Ask Iori (Candidate Edition)

Normally I'm not one to follow the crowd so to speak, but since bodrul and TheBorg
have started threads designed to answer peoples questions, I figure I might as
well do so as well.

So yeah, any questions you have for me about issues and the election, please feel
free to ask them.

[edit on 5/26/2007 by iori_komei]

why are you and borg such a sheep?

might aswell ask a question whats your stance on Israel?

I'm not a sheep, I just figured that I should make an Ask Iori thread for my candidacy,
since the other one I have is for everything.

As for Israel..

I intend to cut all military funding for Israel (which will be reallocated to one of my
own key social projects) and cut all other funding by 80-90%.

I will treat Israel at the least as a neutral party and at the most as an ally.

Israel, if they want something, will have to work for it, and make certain promises,
like not invading Lebanon, and helping it rebuild, not to sell sensitive technologies
to PRChina or any other country deemed to be dangerous to the further freedom and
democracy of the world.


I will also push for Israel to initiate civil marriage, instead of the system they have now,
which only allows for marriages granted by the religious authorities of the country.

relax it was just ment as a joke since both you and borg jumped on my band wagon :p

also intresting policy

what is you position on gay marriage...and do you have any plans to address the issue of poverty (i know its thats kind of a broad question but answer any way you'd like)

I believe that marriage should be a social-legal contract between individuals,
not something defined by intolerant religions that only accepts one kind of love.

So I'm all for allowing gay marriage.





Poverty is one of the main issues I am concerned with.

When it comes to involuntary homelessness I have a pretty well planned out program
to eliminate it and integrate those individuals back into society with a career they enjoy.

I believe that a program to make sure everyone has a home and food, especially when
they can not afford it themselves.

I also intend to make sure that everyone has a job/career, and if they do not have the
training/education for a job, they should/would be provided it.

good answers for both

Follow up on your Israel answer.

How would you resist the pressure from the Jewish lobby in Washington and the power of the jewish lobby in general?

As soon as you stop funding for Israel, the lobby will be out for you!

That's a very good question.

Honestly I'm not sure what if anything I'd do, I would most likely just ignore them.

I would have already been dogging congress to push more strict lobbying laws by that point to.

The ability for people and organisations to lobby their representives is one I am not keen to lose, please can you expand of what you would be dogging congress for on more strict lobbying laws?

By passing legislation that brings lobbying back to what it's supposed to be.

That is corporations could not lobby, nor groups that are known to have ties to
people or groups that do less than upright things.

iori_komei

Some basic questions regarding some issues brought up by yourself and others in past forum discussions.

Gay rights issues:

Would you seek changes in Gay rights?

Gays in the military?

Drugs:

Marijuana, should there be more decriminalization?

How do you feel about the current government controls over illegal drugs, and what if any changes would you make to the current laws regarding illegal drugs?

Alcohol, and the current legal age for purchase of alcoholic beverages, would you, if able make any change to the age restrictions?

Other issues:

The current age restrictions on the right to vote, would you if able, make any changes here?

In past discussions, you have mentioned that the current age of sexual consent was too high, and that perhaps a younger age is more able to willingly decide to engage in sexual activity.

Would you, if able, make any changes in the statutory rape, and legal age of sexual consent laws as they exist today?

War:

Your take on the current state of the war on terrorism, and what if any changes would you consider, and make?

Poverty:

The poor, at home and round the world, what if anything would you do to help with the global crisis of poverty and starvation?

Thank you for your time.

Best of luck to you, in the elections.

[edit on 28-5-2007 by UM_Gazz]

Basically, yes.




I support gay marriage, and believe that marriage needs to be legally defined
(not as in the Constitution) as the consenting legal union between individuals.



I do not think it's right that you have t hide your identity in the military for fear of being
dishonourably discharged, the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy was nothing more than an
attempt to appease the homophobic side, and should be gotten rid of.




Marijuana should not only be decriminalized, it should be legalized in my opinion,
and that is something I will/would work for.




I do not believe anyone has the right to tell me or anyone what they can or can not do
with their own bodies, and as such I am against any drugs being illegal.

However I do believe that artificial drugs that can be dangerous to produce,
or the production of is a threat to society, should be both produced by the government and by
those individuals who have earned a license to do so and renew said license once a year.




I would set the age restriction for the purchase of alcohol to 18, since that's when you
are legally an adult.




I'm not really sure on this one to tell you the truth, I suppose if I had the ability,
I would definitely have a panel look into the idea of dropping it to 17 or 16, but no lower.




To me the idea that you have to be a certain age to consent is an insult, however I do
see the necessity of it.

I believe in a consent test for those whom are 12-17 who may have partners over 18,
where-in they are tested by a neutral panel, just to make sure they understand,
and that it's not someone taking advantage of an individual whom is not ready for such things.




Yes, I would have rape defined as solely as the act of non-consensually forcing
(S&M has consensual forcing) someone into having sexual relations, and would include anal
and vaginal intercourse with an individual whom is under 12 as rape in 99% of cases.




The War on Terrorism is one of the greatest misnomer blunders this nation has ever
set off upon, the very idea of going to war against terrorism is completely ludicrous,
since terrorism has always existed and most likely will always exist in one form or the other.

Apart from that it's hardly fair to support one group as freedom fighters who are deemed
by their country and possibly others as a terrorist group, while unanimously
declaring another group that is not considered a terrorist group by most to be such.




I intend to enact several large scale social programs to eradicate poverty and involuntary
homelessness in this country.

As for the world at large I would support efforts to alleviate the worlds poor and hungry,
be that through nullifying the debt of a country that can not afford to pay it, let alone take
care of it's won people as well, or through sending the excess crops grown here to them
along with the normal food aide supplies.




You are quite welcome, and thank you as well.

[edit on 5/28/2007 by iori_komei]

I believe you can tell a great deal about a candidate by who they have around them.

So have you decided who you would ask for the major offices of state if you are elected?

Well I've decided on a VP and chief of Cabinet.

VP: Xeros
Chief of Cabinet: Kuhl

Are there any circumstances in which you would have invaded Iraq?

And does the threat of nuclear weapons in Iran, warrent an invasion?

If I thought that they did indeed have WMD's, and I mean a great deal more evidence
than Bush used as justification, I would have.




An invasion of Iran would be disastrous and is totally unwinnable, so I would not
invade Iran unless the only other option was nuclear strikes.

I believe in diplomacy, a show of force, economic sanctions and if it comes down to it,
air-strikes on key Iranian nuclear and Military facilities.

So you believe that the United States has both the right and the ability to dictate which nations may and may not own arms of your choosing, and additionally, to enforce these decisions through military action, or, as you put it, a "show of force"?

I believe the United States, as well as the other nuclear countries and non-nuclear countries
have the right and responsibility to prevent more countries from obtaining nuclear arms.

And yes, with the help of other nations I do believe we are able to, and indeed I believe
we are able to by ourselves as well within the Western hemisphere.

Military actions and shows of force are two different things.
And if it came down to it, I do believe that precise surgical military action, in cases that
it is possible (obviously I would'nt support bombing a city because there are nuclear
facilities under it), but I believe in using diplomacy and sanctions before considering
military action or shows of force.

For all you know, I'm just a wolf in sheep's clothing. Might be something to think about...


Ok, as for my question..

What's you're opinion on space exploration? Should we be more involved in exploring the cosmos, or should we be more involved in personal affairs here on Earth before we go out there?

TheBorg