Marcus Macmillan

Marcus Macmillan
Biographical Info
Status	Alive
Gender	Male
Allegiance	Independent
Occupation	Political commentator

Marcus Macmillan is a political commentator. In July and August of 3301, he wrote a series of articles exclusively for GalNet called "Meet the Powers", which covered many of the galaxy's most prominent personalities.

Timeline

03 AUG 3301

• Senator Zemina Torval is the subject of this article from political commentator Marcus Macmillan about the movers and shakers in 3301. In many ways Senator Torval represents the solid and traditional politics of the Imperial Senate. She is seen as a paradox by some, particularly with regard to her views on Imperial slavery. She adopts the position that tradition expects but that many fail to achieve in the care of the millions of slaves from her business interests. She can be vocal in condemning those who fail to take proper care of their slaves, but she is equally open about how they form the foundation of the Empire. She takes the long and more considered approach to amassing power. She lacks the impetuousness of Patreus, but is quite willing to work with him to achieve her goals. She prefers diplomacy to force, but has a substantial military fleet capable of handling most situations. Her desire for power is more than personal ambition: she is, in a sense, the matriarch of a developing dynasty. Torval focuses her energy on building a legacy for future generations. Even though she was born wealthy, she still possesses a strong work ethic and will labour tirelessly to get things done. While her time is dominated by her senatorial responsibilities and business concerns (she is, famously, the controlling shareholder in Mastopolos Mining), Torval tries to find the time to be with family, who are very important to her. In her younger days she enjoyed hunting, but that pastime is now limited to her rivals in business and the Senate.

01 AUG 3301

• Sirius Gov CEO Li Yong-Rui is the focus of this seventh article from political commentator Marcus Macmillan about the movers and shakers in 3301.
  In this week's historical article from Sima Kalhana, she wrote about the founding of the Sirius Corporation. The Li dynasty's involvement with the Sirius Corporation can be traced back to the company's founding almost 800 years ago. By the age of 25, Yong-Rui had earned doctorates in physics, politics and economics. He was hired by Sirius straight from college. He then quickly made his way up the ranks, and at the tender age of 35, Yong-Rui was made Vice President of Forecasting. He has a proven track record in business, but has also demonstrated significant insight in the fuzzier elements and in particular how to provide effective government. With these skills he was considered the ideal candidate for Sirius Corporation's new Sirius Gov division.

31 JUL 3301

• Senator Denton Patreus is the latest subject in this sixth article from political commentator Marcus Macmillan about the movers and shakers in 3301. Senator Patreus is often seen as the muscular aspect of the Imperial Senate. He is one of the more powerful senators (although lagging behind the heavyweights of Senators Lavigny-Duval and Zemina Torval) and enjoys great loyalty from his followers. This is in part due to his record of low taxation funded through aggressive economic and military conquests. While some have accused the Senator of unethical behaviour for his strong-arm tactics, others respond that if governments put themselves into debt then they only have themselves to blame. His shrewd policies have allowed him to assemble deep credit reserves and a formidable fleet, providing him with power beyond what his standing might indicate. Hailing from Eotienses, he is a charming and charismatic leader who prefers to govern from his Majestic-class Interdictor called 'Imperial Freedom'. During the Emperor's illness, he called for the Imperial throne to pass along lines of popularity rather than blood. Since the Emperor's recovery he has steadfastly supported Hengist Duval, but many wonder if this attempted break from tradition has limited his popularity in the wider population.

30 JUL 3301

• Continuing this GalNet exclusive series, political commentator Marcus Macmillan writes his opinion of some of the movers and shakers in 3301. In this fifth article he analyses Federal President Zachary Hudson. Republican President Zachary Hudson became President after the disappearance of President Halsey and a vote of no confidence in the Senate. He has always been supportive of the military, and has recently announced his support for CQC Championship as a training and recruitment tool for the Federal Navy. He is also approving additional funds to begin upgrading and expanding the fleet to counter the threats he sees beyond the Federation's borders. In common with most of his party, Hudson believes it is the government's duty to be as small a burden on the individual as possible. An extensive programme of tax reduction is already planned for most households within the Federation. This has proved popular, but not for those who relied on government support before his election. He is also an advocate of personal freedom at any cost, although that is balanced by the requirement for citizens to be responsible for themselves. For fun, the President regularly goes hunting on the many frontier worlds offering holiday activity.

29 JUL 3301

• Continuing this GalNet exclusive series, political commentator Marcus Macmillan writes his opinion of some of the movers and shakers in 3301. In this fourth article he considers Shadow President Felicia Winters and her sudden rise to power. With the disappearance of President Halsey and the earlier the murder of President Nigel Smeaton, Felicia Winters found herself thrust in charge of the Liberal Party. She inherited a political party in crisis and has had to work quickly to try and restore people's faith in her party. As someone born and raised on Taylor Colony, Felicia Winters learned early on that when presented with difficult choices, humanity can't always be trusted to do the right thing. She sees it as her duty to push for the right choice, even if it's the hard choice. Felicia Winters has already proved to be a versatile opponent, and in many opinion polls is running level with President Hudson. Many voters are growing concerned by the President's aggressive rhetoric and are turning to the Liberal Party to counter what they see as a road to war.

28 JUL 3301

• Continuing this GalNet exclusive series, political commentator Marcus Macmillan writes about some of the movers and shakers in 3301. In this third article he looks at Alliance Prime Minister Edmund Mahon. Politicians from the Federation and Empire often underestimate their counterparts in the Alliance. This is in part due to their relative sizes, since of the three superpowers the Alliance is by far the smallest and least powerful. However, it should be remembered that the Alliance was born from defeating both the Federation and the Empire on Alioth, a topic I'm certain the esteemed Sima Kalhana will cover in her Sunday posting sometime soon. The other superpowers also see the Alliance's complex interlocking of systems, committees and power-sharing as a limit on the Prime Minister's influence. Edmund Mahon is a career politician and knows the Alliance political system well. He has a strong academic background as well as a lifetime of service. While some of his counterparts lacked leadership or the ability to drive the disparate elements of the Alliance, he is known to be able to work within the system and actually get things done. Some would argue, and I count myself among them, that Mahon is probably the greatest leader the Alliance has seen since its inception. He isn't much to look at, but his drab exterior belies a cunning mind and a will for the Alliance to bring its values to more systems. He is also an expert at ensuring that the concerns of individual systems are properly represented within the Alliance, something that is seen as very attractive for new member systems.

27 JUL 3301

• Continuing this GalNet exclusive series, political commentator Marcus Macmillan writes his opinion of some of the movers and shakers in 3301. In this second article he looks at one of the most respected women in Imperial politics: Senator Arissa Lavigny-Duval. Arissa Lavigny-Duval's success as a senator often eclipses the fact that as the daughter of the late Prince Aristide de Lavigny, she is also a princess by birth. It says much of her character that she prefers to represent herself with her achievements rather than just her bloodline. In Imperial politics, of course, having the right bloodline is also an asset and she is astute enough to make use of it when she needs to. In popularity she rivals Princess Aisling Duval, partly because she is happy to tackle hard issues head on. Her primary platform is one of honour and she devotes much of her attention to tackling corruption. She is a familiar face in the Imperial court and her views often reflect those of the Emperor. The planned wedding between Emperor Hengist Duval and her mother, Florence Lavigny, will secure her position as next in line if anything should befall the Emperor.

24 JUL 3301

• In this new series, exclusive to GalNet, the popular political commentator Marcus Macmillan looks at some of the movers and shakers in 3301. In this first article he examines the life of the popular darling of Imperial politics: Princess Aisling Duval. Aisling Duval is Prince Harold's eldest child, but has gained a substantial following on her merits. She appears to be a canny operator, although many would argue that her advisors provide her with a veneer of acumen. She is young at only 25, and very visible in the media. Her claim to the throne is technically nullified by the fact that her parents were not married, but her claim is no weaker than some of the other contenders. The people's princess (as she is sometimes known) is extremely popular with many citizens, clients and patrons. She regularly appears on lightweight chat shows, but tends to avoid anything where she might have to face tough questions. At heart Aisling is a populist, taking many of her views from the public mood. She splits her time between managing her brand from Cemiess, and spending time with her father in Achenar. Her mother died of a drugs overdose when she was young which, combined with her father's unfortunate legacy from a hedonistic life, has left Aisling with a passion for helping those whose lives have taken a turn for the worse. Despite her youth, she enjoys considerable support from the people and also from elements who would benefit from shaking up Imperial society.