Fremont Senate Debate Debating Thread

[Pericles]

Thank you thumb for moderating this debate, and thank you to the other candidates for participating in this debate. additionally, thank you to the voters of Fremont for listening to what we have to say. I'm very grateful that we have a debate like this, and it's a special thing that we can clearly present the choice in this election to voters and have an engaging campaign, which unfortunately is not always the case in Atlasia.

The choice this election is clear. Make no mistake, this election will have national ramifications. If either of my opponents are elected, there is a much greater chance of the President's progressive agenda being obstructed. We need a firmly progressive Senate to give the first proper left-wing government in years a chance to succeed. Inevitably, this cannot be expected to go off without a hitch. Yet, it would be a mistake to close the door on this opportunity we have right now. I'm asking you to send me to the Senate to get on with the job of passing into law wide-ranging progressive legislation.

I am dedicated to creating a fairer Atlasia that works for everyone. I firmly believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to succeed, and I am determined to remove the barriers that are holding back far too many of our citizens. My record shows I have already taken substantive measures in the past in line with these goals. I passed legislation through the House that expands the Child Tax Credit(CTC) and is estimated to halve child poverty in Atlasia-which is appallingly high right now. I managed to pass criminal justice reforms in the FAIR Act with bipartisan support and the signature of then-President North Carolina Yankee. I co-sponsored and helped pass the Let's Try This Act which helped keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals and terrorists, while projecting law abiding gun owners and getting wide-ranging support across party lines. These are just some of the examples of my record of actually making a positive difference in the lives of Fremontians. This is what I will continue to do in the Senate.

I'd like to add that we have a great opportunity to get a lot more positive stuff done now that we have the knowledge that there will be no Federalist President vetoing progressive legislation, and instead we have an eager signature in the White House. That said, progressive legislation won't be going to the White House if we don't have a Senate and Senators that stands up for the pressing needs of Fremontians, writes great legislation and then has the numbers to pass it.

However, I do understand that people also have other reasons for electing Senators asides from purely policy. Perhaps you'd like a progressive Senator but are concerned about activity and this idea that even if politicians make all these nice promises they can't be trusted to deliver on them. I understand that, and it's disappointing how throughout our government both at a regional and federal level we have seen instances of inactivity that let down the voters who elected these politicians to office(that said, in some cases this issue has been treated as an opportunity for political-point scoring). I can assure you, I have never been one of those inactive politicians and I'm not about to become one. I will be a very dedicated Senator to Fremont, and when I promise something you can expect me to be accountable and deliver on that promise.

You can believe me when I say this because of my record in office. I have had a stellar activity record, and I have consistently shown dedication to the office I hold. I recognize that when people elect you to an office they expect you to take it seriously. I can also work across party lines to write good legislation and get it passed into law. I am very qualified to serve, not only due to my previous Senate experience but also from my time in the Fremont House of Commons for 3 terms in total where I developed an understanding of the specific needs of our region, and from my experience as Speaker of the House-where I helped make that Congress the most productive Congress in history by far. So Fremontians can rest assured that I will be an effective champion of our region and deliver for them.

So let's not give into the negativity and pettiness of our politics. Let's take the opportunity we have right now to enact real positive change for Fremont and Atlasia. Let's elect a Senator who will deliver for Fremontians and can be trusted to make this region a better place. That is why I'm asking for your vote. So on November 30-December 2, if you remember one thing, it's that we need to move forwards not backwards, and I'm the candidate to make that happen.

Thank you very much for your time, and DAVE bless Fremont.

[Pericles]

 Economic Policy:
> The Atlasian deficit is very large. What is your plan for reducing the deficit?
I think primarily we can reduce the deficit with tax increases on the top income tax brackets, as well as increases in areas such as the estate tax which primarily affect the rich, and also re-examining corporate tax rate. On corporate tax rates we find a slight increase would be beneficial, and even if we don't raise the actual marginal rates I would also look at deductions and loopholes in the tax code and work with the other Labor senators, and Senators from other parties if they are also serious about deficit reduction, to raise more revenues. Additionally, I believe we can make further cuts to the defense budget, both on a broad basis and reviewing it and eliminating waste. We should also try and use regulatory policy to achieve our aims when possible, and potentially the benefits from this can both come without any cost and lead to greater revenues. There may be areas where we can cut domestic spending or make programs more efficient, but I will be cautious there(as I would be throughout the deficit reduction process) and make sure to protect ordinary Fremontians from harsh cuts. I would like to add that we cannot expect to balance the budget in one go, and that would be profoundly harmful and irresponsible. Instead we must work to progressively reduce the deficit in a responsible manner.
> What is your view regarding trade?
I am overall pro free trade. Globalization has produced immense prosperity across the globe and has been broadly beneficial in Atlasia, and free trade has given us many opportunities. I hope that this administration will continue to negotiate free trade deals and expand our access to markets globally. That said, we do need to be cautious about these deals as there can be unintended consequences, and some may need to be renegotiated. We also should do more to support those who have been left behind by globalization, and expand retraining programs. Globalization is not perfect, yet our leaders in the past have failed to properly anticipate and resolve the negative impacts created. Yet at the same time, some people have attempted to lay the blame of the loss of manufacturing jobs solely at free trade, when most of it has actually been caused by automation and other factors. So even if we were to go down on a protectionist policy, there is no guarantee the jobs would come back and likely our economy would suffer dearly instead. So we should stick with free trade but be more cautious with it and mindful that there are positives and negatives to globalization(even if the positives outweigh the negatives), not only positives.
> What policies proposals do you have to create more jobs and generate economic growth?
We should pass infrastructure reform as the biggest investment in good-paying jobs since World War II and this would reduce unemployment and inequality in Atlasia. I would also be open to reducing the lower income tax brackets which I think would boost economic growth, and/or passing a payroll tax cut. I think that if we combat poverty-such as in finishing the job of passing my bill expanding the Child Tax Credit(CTC) which would halve child poverty, and potentially expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit(EITC) this would also be beneficial to our economy as a whole. We can also increase the long-term potential of our economy, such as by boosting our education system from pre-K all the way to college. There's a lot that can be done and if we keep a Laborite majority in the Senate we can do a lot for our economy.
> The issue of "Right to Work" laws have been a controversy recently in the senate. Do you support or oppose right to work laws?
I oppose right to work laws, and I am a pro-union candidate. I think the decline of unions has been a major cause of the rise of inequality in our country in recent decades, and this is probably an underrated factor by many. Fremontian workers deserve a Senator that is on their side and will fight for them day and night, that’s the kind of Senator I will be. I think the Laborite majority has a lot of good proposals on this issue, it’s great that we have a House, Senate and presidency that are all pro-union and I think Fremontian voters would be making the right choice if they vote to keep it that way by sending me to the Senate.
Foreign Policy:
> The Chinese and their allies have been pushed out of the Korean Peninsula by Atlasia and its allies. However, no peace treaty has been signed yet. What would you like the peace treaty to look like and are there any red lines that'd cause you to vote against a treaty?
 Well this is an unpredictable process, and I don’t want to step on the toes of our hard-working negotiators. I understand diplomacy is complicated and requires compromises, and that we’re unlikely to get a perfect deal. I have to agree with Secretary Lumine in that we must ensure our national security and that of our allies is protected, and that is something I would press in the Senate. I hope we can have a good debate about this subject in the Senate when it comes up, and on a sidenote I will make sure to express my opinions on Senate business and foster Senate debate, it is important that issues before the Senate are discussed properly and the current lack of debate is concerning and should be remedied. I can’t say in advance how I’d vote on the Treaty, but I will keep an open mind to it-though I am leaning towards having faith in the administration and our negotiators that they did a good job unless it is clear that is not the case.
> The recent killing of Jamal Khashoggi and the war in Yemen have caused a lot of criticism of Saudi Arabia. What is your view of these issues and how should Atlasia respond?
We cannot tolerate these egregious criminal actions. I believe that Prince Mohammed bin Salman is responsible for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. Our foreign policy needs to respect human rights, and we need to send a message that countries should not expect to get away with violating human rights and international law. I support imposing sanctions on Saudi Arabia over this, and we should also reconsider our involvement in Yemen and I think this may also be something I could work on in the Senate. I think more broadly we should reconsider our relationship with Saudi Arabia. The Saudis lack the leverage they once did with oil, as Atlasia is practically energy independent(and I will work to ensure we are fully energy independent), there is no alternative geopolitical camp for the Saudis to align into and the main beneficiary of a Saudi cutoff of oil would be their mortal enemy, Iran. Objectively, the Saudi regime is no better and probably even worse than the Iranian regime. The current Atlasian alliance with the Saudis made sense during the Cold War but it makes a lot less sense now and is not in line with our values, so we need to reconsider it or at least put much greater pressure on the Saudis to respect human rights.
Social Issues:
> What is your view on immigration?
Overall I think immigration is a positive for our nation. Broadly I think we have the right approach to illegal immigration, and I think we should balance maintaining border security-which absolutely is important-with treating people humanely and allowing a path to citizenship where good people can become productive citizens of Atlasia. Also, illegal immigration isn’t that pressing of an issue, given border crossings are at record lows. I think the levels we have of legal immigration right now are appropriate, though we want to make sure we’re encouraging skilled immigrants to come here, I think we should make it easier for H1B visa holders and hope HB 1350 passes. Also, as a slightly separate issue, I think Atlasia should continue to be a safe haven for asylum seekers and we should increase the refugee quota.
> What policies do you support regarding the environment?
I believe it is very important to treasure and preserve our environment, and I would consider myself an environmentalist. This will be a high priority in the Senate. I am deeply concerned by efforts to undermine environmental regulations. I will vote against any bill that undermines environmental regulations. I think we need to undertake more efforts to protect the environment. I also believe climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time and it requires swift and decisive action. Therefore, I oppose and will vote nay on any bill that undermines the carbon tax, but I would be open to reforming it in a way that strengthens the carbon tax. I want to wean us off fossil fuels and towards renewable energy, and I think we should do more to support renewable support and its development.
> The issue of gun control has been very controversial in Fremont in recent weeks. To what extent, if at all, should guns be regulated in Atlasia?
I think it is very important that we protect the safety of Fremontians, and keep guns out of the hands of terrorists, criminals and the mentally ill. That’s what I helped do with the Let’s Try This Act, which got support across party lines and reformed the background check system, stopped terrorists on the no-fly list from getting guns and banned bump stocks. I would be open to more improvements to reduce gun violence. I also think we should invest more in mental health and this would also be beneficial. I am not yet convinced that an Assault Weapons Ban is necessary or wise. I will protect the rights of law abiding gun owners to keep and bear arms. I think the idea of ending this right goes way too far, and it is not a realistic or helpful conversation to be having.
Game Issues:
> Many have accused the President of being too inactive. Would you agree with these accusations and what should be done about it?
As I've said before, I don't agree with those accusations, and so you can't really solve a problem that doesn't exist. There have been a few teething problems with this administration but that's partly bad luck and also to be expected for the first proper left-wing government in years. I'm more concerned at how the Federalist Party has been rabidly negative to our President and has consistently sought to undermine him. If an inactivity problem were to arise, then I would first encourage the President to become more active. If he then didn't listen, I would probably ask him to resign or not run for re-election, and may support an alternative candidate. However this is all a hypothetical that isn't based in reality and isn't likely to be reality, so I don't anticipate having to deal with inactivity with respect to President weatherboy1102, and I think many people will be pleasantly surprised by how this left-wing government goes, if it is given the chance to succeed.
> Atlasia in general has had many issues with activity in recent months, which has resulted in a number of resignations and recall petitions. What should be done about this in your view?
These instances of inactivity are unfortunate. Perhaps it is partly that more attention is being drawn to the problem than previously, but I do think it is an issue and one we can mitigate. Poirot made a good point with the Lincoln Assembly that an assembly of 3 newcomers was pretty much doomed to fail, and an important thing that can be done is giving more support to newcomers so that they are engaged with the game. I also think that the negativity and petty drama of the game can turn off new players, and the solution to that is to pass so much good policy and have so much good governance that there is no alternative but to focus on this rather than the Discord drama. I’m also a reformer and will remain open to how we can improve the game to make it more attractive and engaging. I think also at times some tough love is helpful and when I was Speaker I remember threatening to expel anyone with an activity rate of under 50%, perhaps because of that nobody had a rate under 50%. I’m open to the activity standards amendment that is working its way through Congress as well.
> What is your view on how the relationship between regional and federal government should be?
I think broadly the balance is correct right now. The federal government has to be the more powerful branch as its officials have the strongest popular mandate and we need cohesion and unity in policy across Atlasia, and the federal government should work with the regions constructively. However the regions should keep their current autonomy and should be bastions of policy innovation and starting grounds for new players to emerge, develop and prove themselves.
Individual Questions:
> To Pericles: In your platform, you talk about how you want to implement various forms of stimulus spending and that "if done rightly," an expansion in the deficit can be avoided. Please expand on what you mean by this and how you will ensure that the spending will be done correctly.
Well, with the stimulus you can check out my proposals that I mentioned a few questions ago. Partly, the Senate sort of has to do it rightly as there is Paygo. This is a good incentive to make us find funding for programs. However, it could still go wrong even with Paygo as either the Senate could vote to ignore Paygo and pass unfunded expenditure or it could not pass as much expenditure as it should due to having trouble finding funding. My objective is to pass the stimulus we need to pass but also make sure it is fully funded and so is either revenue neutral or revenue positive, and so that would be how it is done right rather than going wrong.

[Pericles]

> To Pericles: In your response on inactivity, you said that you are a reformer and are
open to passing reforms to make the game more engaging. Could you expand on this - what game reform ideas are attractive to you?

Well, there’s lots of ideas out there, some of them good and some of them not so good, and we’ve had ideas that were once really prominent in public debate and now are pretty much ignored. For instance, I thought proposals for creating a parliamentary system in Atlasia were interesting and there may be benefit to them in renewing the game. I also support the activity standards amendment working its way through Congress. I was a supporter of much of Lumine’s Sulla Plan. Perhaps we could also bring back my 50% threshold that I used in the House and anyone under it would be expelled and maybe legislate that, though I wouldn’t exactly be satisfied with people who have a 51% activity record, and I could work on this further to adjust the exact threshold. I think we do need more tracking of activity from our officials, both to inform the voting public and to incentivise them to be more active if they know their inactivity(or indeed activity) will be public knowledge. Additionally, what I meant with being open was that when new ideas prop up I am receptive to them and will engage with these ideas in good faith, activity is a complicated issue and even in the last year there have been many different approaches to it.

[Pericles]

Rebuttal
I have been a dedicated public servant throughout my time in Atlasia, and I believe my views and values are in line with those of Fremont. I think it is fair to make that case and argue I am the best candidate and to also question the agenda and behavior of the Federalist Party. I believe that if you want a candidate to deliver a strong progressive agenda and work with the President, I may well be the candidate for you.

And my point on putting aside pettiness and negativity is a fair one, as I have not only been the victim of many petty and negative attacks, but my case to the Fremontian people is not about this petty drama, but about delivering both dedicated active representation and the best representation policy-wise for Fremont. I’m disappointed that Lumine has chosen to indulge in personal attacks and casting aspersions on my character in this campaign. Perhaps this is an attempt to deflect attention from his right-wing agenda, but definitely it is disappointing.

On spending, I’d like to raise a point on the differences between Lumine and myself on the military budget. While it seems Lumine no longer supports increasing defense spending, he still opposes reducing it. We have a large budget as is, and I don’t believe we should be exempting it from deficit reduction. I object to that position as not only would it make reducing the deficit significantly harder and burden hard-working Fremontians with the resulting deficit reduction measures. I don’t see good value for money in having a budget of $400 billion or $450 billion compared to $500 billion, and that this is more beneficial either reducing the deficit or spent elsewhere-we should be doing nation building at home not nation building abroad. I think my plan will be better as it will have more of the burden of deficit reduction go on increased taxes for the rich and reducing waste in the defense budget, which will mean that we can reduce the deficit without imposing a harsh burden on most Fremontians and the government services and programs that benefit our society. I believe my approach is more responsible and it is also more pro-growth, and imposing a greater burden on ordinary hard-working Fremontians is not only wrong, it is anti-growth.

On unions, I would have to disagree with Lumine, as while the POWER Act was a start it should not be regarded as the best we can do and there is more we should do to boost unions and the working people of Fremont. Given that Mr Reactionary boasted about creating national right to work with the POWER Act, this is a situation that does warrant concern from Congress and action to rectify it.

I’d also like to ask Lumine to expand on his point of simulated elections, as this was something I found surprising and concerning. While it seems he differs from my view, I believe elections are an integral part of the game and are a major driver of activity(and yes, they are also a driver of recruitment into the game), and seem to be the most logical system for choosing our leadership and the alternative seems dangerous and unworkable. I think our current system is the most engaging and representative of actual politics in this area, and that while I’m open to fixes in the game this area isn’t broken and so is in no need of fixing.

[Pericles]

Closing statement
I’ve enjoyed this campaign, and this has been an exciting moment for our region and nation. We’ve certainly had a full and interesting field of candidates, though we have lost a few. Through it all, I’ve had a clear message of delivering a progressive agenda for Fremontians. For too many hard-working Fremontians, the deck is stacked against them. If you want a Senator who defends the interests of the privileged few, then don’t vote for me. But if you want a Senator who will help create a fairer Fremont where everyone, no matter their race, gender or background, has the opportunity to succeed, then I’m the candidate for you.

We have a great opportunity with united progressive government to enact real substantive change for Fremontians. We need to create more good-paying jobs for our citizens, create a fairer tax system, take action to reduce poverty, raise the minimum wage, fight for unions and the working people of Fremont, reform the welfare system so it is a true safety net for those in need, improve our healthcare system so it delivers more coverage and lower costs for Fremontians, and so much more. We must not go backward at this moment, there is too much at stake in this election.

And Fremontians can rest assured that not only do I have the right policies and values, I will be active and will deliver on my promises. I was Speaker of the most productive Congress in history. I have a stellar record of activity and have passed many bills, highlights being my expansion of the Child Tax Credit, the Let’s Try This Act keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists, and having passed criminal justice reform. I aim to have a 100% activity record, and I will work day and night for Fremontians as your Senator if I am elected.

I’m ultimately running not for myself but because I believe I can make a positive difference for you and make Fremont a better place. That’s what this election is about, not me or any of the other candidates, it’s about you, and what kind of future do you want for your region. We have great potential, now is our chance to seize it. That is why I’m asking for your vote in this election. Thank you very much for reading.