johansen
Deinonychus
Joined: May 16, 2011
Age: 24
Posts: 321
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 Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:59 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="Thom_Fuleri"] | Hexagon wrote: |
| Quote: | | 6. I would nationalise and unify banks and public transport. Keeping in mind the lack of competition, I would keep prices low and standards high artificially. |
Thus forming a government monopoly and heavily restricting private initiative. And low prices/high standards do not go together easily - in order to have one, you'll normally have to sacrifice the other. Certainly when you're starting out you'll have high prices and low standards, because even then the treasury will be taking a heavy hit to get all this sorted out. The impact on infrastructure will be enormous. Expect economic disaster. |
certainly a valid long term problem with the nonsense suggested by Hexagon.
buts lets look at the short term:
Picture resized
you might want to re-think about nationalizing your banks... |
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Raptor
Phoenix
Joined: Mar 09, 2007
Posts: 4501
Location: Southeast U.S.A.
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| Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 9:26 pm Post subject: |
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| visagrunt wrote: | | Raptor wrote: | Balanced budget: This would become SOP no matter what it takes. If we don’t have it we don’t spend it and we would never borrow it.
Welfare reform: I don’t think we can get rid of it at this point but it can be greatly reformed. Recipients that can work would work doing something constructive. Publicly needed tasks like picking up trash along roads and parks, painting, planting trees, working at animal shelters, etc... The handicapped can do admin type work.
Military: A very strong military because in the real world might makes right and there’s no way to sugar coat it. With all the welfare reforms we would have more money to for defense (or offense for that matter) spending.
Industry and science: Big on that under my monarchy and with less government intrusion. More jobs and with the tax revenue it would help considerably with our budgeting issues. We’ll be at the forefront of new technology in every endeavor.
Environment: Well, we have to live here but on the other hand we still have to live here. There will be mining and oil drilling with a vengeance to support our booming industries and trade but it will be done with as little environmental impact as practical.
Education: Much more emphasis on useful curriculum in the form of science, math, industrial arts, history, ROTC, etc… and little to nothing in the form of useless sociology sh!t. It’s up to the states and districts how they go about implementing that, though, since it’s mostly their money paying for it.
Space: Back in space in full swing. Emphasis on microgravity and life sciences research.
Also, of course, continued militarization of space.
Crime: I don’t want more laws, cops, or prisons because we have too many of all three as it is and to no apparent avail.
The war on drugs would be over.
Individuals would be free to protect themselves responsibly (e.g. neighborhood watch programs, armed citizens, etc…)
Prisons would become less financially burdensome and institutions for higher criminal learning since they would be closer to self-sustenance through agriculture programs. The prisons will grow their own food on prison land and sell the surplus on the free market to help pay the utilities and other necessary expenses. They’d be too tired from gardening, fence mending, and herding livestock to get in trouble. Anyone that tries to escape gets shot dead. Anyone that successfully gets past the wire and is re-captured is brought back and shot by firing squad. Only a warden and small cadre of state corrections officers to supervise at each prison and things would be run mostly by trustees.
Taxes: Pretty much no IRS or not as we know it. Flat tax rates on individuals and industries. Some way (ANY way) to simplify the process and also to keep more money in the pockets of those who actually earned it.
Human rights: What about them? We have a constitution already so that will have to suffice the way it is. There’s not going to be any taxpayer money or government agency resources wasted there.
Foreign relations: We’ll maintain friendly relations and trade only with nations with a pro-American history. There will be only two kinds of foreign nation in the world; those who are for us and those who against us. This is where the benefits of becoming the military, industrial, and financial powerhouse of biblical proportions comes into play. It goes without saying that the U.S. would be completely out of the U.N. and the U.N. would be completely out of the U.S.
I could add more and elaborate more on each but this is the gist of it. |
Your economy will be in full-scale depression within five years. Probably less if you are as aggressive with public sector spending as I expct you would be. On the longer term, government institutions would fall to warlordism, and you would either have to turn your own troops on your people to maintain control, or face a full-scale revolution. Other countries have tried such massive retooling of their institutions, and it has never ended well.
This looks to me like a very short road for annexation by Canada and Mexico--well, the best bits, anyway. The rump that neither of us would want can be left to the warlords. |
| Quote: | | Your economy will be in full-scale depression within five years. Probably less if you are as aggressive with public sector spending as I expct you would be. On the longer term, government institutions would fall to warlordism, and you would either have to turn your own troops on your people to maintain control, or face a full-scale revolution. Other countries have tried such massive retooling of their institutions, and it has never ended well. |
I believe if the economy can be allowed to grow and somehow we can stabilize it for the long haul things will work out. Just hire the best financial advisors, give them an objective, and let them work out the details and chart the course. We're Americans we can do anything if we can sweep the BS out of the way first.
The actual source of financial wellbeing and contentment is private business, not the government.
| Quote: | | This looks to me like a very short road for annexation by Canada and Mexico--well, the best bits, anyway. The rump that neither of us would want can be left to the warlords. |
The annexation of Canada and Mexico would be more of a possibility.  |
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USMCnBNSFdude
Phoenix
Joined: Apr 30, 2011
Age: 16
Posts: 841
Location: Glennock, Sodor
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| Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 10:27 pm Post subject: |
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I would launch every nuclear missile we have to random parts of the Earth, stand on the roof of the White House and shout "f**k Yeah!" in a pose that can be easily replicated on t-shirts and made into a meme, then resign and flee to some cave in New Guinea where no one can find and prosecute me.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that I don't really know enough about politics to be allowed to have any input. |
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goodwitchy
Phoenix
Joined: Dec 29, 2011
Posts: 785
Location: Interplanetary
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 11:34 am Post subject: |
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| Fnord wrote: | Remove tax-exempt status from each and every religious organization.
Get rid of Affirmative Action, and hire on the basis of merit only without regard to skin color, sex, age, gender, religion, politics, age, or physical disability.
Subsidize secondary education - if you graduate primary school.
Make only "civil unions" legal. You could still have a wedding ceremony, but that won't mean that you are "married". |
Uh-o, I agree with most of this...should I worry? 
The only one I'd consider to reinstate in some form somehow, with adjustment is Affirmative Action, but I'm not sure how to do it so that: Yes, people are hired based solely on their qualifications, but prejudice should not play a role in why some people don't get hired. But I'm not sure if it's possible to legislate fairly when people have strong personal opinions.
I'd also consider taking civil unions to a whole new level (don't hate on me Catholics):
- every legal marriage license (from the state) is a civil union in which all have the same rights, but "Marriage" becomes the optional religious ceremony of union. ....Is this like what you're suggesting Fnord?
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Besides this, I also think there needs to be some way to temper big money influence on policy, and somehow reel in lobbyists. I understand the need for money for candidates' campaigns - for advertising, etc, but there has to be a way to get most of the bribery out of Congress. (i.e.; Buddy Roemer's platform)
_________________
Aspie score: 161 of 200
Neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 38 of 200
Autistic/BAP -123 aloof, 124 rigid and 108 pragmatic
Autism Spectrum quotient: 41, Empathy Quotient: 19
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goodwitchy
Phoenix
Joined: Dec 29, 2011
Posts: 785
Location: Interplanetary
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 11:40 am Post subject: |
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| CrazyCatLord wrote: | | I would be terribly afraid to mess things up and have one stress-induced nervous breakdown after another. I don't think I would get anything done. |
I'm sure me too. |
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ruveyn
Phoenix
Joined: Sep 22, 2008
Age: 76
Posts: 29316
Location: New Jersey
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 11:50 am Post subject: |
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If I ran the country you would rue the day I was put in charge.
ruveyn |
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snapcap
Phoenix
Joined: Oct 13, 2011
Age: 31
Posts: 2328
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 12:03 pm Post subject: |
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If I ran the country, I'd proceed with the disclosure of the UFO presence in the US. Then I'd try to contact the ETs and attempt to convince them to take me away. My running mate would be Roseanne Barr, as my last FU to the world  |
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shrox
Phoenix
Joined: Aug 12, 2011
Posts: 3254
Location: OK let's go.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 12:22 pm Post subject: |
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| All items and products that involve the use of plastic in their packaging must use a recyclable plastic for all components of said packaging. |
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goodwitchy
Phoenix
Joined: Dec 29, 2011
Posts: 785
Location: Interplanetary
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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As I understand, SuperPac money can be used in any way, and I don't think it's taxed (please correct me if I'm wrong) so:
Until SuperPacs are eliminated or changed, all money still remaining after a candidate has dropped out of the race and when the election cycle is over should be audited and either: A) taxed at at least a 35% tax rate, or B) all of the funds left over get put into secondary education scholarships.
_________________
Aspie score: 161 of 200
Neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 38 of 200
Autistic/BAP -123 aloof, 124 rigid and 108 pragmatic
Autism Spectrum quotient: 41, Empathy Quotient: 19
Last edited by goodwitchy on Wed Feb 22, 2012 2:21 am; edited 1 time in total |
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shrox
Phoenix
Joined: Aug 12, 2011
Posts: 3254
Location: OK let's go.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 1:56 pm Post subject: |
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| USMCnBNSFdude wrote: | I would launch every nuclear missile we have to random parts of the Earth, stand on the roof of the White House and shout "f**k Yeah!" in a pose that can be easily replicated on t-shirts and made into a meme, then resign and flee to some cave in New Guinea where no one can find and prosecute me.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that I don't really know enough about politics to be allowed to have any input. |
You're only 15. You need to be 18 to press the button and/or turn the key. |
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AstroGeek
Phoenix
Joined: Jan 29, 2011
Age: 19
Posts: 1477
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:20 pm Post subject: |
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OK, this will be Canada since that's what I'm familiar with, and anyway the US is in such a mess that I don't think I'd be able to manage. Also assume that I have essentially absolute power for the duration of my term (which will be precisely as long as it needs to be to do what I want).
I would nationalize the entire rail network, Air Canada and all of the other old crown corporations that were privatized, the Tar Sands, all utilities not already state owned, at least one of the telecom companies, at least one of the major banks, a few of the insurance companies, and maybe some other things if I think of them. Any banks not nationalized would be converted to credit unions, any insurance or telecom companies not nationalized would become cooperatives. Corporate owned farms would become worker's cooperatives, possibly with government oversight for the first few years. I'd allow all tenants the chance to vote on turning their apartment building into a cooperative. Compensation would be given only to those whose net-worth after nationalization/conversion would be less than $1 million. Any company that would need bailing out would just be nationalized.
Meanwhile I'd build a high-speed rail network in as many areas as practical, including stops at the major airports. Flights between airports served by high-speed rail would be banned, with some arrangement between Via Rail and Air Canada to put air and rail on the same ticket. There would also be a major research program in applications of maglev technology. I would invest in a massive expansion of mass transit and ban cars in major city centers (or at least impose a toll, as is done in Europe). Government subsidized retrofits would be provided to homes and other buildings to make them more energy efficient.
I would end the monarchy, abolish the Senate (a pointless, obsolete, unelected body in Canada), and institute Mixed Member Proportional Representation in the House of Commons. The post of Governor General would be elected using Instant Runoff Voting, and would remain a largely ceremonial role, although it would pay less.
LGBT rights would be extended the tiny bit more needed for there to be full legal equality and programs would be put in place nation wide to educate children about how LGBT people should be accepted. I would also try to improve equality for women and visible minorities.
Universal healthcare would be extended to pharmaceuticals, dental and optometry. Tuition would be abolished, textbooks would be paid for by the government, and generous grants would be given to help pay for student housing and other such things. Free, universal childcare would be made available. Libraries, museums, NGOs, and other aspects of civil society would receive increased funding. I'd look at how to reform the welfare system so that people aren't discouraged from working, but have a good social safety net. I suspect that some form of Guaranteed Livable Income would be the best way to go. To pay for this I would put in place taxes on pollution and a more steeply graduated income tax. |
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auntblabby
Chief Assistant to the Assistant Chief
Joined: Feb 13, 2010
Posts: 18185
Location: the island of loveable toy humans
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 3:01 am Post subject: |
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if i were the absolute ruler and not just POTUS, i would-
broaden the tax base via a national sales tax, in conjunction with a simplification of the tax code to encourage compliance rather than evasion, savings rather than spending. a flat income tax with a graduated low-income exemption would be tried. capital gains would be taxed at the same hybrid rate, with tax penalties placed upon in-and-out gaming of the system which encourages undue volatility. FDIC banks would be banned from anything smacking of the stock market, and would return to banking's historically boring reputation. i'd pick the brains of other countries to find the best middle course to take regarding universal health care as well as national funding of political election campaigns, with the prohibition of private financing of election campaigns. money would no longer equal speech, and to this end all publically licensed broadcasters would have the responsibility to provide "fairness doctrine"-styled equal access to all registered parties. this nation would no longer be akin to a 3rd-world nation regarding the lack of affordable primary health care to the working class. omnipresent sin taxes would pay for a major portion of it. i'd place a surtax on vehicles larger than compact size, to encourage the development of roomy and practical small cars which would take up less space on the overcrowded roads, and to fund infrastructure repair/public transit. congestion pricing of toll roads during rush hours would encourage people to park and ride public transit, and the tolls would be directed towards infrastructure repairs in addition to subsidization of public transit. increased population density would have to take priority over continued indirect subsidization of continued suburban/exurban development, and to that end i would place a property tax premium upon such, in the interest of reducing driving/pollution/gas consumption. i would bring back 85 m.p.h. speedos on all privately owned vehicles as a subtle reminder to drive at an economical gas-saving pace, and would enforce this with an engine chip. i would institute no-fault "pay at the pump" auto insurance. there would be a regional education curriculum, in conjunction with a regional business board to determine proper allocation of educational resources to supply business with the employees it needs, IOW no more narrow minded school boards. outsourcing to foreign nations would stop. i would bring back the CCC/NRA or something like it, to employ all able-bodied/sound-minded people on public works projects, in conjunction with each state's national guard. i would encourage national guard membership by exempting said members from state taxation with a tax card similar to what businesses/vendors have at present. i would institute mexico's system of enhanced pharmacies to offer a much wider variety of meds OTC, because our present system of making doctors the exclusive gatekeepers of medical treatment needs to be broadened in the interest of making health care more affordable/less onerous to people of limited means. convicted felons would, upon completion of their sentences, be able to vote without question. the war on drugs would end. tax it all, i say. male and female prostitution would be taxed and regulated.
now if i were just POTUS, i wouldn't be able to do a damned thing, so i wouldn't even consider it in any kind of fever dream. |
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visagrunt
Polymath
Joined: Oct 17, 2009
Age: 45
Posts: 5754
Location: Vancouver, BC
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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| AstroGeek wrote: | OK, this will be Canada since that's what I'm familiar with, and anyway the US is in such a mess that I don't think I'd be able to manage. Also assume that I have essentially absolute power for the duration of my term (which will be precisely as long as it needs to be to do what I want).
I would nationalize the entire rail network, Air Canada and all of the other old crown corporations that were privatized, the Tar Sands, all utilities not already state owned, at least one of the telecom companies, at least one of the major banks, a few of the insurance companies, and maybe some other things if I think of them. Any banks not nationalized would be converted to credit unions, any insurance or telecom companies not nationalized would become cooperatives. Corporate owned farms would become worker's cooperatives, possibly with government oversight for the first few years. I'd allow all tenants the chance to vote on turning their apartment building into a cooperative. Compensation would be given only to those whose net-worth after nationalization/conversion would be less than $1 million. Any company that would need bailing out would just be nationalized. |
I can certainly see the appeal of nationalizing infrastructure. But let's remember, it doesn't matter whether you are moving people, goods and data across a public network or a private one, moving people goods and data costs money and that must be paid for, one way or another. Now if you are nationalizing for the purpose of providing price stability in order to keep the market in line, that's one issue (but you still need to explain why that is necessary, rather than using government power to break up cartels and uncompetitive behaviour). If you are doing it in order to artificially deflate the price, you still have to explain how you are going to pay for the costs that must be borne out of that smaller revenue stream.
What you would do about farms held by closely held corporations? No farmer with two clues owns a farm directly anymore--almost all are incorporated and held by the farmer as share capital. What is their treatment?
And perhaps most importantly, what's the compensation to pension plans and mutual funds that hold equities in all those companies to be nationalized? Pension plans and mutual funds are reponsible for over 60% of equity in the marketplace. How does your $1m threshold work? Individual pension contributor and unit holder net worth? If so, you're going to have to come up with a massive amount of cash to buy up these assets. On the other hand, if you are going to treat pension funds and mutual funds as institutional investors subject to the $1m limit, then what are you going to do about the retirement savings that you will have erased at the stroke of a pen?
| Quote: | | Meanwhile I'd build a high-speed rail network in as many areas as practical, including stops at the major airports. Flights between airports served by high-speed rail would be banned, with some arrangement between Via Rail and Air Canada to put air and rail on the same ticket. There would also be a major research program in applications of maglev technology. I would invest in a massive expansion of mass transit and ban cars in major city centers (or at least impose a toll, as is done in Europe). Government subsidized retrofits would be provided to homes and other buildings to make them more energy efficient. |
Well, you're really only talking about the Corridor (I'm not even sure that highspeed rail is practical West of London or East of Montréal, but let's assume that it is) and possibly Calgary-Edmonton. But even on this limited scale, how much money are you going to pay for the land that you're going to expropriate? After all, the freight rail network is not going to run on the high speed tracks, so they have to be completely separate lines. A rail right of way from Union Station to Central Station will be roughly 500 km long, and running through significant urban areas. There's not much in the way of vacant Crown land, and certainly not in an unbroken corridor, so you're going to have to buy up what you need. And that's before you have laid a single rail or built a single crossing (you can't run with level crossings on high speed rail...)
| Quote: | | I would end the monarchy, abolish the Senate (a pointless, obsolete, unelected body in Canada), and institute Mixed Member Proportional Representation in the House of Commons. The post of Governor General would be elected using Instant Runoff Voting, and would remain a largely ceremonial role, although it would pay less. |
Ending the monarchy, fair enough, since you're holding on to the GG as Head of State. But why would you go through $300m of expense to elect a GG who would exercise no power? Why not follow the German model?
As for the Senate, how are you going to load all of the work that it does onto the House of Commons? (And if you don't think that the Senate does work, start reading the reports of Senate Committees sometime). What do you propose to do to balance regional interests in the face of a House of Commons that might no longer have any meaningful regional representation?
| Quote: | LGBT rights would be extended the tiny bit more needed for there to be full legal equality and programs would be put in place nation wide to educate children about how LGBT people should be accepted. I would also try to improve equality for women and visible minorities.
Universal healthcare would be extended to pharmaceuticals, dental and optometry. Tuition would be abolished, textbooks would be paid for by the government, and generous grants would be given to help pay for student housing and other such things. Free, universal childcare would be made available. Libraries, museums, NGOs, and other aspects of civil society would receive increased funding. I'd look at how to reform the welfare system so that people aren't discouraged from working, but have a good social safety net. I suspect that some form of Guaranteed Livable Income would be the best way to go. To pay for this I would put in place taxes on pollution and a more steeply graduated income tax. |
So at the root of this is going to have to be tearing up all of our Free Trade Agreements. Because the minute that you set up these structures, you will have created massive trade obstacles. While I can certainly see the appeal in what you propose, where are we going to earn our export revenue? We need to pay for all that food that we import through the winter, and we need a trading currency in order to do that.
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--James |
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AceOfSpades
Deeds not words
Joined: Feb 12, 2006
Posts: 3647
Location: Sean Penn, Cambodia
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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-Absolute minimal gun control. No restrictions whatsoever pertaining to any parts of the gun or what type of gun you want to get. One licence would allow you to do it all from concealed carry to openly carrying a rifle on your shoulder. The only regulation there would be is that you would have to be 18 and over, not have a severe mental illness, and not have a serious crime on your record.
-Implement a Castle Doctrine here that applies to your car, residence, and place of business.
-Scrap affirmative action. Institutionally forced equality is bullshit.
-Legalize marijuana, ecstasy, and coke, decriminalize everything else so that you don't get thrown behind bars. Legalize prostitution as well.
-Reform the welfare system so that it rewards people for being productive rather than reproductive. Like Raptor said, reform the system so that it requires some sort of community service to be done to receive benefits.
-Give the UN a big middle finger. National sovereignty above all.
-Introduce a negative tax income system. The working poor will keep everything they earn if they are somewhere near the poverty line.
-The Government is better when it is divided and localized than united and monolithic. Generally speaking decentralization is the way to go and one place I'd start is to make minimum wage municipal rather than provincial.
-De-unify the armed forces. Like I said, better divided and localized than united and monolithic.
-Start piling up nukes and maybe jack the military budget up a notch. That way we are more autonomous when it comes to national sovereignty.
And that's all for now. |
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Burzum
Indeed
Joined: Apr 27, 2011
Posts: 1205
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 5:50 pm Post subject: |
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^ I like. Except for the last point. Otherwise  |
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