Presidential Debate Debating Thread

[thumb21]

October 2019 Presidential Debate

Hello and welcome to the Presidential Debate for the upcoming elections starting on the 18th! This debate will consist of 3 rounds: Opening statements, questions and then rebuttals and closing statements.

Please welcome the candidates:
Former Governor 1184AZ
Incumbent President Adam Griffin
John Dule
Secretary Peebs
Representative ReaganClinton20XX
Former Governor Winfield

Candidates, you have 24 hours to make your opening statements!

(Voters, please don't forget to send me any questions you have for the candidates)

Note: Only the candidates can write here. If you want to comment, the commentary thread is here: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=338945.0

[John Dule]

Thank you, Thumbo. I'm honored to be here; I'll try to keep this short. The case for my candidacy is simple: I am the only conscious being in the world that exists.

It's true. The rest of you people may claim to be sentient beings with the capacity for self-awareness, but I know the truth-- you're all just complex simulations designed to give the illusion of consciousness. There is not another single soul in this universe capable of perceiving stimulus and then consciously synthesizing that information into a course of action. You automatons are incapable of proving the existence of your own sentience to me-- so don't even try.

All of human history and the physical world is nothing more than a fleeting daydream created by my awesomely powerful imagination-- aka the only thing that ever has existed or will ever exist in the universe. As such, you soulless holograms exist only to serve me. None of you are real. You are mere side characters in the grand narrative of my all-encompassing psyche. My anima is a boundless energy that extends beyond the farthest reaches of the universe. I alone am capable of thought, emotion, pain, happiness, or higher-order forms of contemplation.

You will vote for me because you owe the very illusion of your existence to the limitless capacity of my mind.

[Adam Griffin]

I'm grateful to have this opportunity once again to address the public in a formal setting focused on policy and progress. Over the past three months, we have accomplished more in terms of legislative feats than all but one administration over the past several years. From electoral reform and space exploration to healthcare, trade and human rights, we have seen our country move on great things in every area where our unified government has had control.

We've avoided horrible foreign entanglements unlike many of my predecessors, we've streamlined government by doing away with excess appointed offices that are nothing but hand-outs for electoral gain, we've seen the effects of guaranteed stability by there being no major crisis or scandal develop as a result of this administration and we've seen a game that has continued to grow and integrate new players into office.

This era of peace, progress, stability and growth would not be guaranteed without my glorious hands at the helm of this massive ship. Some others might be able to accomplish near-amazing metrics by chance, but only I can guarantee this positive status quo will continue - as I've done so during each of my tenures as President. As long as I'm here, our nation and game will continue to grow and thrive.

In short and while the debate I'm sure will help illustrate the point, I am the only candidate in this race suited to lead our nation forward and it should be an exceedingly easy choice for those who follow our nation's affairs closely.

[RC (a la Frémont)]

Thank you for inviting me to this debate, Thumb. I am honored to stand by my fellow candidates in the hope of improving this country. I must address the elephant in the room, that being that there are multiple Federalist candidates on stage. While the convention will decide who appears on the ballot, whenever they do, I pledge to continue to fight for the people of this country, whether that’s decided or not.

Now, don’t let the label of Federalist deceive you. I am not what Labor wants you to think of the party and it’s candidates. I have a track record as both Governor of Lincoln and as an Atlasian Representative of supporting and working with the policies of both sides of the aisle, to the point of necessity as Governor due to a largely left dominated Assembly. We managed to pass everything from gun reform to healthcare reform in the region, things I would like to bring to the national forefront along with comprehensive education reform for the country. This isn’t the right wing party, it’s a tent of people with all kinds of ideologies, it’s time for Labor to stop portraying the people of the party as one thing.

With all that in mind, I’m not running a campaign to only sway the country one way or the other but a campaign to reinvigorate the people’s interest in our country’s politics. We’ve had the same few legislators run over and over again with no new and fresh ideas, something that was potent only a few years ago has now apparently dried up in favor of the same old ways of governing this country. That’s why I want to set up a plan for this country, one that will help introduce citizens to our electoral process and get them started on a path to help change this country. We can’t just sit around doing the same old thing, it’s time to pass the torch to new minds and ideas.

In a short and sweet sense, I’m running to get the people involved. I’m running regardless of ideology in favor of working with Congress easily and in favor of getting our voters more involved in our government. We should do better than static leadership, and I feel I can bring it to this country.

[Lincoln Republican]

Thank you Thumb for sponsoring and hosting this debate.

I am pleased to be on the stage with my fellow Presidential candidates.

Public debate by candidates for any office is informative and an integral part of the electoral process.

As you well know by now, I have been in this campaign the major voice for the security and safety of our citizens.  I do not apologize for proposing a strong and forceful gun control policy to meet this end.

If and when the security of Atlasia is threatened by foreign powers or groups, I will not hesitate to take quick and decisive action and to take the appropriate steps in order to protect our republic.

I am a pragmatist and a realist.  As President, I will work with the regions and the legislative bodies in order to achieve results for the people of Atlasia. 

As an Independent, I am not beholden to any group or party.  I am not indebted to the big money interests.  To be precise, I am in nobody's back pocket.

I am absolutely committed to peace, prosperity and security at home and to our interests abroad.

And now, I say to you, my fellow Atlasians, let us move forward and never look back.

Should I be so honored with election to the Presidency, I won't let you down.

   

[John Dule]

This era of peace, progress, stability and growth would not be guaranteed without my glorious hands at the helm of this massive ship.

Woah! Cool it with the egotism there, pal.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

Although I have dropped out, I'll be free to answer any questions that the moderator or the voters have for me.

[Pragmatic Conservative]

As we open this debate I would like to thank Thumb21 for moderating and organizing what should be an opportunity for all Atlasians to compare and contrast all the individual candidates platforms and vision for Atlasia.

For far too long Atlasia has been an echo chamber where new ideas and proposals are shot down for going against the grain and challenging the status quo. Together myself and Fhtagn will aim to bring in a Conservative agenda of low taxes, a balanced budget and strong economic growth.

Throughout this debate we will present our vision for a country filled with increased opportunity, a plan to lower taxes allowing you to keep more of your money, decrease inefficiencies in our federal government and reforming our immigration system to promote both fairness and security while allowing individuals that do not live here to still experience the Atlasian dream.

[thumb21]

Thank you for your opening statements, candidates! We will now move on to round two of the debate!

Candidates, you have 48 hours to answer the following questions!

Economic Policy:
> In 2018, 38 million Atlasians lived in poverty. How can this be addressed?
> Technological changes are constantly reshaping the economy. How should policy be adapted to deal with these changes?
> What changes, if any, would you like to see to the tax code?
> From PSOL: What is your opinion on the Federal Gas Tax Reform Act? Would you support its passage and do you see similar tiered sales taxes as being a good measure to appropriately tax individuals based on their parallel “felt” taxes?

Social Issues:
> From S019: What are your views on stricter gun control?
> From S019: What are your views on abortion?
> What would be your administration's policies on immigration?
> How will your administration approach foreign policy?

Game/Reform Issues:
> What is your view on how the relationship between regional and federal government should be?
> There have been many complaints about the lack of stories from the GM. What are your thoughts on this and the role of Game Engine more broadly?
> What are your views on campaign finance reform?

Individual Questions:
> To 1184AZ and ReaganClinton20XX: You are both members of the Federalist Party and presumably you will be facing eachother in a primary. Why should Federalists and Conservatives vote to nominate you?
> To 1184AZ: In your campaign intro, you spoke about cutting "red tape." Can you expand on this?
> To Adam Griffin: In your platform, you called for expanding the social safety net. Can you expand on this?
> To John Dule: You have proposed nuking every non-democracy. However, many no values voters are unsatisfied and want the entire planet to be nuked. How do you respond to these criticisms?
> To Peebs: The main policy of your campaign has been the cis tax. Can you explain this policy and why is it nessessary in your view?
> To ReaganClinton20XX: In your campaign intro, you mentioned education reform. Can you explain how you would like to reform the education system?
> To Winfield: A major theme of your campaign has been security. What would be your administration's strategy when it comes to violent crime?

Note: Only the candidates can write here. If you want to comment, the commentary thread is here: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=338945.0

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

jumps onto the stage, trying to do a somersault but instead falling flat on my face

That's right, I'm here too! I'll just give my own opening statement before answering the questions. You may be wondering, "why the hell are you here?" and honestly I'm asking myself the same question. Well, my write-in campaign is mostly focused on the same ideals of the Adastra Movement. I want to get us back into space as soon as possible via federal funding. I'm not a one-trick pony though. I have several other policy planks, such as:

-Funding searches of every single forest in the nation to finally find 14 werewolves
-Federal funding to end several old-age diseases, including the possibility of using gene therapy to reduce telomere decay, and potentially extending lifespans.
-Using federal troops to storm area 51 and synthesizing the transformation serum that's there to be mass-produced nationwide
-Exposing John Dule for the metallic automaton he is
-Granting independence to the town of Arnold, Nebraska and then invading it so we can have another military victory on the books
-Euthanization for all anti-vaxxers
-Exploration of a cave near Joppa, Indiana
-Finally contacting the alien race on the distant moon of Adastra

and many others!

For the questions:
Economic:
1) One of the biggest things that we can do is find more effective ways of putting money into the hands of the hardest working Atlasians, and I don't mean tax cuts for the rich, who often have never worked a day of honest work in their lives. I mean expanding welfare benefits and streamlining the process. I'd also be open to the idea of a UBI, which could be effective, but it needs to be tested out first.

2) Automation is certainly an issue that we will have to deal with. It's possible a tax on robots could help slow this slightly, but this won't entirely solve the issue. I believe we need to talk to more experts in these fields to ensure that we do not take any missteps, as people's livelihoods are at sake.

3) I believe that continuing to raise taxes on the highest earners will help achieve some economic equality (if that money is put to the right uses). I also think that a wealth tax could prove to be extremely useful, including in funding a space program.

4) I think it is good in the fact that it deals with the argument that gas taxes are regressive, but there are some questions that need to be answered, such as if someone misplaces their card. I think there may be better ways to raise revenue, but I also think that gas taxes can be an important step in fighting climate change, especially if those taxes go to building up public transport.

Social issues:
1) I believe that assault weapons are meant for the battlefields, not for the streets of Atlasia. I believe licensing in the same vein as drivers licenses, with regular tests, could also be a very helpful tool for us to ensure that mentally unstable people can't access guns.

2) I believe it is entirely the woman's choice. We need to also reduce the number of abortions overall by increasing funding for sex ed and promoting use of contraceptives.

3) We need to ensure that those trying to come in are not on waiting lists for years, but we also must remain certain that our vetting process ensures no unstable individuals get in either. I'd talk to those with more experience in this field to ensure that we can strike a good balance.

4) Exactly as it was when I was president a year ago. Dovish-leaning pragmatism. Try to avoid war unless it remains morally incorrect to not do so, such as in cases of genocide. If possible spread democracy and capture ruthless dictators, like how we did when we ended the war in Korea under my administration.

Game/Reform:
1) I think that right now the relationship isn't too flawed. We appear to have stricken a decently good balance.

2) When I appointed GM Reactionary, he promised to have stories every week or two, saying he had months worth stored up. Either he was lying or he misplaced them, or, and I hope this was not the case, he was too lazy to do his job. The GM is one of the most important positions in the game, arguably the most important. I would search for a new GM if possible unless Reactionary is willing to show commitment to his job once more.

3) I believe that we should adopt the "Democracy Dollars" idea, and give $100 to each person to donate to candidates of their choosing. This would mean that campaigns would have to be beholden to the people, not fat cat donors or corporations.

Individual:
Q:

If furries want to be animals why don't we just hunt them?

A: Pulls out hunting rifle

Not if I hunt you first.

[Lincoln Republican]

Thank you Thumb for giving the candidates the opportunity to directly address the people of Atlasia on these important and pertinent issues.

Economic Policy:
> In 2018, 38 million Atlasians lived in poverty. How can this be addressed?

Poverty is a scourge on society.  It is an absolutely tragic and heartbreaking situation.

Your question talks about poverty specifically in Atlasia.  There is, of course, poverty affecting hundreds of millions of people world wide, but that is a whole other story.  Today, I shall address the situation in Atlasia.

First of all, Atlasians must be made aware that this problem exists right here in our own country.  Poverty is not only something that happens in third world countries, it also rears its' ugly head here at home in a very advanced and prosperous society.  So the Atlasian society must be educated as to this matter.  

I have always been of the belief that the best way to break the cycle of poverty here at home is education.  When one is educated, that will put him or her in a position that instead of being part of the problem of perpetuating poverty in society, they can be part of the solution.

Now, regardless of the long term matter of "educating" oneself out of the poverty cycle, there are practical and immediate steps to be taken to help the situation in the short term, and, indeed, for as long as necessary.

The regional and national governments should be releasing more funds to provide immediate assistance to those who need it.  These assistance resources would  be in the form of food, clothing, shelter, and to be what I would see administered as a "hand up" and not a "hand out."
This program would be administered by a Poverty Relief Agency.

I would take steps to immediately clamp down on welfare fraud, thereby freeing billions of dollars to redirect to poverty relief.  

When I was Governor of the Northeast and a Representative in the Northeast Assembly, I authored a ground breaking program, for the time, called "The Assistance For Those In Need Act," which addressed, in part, the problem of poverty.



>Technological changes are constantly reshaping the economy. How should policy be adapted to deal with these changes?

Of course, as a modern, progressive nation, Atlasia must keep up with all technological advances and improvements.  We do not want to be left behind the rest of the world.  The brightest and best in this field would be employed in order to keep Atlasia on the cutting edge of technology.

> What changes, if any, would you like to see to the tax code?

My concern about the tax code would be to ensure that above a certain level income, all Atlasians, except for those under a certain level, are paying their fair share of taxes.  The rich and the super rich would be taxed to reflect their high incomes.

> From PSOL: What is your opinion on the Federal Gas Tax Reform Act? Would you support its passage and do you see similar tiered sales taxes as being a good measure to appropriately tax individuals based on their parallel “felt” taxes?

As long as the act treats Atlasians fairly and equitably, that is the important thing.

Sales taxes have their place, and should not be over used.

Social Issues:
> From S019: What are your views on stricter gun control?

My policies on gun control are well known, which would impose the strongest gun control policy in the history of Atlasia.

Please refer to my first campaign speech.


> From S019: What are your views on abortion?

I am pro life, and believe abortion should only be used where necessary in order to save the life of the mother.


> What would be your administration's policies on immigration?

Legal immigration is always welcome.

> How will your administration approach foreign policy?

The interests of Atlasia and Atlasians at home and abroad will always be defended.

Game/Reform Issues:
> What is your view on how the relationship between regional and federal government should be?

Equal partners in the republic.

> There have been many complaints about the lack of stories from the GM. What are your thoughts on this and the role of Game Engine more broadly?

I am satisfied with the performance of the GM.

> What are your views on campaign finance reform?

As long as an individual or a party cannot be compromised, this is fine.

Individual Questions:

> To Winfield: A major theme of your campaign has been security. What would be your administration's strategy when it comes to violent crime?

Violent crime should be treated more harshly than non  violent crime.

[John Dule]

> In 2018, 38 million Atlasians lived in poverty. How can this be addressed?

Simple. Write the name, state, town, street, unit number, and ZIP code of the recipient on the envelope, with your own information in the upper left hand corner. How you're going to lick 38 million envelopes though, I have no idea. I think there are better ways to handle poverty.

There are three schools of thought in dealing with the poor. The first is to provide them with money or services that they would otherwise not be able to obtain for themselves-- but where's the logic in that? My liberal opponents will say that they respect the environment, but this idea of giving free money to people flies in the very face of nature itself. There is no animal alive that doesn't have to work for its survival. Everything, from the lowly tiger to the mighty pigbutt worm, must hunt prey, evade predators, locate food sources, and exert itself in order to ensure its continued existence. If you wanted to just sit idle and consume resources, you should've been born a plant.

Redistribution can try to rectify this, but it unfailingly runs up against a painful reality-- there are limited resources in the world, and some are better at obtaining them than others. As such, its results are a scourge upon the Earth. The feeling of independent achievement, accomplished without the assistance of others, is the greatest feeling known to mankind. But there are those who seek to take this from you, and to replace with it the cold, emotionless malaise of collective achievement-- in which no one can claim credit and none can take blame. Since the dawn of the great mistake that was civilization, man's independence has died a slow, miserable death. Dependence upon others must be considered a great shame if our species is to ever perceive truth or beauty again. All of us must take this pledge: I WOULD RATHER DIE ALONE AND FREEZING IN THE WOODS AFTER EATING THE WRONG TYPE OF MUSHROOMS THAN ASK ANOTHER MAN FOR DIRECTIONS AT A GAS STATION.

There is a second way of handling the poor-- a better way. The problem is that the plebeians have no money. It can be solved either by giving them money... or by making the money they already have more valuable. What need do we have for a minimum wage when electricity is cheaper than air? What care do we have for wealth inequality when a large family can be fed on $5 a day? For the past three decades, the prices of innumerable consumer goods have plummeted. My plan is to kick this trend into overdrive.

We will eliminate zoning laws and homeowner's associations, tear down single-family homes, and build skyscraper apartments that pierce the clouds! Families shall live in small pods tucked into the walls, and consume processed insect cubes for every meal of the day! Occupational licensing will disappear, and the prices of medical procedures will subsequently plummet! Online education will become available to every person in the country for one-time low, low prices! Student debt will be a thing of the past! Uber drivers will also specialize in hip replacements as part of their side hustles!

Thus, with the power of innovation and innovation alone, we will have eliminated the three greatest obstacles for the poor-- rent, medical bills, and educational debt.

(The third option is to eat the poor, but due to decades of leeching off the government's teat, they have become fatty and thus not a very healthy alternative to most meats currently on the market.)

[Badger]

Thank you, Thumbo. I'm honored to be here; I'll try to keep this short. The case for my candidacy is simple: I am the only conscious being in the world that exists.

It's true. The rest of you people may claim to be sentient beings with the capacity for self-awareness, but I know the truth-- you're all just complex simulations designed to give the illusion of consciousness. There is not another single soul in this universe capable of perceiving stimulus and then consciously synthesizing that information into a course of action. You automatons are incapable of proving the existence of your own sentience to me-- so don't even try.

All of human history and the physical world is nothing more than a fleeting daydream created by my awesomely powerful imagination-- aka the only thing that ever has existed or will ever exist in the universe. As such, you soulless holograms exist only to serve me. None of you are real. You are mere side characters in the grand narrative of my all-encompassing psyche. My anima is a boundless energy that extends beyond the farthest reaches of the universe. I alone am capable of thought, emotion, pain, happiness, or higher-order forms of contemplation.

You will vote for me because you owe the very illusion of your existence to the limitless capacity of my mind.

Damn, I KNEW it.

[thumb21]

Please keep commentary in the commentary thread.

[Pragmatic Conservative]

Thank you for your opening statements, candidates! We will now move on to round two of the debate!

Candidates, you have 48 hours to answer the following questions!

Economic Policy:
> In 2018, 38 million Atlasians lived in poverty. How can this be addressed?
> Technological changes are constantly reshaping the economy. How should policy be adapted to deal with these changes?
> What changes, if any, would you like to see to the tax code?
> From PSOL: What is your opinion on the Federal Gas Tax Reform Act? Would you support its passage and do you see similar tiered sales taxes as being a good measure to appropriately tax individuals based on their parallel “felt” taxes?

Social Issues:
> From S019: What are your views on stricter gun control?
> From S019: What are your views on abortion?
> What would be your administration's policies on immigration?
> How will your administration approach foreign policy?

Game/Reform Issues:
> What is your view on how the relationship between regional and federal government should be?
> There have been many complaints about the lack of stories from the GM. What are your thoughts on this and the role of Game Engine more broadly?
> What are your views on campaign finance reform?

Individual Questions:
> To 1184AZ and ReaganClinton20XX: You are both members of the Federalist Party and presumably you will be facing eachother in a primary. Why should Federalists and Conservatives vote to nominate you?
> To 1184AZ: In your campaign intro, you spoke about cutting "red tape." Can you expand on this?

1. Rather than slapping a band-aid on the problem with more government handouts, we should do more to provide incentives for job creation in growing industries such as tech fields or clean energy, and do more to promote our younger generations to attend trade schools, where many fields are desperately looking for workers, which will not only provide them with higher paying jobs, but will tackle the growing concern we are facing with the rising student debt. People want a reason to work and live off of what they earn, not what was given to them.
2. We should see these technological advancements as a welcome change that we can easily adapt to. Rather than sit idly by and let people lose jobs, we should look at the job opportunities this new era will create, and work with industry leaders to get these people back into the workforce. While we may have fewer opportunities for cashiers, assembly line workers, or floor cleaners, we will have a great need for programmers, tech support workers, repairmen, etc. It is up to us as a nation to improvise, adapt, and overcome these new changes to our society, and to our economy.
3. We would first off repeal the federal carbon tax which will significantly lower fuel costs for all Atlasians. In addition we will lower the small business and corporate tax rate which will attract more investment and business into Atlasia. Small businesses are the bedrock of our economy and need tax relief to help grow their companies which will help further grow the economy and help stimulate job creation.
4. I am opposed to this bill and would support full repeal.We need to work to lower gas taxes for all Atlasians and this bill is just a further unneeded expansion of federal bureaucracy into Atlasia. 
5. As President I will be a strong defender of our constitution rights to gun ownership while opposing ineffective and unconstitutional items such as a gun registry, gun licensing and bans on certain types of guns. Instead we need to look at the root causes of gun violence in order to help solve the issue of gun violence.
5. While I am personally and politically pro life we believe that it is best to leave the issue of abortion up to the regions to deal with. However my administration would defend region wide abortion bans if they are taken to court.
6. Together we will work to increase our border security efforts while easing the legal immigration process in order to lesson the desire to enter the county illegally. We will further support a plan to end birthright citizenship and increase the removal efforts of illegal immigrants residing in our country.
7. While we shouldn't go out of our way to make enemies out of our allies, nor should we go out of our way to cause more strained relationships with other nations, it would be best to truly take a non-interventionist approach to foreign policy, as our involvement around the world has caused just about as many (and some may argue more) issues than they have solved. We should not continue to act as the world's police, especially when we still have many problems to address at home.
8. The federal government should not interfere into regional affairs unless it believes a constitutional right is being violated. Together we are willing to work with regions on expand region rights on healthcare, education and various moral issues. This will help stimulate activity at the regional level in order to build stronger regions.
9. The GM should be responsible to give weekly or by weekly stories in order to stimulate activity and create discussion. In addition the GM should be responsible for assessing the effect of legislation on the game and our country. If elected I would sit down with the current GM department to discuss the current activity crisis and ensure it is resolved.
10. Yes I fully support banning both campaign and union donations while overturning citizens v united.
11. Together we have the right skills and experiences to be an effective executive team.We have a Conservative platform that will bring real change to Atlasia while challenging the Atlasia consensus not just giving into what might be the popular thing but what the right thing to do is.
12. We support cutting unnecessary regulations and obstacles that not only stand in the way of success for the average Atlasian and their businesses, but also give too much power to the Federal government. We should be creating an environment where any Atlasian can be successful and live their lives to the fullest, not pushing them to the ground and kicking them with harmful, useless, and often complex regulations that shouldn't exist in the first place. BB

[Adam Griffin]

Economic Policy:

> In 2018, 38 million Atlasians lived in poverty. How can this be addressed?

In the years prior to 2016, we made great progress in this regard. Unfortunately, the needed reset in 2016 pinned us to the current US RL economic and budgetary standards. In the years that followed, the Federalist Party controlled the White House for the vast majority of this time, making reforms along these lines impossible. Even with ideal leadership on this front, it’ll take years to get back to where we were.

Ultimately, I believe a combination of progressive taxation and targeted programs aimed at poor and working class people is the only solution to this problem. We have made great strides with the passage of the Wealth Tax Act to ensure a reduction in income inequality, but before we can make any further commitments, we must get budgetary and legislative estimates from our GM department. I made a pledge to this country to reduce the deficits delivered to this country by the Federalist Party and get us on sound footing: once this is accomplished over the next month or so, our attention will turn to the crafting of policy aimed at returning our income inequality to its pre-reset levels.

> Technological changes are constantly reshaping the economy. How should policy be adapted to deal with these changes?

As I spoke about during the June presidential debate, technological changes are a huge component in our day-to-day lives. Ultimately, the dignity of work is being replaced with the cold reality of robots, machines, software and algorithms. We must take steps to prepare our people and economy for this inevitable situation.

As such, I pledged during the campaign to pass a major space exploration package that would lead the way for vital tasks such as permanent off-world colonies and resource extraction. We accomplished this task fortunately via the SEDSA/SEDDA package, allocating $150 billion to the task of securing our future. In my view, this is the single biggest change made by any administration to safeguard our people against the changes that technology will bring.

In the coming years and decades, policy must reflect the fact that a decreasing percentage of the population will be able to find work, which ultimately will precipitate the need for a greater share of the economy to be allocated by public interests. Otherwise, a dystopian future awaits us all.

> What changes, if any, would you like to see to the tax code?

As elaborated on in the first question, I believe ultimately that taxes on the wealthy must be increased to reflect our pre-reset (2016) levels, with that revenue being focused predominantly on the poor and working class. Unfortunately, the GM department (the one aspect of the “cabinet” that I do not unilaterally have power to appoint or dismiss) has been silent in responding to multiple members of the administration, Congress and beyond, including fellow candidates in this race.

Until we can resolve the do-nothing situation in this area, it would be irresponsible of me to pledge specific policies without cost estimates. After all and as mentioned above, I have pledged to eliminate these wild deficits: a pledge I intend to honor. However, I will state that my general guiding principle in the short-term (post-budget) is that for every $1 we generate via the top earners, $0.50 should be allocated via tax cuts and/or credits to those earning less than $50k per year and $0.50 should be invested into programs that directly benefit these individuals.

> From PSOL: What is your opinion on the Federal Gas Tax Reform Act? Would you support its passage and do you see similar tiered sales taxes as being a good measure to appropriately tax individuals based on their parallel “felt” taxes?

I’m generally against regressive forms of taxation, which the proposed bill attempts to avoid. While I believe the brackets/taxes specifically may need to be adjusted to some degree, I’m amenable to the general proposal. My one concern is the level of bureaucracy and confusion that this law may create; I remain open-minded on this front and look forward to a discussion on the subject.

Social Issues:

> From S019: What are your views on stricter gun control?

I stand with my hemisphere broadly speaking on the matter of gun control, but I was also raised in a rural area and understand the cultural and pragmatic importance of the issue. As such, any measures to address the broader issue I will approach with healthy skepticism and rationality.

The Gun Control Act of 2017 invested this broader issue in the hands of the regions, two of which have taken action on to varying degrees. One of my opponents, AZ, passed the most stringent gun control measures in the post-reset version of the game as Governor – which is why it’s so shocking to me that he’s suddenly acting as if he’s all pro-gun. Nevertheless, my position on the matter remains the same as it’s always been. I voted in favor of Lincoln’s gun referendum in June after much deliberation and remain open to legislation that replaces the GCA of 2017 once Congress considers it.

> From S019: What are your views on abortion?

I am pro-choice, to put it simply. I believe there is room for discussion in theory, but given where the Right and the Federalist Party is at presently, there is no room for debate in practice.

> What would be your administration's policies on immigration?

To stop the flow of undocumented migration, the root cause must be addressed. Rather than attacking those who come here to work and seek a better life, we must address all of our punitive efforts at businesses that hire unauthorized workers. I have made it clear in the last campaign that I will sign any measure that aims the penalties at corporations rather than hard-working individuals. No wall, border or security measures will address this issue adequately given our policies with regard to tourism, customs and international treaties pertaining to movement of people. People come here to work: if they cannot find work, they don’t come without authorization. It’s really that simple.

> How will your administration approach foreign policy?

Seeing as I am the only candidate who can discuss foreign policy from the perspective of being involved presently, it puts me in a unique position. However, given that the vast majority of foreign policy discussions have occurred via the National Security Council and are therefore classified, I am not at liberty to discuss the details of many. I can however say that we are communicating presently with entities regarding human rights reforms, attempting to ameliorate the damage caused by the massive Federalist War With China, and a treaty has just been introduced in Congress regarding free trade in Kenya, which was led by our current Secretary of State.

Ultimately, I describe myself as a libertarian regarding foreign policy in terms of intervention and aggression, and in my three terms as President, we have never had a military conflict. If re-elected, I intend to continue that trend and use the might of our country in highly-specific ways that don’t involve missiles, bombs and blow-torches.

Game/Reform Issues:

> What is your view on how the relationship between regional and federal government should be?

My opinion has not changed from four months ago (though fortunately we have reduced the runaway trend of regional office proliferation since):

More or less how it does today. Pre-reset, the regional governments had more power and influence in some areas, and less in others. The Constitutional Convention shifted much of this (for example, it reduced the number of regional offices while increasing the number of federal offices, while also giving the Regions control of Senate elections rather than the federal government).

We didn't get everything right, but by and large, the balance is better today than it was 4 years ago. Obviously the federal government reserves the right through constitutional procedures to limit or otherwise reserve powers for itself that may not currently rest solely with it, but I see no major issue (barring the imbalance in the number of federal/regional offices) that is of immediate or dire concern.

> There have been many complaints about the lack of stories from the GM. What are your thoughts on this and the role of Game Engine more broadly?

The Game Engine is fundamentally broken at present: not because of the way it is designed, but because of who is managing it. Tmth tried to provide us with stories before his departure, but ultimately decided to leave. The reality is that the lack of stories from the GM is just the tip of the iceberg of the problem with this department at present (as referenced above).

Another issue that frankly inhibits story-telling more broadly is the lack of response from the citizenry. As somebody who held the office of Game Moderator twice, I can tell you that players almost only respond to story-lines when they have something to nit-pick about or complain. Getting people to act on stories told by the Game Engine is difficult and has always been so, and I’m not sure there’s any way to change the collective mindset of players regarding this. However, telling stories is a fundamental responsibility of the Game Engine and should be offered regardless of public engagement. Those who don’t feel up to the task should do what I did after I grew tired of people not responding to my stories: resign and let somebody else take over the role.

> What are your views on campaign finance reform?

Supportive. My belief is that a system that finances both primaries and general elections via public dollars is a sorely-needed concept in our society.

However, this is obviously one issue where even when factoring in real-life policy outcomes is hard to tangibly address in-game given the fact that none of us are actually raising money or getting paid.  

Individual Questions:

> To Adam Griffin: In your platform, you called for expanding the social safety net. Can you expand on this?

Once we have received estimates from the GM on this fiscal year’s budget and formally passed it, we’ll be in a better position to determine how best to proceed. Given how much I’ve already written, I’ll keep this focused on the biggest slice of meat: FICA.

My broader plan would be to completely eliminate the payroll tax cap (and increase Medicare contributions by 0.6%). With regard to SSI, we would first ensure that the program is funded based on the actuaries for a 75-year period (thereby eliminating any need to discuss “reform” to the program), with the remaining additional revenue being distributed to those collecting less than 50% of the maximum SSI monthly benefit.  

[RC (a la Frémont)]

Thank you for your opening statements, candidates! We will now move on to round two of the debate!

Candidates, you have 48 hours to answer the following questions!

Economic Policy:
> In 2018, 38 million Atlasians lived in poverty. How can this be addressed?
> Technological changes are constantly reshaping the economy. How should policy be adapted to deal with these changes?
> What changes, if any, would you like to see to the tax code?
> From PSOL: What is your opinion on the Federal Gas Tax Reform Act? Would you support its passage and do you see similar tiered sales taxes as being a good measure to appropriately tax individuals based on their parallel “felt” taxes?

Social Issues:
> From S019: What are your views on stricter gun control?
> From S019: What are your views on abortion?
> What would be your administration's policies on immigration?
> How will your administration approach foreign policy?

Game/Reform Issues:
> What is your view on how the relationship between regional and federal government should be?
> There have been many complaints about the lack of stories from the GM. What are your thoughts on this and the role of Game Engine more broadly?
> What are your views on campaign finance reform?

Individual Questions:
> To 1184AZ and ReaganClinton20XX: You are both members of the Federalist Party and presumably you will be facing eachother in a primary. Why should Federalists and Conservatives vote to nominate you?
> To ReaganClinton20XX: In your campaign intro, you mentioned education reform. Can you explain how you would like to reform the education system?

General:
Poverty:
This is obviously a very serious issue. No Atlasian should have to live in poverty, and for the President to stand here and argue that he’s been the sole perpetuator of “progress, stability and growth” while so many are living paycheck to paycheck or are suffering is an insult to our people. Now, I have a somewhat radical idea of how to handle poverty involving racing the 1%. The plan isn’t a redistribution of wealth like some would claim, but the program I would like to propose puts the taxable amount of money in a pool where it can be used for special purposes outside of funding the government, whether that be this poverty crisis or if there needs to be response to a natural disaster in this country, we need to have our people’s backs.

Technological advancements and the economy:
The rise in automation in industries has been concerning. Everybody  from our factory workers to cashiers are being eliminated in favor of robots who are meant to do the same job. I believe there needs to be a hard limit on how many jobs can be automated by companies, and limit it to under a majority of them.

Tax code:
As I proposed in my poverty plan, I would like to raise the limit to how much we can tax the top percent of people. I don’t believe we should raise any other tax bracket as to keep the middle class stable and benefit the lower class.

Stricter gun control:
Ban assault rifles from being in the hands of normal people. If you’re in the military or the police, you’re fine, if you want to hunt and protect yourself with a rifle or handgun or something of the sort, cool, keep it. An assault weapon is not needed in the hands of the people. Also stricter background checks but I feel that’s a given.

Abortion:
I think organizations such as Planned Parenthood have their rightful place here in Atlasia, and I believe that the government should still be supporting these organizations. As for the issue of abortion as a whole, I still believe it should be up to the regions to determine abortion policy.

Immigration:
We need to find a better way to let people immigrate to our country. People are waiting years, even decades to come here. We need to actively reform our immigration system to work faster while having thorough background checks. No person should have to wait more than a year to come to this country if they have a clean record, I believe that we can reach this goal.

Foreign Policy:
I think it’s fair to say that it benefits the country to keep up our relationship with our allies. On another note though, we shouldn’t be dealing with countries that knowingly violate human rights. Countries such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Iran, and China need to be kept in check, and we’ve been failing in keeping up our relationship with them.

Fed/Regional Relationship:
I believe the current relationship is fine as it is unless the regions are experiencing wild amounts of inactivity, then I could see the federal government stepping in to reboot the region in a way.

GMs:
I believe the complaints about the activity of Game Moderators are true. There should be way more stories coming out of the engine, they run the game, they should be making it interesting for our citizens. Now I like our game moderators, very nice people, however I don’t think that their activity level qualifies them for their jobs anymore. I’ve seen authors of Atlasian newspapers, such as Harry Truman or KoopaDaQuick, or even fellow politicians like LouisvilleThunder or Peebs who could probably shake up the game more than the incumbents have in their tenure. In conclusion, I believe it’s time for new mods.

Campaign Finance Reform:
I pretty much agree with what the President and Fmr. Gov. AZ said, we need campaign finance reform, I support overturning Citizens v. United, of course we aren’t getting paid but we need it.

Personal:
Fed Primary:
I know I’m not under the main ideology of the Federalists, since day 1 when I joined in 2017 I’ve always been one of the more liberal members of the party. Now I like AZ, we’ve worked together on numerous campaigns and have generally helped each other. To the Federalist Party, I could see how he’s more appealing as a more conservative campaign runner. However, I can’t help but think about what has happened since the June Presidential election. The party has been now relegated to a slim minority in both houses even though they only narrowly lost the presidency. Even then, they aren’t that popular in many regions anymore, being downsized in Lincoln and Fremont and competing with the Conservative party in the south. The party needs to be taken in a different direction if it wants to succeed again. The days of being portrayed of a Right only party need to end. It wasn’t this way back in 2017, so I’m not too sure what changed in the mindset of the party, but it needs to go back to succeed again.

Education reform:
I’ve worked on education reform since beginning my career in the Lincoln Assembly. The way that our country’s children are being taught is outdated in more ways than one. Policies like no child left behind have been a failure, and we should now be taking a more one on one approach with our students. The subjects they take should be more preparing for the future, instead of teaching students subjects like algebra for their last years of schooling, they should be taught some courses like finances, programming, and others that benefit them in future jobs. And finally, in the arena of technology, it would save schools a large amount of money if they focused their resources on transitioning to computers instead of buying traditional supplies like paper. All class activities can now generally be done on computers now, and if a school system only replaced the technology periodically over a timespan of 10-15 years, then it would save them from an economic stress that even large schools in wealthy districts go through.

[thumb21]

Thank you for your responses, candidates! We will now move on to round three of the debate!

Candidates, you have 48 hours to do the following!

Follow-up questions:
The candidates are encouraged to answer their follow-up question:
> To 1184AZ: In your answer on automation, you pointed to the fact that new jobs are also being created. However, it seems unlikely that a cashier or assembly line worker could simply become a programmer or tech support worker. How do you respond to this?
> To Adam Griffin: You described your foreign policy as libertarian. In what sorts of situations could you see yourself supporting direct military intervention and what sort of role could economic sanctions play in your administration's foreign policy?
> To John Dule: Weatherboy1102 accused you of being a metallic automaton. How do you respond to these allegations?
> To ReaganClinton20XX: In your response on poverty, you proposed collecting money in a pool to be used to address poverty and other crises. Can you elaborate on how you'd like to see this money spent?
> To Weatherboy1102: You seem to be competing with John Dule in key demographics like voters with morbid curiosity and no-values voters. Why should they vote for you over him?
> To Winfield: You mentioned that you believe education is the best way to break the cycle of poverty. How can education be improved?

Rebuttals:
The candidates can respond to their opponent's arguments and are encouraged to discuss back and forth as much as they want.

Closing statements:
The candidates are encouraged to make their closing statements.

Note: Only the candidates can write here. If you want to comment, the commentary thread is here: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=338945.0

[Lincoln Republican]

> To Winfield: You mentioned that you believe education is the best way to break the cycle of poverty. How can education be improved?

Thank you Thumb for sponsoring and hosting these debates.

I trust the citizens of Atlasia have been well informed.  

There are a couple of sayings applicable to this issue.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
-Mamonides

Knowledge is power, information is liberating.
-Kofi Annan

Statistically, the lower the levels of education, the higher the rates of unemployment and the lower the rates of income.

It follows then that the obvious answer to poverty is to improve and expand the income levels in our society.

In order to achieve this result, clearly we must reinvest in our most valuable resources, our human resources.

Post secondary education must be expanded.

As President, I will cut out waste in government, cut waste in the health care system, and increase taxes on multi millionaires and billionaires.

A certain portion of these resources will be redirected to both secondary and post secondary education.

Programs in the professions, medical, technological, the trades will be expanded.

Those who cannot afford to go to secondary education institutions will be subsidized, or, where necessary, fees would be paid by the government.

It would not take too long, relatively, for the vast increase in education spending, and the positive results to filter down through the economy, and to improve the lives of the poor, as well as the rest of the nation.  

 

[John Dule]

> What changes, if any, would you like to see to the tax code?

As elaborated on in the first question, I believe ultimately that taxes on the wealthy must be increased to reflect our pre-reset (2016) levels, with that revenue being focused predominantly on the poor and working class. Unfortunately, the GM department (the one aspect of the “cabinet” that I do not unilaterally have power to appoint or dismiss) has been silent in responding to multiple members of the administration, Congress and beyond, including fellow candidates in this race.

Until we can resolve the do-nothing situation in this area, it would be irresponsible of me to pledge specific policies without cost estimates. After all and as mentioned above, I have pledged to eliminate these wild deficits: a pledge I intend to honor. However, I will state that my general guiding principle in the short-term (post-budget) is that for every $1 we generate via the top earners, $0.50 should be allocated via tax cuts and/or credits to those earning less than $50k per year and $0.50 should be invested into programs that directly benefit these individuals.

Sorry Griff, but this isn't good enough. I propose an even more progressive form of taxation.

As we all know, taxing stuff fixes everything. We're all Democrats here. We get that. The taxes we've levied on cigarettes and big sodas have discouraged people from consuming those things forever-- now it's time to take our nanny-state social engineering to the next level.

I propose a tax on poverty. Yes, think about it-- if we raise taxes on everyone making under $30,000 a year, they will be forced to make more money. Otherwise they'll starve to death so that we can continue paying pensions to government workers. It's their choice. I believe this will motivate millions of Atlasians to step up and start earning the big bucks, because we will have disincentivized poverty to the point that it no longer becomes a viable life choice.

This is called forward thinking, people.

[John Dule]

Also, abortion should be mandatory in all cases. The sooner we stop people from having babies, the sooner the human race will die off-- and then maybe all this misery will finally end.

[Pragmatic Conservative]

Working with companies and organizations in growing industries to implement job training programs and expanding funding for trade schools to help those who are losing their jobs to gain skills in fields that are desperately looking for more workers. This would ideally start in areas that are most hurt by unemployment to ensure that they don't go even longer without work.

[Pragmatic Conservative]

In response to the Presidents quip about gun control by stating late last year I lead the repeal effort to repeal Lincoln’s horrible gun bill and remain the only serious candidate opposed to gun control on this debate stage. Further I must ask why are you questioning my sincerity in my views when you yourself showed no issue accepting previous conservatives such as Jimmy or DFW becoming liberals. Don’t you feel your acting hypocritical on this issue?

[Pragmatic Conservative]

Mr. President you have stated:

 “ I am pro-choice, to put it simply. I believe there is room for discussion in theory, but given where the Right and the Federalist Party is at presently, there is no room for debate in practice.”

Why have you chosen to cowardly abdicate yourself from making an argument on the subject. Don’t you owe the people of Atlasia an argument on why you view abortion the way you do? Once again these divisive narrow minded statements do nothing but divide our society. We see that the left cares about surface area level diversity but not diversity of opinion; as a conservative I believe in both.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

> To Weatherboy1102: You seem to be competing with John Dule in key demographics like voters with morbid curiosity and no-values voters. Why should they vote for you over him?

I don't know what you're talking about. All my positions are highly informed and align with my values.

Another one of my positions that reflects this is my goal to settle the Hans Island dispute by simply annexing Canada and Denmark.

And if you want morbid curiosity, I have plenty of stories to tell about that. However, there are children watching and we wouldn't want them seeing that, would we?

Rebuttals:
Dule, I believe it is entirely obvious at this point. You were reportedly seen walking out of Area 51 during the last Peace Party convention, and many attendees reported a high-pitched buzzing noise when you were within 500 feet of them. How anyone can not see that you are the only non-sapient one in this race? Your humanity only goes skin-deep, because under that skin lies a body of metal!

AZ, I may not be a conservative, but I think a question that hasn't been asked that is on a lot of their minds is this: You've jumped around in political affiliation so many times that many people can't count them all. How can anyone be sure that you're sincere when you've switched parties so many times?

RC, I like your idea of collecting money in a pool, but I don't believe chlorinated water and paper mix well. I propose we put that money in a lockbox instead.


Closing statement:
Folks, what we're talking about here today is the future of our nation. Who do we want leading our nation? A soulless, mechanical machine? A guy who thinks the second in command should be someone who peddled false statements about a moderator's conduct? What we need is strong, decisive leadership who will bring change. I am that choice.

I will bring us to the moon, and establish a moon base within just a few short years. Mining of Helium-3 on the moon could bring us into a new era of nuclear fusion energy, helping end our continuing climate crisis, and potentially providing all Atlasians with cheap energy. The moon is only the first step in our expansion past our planet, but it the most important one.

I will fund projects to give Atlasians the Freedom of Form, so that everyone can become their ideal selves.

Under my leadership, Atlasia will enter a new era.
A new era where cheap and renewable energy is the norm, not the exception.
A new era where income inequality shrinks until it becomes a thing of the past.
A new era where LGBT peoples can live free and proud to be who they are.
A new era where the sky is no longer the limit.

In short, an era where Luxury Gay Furry Space Communism succeeds and is proven to be the best form of government.

So I say to all of you, Adastra!

Thank you.