Presidential Questions (From Forum) [Angrr]
Angrr
Since people put time into thinking up questions, I will post some answers here:-
What will you do to make eJapan more attractive to foreigners?
There is a massive risk involved in trying to attract foreigners to eJapan, as for every foreigner who comes, there is the risk of a PTO agent. More than this, there is a massive risk of the community rejecting them, or in the worst cases them being hounded out of the country.
I used to be a politician and Party President in the eUSA a year and a half ago, and still maintain contact with that party and many of its members. I was recently approached by a very prominent eAmerican who wanted advice upon the chances of a group of older players from that party moving over to eJapan and settling down.
Such possibilities are out there, but a vetting process, and perhaps a minimum length of time required before granting citizenship would be neccessary to satisfy everyone that it is not a PTO. But exactly how interesting does that seem to a prospective immigrant? That is our issue.
In case PTO occurs, or know that a person has a link to a PTO organization, will you allow him/her congressman mask should he/she win (from his/her multi)?
This relates to the previous question - how do we know who is a PTO agent, and who genuinely wants to live in eJapan? How can we be sure without a shadow of a doubt that they are a part of a PTO?
If we can be certain of this, then I would agree that we need to do what is in our power to keep the from congress. It would require more than a hunch though.
What changes in Asia do you predict in the near future? Which part do we play in this changes?
I think that Asia has been changing for a number of months now, and will continue to do so. China has grown stronger, and will likely continue to grow. Our recent decision to attack our neighbors sets us apart a little from the smaller nations, whereas we were once one and the same. I worry that the likes of Russia and other larger nations will take control of some smaller nations, and we cannot be sure that we are free from such dangers. There is also the very real possibility that some EDEN nations will try to take control of nations by PTO in order to "combat" the threat of the Pheonix pawns. Since our invasion of South Korea allowed Russia into the picture, we would have played a large part in starting this chain of events, and would likely have a part to play in any attempt to resolve the situation.
What is the most important topic, you think that has to be changed/continued?
The war and our foreign policy, or government/cabinet accountability.
The war was in my eyes a mistake from the beginning. It seems that a few more people have come to believe it wasn't the best course of action after the dust settled, but almost every average citizen would agree that the lies / half truths and twisting of the facts used to gain support leaves a bad taste. There were so many stories used to justify the war, and everytime I questioned it I got another. Why does the government see the neccessity to hide or obscure the truth and feed lies to the people? The war - although my opponents would be quick to deny it - has worsened the situation in Asia instead of bettered it. It also took away an additional region from Japan, and emptied our treasury.
There has also been an issue with accountability - especially regarding the war. The reasons for attacking remain unexplained to most citizens, the way the gold was used too. Some cabinet members and government members seem to have their own agenda, which is counter-productive and doesn't help our nation. Almost everyone would agree that our military runs well and has come on leaps and bounds, but it functions more as a seperate entity now than a part of the government. There seems to be no accountability demanded, and a "😉
on't ask, Don't tell" policy seems to be in place at the moment.
What personal lesson do you take from the results of the SK war?
We are still a small nation, and no matter how much our damage is talked up, we are at the mercy of any bigger nation who wants to take us. The way we lost the regions we took from South Korea should be a warning - that could very easily happen on our home soil. Kyushu has obvious tactical value, and regardless of our affiliations, I believe we could count on some assistance in keeping it should it be attacked. If, however, a larger nation hit some of our other regions for fun, or in retribution for our past actions (SK war / Kyushu incidents), how much assistance could we really expect?
We must learn to be realistic, and try to use diplomatic avenues to ensure that such a situation never arises.
Who would be your most important partner(player) in your presidency?
The Minister of Foreign Affairs. The choice of this minister will be very important over the coming months, and I would expect that this person would be in constant contact with myself if I was president, or find him/herself replaced.
Why should we vote for you?
I would hope that people vote for me because I am genuinely trying to repair the damage caused by our recent excapades in South Korea. Change is required, as well as time to rebuild and re-think. It is time for some fresh blood - new faces in the government, and I believe that I have the ability to do these things in an efficient manner, and leave the country in a better state when I am finished.
Why shouldn´t we vote for you? (could be a very hard question but a good way for a clever candidate to state his faults in a charming way)
There have been many people happy to give reasons not to vote for me in the media! Some of what they say is an obvious attempt to undermine my campaign, but I will admit that some things they bring up with merit.
I once RW'd a South Korean region without the required authorisation when I was the current Vice President. That sounds like a pretty good reason. The details surrounding it though are very rarely given. It should be pretty clear that I am against the occupation of other nations, but it was much more than that. At the time, our President was notoriously inactive, and refused to allow any sort of change. Our congress tried to do what it could, but met resistance at every step. He clung to power as 2-clicking citizens saw him as the incumbent President and the PP of the largest party in eJapan, as well as their boss in many occasions.
I ran in opposition to him, but narrowly missed out, despite the backing of most of the active population. I wanted to allow the changes that our nation needed to move forward. After the election, a large part of congress began talk of an impeachment - most of congress was against him and it would have passed, but I did not see this as being a positive way to change the nation, so I realised that I had to leave the game so that any impeachment would put an inactive citizen in the Presidency - effectively stopping this plan. During this time, I came up with another way to force change. For months congress had debated releasing South Korean regions one at a time for a number of reasons - The Resistance Wars would give free fighting to the people and increase activity, and the fewer regions would make it easier to manage our congress, as we had a much smaller population then and PTO was a very real threat that was always looming over our heads. I decided that as I was leaving and had gold to spare, I would start on of the resistance wars (that had been agreed in principal in congress but refused by the President). This, I was certain, would be the catalyst for change that was required. It would draw the two-clickers into the game, whilst showing that the President lacked the support of even his VP. History shows that although I had to be "the bad guy", the desired result was achieved.
This should show that I am not afraid to make the difficult choices - even at the expense of my own well-being.
What made you settle in eJapan?
I live in Japan in real life, and have a great affection for it.
I am from Scotland originally, and that nation may as well not exist in this game - it is a single region in the UK. That seemed like an insult, so I never settled there. I began in eJapan, but way back in beta there were no more than a handful of people in the country, and no jobs, so I borrowed money and moved to the eUSA (which was more populous) and learned the ropes there, coming back to eJapan when it was finally finding it's feet.
What would you take as proof that someone is a PTO needs to be forum banned?
If investigation revealed a past that linked them to previous PTOs, or if they tried to bribe congress members to obtain citizenship, then I could consider Forum-banning. The issue with forum-banning though is that it completely excludes them, so if you make a mistake, they may well then become what you were afraid of out of anger.
How do you feel abut region swaps and why?
I would not agree to any region swap. To my knowledge, we are not part of any alliance where we signed formal documents swearing to do such a thing. We agreed to help out when needed, in return for help when required. This should not (and does not) allow allies a revolving door into Asia. Our own regions should never be given up, and if we are attacked, we should fight with every last bit of energy we can muster.
What do you feel are the causes of the current community divisions and how would you fix them?
The community was divided when some experienced players came from eNorth Korea in a large, organised group and were percieved as a threat by those who had been here before that. The current divide is different though. A large part of the current divide is caused simply by the fact that there used to be a divide. People of the Godzilla party who were mistrusted for so long, now see any disagreement as another attack based on the divide, and vice versa. Another element is nationality - in a time where PTOs are a real threat, people from somewhere else are automatically viewed with suspician, or actively hounded out of the country.
As for fixing them, no one person can do it. It would require everyone to come to terms with the current situation, and wipe the slate clean.
Have you been in Congress? And if so, could you please describe your experience?
I have been in congress 6 times in total. I have seen childish behaviour and peer pressure. I have seen people bullied into agreeing, and anyone who speaks up for something they believe in flamed horribly because some faction disagrees. Congress is a place for debate, but it seems at times that debate only occurs if the people are split in the middle. If a smaller percentage believe in one thing, the larger part will call them idiots until they give up.
If people claim you do not know how to play this game, what would you say?
People who claim to "know how to play the game" generally mean that they use loopholes and grey areas to get ahead, and if that is playing the game then I am happy to be in the dark. I have been in this game since beta, and I have learned a lot about government, war, foreign relations, business - I have served in varying positions in many different governments, and know how the game works.
Why do you think players are reluctant to participate in the community?
Our community has a tendency to be overly agressive when disagreeing and silent when agreeing. Those who do speak up are shot down, and new players find this intimidating, and are reluctant to step into an arena where they would likely - as new players - fall foul of this by saying something that seems stupid to the experienced members.
If you would choose someone to replace you, who would it be?
I have seen many good players come and go in this game, but I am always most excited to see young, new players stand up for what they believe in. I would struggle to give a name, but I would hope that some young, as-yet unknown player could step up and get involved in my place.
Who are your role models in game?
Most of my role-models are now gone. I was a young player in another era, and those players to whom I looked up have by-and-large dissappeared. In eJapan, I always respected InfernoSD, a legendary businessman and a true gentleman.
What do you feel should be done with the Righteous Nation Philosophy?
I loved having a philosophy like this to follow and set us apart from other nations, and I would love to go back to it.
Unfortunately, that now seems impossible, so I would love to see Reiji get back to it and update it, altering it to fit the world as it is today and give us new hope.
How do I shot web?
Press square.
What specific steps do you plan to take in order to increase funds in the NBoJ?
Spending must be cut back, which means no wars. With a good Minister of Finance, this alone will go a long way towards remedying our problem.
Who is our closest allied nation in your view?
At the moment, probably the eUSA. I would hope that our Asian neighbors would be strong allies, as it is from them (or through them) that attack is most likely to come, and would like to see us work on this.
Can you offer a summation of your foreign policy philosophy and how you will apply it with respect to our foreign relations?
We must work on reconnecting with Asia. Many may argue that no-one cared that we invaded SK, but the resulting Russian presence has more than likely drawn attention, and nearby nations will look at us as the cause of that presence.
I think that we must rebuild our relationships with our close neighbors, and strengthern the relationships with the nations to whom we look for protection. There would be no war started during my term, instead we would use diplomatic means to try to reunite Asia.
What experience do you have that will help you implement your foreign policy and deal with nations around the world?
I have been an ambassador to several countries, and maintain contacts even now. My time as Minister of Foreign Affairs added even more, and the time I spent developing the ill-fated Asian Alliance had me working alongside many people from governments in the area.
Killing Time has stated that if he is elected president of the eUSA he would not return Karnataka to eIndia. If Killing Time is elected president and asked for a land swap would you still be willing to do so?
Killing ime was once a member of my party when I was PP, and I would consider him a friend, but I would never permit a land-swap. Such an action would obviously be a hostile attack, and despite our status as an ally, we cannot be expected to give them passage for such a maneuvre
What is your opinion on the war with eSK? Will you be willing to sign a peace treaty with them as president?
My views on the war are very clear, and I would assure the people of both nations that no attack would come from eJapan. In an ideal world, I would close the war immediately and sign a peace treaty, but the cost involved is a factor, as is the unlikely approval of our congress. I would certainly be happy to discuss it. though.
With eJapan low on funds what MPP do you think are most important for the the security of eJapan?
The eUSA and spain have long served us well, and I think we would do well to maintain these MPPs. The Romania MPP and the Croatia MPP have provided wars that our citizens can participate in, but they have not been as regular as some would like, and if a viable option was presented that gave us a regular battle, I would consider that instead.
Will you seek to add eChina, eAustralia, eIndia, and/or eSA to the MPP list?
eChina would be a good show of intent with regards to getting back on track in Asia. Each MPP has some merit, but with limited gold reserves, careful consideration and discussion within congress would be required.
Will your policies be for eJapan, Asia, Eden, Phoenix, or Bro first?
eJapan is first, undoubtedly. I would like to focus on Asia second, as we need to do some damage control here.
Do you believe in the "Rightful Nation" philosophy?
Yes. However, I also believe that it is dead.
Do you like anime? If yes, which ones do you watch the most and which one is your favorite?
I do not often watch anime now. I did at one point, but have no time any more. 🙁
Do you feel that you are competent to fulfill the role of president and the responsibilities of the office, or are you running for lulz?
Of course I believe that I am a competent Presidential candidate. I would not run for the lulz.
Care to give a timeline for the invasion of Austria?
lol.
I missed the last couple of questions somehow. I will post answers when I get back later.
Angrr
Comments
Not voting for you now 100%. Please just drop out.
Hey its the guy who quit the game after getting reamed! Presidential leader material imo!
Ignoring that Kyushu swapping is one of our most powerful assets, and provided we are compensated has not any huge effects, I think ignoring it for swapping is a huge misnomer on your part. If anything, moving everyone to one fortress region would be an advantage instead of scattering them between 3 Q5 regions.
Also on top of that you seem to have this misconception that eChina, or Asia as a whole has an issue with us, this couldn't be more wrong for several reasons. In the same vein eCroatia has shown it's loyalty as an ally more so than any asian nation we are very close with at the time.
First of all thanks for the huge effort of answering so many questions, it was really informative(yes I read it all instead of tl;dr😁).
While there were some parts I had to disagree with, this interview at least made me understand your view on eJapan even if mine differs from it.
The first step to cooperation is to understand each other, therefore, once again, thanks.
I know that not everyone agrees with me - that will never happen. But questions carefully considered and posed by citizens offer a better view into a candidates line of thought. All I ask is that people read it over.
@Nowe : like you were considering it before now ? 😛
"How do I shot web" XD
Thank you for sharing. Good luck.
Months with nothing, then the walls of text return. It's good to see you feeling like your old self Akki.
And that's your retort to Akki's well-thought-out statement? Angrr, I'm going to guarantee to you now that there is no chance you'll ever be president of Japan in the coming election or any elections afterward. Reading this only resolves others in not voting for you. So yes, insightful indeed. No one else can make voting for you seem less attractive. Congrats!
No retort. He stated his point of view, and I mentioned that he was back to his old self. No pun / wit or anything intended.
And why do people who aren't ever going to vote for me always come here and say "Now I will not vote for you"? 🙂
ITT old players bickering
Angrr, I have to repeat TRSV's sentiment and ask why, specifically, do you not support ANY region swaps?
That seems to deny reality to believe that we can just fight off attackers without using game mechanics to their fullest extent in order to protect ourselves. And I have a hard time understanding why we wouldn't allow our allies into Asia in order to support China. Taking a firm, 100% stance like this is foolish, imo, and will affect our foreign policy to a much greater degree than the SK war ever could have.
It is not the action, it is the attitude that we would arbitrarily not help our allies and not use the best tactics to defend ourselves, for what appears to be no reason at all.
Unsurprisingly Akki-san has got his timeline wrong. I was not even in Congress then, nor did I know about the planned impeachment. Since so many players have left the country or the game though I suppose a faulty memory is understandable.
A lot has been made of the Resistance War but it wasn't really a big deal. Gave us our first wargames since I had moved to eJapan -- perhaps the first, period. (Our first wargames by MPP didn't start until months later.) A few members at the time (notably Akki) tried to make a fuss over it, but none of them had objected to using Resistance Wars for wargames when the idea was first floated in the forums. They disagreed that we should fight red since the low-population regions made us worse off (almost all had <10 population.) I thought getting rid of them was the right idea but I fought green when the government ordered it.
All in all, Angrr is the only candidate this month who has demonstrated both a willingness to think through his proposals and an openness to change. On the other hand, his critics bring up past events that were not even important fourteen months ago when they happened.
Sadly, since all of the forum records from my period had been destroyed due to the TFC takeover of the national forum which had occurred until the new current national forum was created by Kokawa, I do not remember exactly who was congressmen and who were not at that time. Luckily, now our emperor Kokawa keep forum running in good manner such that our record now could be kept from the past. I do apologize for getting my time line wrong.
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DONT MIND THE COMMENTS ANGRR YOU ARE SO FAR THE BEST CANDIDTAE!
SORRY FOR CAPS!
Angrr always been good to helping people who need to it.
Old player doesn't make bad player. Some new player is more trouble-maker.
Vote Angrr!
"Ignoring that Kyushu swapping is one of our most powerful assets"
Ask the "retreat Kyushu" crowd who they would be willing to retreat the region for (only eUSA, no one else), and you'll get why the foreign policy is so important. Many of those same people were involved with the self-destruction of eNorth Korea last year for the same "uncompromising" positions. As we saw in the eSK war (which I supported, given MoD Dokomo and CP Danyeo's statements), small countries such as ours are at the mercy of their larger neighbors. Let's let the superpowers play their own politics.
Region swapping does have effects - it limits our options when it comes to protecting out nation. Swap to allow the eUSA in, and we are then fully reliant upon that nation and its allies (EDEN?) for protection. It is foolish to believe that there are no effects.
I understand that this is a game, and there are those who enjoy playing it like a game of risk - but what of the other type of player? this is a simulation after all, so a sense of patriotism does develop, and invasion (however temporary) should not be allowed by the government. It should certainly not be offered to other nations.
I am fully aware that there are people who are all for that kind of gameplay, and those who think it is foolish to rule it out, but nothing bothered / offended me more than our region being attacked, and then given away to another country - especially when the reasons were selfish and completely unrelated to what the people were told.
I see no sense in lying, so I am being completely honest and saying I cannot see any situation where I would agree to a swap.
"Swap to allow the eUSA in, and we are then fully reliant upon that nation and its allies (EDEN?) for protection."
USA is not part of EDEN, Angrr. Get your facts on foreign affairs and other nations right before making decision on your foreign policy goals.
They are not a part of EDEN, but retain many ties. In fact, we have (like it or not) ties to EDEN too, and their influence is felt in what we do.
Akki - did he even say USA were in EDEN? I didn't see that.
Didn't we make war in South Corea because we were helping EDEN?
Poor Angrr🙁
fsmithmetal: EDEN had absolutely nothing to do with the war on South Korea.
There are more situations than just allowing the US through Kyushu that you can use region swapping to protect our nation. If you don't understand this principle, I do not think you are ready to be President. The job of the President is to protect the nation, not cater to any particular subset of players within eJapan.
I'm not sure what you mean by the reasonings behind swapping Kyushu being selfish, or whatever. But I'm not really interested in discussing Kyushu yet again so whatever I guess.
Good luck to you Angrr. I hope you can restore Japan to it's former glory.
John McGee! Come back to Japan!