Cormac for Grandee Secretary

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Cormac for Grandee Secretary
Tweet Topic Started: Aug 6 2015, 08:40 PM (163 Views)
Cormac	Aug 6 2015, 08:40 PM Post #1
Lazarene Posts: 398 Group: Members Member #9 Joined: Apr 8, 2015 Alignment Chaotic Neutral Military Stance Raider Political Views Independent Nation in Lazarus Cormactopia II Skype cormac.ns Discord Cormac#9408	Hey everyone! As you can see, I'm running for Grandee Secretary (Vice Delegate). This will be a brief platform to tell you why I'm running, what you can expect from me if I'm elected, and why you should vote for me. I welcome any questions as well. Why I'm Running I'm running for Grandee Secretary because, currently, Benevolent Thomas is the only candidate. I believe in contested, competitive elections, I think it's healthier for a regional community if every candidate has to work to get elected to the office they're seeking. That is pretty much the entire reason for my candidacy, and I wish Thomas the best of luck! What I'll Do If I'm elected Grandee Secretary, I will put 100% into serving as the region's Vice Delegate. This means not only will I make sure my endorsement count reaches the second most endorsements and stays there, but that I will also be vigilant in watching out for security threats. In addition, constitutionally it's the Grandee Secretary's role to guide the Grand Advisors, so as we are about to confirm our first two Grand Advisors I'll be working with them to get some basic security protocols established. I will also work with the Sovereign to get some guides to our endorsement caps and instructions on how to endo-tart pinned to our WFE. Why I'm Not a Threat Some of you will recall that I was Pharaoh of Osiris when Osiris declared war on Lazarus in 2014. This will likely give some of you hesitation in voting for me, which is to be expected. I take responsibility for my actions during that time period, before I became a citizen of Lazarus, before I got to know and like the people here, and importantly, before I worked alongside many of you to fight the NPO coup earlier this year. While I do take responsibility, I also need to point out that the responsibility was not mine alone. My entire cabinet in Osiris wanted war with Lazarus, and two-thirds of the Deshret, Osiris' assembly, approved it. It was a bad decision, and it was a bad decision in which I shared responsibility, but it was nonetheless not my bad decision alone. While that is certainly a blemish on my record, I have a much longer record of fighting for the security of Feeders and Sinkers. I have never actually supported a coup unless you count the Osiris Fraternal Order as a coup, which I do not. Instead, I worked alongside many others to liberate The South Pacific during Milograd's 2013 coup. I was Pharaoh of Osiris and leading the resistance against The Dourian Embassy's 2013 coup of Osiris. I exposed Operation Brave Toaster, a 2014 plot to politically subvert the Coalition of The South Pacific. And I worked alongside many of you against the NPO coup of Lazarus earlier this year, including by writing much of the anti-NPO propaganda which I published through the Miniluv Messenger. Despite my mistake as Pharaoh of Osiris, I have otherwise always stood for the security of Feeders and Sinkers, including Lazarus earlier this year, and I would do the same if elected Grandee Secretary. Why You Should Elect Me So the question remains: Why elect me over Thomas? Well, I'm not going to say anything bad about Thomas, because I like him and I think he would make a great Grandee Secretary as well. So I'll just briefly point out a few reasons I may make a better Grandee Secretary. 1. I already have the fourth highest endorsement count in Lazarus, on [nation]Lazmac[/nation], so it will likely not take me very long to work toward becoming second highest endorsed. I was building my endorsement count so I could build influence and eventually apply for Grand Advisor. 2. I already have a lot of experience with Feeder and Sinker security. I know exactly what needs to be done in an emergency, and I will be able to guide the initial protocols of the Grand Advisors toward sensible security measures. I was the architect of the Osiris Fraternal Order government, which brought stability and security to Osiris throughout 2014 and, thus far, 2015, after a year of total chaos. I can apply that experience here and our security will be the better for it. 3. Thomas is already serving in important roles and we should want his attention to continue to be dedicated there. Thomas is currently serving as Minister Steward (Minister of the Interior), where he's been doing a great job with regional culture, ~~and he's also serving as one of our two FRA representatives~~ and he's also focused on FRA reform at a time when we're seeking major reforms. We shouldn't further divide his attention; someone else who would make a good Grandee Secretary should concentrate their attention on that office, while Thomas continues to concentrate on the important work he's already doing. 4. By electing me, you won't be removing an active defender from the field at a time when the LLA is becoming more active and work is being done to reinvigorate the FRA. If I were WA mobile, I would probably be raiding. So why not let Thomas continue doing what he loves to do -- defend -- and let me serve as Grandee Secretary? 5. I'm the first candidate with a platform. That has to count for something, right? Conclusion So, that's why I'm running for Grandee Secretary, what I hope to do if elected, and why I think you should vote for me, in a nutshell. If anyone has any questions, I'm happy to take them, and again, best of luck to Thomas! Edited by Cormac, Aug 7 2015, 03:39 AM.



Benevolent Thomas	Aug 7 2015, 12:20 AM Post #2
Blessed of the Vale Posts: 1,532 Group: Members Member #63 Joined: Apr 14, 2015 Alignment Lawful Good Military Stance Neutral Nation in Lazarus Benevolent Thomas	I'm actually not one of our FRA reps. Funk and Bel hold that responsibility currently.



Cormac	Aug 7 2015, 03:15 AM Post #3
Lazarene Posts: 398 Group: Members Member #9 Joined: Apr 8, 2015 Alignment Chaotic Neutral Military Stance Raider Political Views Independent Nation in Lazarus Cormactopia II Skype cormac.ns Discord Cormac#9408	Benevolent Thomas Aug 7 2015, 12:20 AM I'm actually not one of our FRA reps. Funk and Bel hold that responsibility currently. Oh, oops. You really should be an FRA rep, considering that you're the one with the reform proposal... I also wanted to comment on something Thomas has said in his AMA thread, since it had to do with me: Benevolent Thomas Aug 7 2015, 01:01 AM If you'd call that tenure respectable... He may have a history of being delegate of a Sinker, which was mired with internal drama, poor foreign affairs and Imperialist meddling, but I've got something a bit close to that and more positive. This is only half the picture, if that. Beyond my terms as Pharaoh, I also designed the government structure of the Osiris Fraternal Order, which has kept Osiris coup-free for all of 2014 and, thus far, all of 2015, after it was riddled with coups and instability during 2013, and with most foreign observers expecting more of the same after the OFO was established. They were wrong because the government that I designed, the foundation that I established, has kept Osiris secure. That is at least as important to take into account as the bits of drama Thomas has referenced. Was there drama when I was Delegate? Yes. Has there been a coup since 2013? No, because of the system I designed while serving as Vice Delegate, the office I'm now campaigning for here. In any event, I'm committed to keeping my campaign entirely positive, so I guess that is another difference between us for voters to look at. Edited by Cormac, Aug 7 2015, 03:52 AM.



Amerion	Aug 7 2015, 09:11 AM Post #4
Star Destroyer Posts: 6,524 Group: Accused Member #29 Joined: Apr 9, 2015 Alignment Lawful Good Military Stance Neutral Political Views Independent Nation in Lazarus Amerion Discord Amerion#9702	In my personal opinion, I think your work in OFO is exceptional, others may disagree. I note however that you pleaded guilty of treason in Osiris, could you please give us (who may not be familiar with the episode) some details about it. (I am a strong believer in second chances and don't hold it against you, I'm just curious as this is an important position and as such, I would like to know my candidates and their history well before I cast my vote) Edit: spelling error Edited by Amerion, Aug 7 2015, 09:12 AM.



Cormac	Aug 7 2015, 10:46 PM Post #5
Lazarene Posts: 398 Group: Members Member #9 Joined: Apr 8, 2015 Alignment Chaotic Neutral Military Stance Raider Political Views Independent Nation in Lazarus Cormactopia II Skype cormac.ns Discord Cormac#9408	Amerion Aug 7 2015, 09:11 AM In my personal opinion, I think your work in OFO is exceptional, others may disagree. Thank you! I do appreciate acknowledgment of the positive work I did, because I think the negatives are sometimes over-emphasized. Amerion Aug 7 2015, 09:11 AM I note however that you pleaded guilty of treason in Osiris, could you please give us (who may not be familiar with the episode) some details about it. Well, the first thing I have to stress is that it was never my intention to actually carry out a coup in Osiris. I tarted heavily, with the stated intention of going beyond the endorsement cap, and said I was going to perpetrate a coup because I wanted treason charges filed against me, so that I would be banned for a long while and would not be able to return to Osiris. That may seem extreme, and it does seem extreme to me in hindsight as well, but at the time it didn't. Arguing between North East Somerset and I was seriously disrupting the region and wasn't going to stop -- anytime I posted anything, whether it was related to him or his interests or not, he went on the attack -- and I refused to back down because I believed he was trying to control Osiris for the benefit of imperialists, something, I will add, I continue to believe, though the community of Osiris has thus far not let him. This is among the reasons I've continued to support preventing North East Somerset from re-gaining citizenship here, having witnessed his manipulation and duplicity firsthand in Osiris. I don't think my actions were probably the right course of action, but they did seem like the right course of action at the time. To understand why people sometimes do extreme things in Osiris, you really have to experience some of the extreme circumstances of Osiris, which hopefully are becoming fewer and further between. In any event, I had been heavily involved in the region's governance since 2013 through some very difficult times, and despite that unfortunate closure to my time in Osiris I'm still proud of what I accomplished and what Osiris accomplished, and I wish them well. I have no plans to return to Osiris even when my sentence is complete and I'm looking forward to a new, more positive chapter of my NationStates experience here in Lazarus, which despite some strong political disagreements is a much more laid back and less contentious community Edited by Cormac, Aug 7 2015, 10:53 PM.



Amerion	Aug 8 2015, 12:58 AM Post #6
Star Destroyer Posts: 6,524 Group: Accused Member #29 Joined: Apr 9, 2015 Alignment Lawful Good Military Stance Neutral Political Views Independent Nation in Lazarus Amerion Discord Amerion#9702	Thank you Cormac for that detailed answer. I am satisfied and wish you the best of luck in the election.



Powthran	Aug 8 2015, 05:40 AM Post #7
Lazarene Posts: 523 Group: Members Member #103 Joined: Apr 22, 2015 Alignment Lawful Neutral Military Stance Uninterested Political Views Conservative Nation in Lazarus Powthran	It seems like your platform is based heavily on security, which I personally don't feel like is the biggest threat to Lazarus currently, given our numbers, allies, and that many of our enemies are banned from the region and some from NS as a whole. Explain why you feel like security is so important to our region especially over other concerns like culture and activity.



Cormac	Aug 8 2015, 09:34 AM Post #8
Lazarene Posts: 398 Group: Members Member #9 Joined: Apr 8, 2015 Alignment Chaotic Neutral Military Stance Raider Political Views Independent Nation in Lazarus Cormactopia II Skype cormac.ns Discord Cormac#9408	Powthran Aug 8 2015, 05:40 AM It seems like your platform is based heavily on security, which I personally don't feel like is the biggest threat to Lazarus currently, given our numbers, allies, and that many of our enemies are banned from the region and some from NS as a whole. Explain why you feel like security is so important to our region especially over other concerns like culture and activity. Security is the sole responsibility of the Grandee Secretary, as the region's Vice Delegate, which is why my platform focuses so heavily on it. I do believe that the other issues you've mentioned -- culture, activity, as well as other issues like foreign affairs, media -- are important, but they aren't the responsibility of the Grandee Secretary. Having a Grandee Secretary focused only on the role of that office, security, will free up the Sovereign and the rest of the executive to focus less on security and more on those other areas. Regarding our stability and security, I do agree that we're in a good place, but we also still have work to do. We need to get more WA nations to higher endorsement counts as buffers against future coups, and we need to encourage more people to work toward serving as Grand Advisors. While we're in a good place, it's never a good idea for a Feeder or Sinker to become complacent about its security. Complacency is usually immediately followed by coup. Thanks for the question! Edited by Cormac, Aug 8 2015, 09:36 AM.



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