Fremont Senate Debate Debating Thread (user search)
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  Fremont Senate Debate Debating Thread (search mode)
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Author Topic: Fremont Senate Debate Debating Thread  (Read 1325 times)
Lumine
LumineVonReuental
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« on: November 23, 2018, 09:27:28 PM »


Opening Remarks:

"Well, first of all I'd like to offer my thanks to our Debate Moderator, and to the candidates for attending this debate and doing their part to ensure we have an active, engaged and interesting race that can serve as somewhat of an antidote to these concerning times of cynicism and inactivity.

You know very well that for some time ago I've made a persistent case about the state of the nation and the problems it faces, and how we must do better as a nation, as citizens and as players on several different front. Rather that seeing that situation improve, it is not hard to show just how the problems of inactivity, Discord-mania and personality trumping all remain at an all time high post-reset, and how the particular institution all of us on this stage aspire to be a part of - the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia - is currently not working for the nation as it should.

As part of Congress the Senate has a crucial task to perform and its performance is very important for the efficiency of the federal government and to ensure Nyman is a place that serves as an example to the game. It cannot be that bills go for several weeks without debate. It cannot be that the rules are essentially ignored or sometimes thrown out the window. It cannot be that several Senators have had to resign or even face recalls from their own, justifiably outraged constituents because they're not doing their job. It cannot be that when we need institutions and officeholders that serve as a beacon of activity in these dark times the Senate is held up as an example of mediocrity. The status quo is not working.

And while there is no magic remedy to that, there are solutions and things to be done. The Senate, and by extension the Commonwealth of Fremont, requires leaders willing to stand up and step up, to bravely defend their views and more importantly their vision of what the nation and the game should be, to take advantage of their record and experience to better serve an institution in need of help and a region that needs a strong voice in Nyman prepared to fight for its many interests, and not lose itself in the corridors of power spending time and effort on Discord and not where the game is supposed to be played, the one place that all of our citizens can view and follow without being excluded.

Fremont needs a leader as its new Senator, a leader with a record, with a vision and with a commitment.

For the last three years I have had the privilege of serving first the old Pacific Region and now the Commonwealth of Fremont at the regional and federal level on several different offices, including two different terms in the Senate which while interrupted proved both productive and useful, and included a term as Princeps Senatus in which the Senate not only was run efficiently and properly, but which also saw a personal initiatives of mine in terms of rules reform and making it possible for unethical or inactive Senators to be censored. This is my region and it is where I want to be, and you can bet that unlike others, I will not parachute into another region to run for office elsewhere and abandon the people of the Commonwealth for the sake of ambition.

It is, of course, entirely up to you. But know this: I stand before you with a record which while not perfect has meant positive change for Fremont on Atlasia on issues that go from game reform to ethics, to foreign policy, to the environment, to fiscal responsibility and so on. I stand before you with enthusiasm and a renewed sense of purpose, wanting to serve and to provide the leadership we need now more than ever.

Thank you very much."
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Lumine
LumineVonReuental
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« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2018, 11:35:20 PM »

Round Two: Responses

Economic Policy:

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Well, it is an issue that deeply concerns me, and during my last term as Senator for Fremont I stated that I did felt tempted to a protest vote against this year's budget due to the sheer size of it - which I didn't do, given my belief it would have been irresponsible - and how it has probably kept growing in some regards due to a continued push for spending in some corners.

Whilst I certainly don't think the deficit can be dispatched without an effort that will take several successive targets (unless we want a dramatic tax increase or an utterly ruthless reduction of social spending, neither of which I'd advocate for), I certainly believe we need to start taking the side of fiscal responsibility in terms of eliminating or reducing areas of spending which end up in waste and considering alternate means of raising revenue without punishing the middle class or taking anti-growth measures, and I'd be rather vigilant as to not vote in favor of wasteful projects for the sake of them.
 

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I would certainly side with the notion of free trade as a mostly - but certainly not perfect - positive goal to look up to as opposed to what we can describe as excessive or ideological protectionism, often a weapon in the hands of populism which far from actually creating a fairer situation for those left behind does tend up to raise prices, create unnecessary tension on the foreign stage and hurt the economy in many aspects. I support free trade in most cases, I would support expanding trade with potential and promising new partnets and I believe it would be to our benefit, but I wouldn't do so blindly and I'm at least open to limited measures when it is important to protect a given industry or account for the rather real social and economic dilemmas that can arise from time to time.

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I must confess that my view on the subject is a bit more open minded that some of the more strict principles I tend to closely adhere too, mostly because I tend to believe the handling of the economy is both easier and more efficient when we're prepared to look at different solutions and be pragmatic rather than excessively ideological about what we do. While my framework is strongly related to fiscal conservatism because I don't believe in spending our way to bankrupcy, I would argue in favor of limited tax reductions to certain groups - particularly small businesses in need of less tax pressure - just as I would also argue in favor of limited programs of public works, so long as we can make them accountable and not vanity projects.

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It has been a controversy, and perhaps rightly so given the spectacle we have seen in the Senate given the attempts to ram through the misleadingly titled "Right to Work Repeal Act of 2018" (and I certainly share the opinion the bill itself is inconsistent with the title), which went from inconstitutional to essentially irrelevant, was almost declared law despite going against Senate rules and remains up for debate. A similar notion applies to the "Employee Free Choice Act of 2018" (which again, does not do what the title says it does) and its passage despite credible concerns not being fully addressed.

The reason why I bring this up is because while I certainly support the advantange and benefits associated with the existence of healthy unions within Atlasia there are practices we should not be taking a lax stance on and dangers we should not neglect. The POWER Act provided a decent, workable and broadly supported framework which far as I'm concern works rather well, as opposed to what seem like rather ideological - as opposed to practical - bills which are attempted to be rammed through Congress no matter the cost. While I would not support excessive efforts that target unions in the way it happens in some places in RL, I certainly would not support what the Senate has been trying to do either.

Foreign Policy:

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Indeed no Treaty has been signed, but it should be noted that has been mostly because of logistical and game difficulties that have stretched across the past few months. Since taking office as Secretary of State I have been hard at work to ensure a peace treaty can be crafted and signed, the process is underway and I have high hopes developments will come soon enough either at the end of the current GM's term or under the incoming one. Without betraying too many secrets I can say I do not want a repeat of last year's treaty with China, which while understanding why it was crafted like that I considered to be too lenient and appeasing regarding Beijing.

I aim towards a reasonable peace treaty which can ensure the safety of our allies in the region, end the conflict for good and build a post-war situation which is stable and holds for an extended period of time, and one of my ultimate, non-negotiable red lines is that the security of the PRK, South Korea and Japan must be ensured and not be subject to ambiguity to be later exploited.

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The key part of this dilemma - which is very important to take into account - is that the Republic of Atlasia no longer has a positive, stable relationship with Saudi Arabia, and this has been a fact for most of the post-reset period. Due to a series of utterly unacceptable actions on behalf of the Saudi regime - such as mass executions of homosexuales - Atlasia took a strong stand to condemn Saudi Arabia under President Fhtagn, and so far it appears to be a firm foreign policy consensus that Saudi Arabia was a partner with too many issues associated with it, and not as reliable as many percieved it to be. I decided to follow on that consensus - which I shared - on my 2018 Foreign Relations Review by maintaining partial sanctions on Saudi Arabia and making it clear they were focused not on the people but towards "government and military officials linked to terrorism".

So I believe we should stay the course, but not take on further hostile steps which would be unadvisable and destabilize the region further.

Social Issues:

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A positive one, obviously. We are a nation of immigrants and have been since the very beginning, and one of the greatest things about the Republic of Atlasia its the sense of diversity you can find and the potential offered by those of us who are not players from the US, myself having the privilege of being the first Latin-American President of this nation. On the other hand, I've often believed immigration is an issue which requires a sense of order and stability, and that it should be handled responsibly as opposed to fully opening the doors Europe-style or engaging in the sort of morally bankrupt demonization of immigrants so many cynical figures use to gain power.

Broadly speaking, I fully support legal immigration and will support both the principle behind it as well as the contributions of immigrants to Atlasia from the Senate, but I also support having a strong border security and appropiate controls to prevent the sort of dilemmas which arise when we fail to account for the economic, social and cultural effects of large influx of illegal immigration.

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An extensive, ambitious and uncompromising sort. If there is one issue in which the Republic of Atlasia is vastly superior to its RL counterpart is how the environment is treated as a serious issue by a majority of citizens, and how views which question the very real existence of climate change and the effects of human action are not the ones that prevail. It is just a fact that if we continue to use and exploit the planet and its various species and resources the way we have we will come to regret it very soon, very bitterly, and in a manner which may very well lead to actual extinction not only of many species, but perhaps of ourselves.

Both in the Senate and regional government I took a stand against what I considered to be deregulation of environmental norms or anti-environment policies, and I will take that stand against by either promoting or voting in favor of bills concerning renewable energy, animal rights and natural conservation, protection of ecosystems, discouraging the abuse of fossil fuels and promoting the sort of scientific and technological advances which could end up fixing some of the untold damage we are causing. At the same time, Atlasia can't do it alone given the sheer damage nations like China are causing, and both as Senator and SOS I will fight to ensure we provide leadership, and that said leadership brings results.

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It may be an unpopular opinion and the sort of issue that does not bring votes, but I do support sensible gun control. Again, being from Latin America I have a different way of relating to what seems like the Atlasia gun culture, and even though I understand and respect the importance of responsible gun owning and of protecting the current rights of gun owners, I don't agree with taking a lax stance as people get killed everyday because of misuse, a lack of culture and proper safety, or the ridiculously easy access many people have towards guns. It seems almost insane to me that while more could be done such efforts are often killed at the start because of how it appears to be a losing issue for politicians.

Game Issues:

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I do need to point out that as Secretary of State and thus an officer of the Cabinet I certainly believe I have several responsibilities towards the President, the same responsibilities that would push me not to speak too openly about my present thoughts on the Administration. But broadly speaking and despite the fact that I've found the President to be well meaning, I would agree with that assessment and would not characterize the past three weeks under new management to be active despite the knowledge that there is work done behind the scenes. I'd like to say I know what should be done, but the fact is that it either depends on the citizens to do something or on the President as the leader of the nation to lead by example. What will happen now I can't say, but I would hope more work gets done on the boards.

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We certainly need to keep up the notion that being inactive should have important, credible consecuences to deter people from being elected without intending to be active, which is why I supported introducing the Censure mechanisms and why I support both expulsions and recalls - even if I'm actually ensure recalls are Constitutional right now -. However, another problem without clear solution is the fact that the voters do continue to elect inactive people out of friendship, partisanship or pressure, even when matched with more active candidates but personally disliked by others. I don't think that one can actually be solved beyond making it known that a given candidate is inactive unless you were to dramatically alter the game and make elections simulated, one of the reforms I like but that would never, ever get passed in Congress or even in a refefendum.

Other than that, the game culture and context ought to be more engaging and fun instead of mediocre, dull and repetitive. That takes a lot of efforts by a lot of people, and necessarily requires brave players willing to step up and raise issues, promote debate and policy, sell a vision, and not keep it to the usual empty platitutes and Discord gameplay just to get elected and then do nothing. One of the issues that decided my vote on the last Presidential Election was that one of the candidates did have a vision and was active in office and on his campaign. And the other wasn't.

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I would say a balanced one, in which regions have enough to do and be interesting for players but one in which the Federal Government still has important powers and can make a real difference. Something I don't particularly like is a notion which at times does border a bit in paranoia in thinking that some officeholders are just desperate to take away the rights of the regions, when it's usually - not always as we've seen on the unions debate, but usually - not the case or even the contrary. We have a Federal system, I respect its current working and would be against both excessive centralization of power or empowering the regions to the point in which Nyman becomes pointless.

Individual Questions:

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Not in the sense that as times change the challenges are altered as well, and so the particular points of both Sulla and Montfort are not necessarily perfect or 100% relevant after almost a year of them being crafted. However, I would argue that I was right in many of the proposals I made and I sincerely believe they would have made a difference, which is why I regret the failure to pass meaningful reform as it was either killed by Congress or even by the public.

That has led me to lose faith in game reform ever taking place, actually, because I think both main political parties have never truly been interested in it and tend to accept it only when it seems there's no other choice. And invariably, they hardly accept the sort of reform that would shake up the game because it might mean losing what they have, unless of course the nation is facing death by boredom like in 2015. Thus I don't expect game reforms to survive Congress at all.

However, I will continue to try, and I will update my plans to craft a new proposal for institutional reforms (the updated Sulla) and, rather than parliamentarism, a proposal and debate on game simulation and whether elections should be simulated by a GM team rather than be left to the usual tricks which tend to allow mediocre or inactive candidates with a lot of friends to win anyway. I don't expect it to get anywhere, but by the Gods I will try!
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Lumine
LumineVonReuental
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« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2018, 11:58:36 AM »

Round Three: Responses, Rebuttals and Closing Statement

Follow-Up:

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I would argue that there is room for reducing spending when it comes to the bureaucracy and, say, the amount of money that is wasted on redundant projects or even by virtue of the government actually having too many (unused) offices or buildings under its care, and the same can apply to a number of departments whose subsidies may actually not be having an actual positive impact on the lives of Atlasians even though it the surfice they would appear to be helpful. Much of this also overlaps with the need of budget cooperation with the Administration since it will be decisive for a President - now or later - to start reducing much of the overlaps and waste that is beyond the purview of Congress.

Whilst raising taxes is my opinion never the ideal, in terms of revenue I've been supported raising the sin taxes up to a reasonable level, both to promote a better and less harmful life and to raise extra revenue. A similar principle applies to the notion of pro-environmental taxes, which I'd certainly support to re-arrange provided we're not actually punishing small communities in a disproportionate manner.

Rebuttal:

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Whilst this on by-itself is a noble sentiment which I believe a lot of people embrace and believe it improves politics, I can't help but to think that in this particular case this does bring some issues of its own. To elaborate: A. you yourself said that your actions in abandoning the people you served to parachute into Fremont and run for office here "were justified because I am the best candidate in this race."; and B. despite speaking up against negativity and the effect of Discord you have also disparaged several prominent Atlasians there and apparently made ungentlemanly comments about one of our leading female politicians; and on this debate also accused us other candidates in the debate of wanting to obstruct the President's agenda, and characterized an entire party as being obstructive and undermining of the Administration.

So with that as a background, may I ask the following:

1. Should voters give you a free pass when it comes to ethically questionable decisions?
2. Should your actions be solely justified by your personal belief that you are the best candidate?
3. Since the call you've made on the "negativity and petty drama of the game" is one you could be argued to also be a part of, would you then argue that you would consider yourself as exempt from that call?

Closing Statement:

It has doubtlessly been a fascinating campaign thus far, and an invigorating democratic exercise which I believe we need now more than ever. Uncompetitive and dull races are certainly something the nation does not benefit from on its present state, and I sincerely that whoever emerges as the winner will do so with a mandate and with an election with strong turnout.

My last pitch to all of the fine citizens of the Commonwealth of Fremont is to think carefully and hard when they go to the polls as to what kind of Senator they want to have, which sort of figure with which sort of record they want up there in Nyman fighting for them and for the many causes so many of us hold dear. I stand by my record - despite my mistakes - as having been an active, engaged, responsible and reliable officeholder, someone who has tried to lead and to enact change into a number of issues which I've found to be lacking or in need of extra efforts. That mindset is one which I've promoted from several different jobs and offices in this great Republic, and one I would like the chance to promote once again from an institution in need for change and greater efficiency such as the Senate.

So if you want an active Senator, a Senator that can get things done without resorting to shady obscure deals, a Senator that will stand for this region and not abandon it, a Senator that will constantly fight for the environment and our ecosystem, for an active and positive foreign policy, for the improvement of the game and the way in which we enjoy it on game reform, for a principle of fiscal conservatism, and for bold leadership, then I would humbly request your vote on this Special Election.
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Lumine
LumineVonReuental
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« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2018, 12:07:11 AM »

Rebuttal:

Well, I do find it saddening my opponent isn't actually able to answer questions about the events he's been involved with, justifying them as irrelevant solely because of his quality as a candidate.

Character, record and ethics are actually an important part of being a Senator and serving a region and its people in an appropiate manner, and deserve scrutiny, attention and a conversation just as the issues do, unless we were somehow arguing that the moral character of an officeholder is irrelevant. It would seem whenever this comes up my opponent deflects and fires back with something both unrelated and arguably misleading in terms of the portrayal he has chosen.

The Record:

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Well, to this I can reiterate that I find it disappointing too that he can't answer to the questions posed to him by constituents and people who have worked with him, and I consider character to be a relevant issue. Tto that I can add two other points:

A.- Pointing out at a factual record of is rather different than a gratuitous personal attack, and so far my opponent has been unable to explain a myriad of questionable actions and statements - some of them very recent -.
C.- What I can really answer to this transparent attempt at a portrayal is the fact that this is the first time I've actually heard my opponent make this charge, and you have to wonder why now. It seems he would rather build a boogeyman at the last minute.

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Defense: Well, it's pretty simple, we have been fighting a war for the past few months. It has been a brutal if limited conflict, and one in which our military has fought effectively and with distinction. And while now is certainly the time to win the peace, it should be noted that it simply isn't sound or advisable to start gutting the military budget. I realize my opponent may not be fully up to date in foreign affairs - the Saudi alliance he speaks of is gone since last year - and that happens, but he continues to speak as if Atlasian foreign policy was the same as OTL US foreign policy, and that doesn't seem a proper manner in which to approach foreign policy to me.

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Unions: Well, I can't be held responsible about the statements of other officeholders on the matter, and I stand by the belief that the Senate is not being responsible in how it's handling by process by ignoring input and questions, and accelerating the process in a manner which has raised concerns about whether some of the proposals are constitutional or whether their handling is breaking Senate rule. And I will say this again, as Senators we're expected to be serious and at least responsible in our work, and just as I wasn't a fan of people ramming stuff through a few months ago I am not a fan of it now either.

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Game Reform: This is one of many hypothetical concepts for game reforms which I've raised up for debate, and the one I've been the most vocal about it not being one it would actually be passed. Still, I find it very important for us to have a debate on the role of the GM and game simulation in terms of discussing alternatives and for people to explain why the status quo is better (and it might be), and I look forward to the nation having that broad conversation to see if there are reforms that have broad popular support. To that I can only add it is certainly sad to see my opponent leaving behind his claims of being a champion of game reform only to scaremonger at the last moment.

In Closing: Ultimately, what the people of the Commonwealth will consider relevant or a priority remains to be seen, and the people might very well choose that what I do wish to say may not be their ultimate preference. I can only invite them to reflect on the respective record and accomplishments of my opponent and myself, our character, and what we've stood for, and then make an informed choice.
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