The Presidents: 1836-1936 - An Interactive US AAR

((Mikeboy, Spitfire, and BBB are right Rogov. Why I said was a complete joke, almost everything I say OOC is not to be taken seriously. I wouldn't shut down factories always, since I made Jamous out to be a benevolent Titan, who encouraged unions within his factories, of which I only said IC there were to be a few in Virginia and Pennsylvania.

And just to ask, but how does the Jamous opinion in me maker a bad candidate for the Secretary of State for the Khur in me? You see one OOC statement that doesn't conform to your views and you want to take over the game?))

((Besides Rogov, if they shut down those factories on my watch, I'd still be President. Can any one say "workers' soviets"?))

The monopolies are the largest threat our nation has ever faced. They hold immense sway over our economy, often control private armies of their own consisting of security and strike-breakers, and possess enough money to fund and control an entire political party of their own with propaganda of the gravest sort and politicians who will do their bidding. One of the monopolists is already running for the Presidency on that party's ticket.

((Maybe I should use my army to silence our critics...... [/joke]))

I, Roderick Khur, shall run for the Federalist nomination.

((I can't let you destroy my beautiful monopoly BBB! [/JOKE]))

BigBadBob said:

Mr. Khur, nowhere in the constitution does it read the government by the people, for the people, is to stand by while a select group of men hold the people's prosperity hostage. These monopolies infringe on an unalienable right, that to the pursuit of happiness. They force out competition, and keep down those who would wish to try their hand at business. You may say: this country is not based on the ideal of equality. No. it is not. It is based on liberty. On the truth that "all men are born equal". In business, these monopolies are challenging that truth with their complete dominance of prices and market.

Benjamin Franklin once said: "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting that decision". Mr. Khur, these monopolies are wolves, and all others have been demoted by them to the status of lamb. Let us now arm that lamb, as the Founding Fathers would wish we did.

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Mr Harrison, no where in the Constitution does it give the Government the right to take from a man what he has built up from nothing. The Government has no right to destroying the works of men, that they have worked their whole lives to build I may add. Your breaking up of these monopolies also infringes on the right to the pursuit of happiness, as you take from these men what they have spent their whole lives and their fathers' lives to build, and would create unneeded competition through countless smaller businesses that would quickly fall apart as we have seen with this past recession. Have you not been among the people these past few years while the recession was in full swing? Prices have risen because of the stock market crash ((Was it an actual crash or just a scare?)), the lack of cheap foreign goods and markets due to the rise of the UPCA, and everything else that has happened. Before this recession prices were low, and the monopolies have only grown slightly during these past years. Once the economy is back within its previous state, we will see the drop in prices to where they were, and your fear-mongering will be moot.

The fact that you bring up such an analogy shows how disillusioned you are in this situation. You can not honestly claim that small businesses are liberty within a physical body, that is simply absurd. These so called "wolves" have done more to bring glory to this nation than anything and anyone else. Who rebuilt the south after Mandrake, Young, and William destroyed it? Who set about establishing industry and employment in the west after its liberation from Mexico? Who are responsible for bringing this nation above all others, and truely making it the greatest place on earth to live? You do these men a complete injustice for sullying everything they have done for this nation, everything that they have worked their lives to accomplish, while you seek to bring it all crashing down in just a few short years and/or months.

blindgoose said:

The monopolies are the largest threat our nation has ever faced. They hold immense sway over our economy, often control private armies of their own consisting of security and strike-breakers, and possess enough money to fund and control an entire political party of their own with propaganda of the gravest sort and politicians who will do their bidding. One of the monopolists is already running for the Presidency on that party's ticket.

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Where exactly are these private armies you speak of? Of course they have their own hired on security personel, how else are they supposed to protect their property from vandalism? You can not expect the Police to act as personal security, no it is the Police's job the serve and protect the public, not watch over each person's private property. And where are these "strike-breakers?" I know for a fact that Jamous-Khur Works does not employ them, as my uncle, Michael Jamous (God rest His soul), encouraged union membership within his factories and even allowed them to go on strike when Callahan called for the nation wide strike these few years ago.

OOC: Basically this election will focus on the monopoly question, with the Dems fielding anti-monopoly candidates, the ACP fielding pro- monopoly candidates and the Federalists fielding one pro- and one anti-monopoly candidate. Good, now we just need some random element to make this election become about something completely different.

((Sorry for Double post))

((The Forums arent letting me edit so the above vote is for Calvin Carr))

American Indian Act: Nay. Previous legislation has been enacted to provide proper rights and compensation for native tribes by encouraging their development or giving them control of their territory and other land rights. Adding vague additional stipulations to development - for just one specific native region - is just setting up legal hassles down the road as legislation could be delayed and confused with concerns of "harming the integrity" of native nations for various spurious reasons (legislation already must consider the constitutionality, legality, etc. of the laws, and the instructions of various treaties and laws made on the subject - these will protect the American Indians).

Federal Primary: James Harrison ((I figure Alicia is a Federal party member, so she'll vote for the Federal primary when she has interests in the outcomes in both Federal and Democratic primaries. Unofficially, she endorses President Hayden's run for the Democratic primary.))

Democratic Primary: President Joe (Go Joe! The Board of Labor Relations was only half the battle!)

(( I also have a question: is there going to be some sort of preferential rule in favor of Harrison getting elected so that the timeline can go as you plan, BBB? If so I have no problem with it at all, you deserve it, I would just like to know in advance. ))

((BBB, Calvin was born 1828, not 1848))

Friends and family, ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, and fellow Americans, if you have read my book, The True American, then I believe you already know what principles I apply in regard to how I believe this nation should be run. However, I understand that not everyone has read my book, whether by choice or by circumstance, so I will give a somewhat in-depth analysis of the policies that I will put in place if I am elected President of the United States.

In regards to the economy, I believe the government should have a very limited role, if any at all. These monopolies exist not because the government hasn't done enough, but because they have done far too much to empower them. Harrison's anti-trust act in my home state of New York, for example, is very susceptible to abuse and corruption, especially since there is no very good clean cut point where a trust or a monopoly or whatever you wish to call it is "too big", thus allowing whoever is in charge of such an operation to cut down whomever it sees fit. If, say, one of these monopolists was able to slip some coin in this director's pocket, it is possible he would be able to convince the director to look the other way. I also believe we should have a flat tax which is as low as possible, so that the people's pocket is not drained dry in such a time where their pocket is dry enough as is. Tariffs should also be avoided. ((Laissez-faire and free trade))

In regards to culture, I believe America is the land of the free and home of the brave. My grandfather himself was a German immigrant who fought in the Revolutionary War under General Washington. So long as immigrants adapt to American ways and follow our citizenship laws, they should be allowed to be equal under the law to every other American. America is a Christian nation, and I believe morality and good character should be encouraged. People of other religions, however, will be treated as equals. ((Full citizenship and Pluralism))

In regards to the military and international relations, if I am elected President I will not cut the army unless it endangers the budget, however I will not expand the army either. I believe our army should continue to modernize and stay on par with that of the other great powers. Our army should have the best weapons, tools, and training possible. We should avoid war if possible, and I say we should conduct commerce and keep good relations with the nation of Peru as we would any other nation. Their affairs are not ours, and as long as they will continue trading with us then I will treat them no differently than anyone else. ((Pro-military))

((For some reason I don't feel like I did this all that well. Oh well.))

Four Mo' for Joe! - Joe Hayden for Democratic Party nominee

BigBadBob said:

I will not pretend that the right is not infringed at least a little both ways, but I will also not pretend that it is the lesser evil to allow these monopolies to continue! Should we allow the few to take away from so many the pursuit of happiness, and all they have accomplished in it, just because the few wish to make 50 million dollars instead of a "meager" 20 million? I do not propose to destroy the works of these men, whose skill at business I very much admire. I propose to limit further earnings by the smallest of margins, so that every man with a dream can try his hand at business. I do not intend to create "countless smaller businesses that would quickly fall apart", I intend to set up conditions in which every business has a chance at becoming large, but not overpoweringly so.

I have been among the people. I have seen Standard Oil and Howard Industries' prices rise for no discernible reason. I went to Wall Street on October 13th, when all was crashing around the stockbrokers. I have seen this nation come through a crisis which dwarfs this one by any measure. I lost friends to bullets, bombs and disease because people like you believed that individuals and states may dictate the fate of the rest of the nation. You say they rebuilt the South, and established industry in the West, I say no. New England rebuilt the South. New England brought forth industry in the West. These men were the lucky individuals who took over the hard work and investment of thousands and thousands of hopefuls who believed in the American Dream. Who believed that they had the chance to make it big, and took that chance with open eyes and open hearts. As long as these men dominate the markets so completely, there can never be a recovery as long and prosperous as that we have experienced.

Last, but certainly not least, I reiterate that I do not wish to destroy their work. I wish to create a climate in which others can hope to match their achievement. In the long-run, the break-up of their monopolies will benefit not only the American population as a whole, but the stimulation of economic growth these break-ups set forth will eventually see profits much more vast than those they could have gained by repressing competition.

((Damn you King! I knew I should have posted the update right away! )).

((PS. Although about half of these monopolies do have "strike breakers", they haven't really been used... yet)).

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Well, what about when these new businesses, formed from the disbansion of these monopolies, become as large as you wish them to be? What then? Will we break them up as well to allow for even more businesses to grow and become large? We can not lie straight to the face of every American and tell them that everyone deserves to own their own business, and that everyone can be successful within this realm. There will always be winners and losers, that is the basis of our economic system. We can not be constantly breaking up large businesses and corporations just because it may or may not be unfair to those who feel they deserve to be successful businessmen.

You have some nerve to say that it was New England and the men of New England who has made this nation what it is. What of all those who have sacrificed and worked for this nation that are not from New England? What of Michael Jamous, born, raised, and rised to the status of Titan, from Pennsylvania? What of Rockefeller, born, raised, and rised to Titan as well, from Ohio? What of John Cameron, born and raised in New York, whos policies set the ground for industrialization of the west and south? New England may have played some role, but it is not the sole reason for the current industrial might of our grand nation.

((We can't let you just walk into the White House, you need to work for it like the rest of us pAARticipants.
And I'm scared now by your last statement....
And after looking through the first 20 or so pages to find where Cameron was from, I saw that Gloa updates his first post with all of his characters. That is some comitment right there Gloa ))