To begin, M. Kennedy, thank you for coming to the Burnham Micropress for your interview.

No problem! The Burnham Micropress has always been a favorite of mine in micronational journalism, it’s truly an honour.

Onto the first question; what policies were in your manifesto that saw you voted into office as Chair of the Quorum of Delegates?

I personally believe that my emphasis on internal betterment rather than expansion of influence was what attracted most delegates who were initially impartial.

Would you say that there are similarities between the manifesto of your campaign and the campaign of your rival, M. Cunningham?

I’ve never denied that my platform was inspired by Richard Cunningham, mostly because he and I had similar aims. I just took his, got rid of the trash and built upon the good points, along with adding certain unique goals.

What would you define as ‘trash’ in M. Cunningham’s manifesto?

Well, trash is a strong word. Some of my problems were with Mr. Cunningham’s policies of building influence. It wasn’t mentioned in his manifesto, but the GUM Peacekeepers program was a fine example. Also, his means for reforming the Justice Commission were highly unnecessary and over-complex. Also, I had a bit of a problem with the “remove anything offensive” bit at the end of his manifesto. It was borderline SJW*.

Your Platform opened with the following statement: “Kennedy’s platform is not based around petty agenda politics or building influence.” By what do you mean by this statement?

My opponent’s platform placed emphasis on “mak[ing] the right choice, vote Theodorist”. Unless he meant to turn the GUM into a soviet monarchy, running as a Theodorist is pointless. I’m not here because of my ideology or my political party, I’m here because people believe in my ability to run the GUM efficiently. In regards to the building influence comment, my opponent was in favor of giving the GUM an almost Lethlerian dominance over the community, shown by his idea of making the owners of micronation.org and micronations.wikia.org accept the Peacekeepers as admins.

Is the above quote from your manifesto a criticism of former Chairmen in the Grand Unified Micronational’s recent past?

If you’re referring to the quote from my Manifesto, it’s an attack on partisan politics in the GUM as a whole. People should vote based on ability, not on party.

Where do you see the Grand Unified Micronational at the end of your term?

I’d rather focus on the present. We have plenty of work to do, but I’ll make sure it’s done.

So you have no real plan or vision for the future?

Of course I have a plan for the future, but that plan is irrelevant if we don’t work towards a better GUM today. Just give me three months, and the GUM will be in the best shape it’s been in in years. It’s like Mahatma Gandhi said, “the future depends on what you do today.”

Moving on into social matters, how will your plan of enforcing strict decorum in the Grand Unified Micronational Lounge come to fruition, in your eyes? Previous Chairs have stewarded over deteriorating social format; how will you change that situation?

This is a policy that was shared with my opponent. The GUM has become far too tolerant of informality, unseriousness and immaturity. As anyone who knows me can tell you, I’m no stranger to informality; but when it’s done to such a high degree in such an inappropriate venue, then it should be dealt with. I proposed a three-strike system in my Manifesto; for every offense in a certain period of time, you receive a strike. At the third strike, you will be removed from the GUM Lounge for a period not less than one day and no greater than one week.
We’re an organization, not a club.

What do you think of the new Supreme Judge, Taeglan I Nihilus, and your new Staff?

Taeglan I Nihilus will certainly do a fantastic job in his office, as he has experience in the field of law. Bradley of Dullahan will be a splendid Security Secretary. Shane Cahill, who is returning for a second term, will work towards the promotion of the micronation.org news service. Michael Onff, a newcomer, will no doubt be a huge asset to the organization. Already he works towards the GUM Library restlessly. Karl Friedrich should do just fine, as well.

What do you think of Bradley of Dullahan, the Grand Unified Micronational’s previous Chair?

Bradley is a close friend and ally of myself and my nation (the Ashukov Federation), but his term was inadequate. There were even talks of a motion of no confidence at one point.

Finally, your manifesto closes with the maxim “Results, not Politics”; by what do you mean with this slogan, especially given Micronationalism (and the GUM’s) intensely politicised nature?

The statement speaks for itself. Politics should be irrelevant in the GUM, we should elect our candidates based on who will do the best job. I understand that some people voted for me based on who I am, but others chose me based on my platform. Take Indokistan, for example. We share no historic or diplomatic ties with them, yet they voted for me. Another example would be Suntrain. Ashukovo and Suntrain share a cultural tie through Christian Orthodoxy and we are working towards a treaty with them, yet they voted for Mr. Cunningham.

Thank you M. Kennedy again for coming to the Burnham Micronational. Enjoy the rest of your day.

No problem. Have a good day yourself, and thank you for having me.

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So, as you can see, a revealing interview about the nature of the incumbent GUM Chair, his policies, and his plans. If you feel that there are other Micronationalists who should be interviewed in the ‘Micropressure’ column, let us know in the comments section!

*SJW stands for ‘Social Justice Warrior’, a derogatory phrase from online social networking circles.