Presidential debate

The candidates for Raritania’s much-anticipated 2100 decennial elections have debated today about a variety of issues, such as:

• foreign policy (the Norwegian Crisis)
• Socialist rights
• military spending

In addition, Field Marshal Rewin Ormmel, who had stated he is considering running as an independent, will also give statements of foreign/military issues.

Issue 1: the Norway Crisis

President Memem Aster:

     Well gentlemen, it is my belief that Scotia has brought upon itself the consequences of its actions and must suffer these consequences. The world looks poorly on colonialism; let our own experiment with it be a warning. The world united against us in the name of justice; if it is justice, then let it apply these standards uniformly, under the same circumstances, in the same places even. Those who call themselves the allies of a nation need not act blindly in its favor, lest they be puppets, and it is a nation’s duty to not follow allies into folly, and if they cannot be dissuaded from such a course, to let them suffer the consequences, working merely to keep the erring nation alive to learn from its mistakes and no more. So it was with us; if that was justice, so let it be with Scotland. If Scotland will not turn back from folly, then let them suffer the consequences and let us not interfere. We will guarantee their continued existence as our obligations demand but nothing more.

Governor Rigan Dufles (Nantucket Province)

     Raritania has no business meddling in these affairs while some of our cities are still piles of melted glass. Our Atlantic Union agreement with Scotland is a mutual defense pact and nothing more, and even if Scotland does not fire the first shot they have already made themselves into aggressors. As President Aster said, maybe we have an obligation to ensure their continued existence, but by no means do we have any obligation to defend their foolish colonial exercises. Let them lose it and pay the price of trying to hold on.

Representative Kevin Welcer

     I agree with most of what the other two have said, but I want to add something: I don’t believe we ever had a duty to Scotland. Raritania’s primary duty is to its people, and we have no business wasting what little we have salvaged from the ashes in a foreign war to save a country that has gone too far. Let Scotland fall, and if it vanishes altogether, so be it. We have our own economy to think about, and our own people, and our military doesn’t need such an unnecessary loss of lives when we’re already fighting another war in the south.

Marshal Ormmel’s post-debate commentary

     As I sometimes do, especially on military matters, I have to say I disagree with these positions. I disagree least with the president but I still disagree. I think that alliances are alliances, and Raritania has a duty to keep vigilant. I am not calling for a full-scale intervention, but we need to show that we are willing to honor our alliances and keep our military sharp no matter what, that our will is ironclad. A knife is sharpened by grinding against a stone; so is a bayonet.

Issue 2: socialist rights

President Aster

     Socialism, communism, anarchocommunism, and similar ideologies have no place in Raritania. Right back to the inception of our nation, even before our independence, they have waged war against us, and it’s frankly insane that anyone would think to permit such ideologies- which, let me remind you, have been even more destructive than fascism- to have even the tiniest toehold in our nation.

Governor Dufles

     I think that socialism is a terrible idea, but I also don’t think it’s a threat anymore. Yes, it has been in the past, but we’ve seen it peter out and die in the last 2 years. I frankly don’t see any harm in letting them make little organizations. In fact, it’s essential that they be allowed to in order to have a genuine democracy. Let the fools cry and be heard, so we know who they are in case they are stupid enough to try anything else.

Representative Welcer.

     I agree with President Aster. Governor Dufles, as a businessman, you should know the harm that socialist policies did- or were you too cushioned by your trillions and your contracts to notice what the communists did when we let them rise up in our moments of weakness, after the Colonial debacle? I want to make an addition and list every time the reds and the anarchists have gone against us:

• 2089 as Bedland was collapsing
• 2090 when anarchists attacked our northern borders
• 2092 when the Soviets attacked our allies
• 2093 when communists revolted and bombed the capital and waged a guerrilla campaign in our north
• 2096 when the communists tried to overthrow the government after the Swedish incident
• The last 2 years when rebel groups tried to organize another guerrilla campaign
• Last year when the Soviets, a communist state, nuked us in case you’ve somehow forgotten! Look out the blasted window, and tell me if you see a city of bright lights or a pile of rubble!

So in conclusion, I think Communism and all similar ideologies should remain outlawed for mating security reasons.
 

Issue 3: Military Spending

President Aster

     I do not believe that we need to make changes to our military spending. Orbis is a hostile world and as such I think it a bad idea to decrease military spending, but at the same time there is no need to increase it and the economy is under enough stress already.

Governor Dufles

     I think some cuts to the size of the military budget are warranted, to decrease the size of government. Our army is not as large as it was and we have allies.

Representative Welcer

    I am of the opinion that significant budget cuts are required. Our military is unnecessarily large and the taxes required to maintain it are unsustainable in such an economic climate as we have. The people need to be able to participate in the economy without high taxes in order to revitalize the economy, and business.

Marshal Ormmel’s post-debate commentary

    I think that for now the military budget can stay the same, maybe reduce a little even; the economy can use some tax cuts, and in the current climate it doesn’t matter how much we squeeze from the people, we won’t get enough. Thag being said, increases will be required in the future. The mech and BF-7 programs will have to be restarted in the future- some work has already begun on the BF-7 with the help from our old Imperium friends at Taipan- and that will cost money. We also need to restock our nuclear arsenal, larger than before, to have a more effective deterrence, and even more importantly, a better defense system. RADSAM is becoming outdated and we need something more modern, efficient, and produceable than ABLAD, because even though ABLAD works great we don’t have enough. We also need to invest more in space, since the TUI space program is kaput.