What would you have done

[Lisnpuppy]

One thing over and above the great suggestions above is that I would reinstate the WPA to overhaul our infrastructure of roads and bridges. RZ..dang I wanted that post to the puzzle palace.

 

Totally agree with this and it would be the first damn thing I did. Not for one its the safety and security of America not to mention the saving grace of my car. >.> The argument against this is that once the job is done you have a bunch of folk out of a job again. I am not sure it would get done...and if you improve infrastructure its beneficial to the economy in a myriad of ways.

 

Really guys...do you think though you could just become a isolationist nation again? I don't think that is possible much less practical. Now taking care of our own house first and foremost...you I can get behind that...but the world is far to integrated for ANY large Nation to do that.

 

I would immediately and 100% tax the F--K out of any company that gave jobs to overseas workers. You can do business with and where you like..but you are gonna pay for it.

 

Reducing the trade deficit before the National Debt...Why? Because if we weren't spending all our money sending it into someone elses pockets...the National Debt would begin to lower as a secondary result.

 

Support technology to save our fresh water including recycling waste water, etc. Water is going to be more important than oil in the not so distant future.

 

Save Social Security....how... I don't know but I sure would but the think tanks on it. Not because I think people need freebies..but I believe that our elders and folks that have worked hard for the Nation, paying taxes deserve a bit of something for it. We should take care of our elders.

 

But most of all....I would work diligently to find a PERMANENT alternate fuel source and work to get us off the current gasoline system (while we were working on that infrastructure...which would be the time to do it as that is what it would take) so that the oil bearing nations could no longer bend us over the oil barrel and not even give us a kiss.

 

Then after all that fly to the moon to watch the Earthrise......LOL

[marharth]

Are you assuming that every government is evil?

I do. Name three governments that haven't ended in disaster, or aren't headed that way now.

 

Why can't it be a one world government with less law then the US has? Why can't it simply be a government that has a police department, simple laws, and nothing more?

That's the biggest police department I've ever seen, and that police department would really have to be more like a military. Just because we're all one happy nation doesn't mean you aren't going to be fighting wars. Criminals have some heavy firepower now, most police offices in the US can't handle AK-caliber weaponry. As far as simple laws go, laws are never simple. If laws were simple, we wouldn't need lawyers.

 

What is forcing a world government from being large and bad?

A legion of armed civilians willing to (and capable of) do something about it if that happens. Barring that, we're f(*#ed, pardon the profanity.

If all governments lead to disaster, why do you want to change any way a government works. According to that it will lead to disaster anyways, whats the point?

 

Its a big police department, sure. All the criminals wouldn't instantly get ak47s because a one world government pops up. I don't see whats wrong with a big police department if its not strict in laws.

 

So we shouldn't do it because people will kill everyone if we do? What? I support a civilian militia, and its the only reason I support gun rights honestly, but that doesn't mean the civilians will want to get rid of the government in place.

 

Do you really think nations can work together to move towards things like space colonization? Planets will start being claimed by countries, moons will be claimed by other countries. Will be a complete mess.

 

EDIT: Seriously though there is another topic for this.

Edited June 9, 2011 by marharth

[HeyYou]

I am not advocating complete isolationism. I am well aware that that won't work out so well. What I AM advocating is FAIR trade. If product A has an import tax of X percent by some other country, well, then products similar to that, being imported to our nation, will have an equal tax applied. There will be no tax breaks for moving jobs overseas either. (which is one of my biggest complaints, that was just stupid.) No "free trade" agreements, no NAFTA, etc. I would point out, that implementing any sort of "free trade" with a nation that exports FAR more products to us, than imports from us, is a losing proposition. Not to mention that such agreements, with nations that have a significantly lower average wage than us..... is plenty of motivation for corporations to move jobs FROM here, TO there.

 

So, not only do we lose tax revenue from imports, we also lose tax revenue from income taxes, spending decreases, because more folks are now out of a job, less tax revenue from corporations as well, as they won't be paying a boatload of taxes on the workers that are now no longer in this country, etc.

 

Addressing trade imbalance is gonna be a tricky one though, as very few products are even manufactured here any more...... Most have moved to china.

 

Something else that I think would be a good idea is, make English the "official" language of the US. (we currently do not have one.) The US government wastes a boatload of money printing forms for things like... taxes..... in no less than six different languages. We are the ONLY country that does that.

 

No more citizenship by virtue of being born here either, if your parents are here illegally, that makes their kids illegal too. born here or not. (another thing that the US does, that NO other country does.)

 

No welfare for illegals either. If you are here ILLEGALLY, that makes you a criminal. Criminals of this nature get deported. End of story.

[grannywils]

You make a lot of sense on a lot of issues, HeyYou. Again, I agree with much if not all of what you say. However, although I will not say that It cannot be done, I will say that in order for it to be done the American public must be willing to make a significant amount of sacrifices and compromises. Ones that it should be willing to make, since it is certainly willing to complain about the situation that exists now. Many of the solutions you recommend would eliminate quite a few of the domestic difficulties we currently face, but would require an inordinate amount of physical input from all of us. That is a good thing, in my opinion. That is, in fact what this country is all about. Maybe then we would feel a part of it again.

[HeyYou]

The main problem I see with it is..... it seems the american people want solutions, with dramatic results, RIGHT NOW. Trouble is, it was a slow process getting us here, and it is going to be a slow process digging us out as well. Any 'good' that I may be able to accomplish, would almost have to happen in my first term, since I doubt I would get a second.

[JimboUK]

I am not advocating complete isolationism. I am well aware that that won't work out so well. What I AM advocating is FAIR trade. If product A has an import tax of X percent by some other country, well, then products similar to that, being imported to our nation, will have an equal tax applied. There will be no tax breaks for moving jobs overseas either. (which is one of my biggest complaints, that was just stupid.) No "free trade" agreements, no NAFTA, etc. I would point out, that implementing any sort of "free trade" with a nation that exports FAR more products to us, than imports from us, is a losing proposition. Not to mention that such agreements, with nations that have a significantly lower average wage than us..... is plenty of motivation for corporations to move jobs FROM here, TO there.

 

So, not only do we lose tax revenue from imports, we also lose tax revenue from income taxes, spending decreases, because more folks are now out of a job, less tax revenue from corporations as well, as they won't be paying a boatload of taxes on the workers that are now no longer in this country, etc.

 

Addressing trade imbalance is gonna be a tricky one though, as very few products are even manufactured here any more...... Most have moved to china.

 

Something else that I think would be a good idea is, make English the "official" language of the US. (we currently do not have one.) The US government wastes a boatload of money printing forms for things like... taxes..... in no less than six different languages. We are the ONLY country that does that.

No more citizenship by virtue of being born here either, if your parents are here illegally, that makes their kids illegal too. born here or not. (another thing that the US does, that NO other country does.)

 

No welfare for illegals either. If you are here ILLEGALLY, that makes you a criminal. Criminals of this nature get deported. End of story.

 

You should see the number of languages used on forms here, it's absolutely ridiculous. We should be encouraging people to speak English, after all it will help them as well as reduce costs.

[Keanumoreira]

Are you assuming that every government is evil?

I do. Name three governments that haven't ended in disaster, or aren't headed that way now.

 

Why can't it be a one world government with less law then the US has? Why can't it simply be a government that has a police department, simple laws, and nothing more?

That's the biggest police department I've ever seen, and that police department would really have to be more like a military. Just because we're all one happy nation doesn't mean you aren't going to be fighting wars. Criminals have some heavy firepower now, most police offices in the US can't handle AK-caliber weaponry. As far as simple laws go, laws are never simple. If laws were simple, we wouldn't need lawyers.

 

What is forcing a world government from being large and bad?

A legion of armed civilians willing to (and capable of) do something about it if that happens. Barring that, we're f(*#ed, pardon the profanity.

 

Do you really think nations can work together to move towards things like space colonization?

 

Yes...they can, nations have been working together since the dawn of civilization. Yes, we've had our differences, of course we've fought on and off, but that doesn't mean that we can't see past those and come togehter for a greater benefit. To say that nations can't work together-and that includes space colonization-is, it seems, to only be in your opinion. In fact, nations can and have and will come together to get past difficulties. Prime examples can be found in both of the World Wars.

[Ghogiel]

You should see the number of languages used on forms here, it's absolutely ridiculous. We should be encouraging people to speak English, after all it will help them as well as reduce costs.

One of my aunts in the US said "I don't mind you coming to our country asking for hand outs, but you better damn well ask for those hands outs in English"

 

:biggrin:

[marharth]

Are you assuming that every government is evil?

I do. Name three governments that haven't ended in disaster, or aren't headed that way now.

 

Why can't it be a one world government with less law then the US has? Why can't it simply be a government that has a police department, simple laws, and nothing more?

That's the biggest police department I've ever seen, and that police department would really have to be more like a military. Just because we're all one happy nation doesn't mean you aren't going to be fighting wars. Criminals have some heavy firepower now, most police offices in the US can't handle AK-caliber weaponry. As far as simple laws go, laws are never simple. If laws were simple, we wouldn't need lawyers.

 

What is forcing a world government from being large and bad?

A legion of armed civilians willing to (and capable of) do something about it if that happens. Barring that, we're f(*#ed, pardon the profanity.

 

Do you really think nations can work together to move towards things like space colonization?

 

Yes...they can, nations have been working together since the dawn of civilization. Yes, we've had our differences, of course we've fought on and off, but that doesn't mean that we can't see past those and come togehter for a greater benefit. To say that nations can't work together-and that includes space colonization-is, it seems, to only be in your opinion. In fact, nations can and have and will come together to get past difficulties. Prime examples can be found in both of the World Wars.

We almost got in a war with the soviet union over nuclear capabilities and space travel. Wouldn't say that is very good.

 

So far we have gotten to the moon, and launched satellites. What about when we get further down the road? You really think that countries will work together peaceful and fairly split up new worlds?

[Ghogiel]

You really think that countries will work together peaceful and fairly split up new worlds?

Under current regulations, of which basically all space faring nations have signed, kind of yes. basically no one can own bits of space yet.

 

http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/oosa/SpaceLaw/outerspt.html