumine speak for himself, but c'mon Yankee — I was Secretary of State when Kalwejt was GM. Surely if any Game Moderator may be described as "active, aggressive, and bold," it is him. My State Department had to cope with revolutions, coups, counter-coups, hostage crises and the like in countries I had never heard of and knew nothing about because he was literally making them up on the fly. All of this was after the reset; we're not talking about ancient history here. I know Lumine (who also had Kalwejt as a GM during the latter part of his term) was forced to confront a Middle East somehow even more factitious and violent than real life. Neither of us played the "shining trophy" game you're describing; and yet, we also somehow managed to avoid World War III without first launching a preemptive strike against North Korea.

I have nothing but respect for the alacrity with which the current president moved to address the present crisis, and I won't comment on negotiations to which I was not party. But the fact of the matter is that the North Korean story has been developing for months now, and there was plenty of time to respond in the early stages when we had more leverage and a better deal would have been possible. This isn't about a single president or congressman or GM dropping the ball; this is about a long series of officeholders who could have made decisions to arrest the situation in its cradle, but didn't. Why was the NSC abolished, in the process removing many active and experienced diplomats from the foreign policy process? Why did Goldwater order a first strike on the North, apparently against the advice of his cabinet? I don't know the answers to these questions, because no-one will tell me, despite repeated requests on my part for information and frequent offers to help in any way I could.

Nobody is saying that the president is to blame for all of this, or that she should have solved the problem overnight. That would be ridiculous. But it's quite reasonable to question how we got here, and whether this crisis was inevitable. I don't think it was.

[Mr. Reactionary]

I am not privy to the intelligence the White House has at the time they made their own decisions

[Lumine]

I am not privy to the intelligence the White House has at the time they made their own decisions

Indeed, and if new info was to prove me wrong I would certainly have no issue with admitting it, I've been wrong in the past. All I know what I can see in public, and what I can see looks rather awful.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

For the record I was offered the same option to strike North Korea and I said no multiple times (in which I was accused of "doing nothing about North Korea" by Barnes)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The situation know is one of an active, aggressive and bold Game Moderator who presents rather difficult scenarios with reactions that aren't 100% in line with what you would normally expect a China or a Russia to go with, and that is a great thing for the Game. But it makes the position of the President insanely more difficult. You know have to make choices between horrible deals and World War III and frankly that is probably more realistic than the alternative. 

I'll let Lumine speak for himself, but c'mon Yankee — I was Secretary of State when Kalwejt was GM. Surely if any Game Moderator may be described as "active, aggressive, and bold," it is him. My State Department had to cope with revolutions, coups, counter-coups, hostage crises and the like in countries I had never heard of and knew nothing about because he was literally making them up on the fly. All of this was after the reset; we're not talking about ancient history here. I know Lumine (who also had Kalwejt as a GM during the latter part of his term) was forced to confront a Middle East somehow even more factitious and violent than real life. Neither of us played the "shining trophy" game you're describing; and yet, we also somehow managed to avoid World War III without first launching a preemptive strike against North Korea.

I have nothing but respect for the alacrity with which the current president moved to address the present crisis, and I won't comment on negotiations to which I was not party. But the fact of the matter is that the North Korean story has been developing for months now, and there was plenty of time to respond in the early stages when we had more leverage and a better deal would have been possible. This isn't about a single president or congressman or GM dropping the ball; this is about a long series of officeholders who could have made decisions to arrest the situation in its cradle, but didn't. Why was the NSC abolished, in the process removing many active and experienced diplomats from the foreign policy process? Why did Goldwater order a first strike on the North, apparently against the advice of his cabinet? I don't know the answers to these questions, because no-one will tell me, despite repeated requests on my part for information and frequent offers to help in any way I could.

Nobody is saying that the president is to blame for all of this, or that she should have solved the problem overnight. That would be ridiculous. But it's quite reasonable to question how we got here, and whether this crisis was inevitable. I don't think it was.

The fact of the matter is that DFW and Goldwater are not President now. I would love know why Goldwater did that as well, but to criticize and blame Fhtagn for that isn't fair either. None of us, would have made that decision obviously.

I was merely responding to the criticism of the Deals in relation to Fhtagn's actions since she became President, which I think is rather unfair considering the situation that was dumped on her lap and the need to respond accordingly, and considering the circumstances, has handled them well.

As for Kalwejt, he was erratic as GM the first time, AZ is less so. The pressure is thus more so because Kalwejt often times went over the top and frankly led to people ignoring the Game Moderator, most notably the nuclear attacks. I am not saying you did not face tough decisions SoS or didn't face a tough Game Modeator, I am saying you didn't inherit a situation like Fhtagn did nor face Game Moderator AZ, which is different.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

In short: It's awesome that there's a complex foreign policy situation coming from the Game Engine, but I absolutely question the judgement displayed by at least the last two administrations on the matter.

And you are free to judge President Dfw for abolishing the NSC and Goldwater for blowing up the world on his way out. President Fhtagn is not DFW and is not Goldwater. Fhtagn has the equivalent an NSC that has met several times and everyone I speak too has roundly criticized that first strike including the President. But there is only one administration in this country at a time and that is the Administration that is going to be on the ballot, not ones that no longer exist. To imply otherwise is a gross misinterpretation of the constitution. 

You can vote against her for what Dfw and Goldwater did, all you want, or you can judge her based on making the touch decisions that she has made against a backdrop of a situation she has inherited.

[Leinad]

For the record I was offered the same option to strike North Korea and I said no multiple times (in which I was accused of "doing nothing about North Korea" by Barnes)

Ah yes, the Presidency. Whatever you do, someone thinks you're doing terrible.


Also I'll echo what Yankee said, it's ridiculous to judge fhtagn by other people's actions. Not to mention very unfair--I can't think of anyone else who is so unfairly tied to the actions of others, as if she can't think for herself.

[Poirot]

Indeed, and if new info was to prove me wrong I would certainly have no issue with admitting it, I've been wrong in the past. All I know what I can see in public, and what I can see looks rather awful.

Isn't there an issue of information and transparency for the public anout foreign policy. The executive branch can receive classified information, GM could propose choices of action and the public doesn't know all. If an ordinary citizen is interested in foreign policy, it's not really possible to give an opinion or question a policy since there could always be a secret information or something the GM is simulating in private.

To completely follow foreign policy issues you need to be among the players with access to all information. Foreign policy is beign played in a private room at the back and the ordinary citizen is not invited.

[Leinad]

Indeed, and if new info was to prove me wrong I would certainly have no issue with admitting it, I've been wrong in the past. All I know what I can see in public, and what I can see looks rather awful.

Isn't there an issue of information and transparency for the public anout foreign policy. The executive branch can receive classified information, GM could propose choices of action and the public doesn't know all. If an ordinary citizen is interested in foreign policy, it's not really possible to give an opinion or question a policy since there could always be a secret information or something the GM is simulating in private.

To completely follow foreign policy issues you need to be among the players with access to all information. Foreign policy is beign played in a private room at the back and the ordinary citizen is not invited.

Well that's realistic, no? Or did I miss the part where US top secret briefings are publicized?

[Lumine]

Breaking:

Scandal at the Federalist Convention

The Federalist Party has had its own history of contested primaries (Duke v. Reaganfan) or behind the scenes maneuvering (February 2017), but it would seem that this presidential cycle features a dangerous yet exciting mixture of both elements. The insurgent challenge of Mr. Oakvale to suddenly appointed President Fhtagn has drawn attacks and criticism from both sides of the issue as the Federalist Party surges in membership in ways not seen before, the conflict reaching a new point of instability today following Mr. Oakvale’s publication “An Assault On Democracy?”, a harsh indictment of his rivals.

Politically charged attacks have been the norm of the past days, with the Oakvale camp denouncing the primary being brought forward early with a month to go before the main election as well as not allowing delegates from beyond a certain date to vote. On the other side of the issue, the President’s Campaign* and the Party Leadership (which has openly sided with the President against Mr. Oakvale) have charged the Oakvale Campaign (and particularly his running mate) from offering administration jobs in return for votes, allegations repeated in The Nyman Questioner and which the Oakvale Campaign has angrily denounced as false.

The start of the balloting process was even more chaotic when the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) announced that the electronic voting machines of the Federalist Party had been compromised by a Russian aligned group, placing the contest in doubt as the vote was to begin. Early results show nothing less than a commanding lead for the President, as she leads Oakvale by 21 to 2 votes as almost a third of the party has already voted. This would suggest a lead virtually impossible to overcome, thus making it likely that the Federalist Party will indeed close this contentious, controversial process by nominating the President for a full term.

And yet the situation has turned even more controversial following the open publication of “An Assault on Democracy?” by Mr. Oakvale, in which he attacked the President’s camp from being the source of the “vote buying” allegations (which apparently former President dfw has privately come to believe are false), and naming SoIA Young Texan as a culprit. Mr. Oakvale has gone even further, asserting that the whole process has been compromised and that the very least the White House must fire the Secretary. The final bombshell dropped was the news that although Oakvale was planning on endorse the President should he fail to win the nomination, such a road seems unlikely now, signaling the potential for a split.

This was directly addressed by the President on a public response, stating she was “disgusted” by Oakvale’s comments and claiming no knowledge of dirty tactics or questionable behavior from the SoIA.

We in The Crusader will keep our thoughts on the matter private for now, but we wonder just why the Federalist Party won’t keep its act together.

*Erratum: At the President's request, we note that the phrasing "the President's Campaign" is outdated and somewhat inaccurate in light of recent, newer info. At the moment it would probably be something along the lines of "senior Atlasians close to the President's Campaign".

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The only thing compromised in this whole process is Oakfail's connection to the planes of reality, which he slipped away from a long time ago. In its place is a world of lies, alt facts and false narratives where I am a villain, new people are stupid and lame and this game will never work unless he and his crew get their way.

[fhtagn]

On the other side of the issue, the President’s Campaign and the Party Leadership (which has openly sided with the President against Mr. Oakvale) have charged the Oakvale Campaign (and particularly his running mate) from offering administration jobs in return for votes, allegations repeated in The Nyman Questioner and which the Oakvale Campaign has angrily denounced as false.

Excuse me?

For the record, my campaign has done absolutely nothing of the sort. If you had even bothered to pay an ounce of unbiased attention, you'd know this.

[Enduro]

We in The Crusader will keep our thoughts on the matter private for now, but we wonder just why the Federalist Party won’t keep its act together.

The Crusader: we'll keep our opinion secret

Also The Crusader: *immediately shares opinion*

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

We in The Crusader will keep our thoughts on the matter private for now, but we wonder just why the Federalist Party won’t keep its act together.

The Crusader: we'll keep our opinion secret

Also The Crusader: *immediately shares opinion*

lol, I just noticed that!

[Lumine]

We in The Crusader will keep our thoughts on the matter private for now, but we wonder just why the Federalist Party won’t keep its act together.

The Crusader: we'll keep our opinion secret

Also The Crusader: *immediately shares opinion*

I just couldn't avoid doing that joke, lol (after all, our slogan is In Bias we Trust)

On the other side of the issue, the President’s Campaign and the Party Leadership (which has openly sided with the President against Mr. Oakvale) have charged the Oakvale Campaign (and particularly his running mate) from offering administration jobs in return for votes, allegations repeated in The Nyman Questioner and which the Oakvale Campaign has angrily denounced as false.

Excuse me?

For the record, my campaign has done absolutely nothing of the sort. If you had even bothered to pay an ounce of unbiased attention, you'd know this.

Well, Madam President, at the very least people close to the campaign appeared to have made such allegations, so the phrasing is perhaps a bit outdated on light of new info. I'll refine the phrasing on request, of course, but the idea remains rather similar.

[Lumine]

Federalist Primary, General Public:

Which ticket would you prefer to lead the Federalist Party?

fhtagn / PiT: 50%
Oakvale / Potus: 45%
Undecided: 5%

An interesting poll with a sizable sample of 40 Atlasians, showing quite a competitive judgement of both tickets among the General Public despite the commanding lead currently on the hands of the President at the Federalist Primary itself. It would seem to suggest the Oakvale / Potus ticket is more popular among the general public (and possibly swing voters) than inside the Federalist Party itself, but then again, we fully recognize this is not the most serious of polls and we ask not to read much into it (hint: you know what we mean by that).

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Federalist Primary, General Public:

Which ticket would you prefer to lead the Federalist Party?

fhtagn / PiT: 50%
Oakvale / Potus: 45%
Undecided: 5%

An interesting poll with a sizable sample of 40 Atlasians, showing quite a competitive judgement of both tickets among the General Public despite the commanding lead currently on the hands of the President at the Federalist Primary itself. It would seem to suggest the Oakvale / Potus ticket is more popular among the general public (and possibly swing voters) than inside the Federalist Party itself, but then again, we fully recognize this is not the most serious of polls and we ask not to read much into it (hint: you know what we mean by that).

Warns not to "read too much into", after "reading too much into it". Pulling the same joke twice I see.

[Lumine]

Going for the kill:

Exclusive images of Speaker Yankee preparing a striking posting barrage last night

[Lumine]

In other news, interviews are making a return! Our first guest will be the most esteemed Simfan.