Nation in Turmoil - A LatAm Political RPm (Special)

[Madrinpoor]

---

The Out Of Character • The Parliament Thread • The Discord

---

CURRENT EVENT

2022 Party Debate

---

[Madrinpoor]

Carbania Party Debate — 2022
Note: This debate happens on February 19, 2022

PALPABLE TENSION...bright TV lights...a crowd of anxious and politically active audience members...what else can this be, but an electoral debate! It is, hosted by the public TV channel CNTV, and moderated by the most popular pundit in Carbania, Pepe Garcia. Every party is invited, from the Greens to the Socialists...is it time to change the fate of the election?

---

OOC: Welcome to the first debate of the Nation in Turmoil RP. It will function as follows. Their will be 1 debate question every day ie: Do you support reducing taxes. For the next 12 hours OOC each participant in the Debate will have 90 seconds to answer that question.

People speak an average of 140 words per minute, a fast speaker about 170 words and a slow speaker about 110. Most politicians speak at 120 words per minute because it's easier to understand and comprehend a slow speaker so don’t try and jam words in. The MAXIMUM number of words acceptable for a 90 second debate response is 260 words. The microphone WILL BE CUT OFF after 260 words and no one will hear the candidate.

After the 12 hour mark a period of ‘free discussion’ will follow, also 12 hours long. The candidates may engage and challenge one another, provided it is limited to the topic of the question. Once that 12 hour mark is up another question will be asked by the moderator. ANY POSTS REGARDING THE PREVIOUS QUESTION AFTER THIS POINT WILL NOT BE COUNTED .

Now we understand the irl comes first you might not be able to participate every day, thats fine you will get other chances to debate. If you can’t participate on a question in the IC, in the RP your character will have answered the question, it just wasn’t interesting or memorable. Thanks Dent.

[Madrinpoor]

Pepe Garcia: "Hello viewers of CNTV, and hello candidates in the upcoming election...thank you for viewing the 2022 Party Debates. Some of these people up here you may see again soon, because they are running for President too...some of them may just be behind the scenes. Every major party in Carbania is invited to the debate, and has sent one representative to discuss the issues with us."

"My first question is — how does each party plan to invigorate Carbania's economy, which some say has been struggling?"

[Sao Nova Europa]

Sebastian Carnicero: "PLP supports a reformist agenda to kickstart economic growth. We firmly believe that the way for Carbanias' economy to grow is to attract foreign direct investment and to stimulate domestic consumption. How will we achieve this? Firstly, we aim to simplify our tax code by eliminating all taxes except for a flat personal income tax of 15%, a flat corporate tax of 10%, a 12% value-added tax and a corporate carbon tax. This will represent a drastic reduction of the tax burden that will make Carbania competitive globally and allow our citizens to keep more of their hard earned money. Small businesses will pay a reduced corporate tax and those who earn less than $3000 will pay zero in income tax. Secondly, we aim to digitize public administration, cutting red tape and saving citizens' time and money. It's an ambitious goal but one we believe is feasible as the example of Estonia has shown. Thirdly, we aim to repeal harmful regulations that only add up red tape and discourage investors. Fourth, we aim to create an 'Office for Investments' to advertise our country abroad and attract private investments. Fifth, we will offer low interest loans to farmers and help them export their products abroad. A PLP government will be a business-friendly government."

[Cybernetic Socialist Republics]

(Image)

Pepe Garcia: "Hello viewers of CNTV, and hello candidates in the upcoming election...thank you for viewing the 2022 Party Debates. Some of these people up here you may see again soon, because they are running for President too...some of them may just be behind the scenes. Every major party in Carbania is invited to the debate, and has sent one representative to discuss the issues with us."

"My first question is — how does each party plan to invigorate Carbania's economy, which some say has been struggling?"

Mayor Yesenia Espinosa

"We at the Union of New Commons want to pursue and maintain a full employment economy to fight poverty, increase equity, lift wages and raise government revenue. In what I know will be a contrast to what other parties will offer have have offered, I will not rattle of a web of complex, bureaucratic programs, full of income tests and inspections, who's implementation in mature democracies regularly falls far short of promises, nevermind what'd happen in a young democracy such as ours, but straight forward policies that will create foundation for future success. What follows is not an exclusive list, but core to what we call for.

We support tax reform that ensures those who earn in the formal sector are not punished for reporting their earnings with higher taxes than those that earn similar amounts in the informal sector. We support the creation of a Carbanian Agricultural Development Organization, to guarantee purchase of all Carbanian produce at market prices, provide fair loans and provide access to the goods and services needed to increase the productivity of our farms. We are against dictatorships like china extracting the proceeds of our natural resources and therefore support the nationalization of dictatorship-aligned companies. We support guaranteeing a living wage for all public sector employees to raise consumption while also forcing the private sector to lift wages to compete. Finally, we support connection our communities with a national transit strategy and a program for universal internet access."

[Fidimouni]

Pablo Miledo is among the first to speak up. "The CRM supports a open, transparent, but most importantly, workers and peasant's lead path in fundamentally developing our nation. By taking control of the heights of our economy into the hands of the working class, ending needless privatization by not allowing foreign capitalist dressed in national colors to take our resources to sell it off for profit, by re-introducing a state monopoly on foreign trade, and most importantly, by nationalizing major industries without compensation and immediately putting them in control by the working class, is the only way to fundamentally shift our society towards both workers democracy and long-term economy stability.

Let us never accept both internal and foreign capitalist looting our country. Dismantling the semi-feudal institutions in much of the country and engaging in industrialization is the best way to create a stronger, sustainable society. To re-invigorate our economy is not just a basic process of economic realignment, it's a process of shifting on how we as a state and society function. So let's keep it simple: industrialize, nationalize, and democratize our economy, in building sustainability and ending needless confusion."

[Reorganized Portugal]

Jose Antonio Rabellino, Partido Democratica Catolico

"The PDC supports a conservative approach to fixing our economy. First of all, the people have had their money taken away from them due to the dictatorship, and they are forced to live on only a negligible amount, barely even enough to feed their families, which is why we have slums all over the country. We need to return the money taken to Carbania's people, which is why we support a tax cut on the middle and upper class. Our plan seeks to cut taxes by 20% for the upper class and 15% for the middle and lower class. This way, the money that was unfairly taken by Marcelo Mendes can be returned to the people. We will, however, introduce a carbon and coal tax on large corporations to not only reduce our carbon footprint but ensure that the government maintains a steady source of revenue.

We also believe that, in these times of difficulty, Carbania must take in aid from other countries, such as our Latin American neighbors and the United States. Carbania cannot fully rebuild on its own. Foreign infrastructure projects will be monitored by the government and international aid must be accepted if we ever hope to rebuild the struggling economy."

[Tehrangeles]

Israel Mendoza, Movement for National Restoration

“My fellow patriots, the time is now to restore our nation. I, Israel Mendoza, promise to take your values to Intichiquan and rebuild our nation with those values in mind. Not the values of the radical left, nor the so-called centrists who are in the pocket of international business. I, like many of you, have lived paycheck to paycheck, and I know many in our great country are suffering. That is why our party, the Movement for National Restoration will live up to its Christian morality and understanding that families are the building block of a better Carbania, to provide better funding for healthcare, universal social security pensions, and a tax credit for those with children. That is how we build the economy of tomorrow, in tandem with investment into infrastructure- not just new roads and bridges, but ensuring all have access to electricity, plumbing, and the internet, especially in rural areas. We will also lower the corporate tax rate and liberalize certain state industries, to spur foreign investment. Simultaneously we will follow in the footsteps of other countries in the region, eliminating sales taxes completely in our poorest provinces- namely Buñuel, Mugre Oro, and Tres Rios. Unlike other parties, we will make a Carbania that works for those outside of the capital and big cities, where effects of foreign investment will be most felt.”

[New Luciannova]

'Mis Amigos, Partido Para Mañana Nueva sees a glorious future for Cartania, thrusting us into prosperity and the modern world. Already, as head of Prometheus Capital I have shown we can conduct our own trade and shipping, we can refine our own oil, we can extract our own resources, but we're only scratching the surface. La Universidad de los Artes y las sciences del Cartania, the university I founded has trained businesspeople, scientists, and scholars who will grow our economy. Cartania will grow to have its own Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and Hollywood, and will become a tourist hotspot. If we open up markets, the private sector will build what we need. We should have the best colleges, cutting edge research and technology, beautiful artwork, investment opportunities and skyscrapers. Olympus Tower is merely the first,it will not be the last," said El Pulpo.
"I know how to build a business and attract investors, I have the resume, the pedigree, and the know-how to make Cartania an economic center in South America."

[Guagolandum]

"My first question is — how does each party plan to invigorate Carbania's economy, which some say has been struggling?"

Partido Laborista de Carbania, José A. García Rodríguez

"Well, you see, economic growth is an important objective for our nation. We think that small and medium businesses need more support, lower taxes. And people need higher salaries in order to live better and increase their quality of life. We must ease the access to the creation of a business by someone who has the money and the disposition to work hard, but as we support that, we also support the worker's right to denounce his or her employer for abusive practices. We must mantain a balance, welfare and productivity, as well as zero abuse. We will attract foreign investors to come and invest here, but we must also take into consideration that those projects could damage Carbania's rich environment and biodiversity, to which we oppose. So I also think there is a space for regulation in foreign investment there", said García.

[Dentali]

(Image)

Pepe Garcia: "Hello viewers of CNTV, and hello candidates in the upcoming election...thank you for viewing the 2022 Party Debates. Some of these people up here you may see again soon, because they are running for President too...some of them may just be behind the scenes. Every major party in Carbania is invited to the debate, and has sent one representative to discuss the issues with us."

"My first question is — how does each party plan to invigorate Carbania's economy, which some say has been struggling?"

Alejandro De La Vega



De La Vega: Some years ago I founded an organization that helped nations recover and prosper after emerging from authoritarian rule and have found great success. The formula for improving the economy is simple we need investment, and we need a climate that fosters growth and opportunity.

Our nation must institute laws and regulations which will remove corruption and abuse, giving our economy a chance to grow… better wages, more jobs, and a better standard of living will follow. Only through a robust and competitive economy can we reach our true potential as a nation.

This will require tough, and constant conversations between actors, It will require the fostering of entrepreneurship and education, and a stable fiscal policy. Through measures like this we not only open ourselves to the ingenuity of our people, to our own capabilities… but will invite investment from abroad, opportunities and equal partnership with those all over the world who share our values, we have seen this formula work in other nations time and again.

[Tehrangeles]

(Image)

Sebastian Carnicero: "PLP supports a reformist agenda to kickstart economic growth. We firmly believe that the way for Carbanias' economy to grow is to attract foreign direct investment and to stimulate domestic consumption. How will we achieve this? Firstly, we aim to simplify our tax code by eliminating all taxes except for a flat personal income tax of 15%, a flat corporate tax of 10%, a 12% value-added tax and a corporate carbon tax. This will represent a drastic reduction of the tax burden that will make Carbania competitive globally and allow our citizens to keep more of their hard earned money. Small businesses will pay a reduced corporate tax and those who earn less than $3000 will pay zero in income tax. Secondly, we aim to digitize public administration, cutting red tape and saving citizens' time and money. It's an ambitious goal but one we believe is feasible as the example of Estonia has shown. Thirdly, we aim to repeal harmful regulations that only add up red tape and discourage investors. Fourth, we aim to create an 'Office for Investments' to advertise our country abroad and attract private investments. Fifth, we will offer low interest loans to farmers and help them export their products abroad. A PLP government will be a business-friendly government."

“Mr. Carnicero, I agree with some of your proposals, like eliminating the income tax for those enduring hardship. But the idea of digitizing public administration, as you call it, is laughable. Many of our citizens do not have reliable access to electricity, let alone Internet. This policy is simply another way to centralize wealth and power in Intichiquan, while leaving smaller communities in the south of Carbania behind. We need more brick-and-mortar, more public investment in our communities- not less. Let’s not focus on what would improve the lives of big wigs in the capital, let’s focus on the needs of our people- the people I fight for.”

[Cybernetic Socialist Republics]

(Image)

Sebastian Carnicero: "PLP supports a reformist agenda to kickstart economic growth. We firmly believe that the way for Carbanias' economy to grow is to attract foreign direct investment and to stimulate domestic consumption. How will we achieve this? Firstly, we aim to simplify our tax code by eliminating all taxes except for a flat personal income tax of 15%, a flat corporate tax of 10%, a 12% value-added tax and a corporate carbon tax. This will represent a drastic reduction of the tax burden that will make Carbania competitive globally and allow our citizens to keep more of their hard earned money. Small businesses will pay a reduced corporate tax and those who earn less than $3000 will pay zero in income tax. Secondly, we aim to digitize public administration, cutting red tape and saving citizens' time and money. It's an ambitious goal but one we believe is feasible as the example of Estonia has shown. Thirdly, we aim to repeal harmful regulations that only add up red tape and discourage investors. Fourth, we aim to create an 'Office for Investments' to advertise our country abroad and attract private investments. Fifth, we will offer low interest loans to farmers and help them export their products abroad. A PLP government will be a business-friendly government."

"So let me get this correct, CEO Carnicero, you support a flat 15% personal income tax, but those who make less than [3000] don't pay anything? So if a Carbanian makes [2999] in a year, they take home [2999] but if the same citizen makes [3000], they end up paying the flat tax and making taking home [2550] after taxes, meaning that if they wanted to take home income they made just before passing [3000], they'd have to work an income larger than [3500], correct? Wouldn't your tax proposal punish people for passing this 3000 threshold by earning more money?"

[Dentali]

De La Vega: Someone who make millions every year should be taxed more than someone making the average income in our nation. But my colleagues here are correct in that it could potentially have a chilling effect on wages to set rate increases at arbitrary levels. Under the policies of the OJS we will be seeing a significant growth in wages, and the average income which is why we should peg our rates in relation to the average income of a citizen. That way as wages grow, the percent you are taxed won’t go up with it unless it’s a truly large increase.

[Fidimouni]

(Image)

Pepe Garcia: "Hello viewers of CNTV, and hello candidates in the upcoming election...thank you for viewing the 2022 Party Debates. Some of these people up here you may see again soon, because they are running for President too...some of them may just be behind the scenes. Every major party in Carbania is invited to the debate, and has sent one representative to discuss the issues with us."

"My first question is — how does each party plan to invigorate Carbania's economy, which some say has been struggling?"

Alejandro De La Vega



De La Vega: Some years ago I founded an organization that helped nations recover and prosper after emerging from authoritarian rule and have found great success. The formula for improving the economy is simple we need investment, and we need a climate that fosters growth and opportunity.

Our nation must institute laws and regulations which will remove corruption and abuse, giving our economy a chance to grow… better wages, more jobs, and a better standard of living will follow. Only through a robust and competitive economy can we reach our true potential as a nation.

This will require tough, and constant conversations between actors, It will require the fostering of entrepreneurship and education, and a stable fiscal policy. Through measures like this we not only open ourselves to the ingenuity of our people, to our own capabilities… but will invite investment from abroad, opportunities and equal partnership with those all over the world who share our values, we have seen this formula work in other nations time and again.

Pablo Miledo strikes back with passion.

"It seems Mr. Vega has shown his true colors once more: red, not with labor, but of the dripping blood of the laborer itself. His solution to a crisis of the working class, burdened by years of exploitation, is to let those same looters back into this country to steal from them once more, to steal both there pride and the worth of there labor. Inviting butchers to the same table where we were there meal, chewed up and spit out, is an insult to the thousands in this country who lived and died as there puppet dictator thrived. We must never let such evils, never let such criminals, dine in our country again, to exploit us until our last breath. To every citizen of this country, categorically reject this rebranded consensus, the Washington Consensus, from stepping even an inch onto our soil, no matter what. But I ask of Mr. Vega: why should we let these same looters back in?"

[Dentali]

(Image)

Sebastian Carnicero: "PLP supports a reformist agenda to kickstart economic growth. We firmly believe that the way for Carbanias' economy to grow is to attract foreign direct investment and to stimulate domestic consumption. How will we achieve this? Firstly, we aim to simplify our tax code by eliminating all taxes except for a flat personal income tax of 15%, a flat corporate tax of 10%, a 12% value-added tax and a corporate carbon tax. This will represent a drastic reduction of the tax burden that will make Carbania competitive globally and allow our citizens to keep more of their hard earned money. Small businesses will pay a reduced corporate tax and those who earn less than $3000 will pay zero in income tax. Secondly, we aim to digitize public administration, cutting red tape and saving citizens' time and money. It's an ambitious goal but one we believe is feasible as the example of Estonia has shown. Thirdly, we aim to repeal harmful regulations that only add up red tape and discourage investors. Fourth, we aim to create an 'Office for Investments' to advertise our country abroad and attract private investments. Fifth, we will offer low interest loans to farmers and help them export their products abroad. A PLP government will be a business-friendly government."

“Mr. Carnicero, I agree with some of your proposals, like eliminating the income tax for those enduring hardship. But the idea of digitizing public administration, as you call it, is laughable. Many of our citizens do not have reliable access to electricity, let alone Internet. This policy is simply another way to centralize wealth and power in Intichiquan, while leaving smaller communities in the south of Carbania behind. We need more brick-and-mortar, more public investment in our communities- not less. Let’s not focus on what would improve the lives of big wigs in the capital, let’s focus on the needs of our people- the people I fight for.”

De La Vega: I’ve had the good fortune in helping the development in Baltic countries such as Estonia, and yes the digitization is a positive and effect measure. But Carbania is not Estonia, Estonia spent years investing heavily in education especially in the field of computers. After we invest in our digital infrastructure, our electrical infrastructure, and educating our people in the relevant fields THEN we can discuss digitization of public administration. But we need levelheaded concrete and pragmatic steps to get us to that point, that take into account where we realistically are as a nation right now.

[Dentali]

Alejandro De La Vega



De La Vega: Some years ago I founded an organization that helped nations recover and prosper after emerging from authoritarian rule and have found great success. The formula for improving the economy is simple we need investment, and we need a climate that fosters growth and opportunity.

Our nation must institute laws and regulations which will remove corruption and abuse, giving our economy a chance to grow… better wages, more jobs, and a better standard of living will follow. Only through a robust and competitive economy can we reach our true potential as a nation.

This will require tough, and constant conversations between actors, It will require the fostering of entrepreneurship and education, and a stable fiscal policy. Through measures like this we not only open ourselves to the ingenuity of our people, to our own capabilities… but will invite investment from abroad, opportunities and equal partnership with those all over the world who share our values, we have seen this formula work in other nations time and again.

Pablo Miledo strikes back with passion.

"It seems Mr. Vega has shown his true colors once more: red, not with labor, but of the dripping blood of the laborer itself. His solution to a crisis of the working class, burdened by years of exploitation, is to let those same looters back into this country to steal from them once more, to steal both there pride and the worth of there labor. Inviting butchers to the same table where we were there meal, chewed up and spit out, is an insult to the thousands in this country who lived and died as there puppet dictator thrived. We must never let such evils, never let such criminals, dine in our country again, to exploit us until our last breath. To every citizen of this country, categorically reject this rebranded consensus, the Washington Consensus, from stepping even an inch onto our soil, no matter what. But I ask of Mr. Vega: why should we let these same looters back in?"

De La Vega: The people of this nation deserve better than baseless fear-mongering… these proposals are not what the murderous thug who implemented while he murdered our people and enriched his friends. My proposals are based on real world economic development lessons, what to do and what to avoid, and they have created growth and prosperity from the ashes of dictatorships. A real competitive economy which empowers people, and gives workers a real voice with policies like requiring them to be on corporate boards and strong worker rights. That’s why nations like Sweden and Germany have such strong participation in unions and why the workers get such healthy wages and benefits. That growth created by a fair economy and policies empowering people, we then invest in people through policies like universal healthcare, social security, pensions, unemployment insurance, and a strong safety net that takes care of people.

We create an economy that works, that puts people to work, by using the policies proven to WORK.

[Fidimouni]

Pablo Miledo strikes back with passion.

"It seems Mr. Vega has shown his true colors once more: red, not with labor, but of the dripping blood of the laborer itself. His solution to a crisis of the working class, burdened by years of exploitation, is to let those same looters back into this country to steal from them once more, to steal both there pride and the worth of there labor. Inviting butchers to the same table where we were there meal, chewed up and spit out, is an insult to the thousands in this country who lived and died as there puppet dictator thrived. We must never let such evils, never let such criminals, dine in our country again, to exploit us until our last breath. To every citizen of this country, categorically reject this rebranded consensus, the Washington Consensus, from stepping even an inch onto our soil, no matter what. But I ask of Mr. Vega: why should we let these same looters back in?"

De La Vega: The people of this nation deserve better than baseless fear-mongering… these proposals are not what the murderous thug who implemented while he murdered our people and enriched his friends. My proposals are based on real world economic development lessons, what to do and what to avoid, and they have created growth and prosperity from the ashes of dictatorships. A real competitive economy which empowers people, and gives workers a real voice with policies like requiring them to be on corporate boards and strong worker rights. That’s why nations like Sweden and Germany have such strong participation in unions and why the workers get such healthy wages and benefits. That growth created by a fair economy and policies empowering people, we then invest in people through policies like universal healthcare, social security, pensions, unemployment insurance, and a strong safety net that takes care of people.

We create an economy that works, that puts people to work, by using the policies proven to WORK.

Pablo Miledo:

"The murderous thug wasn't just backed by anybody. It was backed by the same foreign capitalist who we would let in under your proposal. This isn't a call for trade to stop, or to let what is left of our economy fall into inefficiency. But to let these looters and butchers back in is a national disgrace of unimaginable levels. Even presuming these social democratic policies you implement faithfully, once we let the teeth of foreign capital bite into our nation, it will meet two faiths: it will be rolled back through the institutions they've bought out, or, if ballots fail, they will put faith in bullets. If we let such investment in, it must be firmly held under the monopoly of the state, lead by the state, and supervised by the state, specifically a state lead by the workers and peasants, one the CRM has proposed, and at this point, the only party on this stage that has proposed such. It's simple."

[Dentali]

We create an economy that works, that puts people to work, by using the policies proven to WORK.

Pablo Miledo:

"The murderous thug wasn't just backed by anybody. It was backed by the same foreign capitalist who we would let in under your proposal. This isn't a call for trade to stop, or to let what is left of our economy fall into inefficiency. But to let these looters and butchers back in is a national disgrace of unimaginable levels. Even presuming these social democratic policies you implement faithfully, once we let the teeth of foreign capital bite into our nation, it will meet two faiths: it will be rolled back through the institutions they've bought out, or, if ballots fail, they will put faith in bullets. If we let such investment in, it must be firmly held under the monopoly of the state, lead by the state, and supervised by the state, specifically a state lead by the workers and peasants, one the CRM has proposed, and at this point, the only party on this stage that has proposed such. It's simple."

De La Vega: After much of my family was murdered and exile from this country I saw the fruits of Communist policies. I saw the striking difference between East and West Germany, of the devastation in places like Poland and how Communist party officials had grown fat while the worker and the peasant you claim to fight for starved and suffered. Monopoly by anyone, the state or a corporation is bad for our nation which is why we need to create the economic environment to compete with the world, to support entrepreneurs and people that will put our nation at the forefront of the global economy. Those are the policies that work and lift people out of poverty, that allow people without connection to party leaders or dictators get ahead.

[Cybernetic Socialist Republics]

Espinosa: "Look, as much as I am loath to interrupt this squabbling, I think it should be noted that CEO Carnicero has attempted hide from answering for the very straight forward reality that the PLP income tax plan has an amateurish flaw that would see Carbanians incentivized to earn less than [3000] in a year because earning a fraction above the threshold would hit them with a 15% tax they wouldn't have to pay for until they reached [3000]. He, his party and their presidential candidate have run on this for about a month now, in a clear demonstration of obvious ineptitude. You can hide, Mr. Carnicero, in a debate, but if this behavior is reflective of your willingness to accept accountability in government, it would be best for Carbania for the PLP to step aside this election."

[The Sarangtus Lands]

(Image)

Pepe Garcia: "Hello viewers of CNTV, and hello candidates in the upcoming election...thank you for viewing the 2022 Party Debates. Some of these people up here you may see again soon, because they are running for President too...some of them may just be behind the scenes. Every major party in Carbania is invited to the debate, and has sent one representative to discuss the issues with us."

"My first question is — how does each party plan to invigorate Carbania's economy, which some say has been struggling?"

"It's very simple. The way you help an economy is you help its poorest. It is the simple fact that when people speak of the economy, they think of some magical force - the 'invisible hand', they call it. But in reality, economies are made up of people, and those economic structures should be serving people first rather than profit; that is what many of my opponents miss. They want to make numbers go up on a graph, we want to materally improve the average Carbanian's standard of living.

But let's not fall into their trap here, their narratiive framing. A strong economy is absolutely compatible, and in fact even dependent on strong social services and a government that provides for its people. Even the neoliberal IMF have acknowledged it - inequality is the enemy of growth, and actions taken to ameloriate inequality will also increase growth. We need large investments in healthcare, in education, in infrastructure - paid for through the taxation of - or even nationalisation in cases where it is necessary to the national interest - predator multinationals who take the great wealth produced by the people of Carbania and put it offshore. Let me put it simply. There is a reason that Brazil, ruled by corporatist Jair Bolsonaro, has been massively struggling economically, as opposed to Bolivia, ruled by the pro-people leader Evo Morales and his successor, which has seen explosive growth over the time of their rule. Investing in people works, and that's what the corporatists don't want me to tell you. It's plain and simple economic fact."

[The Sarangtus Lands]

Pablo Miledo:

"The murderous thug wasn't just backed by anybody. It was backed by the same foreign capitalist who we would let in under your proposal. This isn't a call for trade to stop, or to let what is left of our economy fall into inefficiency. But to let these looters and butchers back in is a national disgrace of unimaginable levels. Even presuming these social democratic policies you implement faithfully, once we let the teeth of foreign capital bite into our nation, it will meet two faiths: it will be rolled back through the institutions they've bought out, or, if ballots fail, they will put faith in bullets. If we let such investment in, it must be firmly held under the monopoly of the state, lead by the state, and supervised by the state, specifically a state lead by the workers and peasants, one the CRM has proposed, and at this point, the only party on this stage that has proposed such. It's simple."

De La Vega: After much of my family was murdered and exile from this country I saw the fruits of Communist policies. I saw the striking difference between East and West Germany, of the devastation in places like Poland and how Communist party officials had grown fat while the worker and the peasant you claim to fight for starved and suffered. Monopoly by anyone, the state or a corporation is bad for our nation which is why we need to create the economic environment to compete with the world, to support entrepreneurs and people that will put our nation at the forefront of the global economy. Those are the policies that work and lift people out of poverty, that allow people without connection to party leaders or dictators get ahead.

Mallama: "These are, frankly, misrepresentations. Every capitalist will tell you that the choice is between them and Soviet-style centralised economic planning. But that misses both alternative economic models - such as cooperatives - and of course the clear and simple fact that technology has progressed and that there is now the possibility of decentralised economic planning through technology. It's this fantasy, this dream, of "Oh we'll be like Scandinavia", well, you know how Scandinavia becomes so rich? By exploiting countries like us. The path forward does not lie in the half-baked measures of feckless social democracy or in, as the PLP would have us go down, radical free marketeerism, paid for by raising taxes on the poor to cut them on the rich. The path forward lies in cooperatives, lies in social ownership of the economy, and a people-first economy rather than a corporation-first economy. If you disagree, then fine, but don't you go around misrepresenting the truth of the situation simply because you wish to scaremonger about turning this country into the next Warsaw Pact bloc state or whatever."

EDITED FOR PUNCTUATION

[Dentali]

De La Vega: After much of my family was murdered and exile from this country I saw the fruits of Communist policies. I saw the striking difference between East and West Germany, of the devastation in places like Poland and how Communist party officials had grown fat while the worker and the peasant you claim to fight for starved and suffered. Monopoly by anyone, the state or a corporation is bad for our nation which is why we need to create the economic environment to compete with the world, to support entrepreneurs and people that will put our nation at the forefront of the global economy. Those are the policies that work and lift people out of poverty, that allow people without connection to party leaders or dictators get ahead.

Mallama: "These are, frankly, misrepresentations. Every capitalist will tell you that the choice is between them and Soviet-style centralised economic planning. But that misses both alternative economic models - such as cooperatives - and of course the clear and simple fact that technology has progressed and that there is now the possibility of decentralised economic planning through technology. It's this fantasy, this dream, of "Oh we'll be like Scandinavia", well, you know how Scandinavia becomes so rich? By exploiting countries like us. The path forward does not lie in the half-baked measures of feckless social democracy or in, as the PLP would have us go down, radical free marketeerism, paid for by raising taxes on the poor to cut them on the rich. The path forward lies in cooperatives, lies in social ownership of the economy, and a people-first economy rather than a corporation-first economy. If you disagree, then fine, but don't you go around misrepresenting the truth of the situation simply because you wish to scaremonger about turning this country into the next Warsaw Pact bloc state or whatever."

EDITED FOR PUNCTUATION

De La Vega: I am quite literally debating a Trotskyist, Mr. Mallama. Advocating Soviet-style centralized economic planning quite proudly. And what I am proposing is not some radical free marketism in the least. My party's goal is a well regulated working life, active labour market policies, a strong public sector, which all support universal welfare benefits such as free healthcare and education. This creates high employment, equal opportunities, a high quality of life, and a high degree of trust between the people in our nation.

It is a tripartite collaboration between government, businesses, and employees. A structured collaboration, Economic Government where the government ensures controlled spending, disciplined fiscal polices, and employment opportunities, while the high employment and robust competitive economy means greater tax revenue which is spent on welfare services. All the while strong and responsible labor organizations push up wages at a responsible rate and ensure workers get their fair share of the profits.

The Employer and Employee work through a Collective Negotiation system mediated and regulated by the state.

[The Sarangtus Lands]

Mallama: "These are, frankly, misrepresentations. Every capitalist will tell you that the choice is between them and Soviet-style centralised economic planning. But that misses both alternative economic models - such as cooperatives - and of course the clear and simple fact that technology has progressed and that there is now the possibility of decentralised economic planning through technology. It's this fantasy, this dream, of "Oh we'll be like Scandinavia", well, you know how Scandinavia becomes so rich? By exploiting countries like us. The path forward does not lie in the half-baked measures of feckless social democracy or in, as the PLP would have us go down, radical free marketeerism, paid for by raising taxes on the poor to cut them on the rich. The path forward lies in cooperatives, lies in social ownership of the economy, and a people-first economy rather than a corporation-first economy. If you disagree, then fine, but don't you go around misrepresenting the truth of the situation simply because you wish to scaremonger about turning this country into the next Warsaw Pact bloc state or whatever."

EDITED FOR PUNCTUATION

De La Vega: I am quite literally debating a Trotskyist, Mr. Mallama. Advocating Soviet-style centralized economic planning quite proudly. And what I am proposing is not some radical free marketism in the least. My party's goal is a well regulated working life, active labour market policies, a strong public sector, which all support universal welfare benefits such as free healthcare and education. This creates high employment, equal opportunities, a high quality of life, and a high degree of trust between the people in our nation.

It is a tripartite collaboration between government, businesses, and employees. A structured collaboration, Economic Government where the government ensures controlled spending, disciplined fiscal polices, and employment opportunities, while the high employment and robust competitive economy means greater tax revenue which is spent on welfare services. All the while strong and responsible labor organizations push up wages at a responsible rate and ensure workers get their fair share of the profits.

The Employer and Employee work through a Collective Negotiation system mediated and regulated by the state.

Mallama: "The fair share of their profits would be 100%, Mr. De La Vega. It is the worker who produces, who creates, and who labours. The human face of capitalism, the human face of exploitation and of the idea that the labour of others can be used for personal profit and gain...Is still, in spite of all your attempts to sweeten the deal, a system which is fundamentally the enemy of democracy and the enemy of the people. The fundamental and simple fact is that a system which says that some are born better than others, that says that some are more deserving, inherently, is one that cannot coexist, at least not permanently, with one that values the human right to have a say in the affairs of life, which rejects the idea that rulers have absolute power.

The fact of the matter is that a true transition to democracy would also require the democratisation of the economy, and that is a fact you are unwilling to recognise. I do not wish to get personal here, but all I have to say to the voters is that they simply have to look at how you made your money to realise how you got to that conclusion."

[Dentali]

De La Vega: I am quite literally debating a Trotskyist, Mr. Mallama. Advocating Soviet-style centralized economic planning quite proudly. And what I am proposing is not some radical free marketism in the least. My party's goal is a well regulated working life, active labour market policies, a strong public sector, which all support universal welfare benefits such as free healthcare and education. This creates high employment, equal opportunities, a high quality of life, and a high degree of trust between the people in our nation.

It is a tripartite collaboration between government, businesses, and employees. A structured collaboration, Economic Government where the government ensures controlled spending, disciplined fiscal polices, and employment opportunities, while the high employment and robust competitive economy means greater tax revenue which is spent on welfare services. All the while strong and responsible labor organizations push up wages at a responsible rate and ensure workers get their fair share of the profits.

The Employer and Employee work through a Collective Negotiation system mediated and regulated by the state.

Mallama: "The fair share of their profits would be 100%, Mr. De La Vega. It is the worker who produces, who creates, and who labours. The human face of capitalism, the human face of exploitation and of the idea that the labour of others can be used for personal profit and gain...Is still, in spite of all your attempts to sweeten the deal, a system which is fundamentally the enemy of democracy and the enemy of the people. The fundamental and simple fact is that a system which says that some are born better than others, that says that some are more deserving, inherently, is one that cannot coexist, at least not permanently, with one that values the human right to have a say in the affairs of life, which rejects the idea that rulers have absolute power.

The fact of the matter is that a true transition to democracy would also require the democratisation of the economy, and that is a fact you are unwilling to recognise. I do not wish to get personal here, but all I have to say to the voters is that they simply have to look at how you made your money to realise how you got to that conclusion."

De La Vega: So we have a measure for this, called the Gini Coefficient which measures the dispersion of income across the population. it ranges from a score of 0 to 1, with 0 being perfect equality and 1 being absolute concentration of wealth. Nations which embrace the policies of social democracy proposed by the OJS are nations like Sweden and Norway have scored ranging between the mid 20s and low thirties, among the lowest in the world... Meanwhile nations which embrace market socialist, Such as Vietnam, Cuba, Libya, perhaps China... have a co-efficient ranging from the mid 30s to the low 40s. So by real world objective measures, the policies of the OJS stand a much better chance of more equally distributing the prosperity of the nations.

As for how I made my money, I made it by helping businesses get started and prosper all over the world. I make no excuses for that, and with that money I supported the push for Democracy right here in Carbania. And I used the skills and resources developed through my career to bring relief and support to those suffering from COVID in our nation.

You do however raise an interesting point, that of human right. It is the belief of the OJS that our purpose should be Not just to protect our fundamental rights, such as speech but to fully embrace them… What good is freedom of speech if the people who most need to be heard can’t read or write? We care not just for the legal protections of such rights, as important as they are… but TANGIBLE outcomes for social, economic, and cultural rights. The rights of the poor… of women and children, of native peoples, and all those seeking a better life… What good is empty rhetoric about equality and the people and the workers if your economic policies make people MORE unequal not less?

What good is the right to an education if you can’t afford tuition? How can you spend time studying to better yourself without financial security? This is not just about freedom of choice, for these are no choices at all without the empowerment of individuals… We need social insurance… protection against unemployment, security in health-care, pensions… programs like this which give security to individuals, families and by extension to our entire people, through these programs we can guarantee the equality of opportunity we DESERVE.