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Guest Post: A Modest Proposal
Submitted by Jim Quinn of The Burning Platform
A Modest Proposal
As we have debated various issues on this site for the last couple years
my understanding of our economic system has changed. I’ve come to the
conclusion that the middle class of this country has been caught in a
pincer movement by two armies. My definition of the Middle Class is
households making between $50,000 and $150,000 per year. The Free Shit
Army is attacking us on the left. The middle class has been the backbone
of the country, doing the heavy lifting in this country. They get up
every morning and trudge off to work to support their families. The Free
Shit Army sleeps in. They have chosen to not educate themselves in
order to advance in our society. Politicians have enabled them to stay
in poverty by providing welfare, disability, food stamps, and tax
incentives that make their lives just comfortable enough to not work. If
you provide money to people who are classified as disabled, you get
more disabled. The Free Shit Army has 50% more disabled than the general
population. If you pay people for not working, why should they work?
The middle class works and pays their taxes. These taxes are then
redistributed to the Free Shit Army.
The second pincer movement on the middle class has been conducted by a
stealthier army. This army has experts in propaganda, misinformation,
and obfuscation. I call them the Ruling Elite Army. The generals are the
ultra-wealthy CEOs of Wall Street banks and mega-corporations. Their
armor divisions are manned by the corporate mainstream media. They are
excellent at laying down a great smoke screen before blasting away. The
infantry is manned by 535 Congressional officers with thousands of
corporate lobbyist foot soldiers. This army has been given the mission
to capture the supplies of the middle class.
The middle class were not prepared for the assaults they have been
fending off. They became soft and satisfied. They stopped training. They
became distracted by their gadgets, delusions of home wealth, and fear
of phantom terrorist enemies behind every bush. The propaganda machine
of their true enemies has convinced the middle class that foreign
enemies are massing. The enemy is within. The middle class will need
to sacrifice and go to war against two enemies. Are they up to the task?
I’m not sure.
In my opinion the following platform is the only way to save this
middle class country. Liberals and supposed Conservatives will be
outraged. No one will be happy with my solutions. So be it.
MY TEA PARTY PLATFORM
Political System
-
Term limits of 6 years for Congressmen
and Senators. Serving in Congress is not a career. It is a duty to the
country. They are not in Congress to bring home the bacon to their
district or State. They are in Congress to ensure that future
generations have a country that offers opportunity to live a better life
than their parents. -
The entire election process would be
scraped. It would be transformed into a 3 month publicly financed
election. No money from corporations, unions, or individuals would be
allowed. Candidates would have 3 debates on public TV. -
Lobbyists and PACs would be eliminated from the political process.
-
Every bill before Congress would
immediately be put online. The constituents of every Congressmen and
Senator would be allowed to voice their opinion by voting yes or no
online. -
Every bill that is proposed by a
Congressman MUST have a funding mechanism. If the proposal increases
costs to the American taxpayer, something else must be cut to pay for
the new proposal. -
NO American troops could be committed to
firing their weapons without a full vote of Congress as required by the
US Constitution.
Economic Policy
- The first thing to be done is to abolish the Federal Reserve. It has
been around for less than 100 years. The Treasury has the authority to
issue the currency of the country. - The currency of the US would be backed by hard assets. A basket of
gold, silver, oil, uranium, and some other limited hard commodities
would back the USD. If politicians attempted to spend too much, this
basket would reveal their plans immediately. - The FASB would be directed to make all banks and corporations value
their assets at their true market value. This would reveal that the mega
Wall Street banks and corporations like GE are insolvent. An orderly
bankruptcy of all insolvent financial firms involving the sell-off of
their legitimate assets to banks that didn’t screw up and the
bondholders and stockholders would be wiped out. - The 16th Amendment would be repealed and the income tax would be
scraped. It would be replaced with a national consumption tax. The more
you consume the more taxes you pay. Saving and investment would be
untaxed. - A balanced budget amendment would be instituted. It would phase in
over 5 years. This would require a massive reduction in spending. A
downsizing of the US Military from $900 billion to $500 billion would be
initiated through the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, Iraq,
Germany, Japan and hundreds of other bases throughout the world. - The two most worthless departments in the government (Dept of Energy
and Dept of Education) would be eliminated. All corporate subsidies
would be eliminated. All Federal employees would have their pay slashed
by 10% and the workforce would be reduced by 20% over 5 years. Federal
health benefits and pension benefits would be slashed. - The Social Security System would be completely overhauled. Anyone 50
or older would get exactly what they were promised. The age for
collecting SS would be gradually raised to 72 over the next 15 years.
Those between 25 and 50 would be given the option to opt out of SS. They
would be given their contributions to invest as they see fit if they
opt out. Anyone entering the workforce today would not pay in or receive
any benefits. The wage limit for SS would be eliminated and the tax
rate would be reduced from 6.2% to 3%. - The Medicare system is unsustainable. It would be converted from a
government program to private market based program. The rules and
regulations would be eliminated. Senior citizens would be given
healthcare vouchers which they would be free to use with any insurance
company or doctor based on price and quality. Insurance companies would
compete for business. Doctors would compete for business. The GAO would
have their budget doubled and they would audit Medicare fraud
& Medicaid fraud and prosecute the criminals brutally. - The healthcare bill would be repealed. Insurance companies would be
allowed to compete with each other on a national basis. Tort reform
would be implemented so that doctors could do their jobs without
worrying about slimy lawyers. Doctors would need to post their costs for
various procedures. Price and quality would drive the healthcare
market. - The entitlement state would be dismantled. The criteria for
collecting welfare, food stamps and unemployment benefits would be made
much stricter. Unemployed people collecting government payments would be
required to clean up parks, volunteer at community charity
organizations, pick up trash along highways, fix and paint houses in
their neighborhoods and generally keep busy in a productive manner for
society. - A free market method for stabilizing the housing market would be for
banks to voluntarily reduce the mortgage balances of underwater
homeowners in exchange for a PAR (Property Appreciation Right). The
homeowner would agree to pay off the PAR to the Treasury (and
administered through the IRS) out of future price appreciation on the
existing home or subsequent property. The homeowner would be excluded
from taking on any home equity loans or executing any “cash out”
refinancings until the PAR was satisfied. The maximum PAR obligation
accepted by the Treasury would be based on the value of the home and the
income of the homeowner.
Education Policy
-
With the elimination of the Dept of
Education, the education of children would go back to localities. Every
child in America would receive vouchers for grade school, high school
and college. They could choose any school to attend – public or private.
If the private school cost more than the voucher, the family would pay
the difference. Excellent schools would flourish, poor schools would be
forced to improve or they would close. -
Teacher tenure would be eliminated.
Teachers unions could exist, but schools will only receive the amount of
the student vouchers as funding. This would essentially force public
schools to run their operations based on excellence in teaching.
Energy Policy
- Without the Dept of Energy to block the free market, companies
should be guaranteed a fast track approval process to build nuclear
power plants ASAP. The approval process for refineries and LNG
facilities should also be fast tracked. - The Pickens Plan to convert our truck fleets to natural gas should
be given priority. The government can actually do something to help the
market. An upgrade and expansion of the electrical grid could connect to
windmill farms built across the plains. - Increased drilling off the coasts and in Alaska would be allowed with proper procedures in place.
- A national project to create high speed electric rail lines between
major cities and light electric rail connecting the suburbs to the major
cities would be undertaken based upon ROI. Only lines that could
reasonably make profits would be built.
National Defense/Foreign Policy
-
Elimination of foreign aid to other countries would be implemented immediately.
-
Withdrawal of US forces from the Middle
East and other countries would take place over 3 years. Amazingly, after
we leave the Middle East, terrorism will miraculously decline. -
Conduct free trade with all countries. Make treaties with no countries. Do not bully or threaten any country.
-
The US military would be used to efend
our country. Any commitment of forces to battle would require a full
vote by Congress as the Constitution states. -
The torture of anyone would be outlawed.
Immigration
-
If we want to keep illegal aliens from
entering the country, then we need to build a fence/wall and use
technology to truly seal our southern borders. Illegal aliens are
illegal. Their children are not legal. If you break the law, you are
punished. -
We should encourage the immigration of
smart people to this country. Legal immigrants built this country. We
should encourage the foreign students who graduate from our best
colleges to stay in the country and work for American companies. -
To help stabilize our housing market, all
foreigners who would buy a US property in cash would be guaranteed a
fast track to citizenship as long as they break no laws.
Social Issues
-
Let people do anything they want. Gays could marry. People could practice whatever religion they want.
-
The Dept of Homeland Security would be reduced dramatically.
-
Wire tapping, monitoring, and spying on US citizens would be outlawed.
-
Personal liberties would be restored. Individual rights would take precedence over corporate and government rights.
- Only modest restrictions on gun ownership would be allowed (criminal
checks). An armed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.
The mainstream media would classify me as an extremist with the views
I’ve detailed above. I find that laughable. The current administration
is running annual $1.6 trillion deficits, the Federal Reserve has 0%
interest rates and is about to monetize another $1 trillion of debt
after already monetizing $2 trillion of debt, Wall Street has been
handed $2 trillion of taxpayer money, our National Debt is up from $5.7
trillion in 2000 to $13.5 trillion in 2010, and peak cheap oil is on the
verge of shocking our system AND MY PROPOSALS WOULD BE CONSIDERED
EXTREMIST.
This country is on the precipice of collapse. I truly believe that.
Republicans winning seats in November will bring about gridlock in
Washington DC. That is better than the alternative, but it will do
nothing to save the country. Dramatic measures are required to avert
financial collapse. I do not see anyone honestly telling the American
people the truth. Our future as a country is at stake. Do enough people
care? I fear not.
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It's not a real American pasttime anymore unless it involves an i-gizmo in some way.
Oops, wait, I just saw that you did mention the iPhone. Nevermind --- I must have been distracted by my latest Borg implant.
Oh...I loved this post.
My money and guns back this platform.
What about Nasa?
Yeah. Look at what all those billions have bought us:
10 NASA Inventions You Might Use Every DayWith the elimination of the Department of Education this would have top be accomplished state by state. A state constitutional convention in which that state's constitution is altered to obligate it to issue a voucher to any parent requesting one would do wonders to solve the eduational problem. Although not a panacea, (see <a href="http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Dems-at-war_-Public-unions-vs_-gentry-liberals-900388-103175199.html">Washington DC</a>) it would basically cripple teachers unions. Their interest would have to line up with the interests of the parents.
Also removing the right of the public sector to unioninze in the state constituion would improve government at all levels.
What about Health care?
And this isn't the typical "Tea Party" platform. This is actually more or less a moderate libertarian stance. Tea Parties basically want to arrest any brown-skin person if they can't prove their citizenship and have the police arrest all black people on sight.
I would call you stupid but, would rather assume that you are just ignorant. You can't possibly beleive the drivel you just spewed?
i before e except after c.
Damn lack of spell check;)
Weird...
Just had too much caffeine, couldn't get down the protein, so took some codeine and went to bed.
"i" before "e" except after "c", unless sounded as "a" as in "neighbor" and "weigh". Although--weird financiers use codeine.
"Their"
o -- ic
Cyan Lite is a Democrat up for re-election. Ignore.
I thought it was just a troll.
Isn't that the Arizona immigration plan? What if I'm a (legal) hispanic citizen, and I don't have my ID on me? Do I get deported immediately? Whereas a "white" person would be given a ticket, a brown-skin guy gets detained.
And about the police thing, tea party folks are some of the ones who perpetuate the idea that police are here to "serve and protect". In my opinion, they are doing nothing but quashing the constitutional rights of individuals. (see Katrina gun-confiscation aftermath in 2005)
You know what? Get even with anybody who fucks around with you. That's my motto. Then we'll see if they keep doing it. It really isn't that hard to kill somebody and get away with it. CSI is NOT real life.
You go, Cyan.
Never let the facts get in the way of a good bigoted narrative.
Consistency is not a virtue if you are a fuck-up.
Carry on.
I have been to several Tea Party rally and have yet to be arrested.
Somebosy really should have told this <a href="http://hotair.com/archives/2010/04/16/video-these-are-my-people/">guy</a> about the Tea party before he attended.
Move along race baiter.
Junked for being an ignorant dipshit.
The Tea Party has morphed into an MSM-Fraken-Party. This list is an attempt to bring it back onto the path of real as opposed to sham reform.
Yeah this is something I could get behind - just throw in LOTS of handcuffs and perp walks please.
Perp Walks!!!
I like that better than the standard - Gold [Female Dog]
Education Camps should NOT be mandatory, education is the duty of the parents and the community, not the F govbernent
How dare the "state" take our children from our homes, at a tender age, and throw them in a cage with the dregs of society.
"dregs of society."
You mean your fellow countrymen?
Egalitarian values should be at the core of any reform. Racism is for pigs and pigs need sticking.
-
+1352 Rusty.
Really, what is with state [mis]education of young minds. Ask some kid to explain how our monetary system works as it was taught to him/her in school.
I like it except for the school voucher crap. Don't flush the excrement from the sewers into fresh well water.
ls- I don't get your point. Vouchers are a way to introduce the benefits of market competition into the education system. Good teachers would be valued as they should be.
A damned good start.
With this;
"The 16th Amendment would be repealed and the income tax would be scraped. It would be replaced with a national consumption tax. The more you consume the more taxes you pay. Saving and investment would be untaxed."
I assume you don't mean a VAT tax...if it is not I'm all in.
While you're at it, change it's name to what it was, Dept. of Civil Defense. Homeland security is too 1984ish.
It's meant to be that way. Terminology is chosen carefully by the fascist scum in order to affect psychology subconsciously. Movies, songs, anything you see in the MSM has subtle undertones meant to manipulate.
that's BushDoctrine speak..Granpa Prescott channeled Homeland after Der Fatherland to keep it pure. The war against terrorism suits the principle of removing citizens of different values. If you don't understand what your neighbor is doing, be suspicious and call Homeland Security...they'll know what to do and YOU can chill. What might have happened, did not, and where would we be if we had no one to relieve our faux fear?
Can't say I agree with everything in your proposal, but it is far better than our current system. So you've got my vote.
/applause
This alone would get my vote.
Agreed. This alone would get my vote.
is that the pitter patter of the upcoming libertarian revolution?
your beginning is off-putting. leave out the annual income. make it about values. the free shit army makes various incomes from little to very great. the middle class in the sense you mean it (honest strivers) ditto.
Do away with one beni - might as well do away with them all including SS and pensions.
How about addressing disabled american veterans? Cutting them off also is what you propose?
Thats as far as I read this crap. FU, POS.
...as said before - so not ZH material!
Mr. esprit -- you know what ZH material is -- right
Some things are right in this, other things are wrong, but eh, it's better than what we have now.
Modest?
Idealistlic perhaps even radical.
But modest?
I guess you never read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_modest_proposal
I do get it.
I have not read the essay, but I will. I did read your link.
Busy with "The Jungle" at the moment.
Gruesome, both.
Brilliant, just what the doctor ordered. In other words, refresh America's screen. Let's do it! Bill
Good ideas (energy section needs work - wind and nuclear don't currently provide ROI without gubbermint subsidies). Missed the boat on financial reforms:
Got my vote if you add these items.
In order to implement this commendable agenda, you will first have to buy an Island.
Or take one by force. Might I recommend one defended only by an easy-going senior and a midget?
I hear New Zealand is pretty lightly defended.
Nah the Aussies already have dibbs on New Zealand.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RenRILqwhJs
We have what the Native Americans called "Turtle Island" and if you haven't noticed we are sandwiched between two great Oceans and can never be invaded by any country except the one that Nixon and Reagan sold us out to: China. Columbus was Isabella's bitch and if you found land and delivered treasure, you got to command another ship. Conquest is a social disease that poisons the spirit.
You only own what you can defend.
I think this is a great start and with some minor tweaks could be a winner.
You had my vote on the term limits, ending the FED, and the Pickens plan.
Great ideas, but terrorism based on religion will never vanish. Thinking so shows clear lack of understanding of certain religious edicts.
papaswamp - I don't think he's saying - terrorism based on religion will ... vanish. I think in talking about the Middle East, he's saying our presence and shit-stirring in the region provokes a response that will diminish if we stop the shit-stirring. Now that makes sense doesn't it?
if you're talking about the other religious based terrorism we've been experiencing, the plot hatched by PNAC, that culminated in 9/11 false-flag attack and the invasion of Iraq, then I don't know, you might be on to something.
The middle class = older baby boomers, who have worked hard most of their lives to acquire that "lifestyle". When we were younger we were brainwashed : ALWAYS BUY THE NICEST HOME YOU CAN AFFORD & BUY THE CHEAPEST CAR . Well, we did all that & look where it got us. Now that the middle class is older, we're too old & tired to FIGHT BACK. What am I supposed to do, get out my wrap around sunglasses, my walker & my stainless steel water bottle & go fight the government !! THAT'S THEIR PLAN !! WAIT TIL THIS GENERATION IS ALL TAPPED OUT & PULL OUT THE RUG FROM UNDER THEM ..... Old people don't do well in revolutionary times. ..... damn fuckers, I used to be a really nice Mom & Grandma .......... now I'm just plain mad
Some related comedy for you:
http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s07e10-grey-dawn
I live in a solidly upper-middle-class neighborhood - lots of smart, professional, family-oriented people. Bring up TARP, QE2, the Fed, POMOs, HFT, monetization, fiat money etc. and their eyes glaze over. The don't get it. The think it's either a "wrong party" thing or "China's fault" or "gridlock." There mad about the bailouts of course, but really don't get the scale, potency, or longevity of the (to use this author's terminology) armies arrayed against them.
The middle class is getting screwed by U.S. bankers, politicians, and multi-national corporations. Blankfein and Dimon don't give a rat's ass about America. Nor do Frank and Dodd. Main street is being outsourced and replaced by Wal-mart.
It's like a date rape, the middle class won't know what happened until it's over. As much as I sympathize with the author of this post, the middle class isn't up to the challenge of beating these bastards: politically, spiritually, culturally or intellectually. They've ingested to much advertising, sloganeering, and misinformation. How can we expect them to act if they don't proffer even a rudimentary awareness or understanding of their predicament?
Down wit it . Wake me up when Americans take some ownership for this mutha . Until then, it won't matter. No repentance without confession . Right now, Americans don't even feel guilty. We are still at the " Hey, who sh*t my pants ?!?!? " level of denial.
Tecumseh - Now that's funny. The Hey, who sh*t my pants ?!?!? " level of denial.
LOL
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig11/hunter-j3.1.1.html
Think First. Also, 80 percent are clueless and do not care.
This is just more socialism. Vouchers for education and health? Bleh. They will just game the system, but in a different way.
Temporally, the only solution is real free markets and liberty, and little to no government help for anyone.
In a sane America, Defense would be 90% of the Federal Govt's budget.
As long as its a radically scaled down budget. 500 billion is way too much. We have nukes; who the hell is gonna invade????
alta california is secure mi jeneral!
Si se PUEDE! Si se PUEDE!Si se PUEDE!Si se PUEDE!Si se PUEDE!Si se PUEDE!
I didn't hear anything about free crack, is he going to hog it all for himself...
Just another political ploy...
I remember when I thought there were solutions, but there aren't any. Ok, there are, but they will not be implemented because the crooks are in control.
I'm all for rational debate and solutions, but may I reccomend a few steps to take first...
1. Mortgage/Rent strike
2. Tax strike - sales and otherwise
3. Work strike
If even a significant minority of middle class citizens got on board with the above steps, for even just 30 days, and were vocal about why they were doing it, it would move political mountains. We have the power. Collectively we give it, and we can take it away. Once this fact is reasserted, then we can talk solutions.
Really though, since this isn't going to happen either... We're going to have to wait for collapse for solutions to matter. The good news is it might be closer than most think... But waiting has its own perils too because historically a dying power will fling itself into total war with the 'other' when collapse is imminent. Total war in todays framework means nuclear exchange...
Ah, now I remember why I stopped posting; we're fucked. Enjoy these days.
These will be seen as the good old days. Can't save the system, but individuals can be saved. On the plus side I don't think it will go nuclear, creates a random chance for oligarchs to get caught up in it. It might but I will only worry about that when the big boys disappear from the scene, into their Fallout style vaults. Word is Cheney wanted a war with Russia a few years back over the South Ossetia incident and they pulled back on his leash.
CrabCake - You are right, by why not look to the aftermath? That's basicly all that's in play at this point.
I wholeheartedly agree with everything you wrote except:
This bit is amazingly naive. Terrorist organizations really do exist, they really are trying to kill us, some of them really are US citizens, and spying really is the only way to stop them.
Force the Feds to obtain a warrant through the courts. No more of the 'we think you might be one, so it's OK' malarky.
The "courts" are in on it (see comment above). They are the gatekeepers of the modern day Inquisition called the "war on drugs".
The courts are just as thoroughly corrupt as all the other branches of the banks.
citizens should be wiretapping their governments. Imagine what those secret meetings would reveal. Imagine the number of lives saved. Numbers a terrorist could only dream
You have learned your lessons very, very well. Now go out and find other fearful individuals and share the good word.
And yet we managed to not all get killed just fine for 225 years before 9/11, even when we had no such thing as wiretaps. Remember how the government is not allowed to open the mail? Same damn thing, and to treat phone communication any differently is hypocritical.
Note that no-one would want to "get us" anymore once we dismantle our military empire. Or did you buy into the "they hate us for our freedom" line?
I usually scroll past this bait, but what the hell, I'll join in.
Missing_Link, there are stealth "homeland security" laws on the books right now that can disappear, & torture, & whatever else they want, anyone "they" choose - just point 'n' name "terrorist!" - anyone, and probably most who post here can or will qualify. . .
as to "they really are trying to kill us" - who is "us"? who is your boogey-man? where are you drawing your line to spy on? how can you know unless everyone is spied on and passes the invisible, un-name-able TEST? who writes the criteria for the tests??
fuck off with your "spying" on "terrorists" until you fully understand the implications.
Yep. They exist. And they are mostly our own.
I think you forgot your </sarc> addendum.
Political System
NO American troops could be committed to firing their weapons without a full vote of Congress as required by the US Constitution.
> have to eliminate the contract military force as well
> have to eliminate the funding of insurrectionist forces in other countries
Economic Policy
The currency of the US would be backed by hard assets. A basket of gold, silver, oil, uranium, and some other limited hard commodities would back the USD. If politicians attempted to spend too much, this basket would reveal their plans immediately.
> nope - the circulating currency has to be convertible to tangible goods - it is the choice to convert that puts power in the people's hands and places a control on the govt / bankers - as long as the govt / bankers are playing nice the people will leave their wealth in the circulating currency - when the govt / bankers start getting out of hand the people will convert the currency into the tangible good thereby placing a damper on govt / bankers
> no farm subsidies for anything - no more paying farmers not to grow crops - no more paying farmers not to produce milk - etc
> have to charge market rates for water to all users, agricultural and commercial - cheap water makes processes like meat production possible at unrealistically low cost - this is unsustainable in the long run
Energy Policy
The Pickens Plan to convert our truck fleets to natural gas should be given priority. The government can actually do something to help the market. An upgrade and expansion of the electrical grid could connect to windmill farms built across the plains
> now this 'article' sounds like a marketing pitch for T Boone Pickens - f*ck him and his Pollyanna wind farms - I thought we were talking about solving problems here
Immigration
> English is the only official language spoken / written in this country - no taxpayer provided interpreters will exist in the education system - taxpayer supplied forms / instructions / ballots will only be provided in English
Social Issues
Only modest restrictions on gun ownership would be allowed (criminal checks). An armed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.
> concealed carry permits will be granted to any non-felon desiring one
Monetary Policy: The Congress can take back the private FRS monoply on credit creation with an algorithm programmed to match Domestic GNP with actual currency plus a 2% growth factor. The serial bubbletrick of the FED has proved beyond any doubt, they will bail out the Banks with taxpayer funds..a complete and utter abomination.
Easy guys, I believe what he was looking for was modifications of each individual point not a bunch of Yes men. As far as I am concerned there are some good comments there and some bad ones. The purpose is to think about it and come back.
While I agree with enough of your proposals that I would certainly vote for your version of the Tea Party Platform, I would be highly concerned with a few points.
1. You solution to raise the SS age really assumes that old people will be able to get work at something better than wal-mart. Bodies and brains still break down at about the same time, even if we do live longer. Raising the SS age limit too much simply means there will be a period of time, a donut hole if you will, where it will be difficult for people to support themselves.
2. You somehow think that a fence is going to keep illegals out? Our border is simply too large for that to be a practical solution. The money spent on a fence would be better spent removing the incentives for illegals to enter the country.
3. You should look REAL hard before you reduce/eliminate the food stamp program. For many millions of americans, the food subsidies free up cash flow for things like rent ant car payments. Without the subsidy, these people would likely become homeless. In short, the benefit to society is much greather than the measly amount spent on the program.
You missed the entire point. It's the handouts that are a problem, not what they do with it. You are still thinking inside the statist box.
I like much of this so don't take my random nit-picks as anything near total rejection. I do appreciate this endeavor and think it should be the kind of conversation this country should have, perhaps at all times.
On healthcare, it seems to me there are much better and much more affordable ideas already in place among the thirty five other countries who do much better than us on nearly every measurable metric, from infant mortality to life expectancy... including much lower costs while caring for all ta boot. Private insurers as we know them in the US must die (nobody needs to be sold on health, nor do they need a giant needless billing ponzi department to create paperwork and say no to care. And Pharma must be negotiated down and kept down with a giant collective stick. I do believe a form of socialized medicine is the best way to go.
I think term limits would be both unnecessary and self defeating (experience is often a good thing) if the money were removed from campaign finance and lobbying as you suggest etc.
On social security i would certainly raise your standard... there is no good reason to return (intentionally) to a society where millions die without heat in winter on a last supper of cat food - which is why we instituted SS to begin with. And as someone who is young enough to only have paid into SS for a little over thirty years... i say don't let them bait and switch on me now! There is life after you baby boomers. 70 is entirely to old for many a professions... there needs to be some wiggle room in there somewhere.
On trade, i do think we should be able to raise taxes as needed in order to make sure our people work for decent wages and that we produce enough goods to save energy and get by in times of trouble - food, medicines, energy, tech... as well as for the purpose of inspecting goods for safety purposes etc. Otherwise the Chinese will just poison us all. /s
On immigration.. serious consistent prosecution of illegal employers would reduce the need for a fence dramatically... probably rendering the expense and maintenance of a fence moot. Besides, with a real standing army for defense purposes... cat and mouse training could take place permanently along borders and on coasts.
I would add a few things off the top of my head, such as:
Wipe out all government secrecy. Or place severe time restraints on what little we tolerate if at all.
All government records should be posted on the internet as they take place. Available for all public scrutiny.
End the war on drugs.
Return of a fairness doctrine.
Look into the racket going on at the patent office and fix it... lots of good inventions being locked out of the possibility of improving things/creating jobs too, for no good reason.
Reduce the number of our brethren in prison immediately. The costs are outrageous and we have more incarcerated as a percentage of population than anyone else in the world. Under no circumstance should a prison be a for profit enterprise... no more than a health care entity, or a war/defense entity. Note: if defense industry sells approved weaponry to others.. hey, price it at whatever you can! But not in defense of our own.
"Wipe out all government secrecy. Or place severe time restraints on what little we tolerate if at all."
Awesome!
The "war on drugs" is ethnic cleansing:
Population Task Force
Among Bush's most important contributions to the neo-Malthusian cause while
in Congress was his role in the Republican Task Force on Earth Resources
and Population. The task force, which Bush helped found and then chaired,
churned out a steady stream of propaganda claiming that the world was
already seriously overpopulated; that there was a fixed limit to natural
resources and that this limit was rapidly being reached; and that the
environment and natural species were being sacrificed to human progress.
Bush's task force sought to accredit the idea that the human race was being
"down bred," or reduced in genetic qualities by the population growth among
blacks and other non-white and hence allegedly inferior races at a time
when the Anglo-Saxons were hardly able to prevent their numbers from
shrinking.
Comprised of over 20 Republican Congressmen, Bush's Task Force was a kind
of Malthusian vanguard organization which heard testimony from assorted
"race scientists," sponsored legislation and otherwise propagandized the
zero-growth outlook. In its 50-odd hearings during these years, the task
force provided a public forum to nearly every well-known zero-growth
fanatic, from Paul Ehrlich, founder of Zero Population Growth (ZPG), to
race scientist William Shockley, to the key zero-growth advocates infesting
the federal bureaucracy.
Giving a prestigious congressional platform to a discredited racist
charlatan like William Shockley in the year after the assassination of Dr.
Martin Luther King, points up the arrogance of Bush's commitment to
eugenics. Shockley, like his co-thinker Arthur Jensen, had caused a furor
during the 1960s by advancing his thesis, already repeatedly disproven,
that blacks were genetically inferior to whites in cognitive faculties and
intelligence. In the same year in which Bush invited him to appear before
the GOP task force, Shockley had written: "Our nobly intended welfare
programs may be encouraging dysgenics -- retrogressive evolution through
disproportionate reproduction of the genetically disadvantaged.... We fear
that 'fatuous beliefs' in the power of welfare money, unaided by eugenic
foresight, may contribute to a decline of human quality for all segments of
society."
During hearings on the Social Security amendments, Bush and witness
Alan Guttmacher had the following colloquy: Bush: Is there any
[opposition to Planned Parenthood] from any other organizations or
groups, civil rights groups?
Guttmacher: We do have problems. We are in a sensitive area in
regard particularly to the Negro. There are some elements in the
Negro group that feel we are trying to keep down the numbers. We are
very sensitive to this. We have a community relations department
headed by a most capable Negro social worker to try to handle that
part of the problem. This does, of course, cause us a good bit of
concern.
Bush: I appreciate that. For the record, I would like to say I am
1,000 percent in accord with the goals of your organization. I
think perhaps more than any other type of organization you can do
more in the field of poverty and mental health and everything else
than any other group that I can think of. I commend you.
Which is why domestically these are the results of his, and the
other wealthy, fascist interests at the CIA's, "drug war":
http://www.leap.cc/cms/index.php?name=Web_Links&l_op=visit&lid=152
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmgeCeGk--I
How many of you would scream and holler if a General seized the reins of government in a coup to implement all the above with promises of a restoration to full Democracy in a year? The coup would commence with the arrest of 30,000 lobbyists, 535 members of the house and Senate, all the White House heads, all foreign agents, and 10,000 Wall Street illuminati. They could be tried by juries once all the charges were sorted out. And, remember that a free press is necessary for a Democracy. All the news organizations would have to be broken up. Any objections?
As long as the death penalty was the norm for all the treasonous scum, nope.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USGSOViaulc&feature=related
When a "General" seizes the reins of government, screaming and hollering is an express ticket to a mass grave.
Brilliant point to raise, though, if everyone caught it.
Where's my junkas at?!? Hatcha!
It could happen. A major problem with this type of solution when tried in other parts of the world is that it becomes the prefered form of reform and the generals wind up staying put.
Off Topic:
If you missed this you should see it... Funny and at the same time Sad...
Mortgage Broker Association strategic default
http://www.angrybearblog.com/2010/10/mortgage-broker-association-strateg...
We need to stop all immigration except by hot chicks. Let them in.
Stop cursing the darkness and light a match, get your Ruski bride-to-be a green card today!
Overall a good plan, but some issues:
"Saving and investment would be untaxed."
What would constitute "investment"? Soros invests, but I think it worthwhile to tax away every cent he's got as I can't think of any worthy object for the "investing" he's done. Investment in genuinely productive enterprise is what should be encouraged by the tax code - so, a bit of clarification here would be in order.
"A balanced budget amendment would be instituted. It would phase in over 5 years." Why five years? Have we got that long before default? We could balance the budget next year by spending no more than we did in 2004.
"Elimination of foreign aid to other countries would be implemented immediately." What about emergency, humanitarian aid? You'll need to define what, exactly, constitutes "foreign aid".
"Withdrawal of US forces from the Middle East and other countries would take place over 3 years. Amazingly, after we leave the Middle East, terrorism will miraculously decline." That is, unfortunately, not true - terrorism is not caused by US policy; it is caused by the application of insane violence by people who want things they haven't earned. A withdrawal of US forces would only allow for more applications of insane violence as the violently insane would draw the conclusion that insane violence works like a charm. Better to just quit quibbling around with these people and kill them - meaning, kill all the leaders of the terrorist groups and States. They want to live in wealth and power - killing them would keep people from getting in to the insane violence business.
"Conduct free trade with all countries." Why allow tyrants to profit off the US market? Why help build up the people who will, once powerful enough, attack us? Free trade shoudl only be with other free nations - trade embargoes with all tyrannical regimes. Think "freedom trade" rather than "free trade".
"The torture of anyone would be outlawed." Define torture and then explain what to do with the guy who knows where the next violent act will happen, but refuses to listen to sweet reason.
"Legal immigrants built this country." No, they did not. Never since 1776 has there been more foreign born than native in our nation. Americans built America, with some help from immigrants, to be sure, but it was mostly an American-born operation. I'm in favor of broad immigration, but let's not fall for false talking points.
"Let people do anything they want." Define "anything". I'm certain that once you're done, you'll find some things you would prefer not to have happen. Once you've done that, you'll find yourself "legislating morality". Don't be alarmed! All legislation is a legislation of morality - the only thing to be decided is what morality to legislate.
"Wire tapping, monitoring, and spying on US citizens would be outlawed." Define "spying". We do need, at times, to find out what some people are saying via electronic media. Most "privacy" concerns really revolve around the desire of pornographers to sell their wares unhindered, and their customers to have no one find out how many times a day they hit "big-uns.com". We're a social species - made that way by God or, if you prefer, evolved that way. We're supposed to conduct our busienss in public so that we'll know if our business broadly meets or violates public acceptance. Building walls around ourselves just allows us to become ever more cretinous in our behaviour. If you can't do it in front of a 5 year old or your mother, you shouldn't be doing it.
Anways, other than that, some pretty good ideas.
We had free trade without restriction in this country up until WWI, and were NEVER attacked not once. We never built up any dictators through trade, EVER. Our government has, however, installed plenty of USA-"friendly" dictators through the years, something that has not gone unnoticed by those being oppressed. Blowback is a problem only when you are actively violating the non-aggression principle. Once we are out of those countries, they will leave us alone. If they fail to do so, we have nukes.
God, you've bought the fear-based Republican propaganda hook, line and sinker. THINK about history. Why was it that the USA was never attacked in any significant way prior to 1913? Because we were free, traded freely with everyone, and MINDED OUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS. To claim that crazy brown people are going to come screaming in to kill us all after we leave their country is nothing but stupidity bordering on insanity. Surprise! People are human beings! They've got their own problems to deal with. If you aren't one of their problems, then they aren't going to travel 3000 miles and/or sacrifice their life to deal with you.
tmosley,
Actually, the United States engaged in protectionism quite a lot between 1776 and 1913 - it was one of the hardy perennials of American politics as to whether or not tarrifs should be high or low. Industrial interests wanted high tarrifs to keep out British and (later) German products, while agricultural interests wanted low tarrifs so they could easily exchange their produce for cheap, manufactured goods. It even played a role in the run up to the Civil War.
Free trade only became an article of economic faith post-WWII, where the recent lesson of the Depression instructed us that having high tarrifs is not necessaily a good thing. But because that one lesson was learned, it didn't mean we had to trade with everyone, regardless. We should use our wits and our wisdom to figure out - whom do we wish to trade with, and for what things? If we are to accept cheap, manufactured goods from Third World lands, I think it better overall policy - morally and economically - to have free Indians provide them as opposed to Chinese slave labor.
As for being attacked - well, we were attacked in 1796 (undeclared naval war with France), 1801 (Barbary pirates), 1812 (Great Britain) and while it is disputed, there are indicators that Mexico was getting aggressive towards the United States in 1848. Finally comes the First World War - we were attacked there, but even if we hadn't been, it still would have been right for us to fight...had we not gone in Germany would have won a peace which left her in possession of central Europe...after a brief time to recover, they would have come at us in a drive for world domination (even before Hitler they believed that Master Race crap).
The world does not resolve itself in neat, little bundles. Only very rarely can a cabal engineer a war, and even then it still takes men of spirit based on patriotism to wage such wars (the most egregious examples of wars set on foot by people who wanted some sort of financial advantage were "The War of Jenkin's Ear" in the middle 18th century and the Boer War in the late 19th). But even then, the fighters don't fight for the bankers - the fighters fight because they think it worth it to do so - and you must discover why they're doing it, if you wish to understand it...and have a chance of preventing it.
You are pretty much saying leave things the way they are and call them something else.
Thanks for not much.
Rocky,
Oh, I don't think so - the ideas are basically sound, but there are areas which need clarification. You can't just go with a slogan - you need to get down to the nitty gritty.
What a naive boy you are. What you propose are democratic reforms. LOL. The owners are the slave holders of old. Do you think for a nanosecond that they will do anything other than oppose democratic reforms with all the weapons they have? "All the weapons they have." Which includes the police power of the state. Make their selected enemies disappear. Suffer pulmonary embolysims with no apparent cause. Die other mysterious deaths. This is going to get very ugly in my estimation.
Many good ideas cobbled from elsewhere (and some truly horrific ones), but the combination of them is in many ways self-contradicting and would lead to a country which can no longer defend itself for lack of the economic power to field a modern military and fading national pride due to millions of dying seniors and sick people in the streets. No sale.
You might consider what subsets of that list you can reasonably implement though.
As a progressive, all of the electoral reform suggestions were stuff we've been saying forever, but couldn't get a Republicrat to listen beyond tokens like Feingold and Sanders.
While the structural debt problems in the US definitely need to be addressed, your wholesale privatization of decades worth of social safety net is absurd. There are better ways and we already know what they are, but some of us still hyperventilate at the idea of actually paying for the privilege of living in a decent society.
Who will watch the nukes for you when you 'shut down' the D of E?
And those 'localities' that can't afford a public school without subsidy (and where the private market would NEVER deign to build one)? I'm thinking of all those Deep Red Pug districts in CA which still have public schools even though they contribute less to state revenue than the schools cost and are paid for by the tax revenue from Marin and SF. Personally, I'm fine with the little hillbillies growin' up dumb like Jesus wants.
"with proper procedures in place"...whitewash comes easy to Alaskans, does it? Pure fantasy.
"only to defend our country"...needs more definition. If Bolivars take Honduras, do we act?
Nuclear power plants require government backstopping because they can't buy private insurance for that kind of operation anymore...your consumption tax (whooping tax is more like it) wouldn't provide enough revenue for you to engage in this activity while sticking to the balanced budget constraint.
I think you have a sincere desire to help your country, but are WAY over your head when it comes to analyzing the implications of the various policy decisions you've espoused above.
C-
5 junks and not one of you cowards posts a reply? Meh.
Your objection on the basis of content and reason is not welcomed by a few minds here. I don't think there are many of them, but they are definitely the most prolific junkers.
It's a badge of honor, sir.
First off, when you aren't out patrolling the world looking for fights to get into, most people don't want to attack you. When is the last time someone from across the sea invaded any country on another continent (other than the US)? You'd be damned surprised just how cheap it is to keep two dozen nuclear armed submarines, and a few dozen ICBMs, and a small fleet of nuclear armed bombers. Hell, our defense will cost less than it did in 1900, as a percent of GDP!
Further, no-one is going to be starving in the streets (a favorite refrain of the liberal). Just because the government isn't providing payouts doesn't mean no-one else will. With everyone getting what amounts of a 30+% pay raise, people will have a lot more money to take care of people in their families, and to donate to charity. Hell, my local food bank is funded almost entirely by private donations, and it feeds tens of thousands of people in an area with a population of a quarter million.
Who watches the nukes? The military, duh.
Those areas that don't have the tax base for grand public schools that teach to the lowest common denominator and are dominated by lazy union workers can have small private schools (which cost less per student for much better education), or by charity funded schools. Remember, everyone is taking home at least 35% more than today. Most people will be able to afford the tuition, and private schools generally offer scholarships, even now. Nice that you don't care about areas with people who think differently than you, though. You libs really are true humanitarians.
Nuclear plants require government backstops because the government has imposed so many restrictions that without "free" money from the government, they would have simply shut down decades ago, and we'd all be reading letters by candle-light. If electricity rates have to go up, so be it. There is no way that the net cost is more than what we pay in taxes, that is, if you believe in math (I know liberals have a hard time with that, what having gone to public school and gotten PhDs in economics).
Your views are corrupted by your fascist ideology, just like the Republicans. You deserve the country you have now.
Your thoughtful posts are probably falling on deaf ears, except a few of us.
I'd point out that Canada, Australia, and a few other "democratic" countries are not being plagued with attacks or facing demonstrations which burn down embassies.
Wonder why?
Why they hate us for our freedoms of course!!
Do I win a prize? /srcsm[off]
Well, by the new definitions, you would probably be considered a terrorist. Because everyone who does not simply shut up, do what the ruling class wants and let the ruling class turn us all into slaves is considered a terrorist.
The principles you talk about are not that far afield from how it once was in the US. The problem you see however is that there is no US anymore with "globalization" and all. There must now be a secret and soon to be not so secret one world government run from the shadows by a collection of bankers and "so called' elite.
Turgidson:
Doctor, you mentioned the ration of ten women to each man. Now, wouldn't that necessitate the abandonment of the so called monogamous sexual relationship, I mean, as far as men were concerned?
Strangelove:
Regrettably, yes. But it is, you know, a sacrifice required for the future of the human race. I hasten to add that since each man will be required to do prodigious... service along these lines, the women will have to be selected for their sexual characteristics which will have to be of a highly stimulating nature.
6 years for the Prez too, stop the circus..
I live in Illinois- one of the biggest political cess pools in the country. A local church had a meeting on cleaning up Illinois politics. Out of a church body numbering over 1,000 only 25 people showed up! Illinois is like Greece and we get a turnout like the response to junk mail! What does that tell you about the future?
See Crab Cakes post above.
What's your problem with Illinois? If you know the right people and have the bribe money, this place is great.
Oh My God!
NO!
It makes too much sense!
If you can't make a dramatized miniseries out of it...well...it is UN-AMERICAN!!!
You need more committees; 10 year proposals, 50 year taxation schemes, a compliant media and delusional public...aw....gawd...
Good ideas for the most part.
On trade: Trade ONLY with countries of similar wage levels, workplace standards, etc.
That means Canada, Europe, Britain, Australia/New Zealand, and yes, Japan - although special safeguards will have to be implemented there.
All other countries: 25% - 100% tariffs, together with withdrawal of the US from the WTO and NAFTA.
Otherwise, American jobs will just continue to be exported to Third World hellholes.
Even if we were were able to render the Chinese issue moot with respect to manufacturing jobs, they would just migrate back across the Pacific to either Mexico or the CHEEP countries (Colombia, Honduras, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Panama). Bush's CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement) was a not-so-thinly disguised attempt to allow American multinationals to relocate jobs from China and the US to these even cheaper countries.
The only thing you can say about Protectionism is that it works. Regardless of the WTO, every other country on earth with a manufacturing base protects it in some form or another - and the Chinese and the Japanese are the masters of that game.
Never before in human history has a country willingly allowed its means of production to be taken from it by private interests and handed, lock, stock, and barrel, to competitor nations. Before we even think about doing anything else, that needs to be done first.
The rest can be implemented later, after The Revolution, and after the guillotines, lampposts, and rope and tree branches have done their work.
some decent ideas, but some not.
Repeat: there is NO SUCH THING AS PEAK "CHEAP" OIL
I agree with you on cheap oil. But there has been some interesting work on Abiotic oil theory and there really seems to be something to it.
It means a nearly exhaustable and replenishable source of oil coming from hydrocarbons formed nearer the earth's core and are seeping upward. The Saudi oil fields are noted to be located over deep fault lines, which is thought to be how the hydrocarbons get to the pockets nearer the surface. There are new species of microorganisms found in the oil, along with helium which was the clincher. Helium can only come from a process deep in the Earth's core. Yes, it sounds crazy, it turns everything we know on it's head.
But the Russians have been exploring this for some time. It was actually on old Russian theory from a Russian chemist based on the helium. It got new life 20 years ago when deep drillings were made in Sweden and a few other suspected access places. Very deep drilling. Oil, yes. Logistics no, the rock is like pudding at depth down there and collapses in on the drill hole. Still oil shale and sand for now.
Helium can only come from a process deep in the Earth's core.
I don't think that's right. I think elements don't 'transform' via some alchemy without a super-nova or a hydrogen bomb - hydrogen to helium or a fusion reactor, again hydrogen to helium.
Peak production is real. We're stalled around 84MB/day. Now that we have demand destruction, we may be comfortable with this ceiling for some time ... or demand will come back ... or the maximum producible ceiling will decline.
Helium is produced by many different nuclear decay processes. There are lots of radioactive elements in the Earth's crust.
As with anything, increasing (real, not nominal) prices will lead to increasing production, or drive innovation to find alternatives. If it didn't, we'd all still be in the Stone Age after the depletion of cheap tin lead to the Bronze Age Collapse.
Note: tin is cheap again, due to technological innovation. We just don't need it for our tools nearly as much, as we also made it obsolete with cheaper steel.
Basics ok but NOT a great idea:
First of all, love the radical but this SHIT:
The healthcare bill would be repealed. Insurance companies would be allowed to compete with each other on a national basis. Tort reform would be implemented so that doctors could do their jobs without worrying about slimy lawyers. Doctors would need to post their costs for various procedures. Price and quality would drive the healthcare market.
fUCKTARD - the health care scam invented the mortgate scam = if you are scorching everything else - why keep this one going. no more bullshit like this ever and "insurance" is always a scam - nothing is ever really able to be insured properly. I hate the bill also but it is the "system" that got to go. why did you single this one out? reason. I could be wrong but i am pretty confident i am not.
As for the rest - simpleton! I AM ONE OF THE THOSE MIDDLE CLASS WHO ACTUALLY IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE RULING CLASS and the FREE SHIT ARMY at the same time - yup - (ruling class daddy/mommy/education/contacts/work history, etc. no "longer" provide me with money - but grew up with more than people could even fathom and it is still there and powerful and I cannot be corrupted at this point - so, I am comfortably numb) and the FREE SHIT ARMY as you call it since I broke with the family and refused to "go along with things" because I just did not want to do it. But I ain't takin' no govt nothing of nothing (first of all, I don't believe in that shit but I also am very well educated - well educated - I know the system) and I am marrying an immigrant but to be able to move to that country and get the fuck out of this koo koo land people think is so "wonderful". There are many of "me" you obviously are not doing decent demographic understanding.
but - I now am in a home that a foreclosure is already filed in and those motherfuckers did not perfect their interest; AND; COMMITTED FRAUD ON THE COURT - on a house i gave someone 120,000 odd cash for .... yes cash - i made more than a 20% down payment - it is still pending. And no, I did not learn of all of this recently. I stopped paying my mortgage in September 2007. Yup. And the Plaintiff's law firm is not a mill. It is Akerman Senterfitt themselves. Whatever. Education and very, very effective and well versed attorneys kick Goliath in the ass everytime when Goliath is a moron. I will "deal with it" when I can but if you think I am going to make a deal with the devil to save my house? you can kiss my ass all over the place. and your taxpaying ass better get good counsel because the govt is not the one with the problem here and there is an attorney's fees provision in all agreements so I win like tons of money if i want it. But I am never going to that and the attorney for Deustche Bank will quietly withdraw its lawsuit and I will have a home free and clear. But I am nice. Everyone of you is Not.
no. no. no. laws were broken. I like your radical shit. It is good. But hone it like a knife so it will work. You are being right on but you added an "meanness" that is unnecessary and frankly, bad for business.
Funny. torture. we tolerate.
Funny. Thievery. We love.
Funny. Money becomes worthless because of the above two occurring and we have panic attacks.
Your immigration policy is not only unrealistic but inhumane and you must never build fences for living because humans can always get around solid objects - they a nasty bunch. Ya gonna have to learn human/people thingys before you start a tryin' to harness them in........get some dogs or something before you try to "control" things.....
And I dont care when I get junked. It is zerohedge. You are supposed to get punched. right? Good start. Love the direct honesty. Hope you dont mind the constructive criticism or my big fat mouth.
Just to be clear, if we tortured illegal alien thieves but gave them free shit like health care and your house with a fence around it (no plants would be hurt) to recompense, you would get upset or no? ......Furniture?
+1, Cammy.
Hey, pickers of nits,
please don't let the Perfect be the cause of good ideas being stillborn.
Good enough is okay for now.
Goldbug Policy: Replace useless guns with GPS-guided mortars.
Disclaimer: I am not a goldbug.
When is someone going to post an article entitled: "That $60,000 Piece of Toilet Paper called University Education"
We're all waiting for the StarvingLion. What ever is keeping him from executing on his idea?
Didn't have a degree.
Had one -- wiped with it.
A nice mix of sensible and retarded. Many of your solutions for the oligarchy having too much power and corrupting the government are simply to strengthen it. With more privatization of formerly public arenas you simply get a weaker government and a stronger corporate oligarchy. Unless you are going to start limiting the scope and power that is able to be amassed by such private entities you are simply trading away some minor, occasionally effective power (voting) for absolutely none at all.
You have the only post that made sense.
The above is the conservative last ditch attempt to save the republican party facade. None of these proposals limit the scope of government whatsoever.
Abolish the fed, just allow the treasury to issue currency? How about the treasury knows they have no limit to issuing bonds because of the fed? It's the Fractional Reserve Banking that's the problem.
Term limits? Great shorten the lifecycle of someone robbing you. Or better yet put some of the people on a committee and have them try to learn all the law code in a year then start passing legislation. You'd have the 23 year old poli sci grads writing everything.
No military action unless voted on? Easy. Slip. Bill in during the middle of the night.
School vouchers? The love child of Milton friedmanites. Just like anything else, if you increase the supply of money directed toward private education, the price will go up. Private schools will just increase tuition beyond the voucher. Doesn't become any more "affordable". Just a giveaway.
And my favorite consumption tax. A double and triple taxation scheme. Of course you put this in place and they just raise it or adjust how they see fit years from now. Onerous taxes always begin as modest proposals.
If you think this is libertarianism, you don't know what you're taking about.
None of these ideas creates meaningful change in the structure of the system where wealth aggregates into fewer and fewer hands in the long run.
In order to divest ourselves of the flaws of the free market, we must first identify them. The most important departure from the concepts illustrated by Adam Smith was, IMHO, the creation of the corporation. This is where the state intervened on behalf of the privileged at the expense of local economies.
Think about it. Is it not absurd that governments created a ficticious person behind which investors and business people could hide from the consequences of their choices?
The corporate "person" is the most vile creature in the history of man. Having the same rights as natural persons, but none of the frailty or morality. They can't go to jail, never get sick or die, and are compelled by their nature to devour as much energy, wealth and resources as possible FOREVER!
Any political change will ultimately find itself rendered obsolete as long as the most powerful institutions on earth are corporations. Power will reconsolidate, political influence will reappear, and the march towards a single, all powerful, global monopoly which owns literally everything will continue.
Destroy the corporate person once and for all and allow local economies to reform. This will build stronger communities no longer utterly dependent on centralized institutions whose means of providing for the needs of humanity could fail at any second. This idea is not contrary to free markets, but the essence of it.
All that would be required, in the U.S., would be to change the 14th amendment to read "natural persons" rather than "persons".
oops a dupe!
Our Declaration of Independence referred to inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (or property).
The Corporation cannot be a person with rights as such since it can't get a Life.
.... and yet, in the wake of the civil war, that is PRECISELY what corporate lawyers successfully argued before the Supreme Court.
My Plan To Rule The World
Fill the investment gap between Lottery Tickets and Wall Street.
God, I'm a fucking genius.
Their called 401ks now.
Good one snowballs. ;-)
Request to Jim Quinn:
RE alternative energy sources - could someone please invent mechanisms whereby the energy produced by natural phenomena is harnessed to produce electric power? This would be a huge domestic job creator as well as making this country less dependent on imported oil.
I'm a legal person and not an engineer, but how about designing and producing an energy capture mechanism for tornados in the Midwest, wave action from hurricanes, heat energy from Kilauea and Mauna Loa, energy from fault movements of the San Andreas...
If there are existing patents for these sorts of mechanisms, the nation needs to fund the production and implementation ASAP.
~Misstrial
Misstrial, all the alternate energy sources you site wouldn't satisfy 1 percent of our energy needs. Replacing fossil fuels will be the greatest challenge ever faced by mankind.Its that serious.
Correct. Best replace foreign bought all wherever possible. Quickly. Traditional nuclear is not however the answer. Period. It is irresponsible to leave a legacy like that for the future gens to deal with. Thorium may prove different, but really, USA has sooooo much sun, you must be MAD to be not using it!! Google solar tower Seville for example!!! Geothermal and solar should be mandatory for all new housing, it may be a bit more expensive now, but better than enriching the middle east any more than we have to!! Oil is responsible for everything you see, so we need to preserve it for the things we really need it for....like plastic tv's haha Bar that, a great start to your manifesto! I am sure you would get some good support and be a challenger......if this were an ideal world....
I'm in. You had me at abolishing the Fed. I constantly feel like Butch Cassidy asking Sundance.... "Who ARE those guys?"
The only thing that stands between prosperity and world despotism is the American middle class. The rest of the world doesn't seem to get the whole "natural, unalienable rights" thingy yet, so we'll have to show 'em.
This proposal is not perfect, but I would be happier to live, work, and die under this proposed structure than the corrupt and fraudulent farse that currently controls this country.
Moreover, my nephews would stand a chance for a properous future. As it currently stands, I fear for their future.
Most of what the article proposes is better than the current mess, but the government should not be involved in mass transit or much else either. Also, since the concepts "government" and "country" are fictions, but "individual humans" are not, no need to close the borders and refer to absurd anti-immigration laws. Simply provide ZERO services to immigrants (like education, welfare, unemployment, etc), under any circumstances until a person has proven themselves productive and ethical for 10 years. Fact is, those services should not exist for anyone, anyway.
I'd say get rid of 99% of federal government (or 100%), but I know too many weak minded fools cannot grasp how wonderful life would become. So I have a vastly easier to sell alternative - call it "government by subscription". Let the statists (and weak minded fools) keep all their programs (that don't violate the constitution), but make them FULLY voluntary. If you want to participate in a certain program, you pay the subscription fee and receive the services. If you don't want to participate, you pay nothing and receive no services (but you are not in any way artificially thwarted or restricted from freedom to live a fully functional life).
This sounds acceptable to the weak minded fools, and as all of us who understand government know, those programs would gradually vanish as those subscribing saw the private equivalents to these programs were cheaper and better.
Unfortunately, no massive change of the rules can happen without a total collapse --- the predators-that-be would never allow it. They'd rather turn the USSA into an even more visible overt police state than it is already than return to any sort of honesty, liberty or individualism. The predators-that-be must first be eliminated (as in, hung for treason and crimes against humanity). Then a new beginning can have at least some chance of success. Also, fictitious entities must be eliminated.
Love it!
+++
Please take your brilliant philosophy to the moon, we're sure you'll do great there. Best of luck.
The gov't has always played a role in transportation on a large scale. Good or bad can be argued, but we would not have had the railroad system without it. Like I said, good or bad can be argued.
yep its about 50% good 50% moronic. all in all terrible article
Thank you for your detailed and cogent analysis of the article.
This is easier said than done. If there are no legal ways people with interests will find an ilegal way of doing it.
I agree with Tyler 100%! DO IT NOW! The first part regarding the Political System would go a long way in fixing things and that is the first and most crucial part, becuase without that in place, noting else is possible. That part is very much like what I have had in mind for a long time and includes all media (broadcast, print, intenet) running X amount of political ads per candidate and being reimbursed by in kind tax deductions.
I was so sad that the Pickens plan was not a part of the stimulous plan or car bail out. We could have foreced car makers to guarantee X amount of natural gas powered cars per year and put legions of unemployed to work running gas lines to filling stations and manufacturing the new pumps here in the US.
Pickens plan, are you kidding me? He wants to build an aquaduct from Texas all the way to Canada, not good.
He also wants to utilize natural gas as commercial vehicle fuel. That bad too?
It's a baby/bath water thingie.