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[Archived. Authored by Severin]

Like I did for the Irish Union Party I will write a Congress Manifesto for the Irish Radical Party introducing the candidates and giving people an idea of our policies (keeping up a tradition I started months ago). Bear in mind two things before I start: 1. While some of this is derived from conversations with members, representing the views of the majority as a whole, no member is confined to it and I would prefer members to keep their independent opinions respectfully. 2. I won't be going into too much detail on policies. I only want to give people an idea as to where the party stands on various issues (once again in the interest of not confining members). Such detail will come in a Presidential Manifesto soon enough.

I have spent the last few days getting the party ready for Congress (plotting our strategy, moving people about etc). Unfortunately, I won't be here tomorrow (U2 concert, there goes another hard worker medal...) and Lord Rhindon will be doing the last minute organizing (I fully briefed him and he has already began helping me). I cannot thank him enough for filling in and I will be back Saturday night (just in time to vote).

The Irish Radical Party is a new and relatively small party however we are blessed with many active members. Furthermore, we have a nice blend of young and experienced candidates. I hope you will take the time to consider the Irish Radical Party and our candidates on election day.

Irish Radical Party Candidates

Dublin:
Lord Rhindon – A rising star in eIrish politics. I'm sure many of you know him from his popular newspaper The Celtic Chronicle. The current Junior Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Minister of Information.
ElliottB – A dedicated member of the party seeking his first term in Congress.
irishdojo – A young and enthusiastic member seeking to make a name for himself within the eIrish political scene. Check out his manifesto here.


Northeast:
Jerek White – An experienced politicians who has served in Congress twice and also has Party President experience.
Dmck2b – Former TD and a dedicated citizen of eIreland seeking to be voted into the Dáil once more.

Cork and Kerry:
Tayto – Ireland's favorite! An upcoming politician and valuable asset to eIreland who will serve this country with the utmost dedication. Check out his manifesto here.
Bryan O Donovan – Another young and active member of the party who is eager to serve eIreland in the political arena.

Shannon:
Severin – A politician who has had many roles in eIreland and if elected will be serving his fifth consecutive term in Congress.

Southeast:
Franz Moehle – An active and loyal member of the party who has recently come home to eIreland.

Northwest:
fergo – An experienced active member of the party who is seeking his first term in Congresss.
micutzu – An experienced upcoming politician and proud member of the party who is seeking re-election.

As I won't be here to update this article I apologize in advance if I missed any late comers. This is how the set up should look like anyway, provided there isn't any last minute shifting around.

On The Issues
Like I mentioned above I cannot possibly speak on behalf of every member (as members have different ideas and opinions) however these as the views of the party as a whole (just to give you, the public, an idea as to where we stand). Once again no member is confined to these policies and we strongly encourage independent thinking citizens. I really wanted to post this on our forum beforehand to give members a chance to ad to and scrutinize it but unfortunately I didn't get the time to do so (rest assured there will be time in the near future and I have taking into account everything posted on the forum/sent to me in mails). Up till now we have been outlining what the party stands for and indicated the general areas we wish to change while sidelining actual policy areas. Here we will touch upon them one by one.

Society
eIreland's population has been falling for a while now and rather than do something about it we let it slip from about 2400 to 1000. New citizens are essential to our future success and survival. We should be advertising outside the game and we should be attracting more people to our shores inside the game. It is a simple as that and we have people capable of doing it. They are many war torn citizens who would love to seek refuge in our fair Isle. Our culture and values should be constantly promoted and we should ensure quality entertainment for all our citizens (via the media and elsewhere). Of course it is equally important that we ensure a healthy economy, an organized defense and an active government. No citizen should be left behind and the administration should ensure that all new citizens are being looked after. Furthermore, it is essential we get a forum up and running as fast as possible (this is a unique opportunity to improve upon the last one) and it is high time our wiki page (which is gathering dust) was completely updated (we have talented writers capable of doing it).

Government
We believe in consensus driving government and most importantly accountability. Our government should be cooperating with Congress, engaged in ongoing talks with nations abroad while always updating and addressing the nation. Cabinet positions should be handed out based on merit and not any political affiliation. We have many talented politicians across the party spectrum and in these dark times we should be working together not against. Sure we will disagree however that does not mean we should divide and fight. We all have a common cause and that is to serve eIreland and improve this great nation. Self vested political interests should always come last. Many politicians here want the same thing simply said in a different way. Furthermore trying to implement one ideology in full simply isn't practical. There is merit in all ideologies and we should be pooling our intellect for innovations not barriers. Efficiency is another ideal we hold dear and bureaucracy should be kept to a minimum. While it is nice handing out lots of titles and designating responsibility left right and centre it simply does not work (usually leaving a few to do it). Just because someone accepts a job doesn't mean they will perform well, in the same way just because someone says they are going to do something doesn't actually mean they'll actually do it (action is louder than words). Incompetent politicians should be swiftly done away with and responsibility should be giving only to those who are capable of fulfilling it. There is a better way to educate those who want to get involved in the administration so that learning is maximized and widespread.

Foreign Policy
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of eIreland remaining neutral. An MPP with any our neighbors would not only be difficult for us to sustain economically it would also see to it that we become nothing more than a bridge for major nations to war over. Joining a global alliance would be equally ill advised. A non imperialist global alliance would be an unnecessary infringement on our neutrality and such an alliance could not possibly guarantee our security (not to mention talks of such alliances usually amonth to nothing and if anything it could drag us into a war we don't want to be in). While there is a strong pro eUS sentiment in eIreland there are also some who advocate we join PEACE. That would be an underhanded, cowardly move that would see us become a puppet for oppression. Do not forget our friends across the Atlantic who have always held us in high regard and all they done for us (free war games, hospital donation etc). I hope they respect and understand our decision to remain neutral. Being neutral those not mean we should stop engaging with other nations. We should always be putting ourselves out there, fostering good relations, making new friends while spreading our ideals and offering our opinion on global concerns. To those who think neutrality is 'boring' before you jeopardize something that players have spent months upon months developing why not consider another war game (all you can do is click here anyway). It is very unfortunate we no longer have war games and we have since been suffering the loss. Unfortunately there is no easy solution to this and for the time being we simply have to endure. War games with the eUK is out of the question and for obvious reasons the eUS can't host them with us while they are engaged in a real war.

Economy
The abrupt end of war games has had a terrible effect on our economy and they are certain challenges we need to overcome. We should enter into negations with those we are at war with to bring about peace in the interest of ending trade embargoes. It may cost us the refund for the declaration but this something that should be seriously considered. The cost of production is quite low here and we can become an ideal place for those who want to export finished products. VAT and Income tax should be kept low (in the interest of stimulating economic growth) while import tax should be kept high (in the interest of protecting our companies who are suffering because of low demand). The State should also consider subsidizing private companies who have a good history so that products can be exported abroad while keeping wages secure here. We recognize the importance of State Companies to train new citizens however innovations have been overlooked here for too now and it is high time reform was considered (all in the interest of efficiency). Finally, in regard to inflation, this is something the State simply cannot intervene with and such attempts have failed in the past.

Defense
Improving upon certain defensive structures in this country is something to be considered (and we have the treasury to afford it). More importantly though the Irish Defense Forces must be absolutely organized at all times so that we have a rapid reaction force at our disposal in case of an emergency or a call for help abroad. Thus, getting an application working again is a top priority. While we may not look like much to the naked eye, eIreland has great military leadership, dedicated soldiers and some of the best spies in the eWorld. We will continue to gather intelligence from abroad however it is time we considered sending the best among our military ranks there too (those who are free to travel of course). We have a funded tank division however what use are they if they cannot develop their military capabilities. Furthermore, we should not be hesitant to involve the IDF in foreign missions abroad. The IDF have not been abroad in quite a while and world war would be too easy an excuse to give. We are freedom loving country and protecting smaller countries in peril is a noble cause (not to mention would strengthen our forces). These are dangerous times however we should always stand up for what we believe in and we should constantly seek ways to improve our defense.

Vote for accountability, strong leadership and a better eIreland on election day, vote IRP.
Viva La Revolution!
Feel free to browse our forum here.
Our wiki page can be found here.
Interested in joining the party? We'd be more than happy to have you here.

Éirinn Go Brách
Go raibh míle maith agat as do am is aire,
Severin, Irish Radical Party President.