TV Debate Questions

[Recks]

1 Alduria has many regional ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities. How should we protect them and integrate them into Aldurian society?
Atanasio Paredes (AP): It must be a priority to forge a common Aldurian national identity. The Aldurian National Alliance believes that this is a key priority that any political movement must address - and we will address this issue head-on. First, we must respect traditional values that underpin social norms and societal expectations. Under my leadership, we have continually sought to promote family values - something that socialists and libertine factions are unwilling to promote. While no minority should feel unwelcome in Alduria, we must also recognize that our first identity must be Aldurian!  That is why the Aldurian National Alliance supports enhancing Aldurian cultural institutions - to integrate the many backgrounds of our citizens into a single unified Alduria.

2 The world of Micras is very complicated. What is the role you see for Alduria in the community of nations?
AP: It is beyond doubt that the geopolitical situation of Micras is mired in complexity. Our solution for the Aldurian people is to put Alduria first, in all of our external affairs. This means neutrality in ongoing affairs that don't involve our homeland - or our continent, for that matter. It means re-evaluating trade deals that benefit the rich merchant class at the expense of good-paying Aldurian jobs. And this means limiting immigration and cheap imported goods so that what Alduria can be self-sufficient, reliant on ourselves and our own ingenuity. I see Alduria as a nation that embraces its potential to become a pan-Euran superpower, but which only uses its might for the betterment of our own people.

3 Do you think the Law of Graces should remain?
AP: Let me be clear on this issue: the Aldurian National Alliance believes firmly that unrestricted immigration is bad for our country and for our people. The Law of Graces, while it sounds good on paper, really amounts to nothing more than unrestricted immigration. It means anyone of certain ethnic origins can come here and rely on our system that they had no part in building. In short, the Law of Graces means the exploitation of the Aldurian people by a parasitical foreign population. We in the Aldurian National Alliance believe that those who have come here so far should be entitled to remain in Alduria, provided they continue to contribute to our culture and society. But by no means should we continue to enforce, let alone expand upon, this poorly-begotten policy which deprives Alduria of a true identity.

4 Do you think Alduria should limit immigration?
AP: Yes, I do believe that Alduria, as a sovereign nation under the rule of law, ought to restrict who comes into our nation. Step back for a second: what nation in Micras is willing to take the leftovers, the dregs, of any society? The answer is, essentially, only Alduria. We should not be in a position where we have to rely upon inflows of low-skilled, low-value migrants. Instead, we ought to enact and enforce legislation that does indeed put skills and assimilation first. And we must ensure that illegal entry is harshly cracked down on by the state to protect our territorial integrity from invasion - because unauthorized immigration really is just that - an invasion!

5 Do you think immigrants enrich our country or harm our country?
AP: I think immigrants have the potential to bring skills to Alduria, however under our current system of welcoming whoever decides to set foot in our nation as a brand-new citizen, I think it is highly detrimental. As it stands today, immigrants are a burden on the Aldurian state - we have to assimulate these people into our emerging culture. Just think of how hard it is to learn a new language, new customs, new rules - that is what immigrants rely on the government to do for them! We cannot - and should not - support massive inflows of migration here in Alduria. Only by reforming our immigration system can we harness the potential good that can come from abroad. The Aldurian National Alliance's reform would be to a quota-limited, skills-based, assimilation-required immigration plan.

6 What kind of health care system do you envision as ideal for Alduria and its people?
AP: Our ideal vision for healthcare involves a variety of options for Aldurian citizens to be able to choose from. While other parties have expressed dogmatic views on polar ends of the spectrum, the Aldurian National Alliance continues to call for private and public, for-profit and non-profit alternatives that will allow competition to determine the best plans for each individual. Let me outline each of the four programs we see as playing a role in our healthcare plan. First, private for-profit would look like traditional insurance plans. Public for-profit would be a government-run alternative insurance plan, to cut down on administrative costs and keep private firms competitive. Private non-profit would be charity-driven hospitals, often run by churches or other groups. And finally, public non-profit would be state-run hospitals and medical clinics. This plan is comprehensive, isn't ideologically-motivated, and is consistent with the highest quality care available.

7 Oil and gas are key and strategic Aldurian industries. What do you think about government ownership of those industries?
AP: Oil and gas are key resources that belong to all people of Alduria. To sell them off to the highest bidder is not only wrong on that basis, but also based upon who will benefit: trust me, friends, it will not be regular folks like you and me. No, the beneficiaries of privatization will be the big banks, the super wealthy investors, and foreign firms that will be able to get their oil more cheaply - in effect, the exploitative classes will benefit from the idea of privatization. And that is why the loudest proponents of privatization have clung to the libertarian message: like all libertarian ideas, it is because they believe that they will benefit more than anyone else! I believe in government-ownership of these industries, and to use our shared profits as a nation to invest in infrastructure that would be unimaginable without public ownership.

8 Would you consider yourself tech-optimistic or tech-pessimistic? Do you think technology can help Alduria become a better and more prosperous society?
AP: If you'll allow me to reject the dichotomy offered, I would consider myself to be a tech-realist. What does this mean? Well, I see technology as having the clear potential to ensure Aldurians are made better off as a whole. This includes making government more responsive to the people, making infrastructure investments in communications that were impossible a short while ago, and providing basic services - like healthcare and education - more efficiently. But technology cannot be used as a cure-all, because then we'd be left with a society where the only beneficiaries are the connected elites and the powerful lobbying interests who are able to get by without contributing to society at-large. Technology is a tool, and like any other tool, it can be used for ill or for good. It is up to us legislators to react to the will of the people in harnessing technology for all Aldurians.

9 Do you support same-sex marriage? Why or why not?
AP: It will come as no surprise that I oppose same-sex unions. Marriage is explicitly between a man and a woman - not between two men or two women. Sexual impurity is a real issue, and it leads to a number of deleterious outcomes. First, same-sex unions can undermine traditional families by giving unfaithful partners the opportunity to leave their existing marriage and go off on some adulterous, pretend "marriage." Second, same-sex relations lead to the spread of heinous diseases and see unusually-high levels of suicide and abuse. This isn't healthy for any society, let alone a relatively new and developing one. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, same-sex unions are a part of a post-modern agenda that would tell you up is down, east is west, and wrong is right. This attack on basic truth, on the basic definition of marriage, as understood for millennia, is bad for Alduria.

10 Do you think Alduria should remain neutral? If not, do you think it should join the Raspur Pact or the USSO?
AP: I firmly believe in Aldurian neutrality abroad. Joining up with either the Raspur Pact or the USSO would only see us relying on foreign powers, beholden to masters in faraway capitals, and unable to best serve our own interests. As I said earlier, Aldurian interests must be first and foremost in our geopolitical dealings. That includes controlling our own immigration and deciding who we want to move in to be our neighbors. That includes revisiting poorly-conceived trade deals that export jobs overseas in exchange for cheap trinkets. And Alduria first means protecting and expanding our borders without consideration of what potential overlords might think of our decisions. That is why the Aldurian National Alliance supports an official position of neutrality in the Micran conflict between the Raspur Pact and the USSO.

11What kind of educational system do you envision as ideal for Alduria?
AP: A first-class education system is a must for any developing nation. For Alduria, this means the development of not only primary and secondary education systems, but also a tertiary system that equips everyday Aldurians to become successful entrepreneurs and engineers, teachers and doctors. But, if we are being honest with ourselves, the most important type of career in a burgeoning nation must be the trades. From welders to plumbers, masons to electricians, we need more of these workers. The primary duty of any educator is to provide the skills for a successful and prosperous career, and pushing all of our children into universities around the globe is not feasible nor desirable. Let's build up Alduria's skills, and education will play a key role in this picture.

12 Do you think greater integration and cooperation with our Euran neighbors like Constancia and the Florian Republic is a good or bad step for Alduria?
AP: I do not believe in any type of integration with foreign entities, as this kind of entanglement will result in a loss of Aldurian sovereignty and impose the will of other nations onto our parliament and our people. When I hear words like integration, the inevitable outcome is the loss of our developing culture, the loss of our developing identity, and for what? For warm fuzzy feelings, that is it! What our party, the Aldurian National Alliance, does believe is in promoting Alduria's standing around the world. And this starts with economic development focused at home, not abroad. We cannot continue to export our wealth in exchange for cheap imports, and that applies here in Eura just as much as it does elsewhere in Micras.

13 What economic policies would you put in place to grow Alduria’s economy?
AP: The Aldurian National Alliance offers a third-way forward for our economy. We don't want you to be left on your own, as libertarians would have it. Nor do we want you to become nothing more than a part of a machine, as the socialists would have it. Instead, we believe in a strong mixture of state and private institutions which can support a high-quality of life across Alduria. That means investing in infrastructure and other public services, and it means tackling the big-money interests that control the government. Yes, I support a higher tax on the super-rich to ensure that we have an adequate social safety net. No Aldurian should have to worry about going hungry or without water. At the same time, by providing these types of backstops, we will grow our economy substantially - encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation.

14 What would you do to combat income inequality?
AP: As I travel from my home in Corrada del Rio to the national capital in Punta Santiago, the income inequality is clearly on display. We cannot continue to be a nation where the capital district brings in untold riches while the rest of our nation lives in comparative penury. It simply is not sustainable, nor is it equitable. While many politicians decide to head to the Capital District, I believe that we should instead spread out the bureaucracy and center of power back to the states while giving special infrastructure investments to the frontiers of our nation. Where you live determines far too much about what type of income you'll end up earning - and it will take a proactive government to correct these systemic regional inequities.

15 What are your thoughts on the recent DSP-LDP coalition and its agenda?
AP: The new coalition has exposed one fact for certain: the established interests are afraid of the common people. The major parties are afraid of the Aldurian National Alliance, they're afraid of our voters and supports. In short, they are afraid of you and your voice. Their whole agenda has been one of running scared, trying to lock in policies that the voters have every right to reject down the road. Take their pledge to constitutionally-enshrine open borders policy. We just fought a general election, and nowhere is this radical idea to be found in either of their platforms. That's right: the coalition is already breaking its promises to the Aldurian people. And what of the DSP? Nobody voted for that party in the last election: but now we see their true far-left colors. Mark my words: this is an illegitimate coalition!

16 What will you and your party do in Parliament in this session?
AP: As the official leader of the opposition, it will be my job to ensure that there is all necessary scrutiny of the radical proposals coming out of the government. We will not obstruct for obstructions' sake, but we will hold the government to their manifestos that they ran on. Any deviation can only be seen as a thumb in the nose of the Aldurian voters who elected us. Meanwhile, when we have the opportunity to put forth legislation, it will be to the benefit of a common culture, a shared sense of belonging. This includes tackling inter-regional inequality, providing world-class public services, and of course standing up against the immoral scourge that this government coalition represents. In short, as the official voice of the millions of Aldurians who didn't vote for the LDP or DSP, we will stand up for your interests first and foremost!

17 With our water crisis behind us, what other measures do you think can be implemented to ensure water security for our country?
AP: National security is a huge area where the Aldurian National Alliance has a recognized advantage. And our security cannot be complete no matter how strong our armed forces are if we do not have water security. This is an area where we must continue to do more than the previous government - where we must find new and innovative solutions, not by centralized control alone. Instead, we must look to the knowledge of everyday people, and incentivize them to conserve this precious resource. Does this mean turning off the faucet when you are brushing your teeth? Absolutely. Does this mean not watering your lawn as frequently? You better believe it! But these types of small solutions can contribute to a broader, more sustainable solution for the Aldurian Republic. At the end of the day, we must remain proactive with our scarce water resources to prevent any future crises.