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1. Sound Money: Repealing the Humphrey/Hawkins Full Employment Act, which gave the Federal Reserve it's mandate to balance inflation and unemployment, would help return the Federal Reserve to it's intended mission, which is to be the lender of last resort. I also believe we should return to the gold standard which would lead to greater monetary stability, a stronger currency, and less long term debt. Hopefully, these actions would encourage the Federal Reserve to raise it's funds rate and thus stop creating the kinds of asset bubbles we've seen in recent decades.
2. Tax Reform: In the United States today, we have an income tax that is unconstitutional and discourages income growth, investment, and savings. Instead, our tax code encourages spending. I believe in the Fair Tax. The Fair Tax would replace all federal income taxes with a 23% tax on new goods and services above the poverty level. This proposal would require the states to repeal the 16th amendment. A study at Suffolk University found that the Fair Tax would have many positive benefits to the U.S. taxpayer and economy. The study can be found here: http://www.beaconhill.org/FairTax200...del4-30-07.pdf
3. Health care reform: The reality is, health insurance in the United States was too expensive for most people prior to the Affordable Care Act, and the Affordable Care Act did nothing to address those out of control costs. The federal government and some states, through various regulations including certificate of need requirements to build new hospitals, has reduced competition in the health care space over the course of several decades. This has increased cost, as has the outdated fee for serve payment model established by the government as part of medicare and medicaid has also increased the cost of health care and thus, insurance. I believe the federal government should block-grant medicaid to states, change the fee for service model with regards to medicare into one that encourages services to be offered in the same place at the same time, legalize association health plans, enact tort reform, and allow people to buy insurance across state lines.
4. Entitlement Reform & Debt Reduction: I already mentioned medicaid reform, I also believe we need to means test social security and medicare, raise the eligibility ages on both, and allow younger people to opt-out of social security. Furthermore, I think we need to lift the social security earnings cap. I believe the best way to reduce the national debt is to enact what Former Texas Congressman Ron Paul proposed during his 2012 campaign for President. Paul proposed $1 trillion in spending cuts. He called for eliminating the Departments of Commerce, Interior, Energy, and HUD. Another step forward would be eliminating corporate welfare and passing the Penny Plan, which would eliminate one penny for every dollar of federal spending.
5. Immigration reform: Legal immigrants to the United States are more likely to open a business in this country than those of us who were born here. They make a positive contribution to our economy and institutions of higher education. I believe U.S. legal immigration policy should emphasize equally those who want to come here for economic reasons and those who want to come here to be near family, today family unification is the main driver of legal immigration. As far as illegal immigration, I think we need a pathway to legal status for those who have not committed any crimes, those who have committed crimes should be deported, and we should immediately stop the immoral and inhumane practice of separating families. I also believe in a temporary worker program.
6. Embrace free trade: Businesses in the United States should be able to trade freely with any businesses in countries we consider to be allies with, period. Free trade supports 40 million American jobs and has reduced the cost of some consumer goods.
7. Stop Encouraging Monopolies: The federal government should not be encouraging monopolies. I already discussed monopolies in health care. The federal government has also encouraged monopolies in banking thanks to Dodd-Frank and housing thanks to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Congress should pass and the President should sign legislation repealing all federal laws that have encouraged monopolies or oligarchies.
Free trade created the world's enemy called China. As well as a permanent worldwide slave class. As well as pollution at insane levels. And on and on.
But you can buy a toaster at Wal-Mart for $4.99 that will last two months before it breaks. The $4.99 came from the ****ty service industry job that replaced the good manufacturing job that went to China.
Free trade created the world's enemy called China. As well as a permanent worldwide slave class. As well as pollution at insane levels. And on and on.
But you can buy a toaster at Wal-Mart for $4.99 that will last two months before it breaks. The $4.99 came from the ****ty service industry job that replaced the good manufacturing job that went to China.
I find two fundamental flaws in your argument.
First, China is not an enemy. Think of it like a marriage. No marriage is perfect, there are areas of disagreement. But a successful marriage is one where both parties love one another. Free trade has helped China become more prosperous and it has helped U.S. consumers pay less for items such as sneakers and phones. Furthermore, free trade has opened up markets for our farmers and manufacturers of certain products. Yes, our economy faces challenges. Wages are relatively stagnant and there is price inflation, but the price inflation is more in health care, education, and housing than in clothing and consumer electronics.
Secondly, you mention lesser quality jobs being replaced by higher quality jobs. Yes, free trade did send some jobs overseas, though some of the jobs were also replaced by other jobs. We still do manufacture things here in the United States. Free trade has opened up export related jobs that otherwise would not have been created, and these jobs pay an average of 15% higher than in other industries. Furthermore, there is now a shortage of talent in manufacturing in the United States as younger people don't want to go into manufacturing. Younger workers are opting out of working in manufacturing.
There are two issues that I believe are valid arguments against free trade. The first is the impact on local economies, particularly in the Midwest where manufacturing was prevalent for decades. In the short-term, yes cities and small towns in that part of the country struggled. But I blame policies at the local level and in some cases unions (I am not against unions, but I do believe the UAW and others negotiated deals that went to far in reducing business profits) more for that than firms who simply responded to incentives to move south within the United States or overseas. Here is the good news though. Those cities that recognized it's challenges have diversified their local economies, and the result is these cities have made a comeback. Cleveland, Allentown, Dayton, and other places have revitalized and are once again great cities to live and work. Unfortunately, Detriot and Flint never learned from their past mistakes. Secondly, yes, there are displaced workers in their 50s and 60s. Please believe me when I say that makes me incredibly sad. The good news is, there are programs and resources available to these workers to help them gain skills to hold jobs that have replaced the old manufacturing jobs.
1. Sound Money: Repealing the Humphrey/Hawkins Full Employment Act, which gave the Federal Reserve it's mandate to balance inflation and unemployment, would help return the Federal Reserve to it's intended mission, which is to be the lender of last resort. I also believe we should return to the gold standard which would lead to greater monetary stability, a stronger currency, and less long term debt. Hopefully, these actions would encourage the Federal Reserve to raise it's funds rate and thus stop creating the kinds of asset bubbles we've seen in recent decades.
2. Tax Reform: In the United States today, we have an income tax that is unconstitutional and discourages income growth, investment, and savings. Instead, our tax code encourages spending. I believe in the Fair Tax. The Fair Tax would replace all federal income taxes with a 23% tax on new goods and services above the poverty level. This proposal would require the states to repeal the 16th amendment. A study at Suffolk University found that the Fair Tax would have many positive benefits to the U.S. taxpayer and economy. The study can be found here: http://www.beaconhill.org/FairTax200...del4-30-07.pdf
3. Health care reform: The reality is, health insurance in the United States was too expensive for most people prior to the Affordable Care Act, and the Affordable Care Act did nothing to address those out of control costs. The federal government and some states, through various regulations including certificate of need requirements to build new hospitals, has reduced competition in the health care space over the course of several decades. This has increased cost, as has the outdated fee for serve payment model established by the government as part of medicare and medicaid has also increased the cost of health care and thus, insurance. I believe the federal government should block-grant medicaid to states, change the fee for service model with regards to medicare into one that encourages services to be offered in the same place at the same time, legalize association health plans, enact tort reform, and allow people to buy insurance across state lines.
4. Entitlement Reform & Debt Reduction: I already mentioned medicaid reform, I also believe we need to means test social security and medicare, raise the eligibility ages on both, and allow younger people to opt-out of social security. Furthermore, I think we need to lift the social security earnings cap. I believe the best way to reduce the national debt is to enact what Former Texas Congressman Ron Paul proposed during his 2012 campaign for President. Paul proposed $1 trillion in spending cuts. He called for eliminating the Departments of Commerce, Interior, Energy, and HUD. Another step forward would be eliminating corporate welfare and passing the Penny Plan, which would eliminate one penny for every dollar of federal spending.
5. Immigration reform: Legal immigrants to the United States are more likely to open a business in this country than those of us who were born here. They make a positive contribution to our economy and institutions of higher education. I believe U.S. legal immigration policy should emphasize equally those who want to come here for economic reasons and those who want to come here to be near family, today family unification is the main driver of legal immigration. As far as illegal immigration, I think we need a pathway to legal status for those who have not committed any crimes, those who have committed crimes should be deported, and we should immediately stop the immoral and inhumane practice of separating families. I also believe in a temporary worker program.
6. Embrace free trade: Businesses in the United States should be able to trade freely with any businesses in countries we consider to be allies with, period. Free trade supports 40 million American jobs and has reduced the cost of some consumer goods.
7. Stop Encouraging Monopolies: The federal government should not be encouraging monopolies. I already discussed monopolies in health care. The federal government has also encouraged monopolies in banking thanks to Dodd-Frank and housing thanks to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Congress should pass and the President should sign legislation repealing all federal laws that have encouraged monopolies or oligarchies.
Many good points in here, but not all.
My biggest issue is the idea of legalizing anyone who came here illegally. They should return home and apply to return legally.
1. I agree with.
2. Flat tax. Everyone pays, no exceptions.
3. Pay for your own healthcare. Relying on others is just wrong.
4. Eliminate welfare.
5. Here illegally, out you go. No exceptions.
6. Free trade is free trade. Others don’t want to play fair, mirror their practices against them.
7. No argument.
China is an enemy of the United States and humanity in general. Look at the pollution they cause in their own country. Just wait until they really get their hooks into Africa. China has bad intentions. Trade never should have been opened up with them.
Part of the reason young people don't want to go into manufacturing is because a lot of it is now minimum wage. Because of our terrible "free" trade policies.
Look at Wal Mart, making money hand over fist and helping their workers get government welfare. Those jobs are not better than what manufacturing was in the past. Free trade created slaves, pollution and funnels more money than ever to the top 1%.
We’ve had all of those policies for 40 years (except for #1) and look where it got us: poverty and misery for everyone but the professional and billionaire classes.
If we keep going this route, we will eventually have economic collapse and the rise of people like Stalin, Mussolini, and Hitler. It will be the 1930s all over again.
1. I agree with.
2. Flat tax. Everyone pays, no exceptions.
3. Pay for your own healthcare. Relying on others is just wrong.
4. Eliminate welfare.
5. Here illegally, out you go. No exceptions.
6. Free trade is free trade. Others don’t want to play fair, mirror their practices against them.
7. No argument.
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