M for Senate District 4B

[M]

Houston, Texas
July 7, 2004

On Wednesday, known moderate and hawk M decided to announce his candidacy for the Atlas Senate, District 4B, challenging incumbent Harry.


Senate Candidate M

Folks, its an honor to be here today. For about eight months now, the Atlas Forum has been a part of my life. When I got here, things were very different. Realpolitik and Ryan dominated the boards, and after posting about 30 things I was something like the seventh most common poster. Well, things have changed a lot since then, but I think we can all agree, change is for the good.

But what does change mean for us today? Is it just an empty word, mouthed by fools and tricksters? Or are we willing to commit, to make our forum and our country great by responding to changing times, never pausing or retreating but always moving forward!



Well, I'll tell you what it means to me. It means we have got to start doing things right around here. Politics as usual isn't going to cut it anymore, not here and not now.

So lets tackle the hard issues. Lets deal with things like the rodeo in the Senate now. You know what there favorite event is there? Its pork-barreling. We have a govt, ladies and gentlemen, that thinks you can solve problems by throwing money at them. That is not going to fly in the new reality. It's time to cut spending seriously on worthless programs. And if we follow an appropriate economic policy, maybe we can change that favorite rodeo activity to bull-riding.



It is time to deal with the the great social issues of our time. Leftists need to wise up to the fact that people do best when allowed as much freedom as possible. This applies in both the political and economic sectors. However, in the same vein, Conservatives need to recognize that the government is required for public works, as John Locke and Adam Smith both recognized. The definiton of public works has expanded with the changing times. It is vital we find the most successful, middle ground on issues like welfare, education reform, social security, and health care, where currently the government plays what is clearly too large a role.

And when it comes to education, we must not stop there. A lot of people these days are worried about poor school districts. Indeed, this is a problem, although the Phillie example has had success and should be emulated. But I'll tell you what worries me. The quality of education in general in this countries. Our kids don't know anything, and can you blame them? Pick up a modern social studies textbook, and you will not find grand wars, great men who set the course of history, the rise and fall of nations and empires, the stuff of history. You find tedious, soporific essays about the quality of life of Native American women in Tennessee aylums in the early-mid 1830s. It's time for this to change, for education to uplift and excite the minds of our youngsters. Education also provides the perfect opportunity to help young immigrants learn what it means to be a part of our great Republic, to teach them our American English langusge and instill in them a sense of patriotism.



I urge Atlasians to turn their eyes to the north, to our neighbors the Canadains. Canadians are exactly like us in language, culture, and ideals, and Canadians maintain an active interest in Atlaisian politics. It is time we accept Canada as region number 6 of our wonderful community. I do suggest we put this to a vote of interested Canadian; one will remember my own home state of Texas entered the Union only after it was approved by the Texas legislature and then the US Senate, and I think this process should be used again. However, it is a certainty the Canadians will approve this overwhelmingly, so this is mainly a pro-forma gesture.

As to my opponent, Senator Harry. Who can gainsay he has had an honorable career in our dear Atlasia? No one at all. But the man is a leftist, and a part of theold order. It's time to give someone new chance. Someone like me. One should also note that Harry opposed the election of President Gustaf, a well-respected moderate, from the far left. I, on the other hand, value Gustaf and Supersoulty as friends and, if elected, plan to work closely with them on policy issues. However, if I feel that it is in the South's best interest to disregard their advice and positions, or if they go against my own conscience, I will not hesitate to plot an independent course.

I would like to invite Ernest of the Manifest Destiny Party and Josh22 of the AFRNC to participate on this great venture as my campaign co-chairs, as well as coordinators to let their party's ideas be accounted for in my UAC-driven candidacy. I strongly discourage them from instead running their own candidates and jeopardizing any chance at denying Seantor Harry another term.

Thank you all for coming here today, and remember: M '04, show them the door!

I will now take questions on my candidacy, my issues positions, my personal life, etc.

[M]

I would also like to take this chance to elaborate on our nation's foreign policy. The gravest threat to world security today is terrorism. Many view the terrorists as a natural phenomenon of the modern era- an unstoppable force, like a hurricane or disease, which must be controlled rather than eliminated. This point of view is absolutely wrong.

Terrorist organizations are utterly anaible to function for extended peiods of time without the backing of rogue states and the funds, weaponry, training, refuge, and indoctrination they provide. At one time, USSR trained terrorist groups nearly brought half the world to its knees, with activities in Western Europe, the Andes, East Asia, and the Middle East. Today that threat is gone, but the terrorists have many important allies remaining, all of which must be stopped.

The greatest of these is the Iranian theocratic regime, the world's larget funder of terrorism and a major cause of instability and terrorism in Iraq, Lebanon, Chechnya, and Israel. The world's largest terror organization, Hezbollah, takes its orders from Teheran. Many prominent Al-Qaeda figures, who may include Ayman al-Zuwahri, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and Saad Bin Laden have been sighted in Iran in the last year or so. More dangerous still, the Iranian regime is approaching the point of no return on nuclear weaponry. According to Israeli intelligence, Iran will have the apability to make a bomb by 2005, and their first bomb should be ready for use sometie in 2008. Of course, why use it whn you can just hand it to a Hezbollah operative? Clearly this threat requires swift and decisive action. As soon as possible, the UN Security Council should be brought in to slap worldwide sanctions on this rogue nation. If this does not halt the atomic development, the US and its allies must be prepared to emulate Israel's action against Saddam's Osiraq reactor in 1981, destroying all nuclear facilities with air strikes while trying to limit the civilian casualties. In addition, we must support as much as possible all anti-regime dissidents, who will eventually propel a Soviet-style collapse of the totalitarian government.



Another major threat is Syria, which provides the headquarters of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the PFLP publily, and occupies the rightfully sovereign nation of Lebanon, the last puppet state on Earth, where it supports the infrastructure of the Hezbollah group. It is important we put as much pressure as possible on Syria. However, Damascus at this point is largely Teheran's client, so it is unlikely Syria will be fully defanged a-la-Libya until the Iranian threat is brought to heal.

It is also important that this country get tough on the Saudis. For too long, we have let them get away with murder (quite literally) without consequences. It is time to let thm know, quietly but firmly, that if they do not learn to stop funding terrorism and to open up to at least limited reform, than we will have no choice but to get very, very tough on them.

As part of our War on Terrorism, we are engaged in fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Both of these nations were once rogue states and havens and training grounds for terrorist killers. Today, both are sovereign and pre-democratic countries who require our support to ensure they can get on their own two feet as respected members of the international community, and partners in the War on Terror.

One will notice that these Middle Eastern threats have a virtual monopoly on the world's oil. This is further evidence that we must work towards greater energy independency, and the development of new energy technologies. I strongly advocate reexamining the nuclear option.

On the issue of North Korea, it is clear we are dealing with a madman who has imprisoned his own starving people. The problem is not the nuke, but the regime itself. It is time to force this regime's collapse, once and for all. To this end, we must encourage China to open the floodgates to North Korean refugees, as Hungary did for East Germany in 1990. The US should volunteer to take in many of these refugees, and it is possible that South Korea and/or Japan may participate as well. We must also show some muscle against the North Koreans, warning them that, if necessary, a military option remians open.

Any other questions on foreign policy may be addressed here, along with all other questions. Next, please. Yes, you. What is your question?

[Reaganfan]

I support Josh.

[The Duke]

Well, I support M.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

I strongly support M's candidacy and encourage residents of District 4 to, once again, elect M to the Senate.  Hopefully this time the election won't be stolen

[7,052,770]

Has Ernest endorsed you?  Because I was hoping that he'd endorse me...

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

At this point, all I can say is that M is endorsable, but I shall await a statement from you of what you consider to be the important issues before making an endorsement.

[migrendel]

The last one wasn't stolen, htmldon, it's just that your people couldn't figure out how to vote properly, couldn't get GWBFan to testify when his testimony was critical, and when given a second chance, couldn't even get their candidate to claim an interest. But hopefully this one will work out better.