SMC Campaign Thread

[Arnelos]

Current Candidates (will be updated tomorrow to add any last-minute contenders):

Thud

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Thud, please post your thoughts on running for Supreme Military Commander. Citizens, please ask (and any additional candidates that enter the race) him questions.

For referenece, job description of the SMC:

2 The Supreme Military Commander
(a) The Supreme Military Commander controls all units except settlers and workers.
(b) The Supreme Military Commander controls only the movement of Great Leaders, however he or she shall move the Great Leader to the city of choosing of the Senate when instructed to do so.
(c) The Supreme Military Commander may disband units under his or her control. A Great Leader may never be disbanded.
(d) The Supreme Military Commander may appoint deputy ministers.

[Sean]

Thud will make an excellent SMC.

Why bother contesting this election.? Any later comers would have alrady proven that they are unorganised. We cannot have such undisciplined people in charge of the military.

Thus gets my vote.
Sean.

[Thud]

I'm going to briefly outline my qualifications and position.

First off, what you've all been waiting to hear:

Do I now support war?

I'll be entirely honest. The only good answer I have to this question is another question: Do you support war?

I will act, and act effectively, on the wishes of the Senate. As the SMC I will adopt an objective opinon in public, free of my affiliation with the DIA, and my anti-war sentiment. I will make anaylsis concerning our ability to fight a war and the potential gains of that war, and present plans for wars to the people to vote on. I will enact wars in a manner that will benefit our people and damage our enemies most. Furthermore, I am enirely willing to crush, mangle, and generally pillage any nation when it is requested of me.

I will not resign as President of the DIA, and neither will I encourage change in the DIA's stance. Behind the scenes, I will continue to direct the DIA, and encourage the activity of those voices that speak for peace.

I beleive myself capable of running a war effectively. I will also appoint at least one deputy, and as always, will consult the people when making plans for war.

[DAVOUT]

A great actor can promise convincingly to do the splits, only a great artist can perform it, and I bet that you are a great artist. Nevertheless, I would think appropriate that during your tenure you abstain any DIA activity, beginning with taking a month leave of your DIA Presidency. I am not suggesting that you repudiate your ideas, just that you do not find yourself in useless difficulties during this term.

Just a friendly advice.

[E_T]

Based on the current save and the expected Mil Unit builds that will be completed by the end of the GA (end of term), what additional Mil Unit Force Structure Increses do you think that you will require over the following (after GA) 20 to 30 turns?

What is your opinion of Mr. Orange's MilCalc Estimates and if you thought that it was a worthwhile tool, would you use it?

E_T

[ruby_maser]

Do you think it is possible to explain away the obvious discrepancy between your political leanings and your decision to run for a position which will, hopefully , put you in conflict with those leanings?

Is this a stall tactic on future military campaigns?

[joncnunn]

I'm not sure which is more of a shocker:

That the Hawk Party isn't fielding a candidate for SMC or that Thud is running for SMC.

[Arnelos]

Originally posted by joncnunn
I'm not sure which is more of a shocker:

That the Hawk Party isn't fielding a candidate for SMC or that Thud is running for SMC.

I'd pick the former over the later.

Thud would make a responsible SMC. Why on earth the Warmongers can't find an candidate for leader of the military truly surprises me...

[Thud]

Do you think it is possible to explain away the obvious discrepancy between your political leanings and your decision to run for a position which will, hopefully , put you in conflict with those leanings?

Apparantly not.

What is your opinion of Mr. Orange's MilCalc Estimates and if you thought that it was a worthwhile tool, would you use it?

I've taken a brief look at the MilCalc. If Mr. Orange convinced me that the MilCalc was a somewhat accurate tool that does not violate the rules of this game, then I would include the data obtained from it in any of my anaylsis.

Based on the current save and the expected Mil Unit builds that will be completed by the end of the GA (end of term), what additional Mil Unit Force Structure Increses do you think that you will require over the following (after GA) 20 to 30 turns?

We're going to have to increase our naval carrying capacity and firepower. This will include continuing to build galleons, as well as a couple of iron clads.

Soon we'll have riflemen. Upgrade to those, and build a few new ones. Build an additional small force of calvary for each administrative region, including the capitol area, as any naval invasion would most likely be laucned from that area.

I'm not sure that we'll be able to get much farther than that stage tech-wise.

Is this a stall tactic on future military campaigns?

Absolutely not. I expect to continue where Aggie left off. I am determined to operate according to popular mandate. If the people want to give peace a chance, so much the better, but if we want to go to war, so be it.

As to leaving the party leadership to someone else, the fact that I mentioned it should lead you to believe that I am considering it.

This may be the most contested uncontested election ever.

[civman2000]

Thud's positions do not contradict running for SMC. Being SMC does not mean you support war, it just means you're in charge of the military. Also, the DIA is the Democratic Industrialists of Apolyton. WE are generally dovish but we also support giving power to the people, something Thud is clearly supporting.

[UnOrthOdOx]

Allow one of the old Hawks to speak up, if you will.

I ask that the DIA members please refrain from openly criticizing the Hawks for actually having lives outside the Demo Game, and I humbly remind them that Aggie is not a member of the Hawks either, in fact, he was quite a peacenick till he felt the reigns of power. This is nothing really new here.

I admit that I briefly thought of running for this. Actually, if I had not been away for so long, and I had seen the sign up sheet, I may have run. However, I only noticed these today, while on a brief rest from my travels that will continue tomorrow through the end of the week. Truth be told, however, I can think of no good reason to oppose Thud as SMC.

His position as DIA head makes no real bearing on his position as the military leader. So he is opposed to war, so what? Is it wrong for the General to not wish to sacrifice the very lives he has been charged with? What matters is that when the General is compelled to go to war, he is capable of doing so with what he has available and with a minimum of losses. Saying that Thud cannot make a decent SMC merely because he is leader of the DIA is like saying I could not have made a decent unbias reporter because I was a very vocal Hawk supporter. I would be proud to support Thud as SMC.