Originally posted by rwingettI admit. You have me pegged pretty well in that respect. I do like to work within the system. The system has worked well for 2 and a quarter centuries and I see no compelling reason to overhaul it. I see danger in trying to overhaul the system too quickly.
It is a recurring theme I've noticed in your posts. Every examination of sweeping change to the current system is met in your posts by a litany of reasons why it will supposedly never work. The problem is that you seem to be too firmly embedded within the current order to allow yourself to think outside of it. Some minor trappings of the system may be tinkered with, but the system itself is sacro sanct.
Originally posted by KazetNagorraAbolish juries?
I assume you mean US president.
1. Reform taxes to make them much more simple and transparent; raise taxes for the wealthy and bring the Gini coefficient to about 0.25. Fix tax loopholes. Increase sales tax.
2. Cut defense spending by at least 75%.
3. Reform health care to a semi-privatized system. Provide access to education for all; abolish t ...[text shortened]... e death penalty. Restrict gun ownership. Tackle the "suing culture"; abolish punitive damages.
Tackle the suing culture?
Abolish punitive damages?
You closet conservative, you! 😲
😉
Originally posted by sh76I just hope he realizes that he is now on the list of Homeland Security as being a threat to the statist federal government. All I can say is, WELCOME ABOARD!!!!
Abolish juries?
Tackle the suing culture?
Abolish punitive damages?
You closet conservative, you! 😲
😉
Originally posted by sh76Except for no. 2, those seem like fairly reasonable points. Especially for a self-professed conservative. You do strike me as being a fairly reasonable fellow. Although your powers of reason could be put to much better use than they are within the moral degeneracy of the conservative movement. I get a feeling that you realize as much. You should quit pretending to be a conservative and embrace the left wing. Yes, embrace the collective power of socialism, sh76. You know in your heart that the workers should control the means of production.
If I were dictator for a day with full power to amend the Constitution, the 5 changes I would implement would be:
1) Require that the federal government balance its budget within 5 years and that it maintain a balanced budget each fiscal year except in case of an emergency. An unbalanced budget based on a national emergency should require a 2/3 vote in both ...[text shortened]... use of diplomatic immunity. Use the UN building to build a mammoth science and history museum.
Originally posted by sh76Do you have to suck the fun out of everything. I mean really, do you?
I understand, but I figured I'd point this out anyway.
I don't think I implied that these changes were impossible, but rather that they were more difficult than issuing an Executive order.
Originally posted by rwingettLike I said, I'm a moderate. 🙂
Except for no. 2, those seem like fairly reasonable points. Especially for a self-professed conservative. You do strike me as being a fairly reasonable fellow. Although your powers of reason could be put to much better use than they are within the moral degeneracy of the conservative movement. I get a feeling that you realize as much. You should quit preten ...[text shortened]... socialism, sh76. You know in your heart that the workers should control the means of production.
One day, I'll discuss my objection to socialism. I can't do it justice right now. I just finished playing 90 minutes of tennis and then showered, got home and ate 2 slices of pizza for supper. I just wanna veg out a little. In a few minutes, I'm gonna pop in the Earth: Final Conflict DVD I got from Netflix (I AM a nerd; aren't I 😛), watch an episode or 2 and turn in early so I get a good start to my Monday. Unlike FMF, I don't stay up until 1 AM for anything, let alone the RHP forms.
Suffice it for now to say that my experience in working for two entrepreneurs has thoroughly convinced me that there is something fundamentally wrong and even immoral about not allowing them to keep the benefits of their successes in business. But, we'll keep the deep discussions for when I have the head for it. 🙂
Originally posted by sh76I look forward to that discussion. I mentioned my friends business on an earlier thread. It is tough for them.
Like I said, I'm a moderate. 🙂
One day, I'll discuss my objection to socialism. I can't do it justice right now. I just finished playing 90 minutes of tennis and then showered, got home and ate 2 slices of pizza for supper. I just wanna veg out a little. In a few minutes, I'm gonna pop in the Earth: Final Conflict DVD I got from Netflix (I AM a nerd; aren't ...[text shortened]... es in business. But, we'll keep the deep discussions for when I have the head for it. 🙂
Originally posted by sh76A moderate is a conservative with a guilty conscience.
Like I said, I'm a moderate. 🙂
One day, I'll discuss my objection to socialism. I can't do it justice right now. I just finished playing 90 minutes of tennis and then showered, got home and ate 2 slices of pizza for supper. I just wanna veg out a little. In a few minutes, I'm gonna pop in the Earth: Final Conflict DVD I got from Netflix (I AM a nerd; aren't ...[text shortened]... es in business. But, we'll keep the deep discussions for when I have the head for it. 🙂
Repent, before it is too late.
1) Mandate a surplus during years of normal economic growth, and at a certain ceiling an increasingly growing surplus to be set aside for periods of severe economic decline such as the one we're going through now.
2) Initiate counter-cyclical credit policies beyond those of the federal reserve to instead include oversight and audits of individual banks to mandate increasingly tough credit requirements during periods of credit booms and thereby have room to loosen credit during credit declines.
3) Improve oversignt of millitary contracting and spending and reform focus more on R&D defense innovation than on maintaining high levels of inventory on equipment not really in use at this time, just sufficient to fight the strongest couple of opponents until production can ramp up additional equipment. In all, would seek to lower millitary spending during peacetime and raise the taxes to pay for such spending during wartime.
4) reform education to include vouchers, competition between school districts, teacher firings and benefit reform with more resources going to student learning and lower class sizes.
5) reform social security and medicare to extend the retirement age on both (especially duye to the baby boomers!) and reduce the amount of increase to avoid the over-adjustment for inflation... start billing people more for a small percentage of each cost in social security/medical with minor co-pays and deductibles. I think retirement age should be 70 for partial benefits, 72 for full benefits. This should adjust upwards every five years with any full year increase of life expectancy.
Before I forget, I would have to find a place in the top five for the free movement of people and capital, which would allow the economy dinamism and growth for all income levels in the long-run and absolute growth in GDP that could counterbalance China's imminent ascension to world heavyweight status.
😀
I would then increase the size of my protective service and avoid traveling near military contractors, unions, and senior citizens... 😲
but at least the country would be on path to maintain its superpower status. 😏
But given the powerful interests against most of these changes, it is a dream... 😴
Originally posted by sh76Socialism is too broad to have any concrete objections towards it. Much like conservatism, which doesn't really mean anything unless you narrow it down to a more specific ideology.
Like I said, I'm a moderate. 🙂
One day, I'll discuss my objection to socialism. I can't do it justice right now. I just finished playing 90 minutes of tennis and then showered, got home and ate 2 slices of pizza for supper. I just wanna veg out a little. In a few minutes, I'm gonna pop in the Earth: Final Conflict DVD I got from Netflix (I AM a nerd; aren't ...[text shortened]... es in business. But, we'll keep the deep discussions for when I have the head for it. 🙂
I firmly believe that what happens in childhood eventually affects the nation, whether it's dropouts committing crimes, idiots getting elected for office, etc. Therefore my focus starts where the biggest impact would be made.
1. I would level the educational playing field by pooling and redistributing property and other tax funds. It's crucial that all children have access to technology, learning materials, and safe, weather-resistant buildings (no leaky roofs, broken windows, etc.).
2. I would remove the default setting in custody cases to the mother, and require that if both parents wish custody and disagree about the arrangement, caseworkers will present evidence to the court before a decision is made. An addendum to this would be that unless a father is denied visitation due to abuse, fathers who don't get to see their children don't have to pay child support.
3. All children would have free health care from birth until they leave high school.
4. All children who leave school before graduating must be in an alternative program, job training program, or employed.
5. All members of the National Guard will be immediately recalled from overseas duty. Overseas duty is the jurisdiction of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. There is plenty here for the National Guard to do, and they were trained accordingly. If there are not enough men and women in the other branches to "work" overseas, then overseas business needs to be curtailed accordingly. Specifically, all peace-time bases will be eliminated, especially in Germany and Japan.
(If I could have 6, my sixth would be the nation-wide right to marriage for single, consenting adults regardless of gender.)
Originally posted by rwingettSome of us don't require 5 big changes as we believe our country was well founded.
It is a recurring theme I've noticed in your posts. Every examination of sweeping change to the current system is met in your posts by a litany of reasons why it will supposedly never work. The problem is that you seem to be too firmly embedded within the current order to allow yourself to think outside of it. Some minor trappings of the system may be tinke ...[text shortened]... sms to implement them are at your disposal.
Edit: Never mind. I see you've already done so.
Originally posted by sh76ok...
Then suggest 5 small changes. 🙂
1. Federal law requiring pedophiles to be steralized on their first offense, along with a mandatory 25 years sentence.
2. Law requiring all 50 states to vote on gay marriage, the results of which would be law---taking the decison out of the hands of activist judges.
3.Law requiring Rwingett to say the pledge daily, including the phrase 'under God', and to acknowledge 'in God we trust' will never be removed from currency.
4. Eliminate the estate tax.
5. Eliminate, or highly regulate, the oil speculators driving up gas costs.
Originally posted by rwingettI like them!
If you were President for a day and could do five things, what would they be? My tentative list would include:
1. Make all political campaigns publicly funded. Each candidate is given a certain, fixed amount to spend on their campaign which they cannot exceed. The entire system of fund raising and campaign contributions would become unnecessary.
2. E ...[text shortened]... nal list, but those are the first five things that came to mind. What would your's be?