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Post by wvamerican on May 14, 2018 18:09:57 GMT -5
Question 3: Of real-world US politicians past and present, who do you admire most and base your political ideology off of? Which leaders in VC history do you admire the most? I believe that Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy best captured the American spirit. Calvin Coolidge and Grover Cleveland best demonstrated the values of responsibility that this country desperately needs. Ulysses S. Grant didn't shy from utilizing force to preserve the peace. Andrew Jackson, despite his faults, is the best example of the Presidency being used to oppose corruption. But ultimately, George Washington displayed restraint as the nation's first president. Our government should learn from his wisdom and constrain itself again. I have the privilege to help found this Congress. Our "founding father" was our first president, Trepidhickory. He was a fantastic president for two terms. The VC grew exponentially and reached its peak under his leadership.
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Post by mramerica on May 14, 2018 18:19:02 GMT -5
Question 3: Of real-world US politicians past and present, who do you admire most and base your political ideology off of? Which leaders in VC history do you admire the most? Definitely Karl Marx... In actuality, my favorite US politicians past and present, out of the ones I could think of off the top of my head are: Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan, Rand Paul, Donald J. Trump. VC leaders? Political, TomLaney1, Jadeburt, Skinner, CajunTrooper, Senate101, Ranger13, WVAmerican, and BertGoldberg are among the VC leaders I admire the most, that I can think of. I also took a broad definition of what leader meant. Included are Supreme Court Justices.
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Post by wvamerican on May 14, 2018 18:19:44 GMT -5
Question 4: Immigration is one of the biggest issues facing America today. Where do you stand on immigration, and how would you change the way immigration is currently run in America? This nation was built by immigrants and it will continue to be built by immigrants long after we are all dead. I am an economist, so I look at each issue through the eyes of one. I also hold deep values pertaining to human rights. I believe the greatest problem regarding immigration in this country, is not illegal immigration, but the complication of our legal immigration. The American immigration code is longer than the tax code. For those who want to seek to make taxpayer's lives better should be enraged at how difficult we make the lives of immigrants. To reform the process, I believe we should make three strategic changes. First, we need to eliminate the cap on the number of visas we issue. Our economy is dynamic. It needs a growing workforce to ensure long-term growth. As a nation grows wealthier it produces less children. Our birth rates are declining, we need immigrant flows to sustain our labor markets. We shouldn't have artificial caps on the labor market. The second thing that we need to do is to create a Guest Worker Program for immigrants living south of our border. The Agriculture industry is heavily reliant on immigrant workers. Restricting access to these workers will immediately contract the market. Allowing immigrants to cross over for work during harvest seasons and then to return to Mexico during the off-season would be beneficial to both parties. Lastly, we need to transition to a merit-based system. This would enable us to attract high-skilled workers into the country to meet the needs of our country. As for illegal immigrants, it will cost this country outrageous amounts of money and do catastrophic damage to the economy to mass deport all twelve million immigrants living without documentation. We should establish a pathway to residency for these immigrants so that they can continue to help our economy by advancing themselves with newfound opportunities. Finally, I do believe our border should be secure, which is why as president, I will cycle the national guard units of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California to the Southern Border to ensure security.
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Post by wvamerican on May 14, 2018 18:27:22 GMT -5
Question 5: In the modern US, and especially the last few months, gun control has been a hot button topic. What, if any, changes would you like to see made to U.S. gun regulations? This is one area that I cannot compromise on. We as people create laws and we must abide by them. If we do not like the laws that are in place we can change them. The Second Amendment states, "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Two things are important to note her. First, the portion that states the necessity of the amendment for preserving the security of a "free State." The Second Amendment was not ratified to protect hunters, nor was it ratified for personal defense. It was ratified to protect individuals from the tyranny of the government. The second portion that is necessary to observe is the portion that says that the "right of the people to bear Arms, shall not be infringed." This is one of the few times throughout the entire Constitution and subsequent amendments that the people are actually granted a "right." Notice it does not say that the people shall have the right to own Arms, but rather to bear them. State laws that prohibit the carrying of firearms are violations to the Constitution. While I would push for reciprocity, I will vigorously fight to have these laws struck down. Further, I will withdraw the recommendation that President Donald Trump made to the ADF to have bump stocks classified as automatic weapons. If you elect me, I will stand firmly by the Second Amendment.
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Post by wvamerican on May 14, 2018 18:28:13 GMT -5
I have to go to a cook-out, I will finish responding later.
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Post by mramerica on May 14, 2018 18:33:19 GMT -5
Question 4: Immigration is one of the biggest issues facing America today. Where do you stand on immigration, and how would you change the way immigration is currently run in America? [] I consider myself right-wing on issue of immigration. I believe that we need to do more to protect our border and ensure that we have a fair immigration system. I am largely in agreement with President Trump on the issue of immigration. What we should do: * Build a southern border wall. * Increase border security. * Invest more in *drones* so that we can monitor our border. This is already currently being done and it works well.. * Set up work programs for undocumented immigrants currently residing in the United States. Through these programs, undocumented immigrants can effectively earn their citizenship through hard work. Undocumented immigrants who are able to work and choose not to do so, will be deported as soon as possible. With this being said, I have not decided on the specifics of this program.
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Post by mramerica on May 14, 2018 18:35:59 GMT -5
Question 5: In the modern US, and especially the last few months, gun control has been a hot button topic. What, if any, changes would you like to see made to U.S. gun regulations? As a strong supporter of the 2nd amendment, I concur with wvamerican.
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Post by mramerica on May 14, 2018 18:43:03 GMT -5
Question 6: Healthcare was arguably the biggest issue in both VC and America under the Obama Administration. What health care system do you think would work best for America, and why? The Healthcare bill I recently proposed “States Choice and Better Healthcare Act.” is the best system for America to continue with in my humble opinion. The healthcare bill I recently proposed will allow states to make their own decisions regarding what type of system of healthcare they want to create and reform. This is the ideal system in my opinion.
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Post by mramerica on May 14, 2018 19:06:03 GMT -5
Question 8: What experience do you have that makes you the best and most qualified choice to be President of Virtual Congress? Question 7: Foreign policy is an area where the POTUS exercises a lot of their power. What is your philosophy on international relations, and how would you treat specific issues in the realm of foreign policy, such as the Middle East, China, Russia, etc. In general, I would like to be noninterventionist in my foreign policy approach. However, I do realize that it is unrealistic to never be involved in any foreign affairs. Middle East: I plan on being moderately involved militarily. Pulling our soldiers and involvement out of this region could be catastrophic for our country and the whole world. I plan on leaving our troops in the Middle East for the time being but may start to gradually bring them home once we see a decline in violence in the region, which I am optimistic about. Russia: I want to work with Russia in the future and I would like to see them as an ally. With that being said, I don’t think that is possible right now. It could possibly take years to repair our broken relationship with them. Especially under their current President. China: I mostly see China as an enemy. They are slowly approaching us in military strength and they are growing economically at an even faster paste. With this being said, I generally support what President Trump is doing in regards to China. Trade: I see free trade as a virtue and not a vice. However, I plan to end, or at the very least, reform trade agreements like TPP and NAFTA.
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Post by mramerica on May 14, 2018 19:15:07 GMT -5
Question 8: What experience do you have that makes you the best and most qualified choice to be President of Virtual Congress? During my time on VC I have been Secretary of State, Vice President, Chief Justice, and Communications Director. I believe that this gives me more than enough experience to be a functional president of VC. I have also been very active since I first joined in 2016. During my time on here, I have proposed numerous great bills and I plan on proposing many more in the future. With all of this said, I believe that most other candidates in this race are also very qualified and I look forward to working with them in the future.
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Post by mramerica on May 14, 2018 19:19:01 GMT -5
Question 9: As far as I know, none of you have chosen a Vice Presidential candidate yet. What are you looking for in a VP (and if you have picked or want to announce here, why did you pick your candidate). I plan on choosing someone who can help me advance VC into a better future and will also be able to serve as president if I ever am unable to be active in the future. If anyone is interested in joining my ticket, please message me.
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Post by mramerica on May 14, 2018 19:30:15 GMT -5
Question 10: Is there a political stance that you want to make sure you get across to voters before the election? You may now answer questions. I would like to use this time to mention my adamant pro-life stance. To me, this is the most important issue and one I will strongly advocate for in the future whether I am elected or not. As President of VirtualCongress, I will do everything in my power to defend the lives of those who cannot defend themselves. I also would like to thank everyone for reading my comments, whether they agree with me or not. Furthermore, I hope that I can earn everyone’s support and I wish my opponents good luck!
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osouless
Congressperson
What's Next?
Posts: 42
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Post by osouless on May 14, 2018 21:13:26 GMT -5
To start, you may post your opening statements Hello everyone, Osouless here. I am continuing my bid for the presidency of the VC because the office has always appealed to me and this new format both intrigues me and gives me hope for the future of the VC. I am one of the original VC users, having been here since the Afly era *shudders*. I have served as Independent Whip, Independent leader, Secretary of State for 2 administrations, vice president, associate justice, and supreme court justice. I look forward to maintaining my involvement with the VC, and hope that whoever our president ends up being that he/she will continue to improve on the bones that the SOH version of VC left us.
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osouless
Congressperson
What's Next?
Posts: 42
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Post by osouless on May 14, 2018 21:14:33 GMT -5
Question 1: VC has gone from nearly 100 active members at it's peak, to 50 recently, now down to 25 on this new website. How will you attract more members to a new vc? Attracting new members won't be difficult if we pool our resources and post about it on SOH, along with our own personal social media accounts to attract new and varied members. I would be more than welcome to ideas on how to attract on a more public/grand scale.
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osouless
Congressperson
What's Next?
Posts: 42
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Post by osouless on May 14, 2018 21:16:31 GMT -5
Question 2: With VC being reset, we know longer have any official cabinet positions. What positions would you support creating if you are elected the first President of this new virtual congress? The secretaries of state, defense, treasury, interior, education, and an attorney general would all be important posts to create. Too big of a cabinet would be cumbersome, but i feel a 6 person cabinet would be both manageable and immersive.
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osouless
Congressperson
What's Next?
Posts: 42
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Post by osouless on May 14, 2018 21:20:07 GMT -5
Question 3: Of real-world US politicians past and present, who do you admire most and base your political ideology off of? Which leaders in VC history do you admire the most? I admire FDR and Abe Lincoln the most for their leadership styles and abilities to lead the country during times of crisis. I admire LBJ for his political abilities. I admire Nixon, Obama, Truman, and JFK for different aspects of their foreign policy approaches. I most notably am an avid Bernie Sanders supporter and mostly fall along his line of political ideology. In SOH history i am most proud of my work during WV's presidency, as well as the years of stability we had under Collin's control (though, as i shouldn't need to point out) that stability was obviously (at this point) mostly artificial and created illegally.
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osouless
Congressperson
What's Next?
Posts: 42
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Post by osouless on May 14, 2018 21:23:20 GMT -5
Question 4: Immigration is one of the biggest issues facing America today. Where do you stand on immigration, and how would you change the way immigration is currently run in America? I believe that in a perfect world borders wouldn't be needed and countries would intermingle on a more intimate and global level, one that has been fictionalized within the Star Trek universe. This, however, is not a perfect world. I would like to see a soft border enacted, along with expanding our legal immigration routes, while deporting illegal immigrants that break the law while here. I believe deportation is the last resort with solving our immigration problems and that we should aspire to the words written on the statue of liberty "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses."
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osouless
Congressperson
What's Next?
Posts: 42
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Post by osouless on May 14, 2018 21:25:01 GMT -5
Question 5: In the modern US, and especially the last few months, gun control has been a hot button topic. What, if any, changes would you like to see made to U.S. gun regulations? We need to see a re-evaluation of the second amendment and seriously consider the implications of an armed populace. We need to de-militiarize the police, we need to get military grade weaponry off the streets, and follow other advanced nations lead and roll back the deluge of weaponry that plagues this country.
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osouless
Congressperson
What's Next?
Posts: 42
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Post by osouless on May 14, 2018 21:26:09 GMT -5
Question 6: Healthcare was arguably the biggest issue in both VC and America under the Obama Administration. What health care system do you think would work best for America, and why? In the long run a medicare for all approach will become the only sensible option for the modern world, however as America stands today simply adding a public option to provide base level assurances to all citizens is important. What good is a right to life if you can't see a doctor?
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osouless
Congressperson
What's Next?
Posts: 42
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Post by osouless on May 14, 2018 21:31:22 GMT -5
Question 7: Foreign policy is an area where the POTUS exercises a lot of their power. What is your philosophy on international relations, and how would you treat specific issues in the realm of foreign policy, such as the Middle East, China, Russia, etc. Diplomacy is a delicate tool that can't be handled as the blunt instrument of military power. IR theory is both fascinating and insightful, and must be utilized to its maximum capacity. Work with nations when we can, work parallel to nations when we can't work with them, and work against them only if there is a serious breach of international law or human rights. The middle east is both complex and simple at the same time. Foreign influence is what created the mess that is the Middle East, and i fail to see how foreign influence will solve it, but i remain hopeful that we can approach each issue diplomatically and work towards a lasting peace in the region. China is both an economic ally and competitor that also wields significant power in Asia and beyond. Seeking a mutually beneficial partnership with them is the most advisable course of action at the current moment. Russia is ruled by an authoritarian who has begun introducing shades of Cold War practices into his international dealings. We must not lose ourselves into another long twilight struggle with Russia, and must work with other international allies to simply limit Russia's ability to induce change in the world and attempt to end Putin's vice like control on the country.
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