What kind of American are you? (Obama, military, insurance, school)
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Yeah, I wouldn't want anyone to help ensure that I can access affordable, reliable urgent medical treatment if I get into a car accident or suffer a major life-threatening illness! That would just be COMMUNIST.
I would rather just die for lack of treatment or else being forced into bankruptcy by a $250,000 medical bill. YAY FREEDOM!
Your model is wrong. The GOP favors govt. interference in what we read, think, how the wealth of this nation is distributed. Terri Shiavo anyone? Talk about govt. getting involved in a family decision. Abortion - a private decision (which I do not approve of) - which conservatives love to get involved in. Or how about the GOP deciding who it is proper to love and marry? The GOP loves to get involved.
You're correct. They also favor government interference in bailing out Wall Street, funding war profiteers like Halliburton, et al, enriching corporate America, the banking industry, etc. at taxpayer expense. They also favor tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy on the backs of the middle class.
The GOP puts on a good Dog and Pony show about being "stand-up guys" and "pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps". In reality, they get more taxpayer enrichments (for their base) than any private citizen ever does.
Capitalism has limited access to food to those who can "afford it" or "own the means to produce it". This is opposed to lack of ownership of land, where one is free to collect materials from nature to build shelter, and to grow/hunt for/or collect food on communal grounds.
So, you are FORCED to work 60-70 hours a week to afford food and shelter, because you must buy them from a capitalist, rather then have the option of growing your own food, and building your own shelter.
With all due respect, you are not forced to do so. Right now, you can actually get free land in certain areas of alaska and you can get land for minimal amounts in western states if you want to be a farmer or hunter/gatherer. I bet most people would rather work 70 hours at a typical job than 70 hours as a hunter/gatherer lifestyle however.
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What would I suggest?
The following
1. No private ownership of any capital assets, all current businesses should be seized, and placed under the controlling interest of the employees. Each shop would elect a representitive, and the shop would make democratic decisions on the path they take. No person in a shop would ever be paid more then 3x the lowest, and no person in society would ever be paid more then 3x the lowest.
So if I have the capability to be a medical doctor, you think I should only make three times as much as a janitor, even though I have studied/worked 80+ hours per week and am responsible for people's lives on a daily basis? Why would anyone choose to go into high risk/high responsibility professions under this system?
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2. No person would be allowed more then one reasonably sized house and more then 1/2 acre of land.
What is the purpose of this? If I live in Wyoming in a town of 200 people...it should still be illegal to own more than 1/2 acre?
And how does one subsistance farm/build a home as you suggest with only
1/2 acre of land?
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3. Healthcare should be free for everyone
Paid for by whom? If everyone is farming for a living/working for lower wages, who pays for health care?
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4. Education, both k-12 and college, should be free and merit based. There will be no private schools or colleges.
I semi-agree with this. Would it be illegal for someone to teach a student extra? Would tutors, for example, be illegal?
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5. There should be no 2 party oligarchic plutocracy. All shops will be represented at increasing levels by democratically elected reps, who are immediatley recallable. At the top level would be a national council, with a representitive of every labor classification. Here, they will set policy.
What do you mean by 'representitives of every labor classification?'
Can you expand on this? I did not understand what you meant.
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6. An independent economic research arm will be heavily funded and staffed with top level scholars and experts to plan the economic production for the country. This office will also set the college/training quotas, so that no profession becomes saturated.
So you wish to artifically create the demand for all industries? How will one become a 'top level scholar' when incoming students are forced out of professions due to 'saturation'?
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7. These production quotas will be distributed amongst the shops in such a way that the most productive shops receive the most orders, and therefore those workers would make more money. Poor performing shops will be folded, and the workers dissipated in to other shops. If those workers fail to produce an accepted minimal production level for the lowest wage of their profession, then they will be let go, and become homeless. I do not believe a healthy adult should not contribute to society unless he is independently wealthy.
If only high performing shops get the most orders, wouldn't you be limiting the ability of the workers to pull themselves up? If a worker knows he can just sit around and do nothing, he knows he would eventually be dissipated into a shop that pays better. Where is the motivation to perform?
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8. There should be no income tax on personal or business income. There should be a consumption tax with a set amount exempt. This is similiar to some of the prebate fair tax plans floating around. These taxes will only be used to pay for schools, healthcare, social security for the seriously infirm and elderly, equipment for a militia, roads, police and fire, research for projects approved by the majority of the council, and the economic chamber. Pork will be eliminated, and all other "government entities" will either run at revenue, or be eliminated. For instance, the current US Post Office should be eliminated.
So you wish to cut taxes and yet pay for 100% of schools (at all levels), health care, etc...
I am simply not sure that is realistic.
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9. The US should immediatley withdraw from all foreign treaties, especially trade ones.
Does this mean we must only use oil found in the USA?
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10. All moral vices which are outlawed now, should become legal and regulated.
Because the prohabition worked so well!
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11. All connection between church and government should be abolished and severed officially. Church has nothing to do with the governship of the populace.
You're correct. They also favor government interference in bailing out Wall Street, funding war profiteers like Halliburton, et al, enriching corporate America, the banking industry, etc. at taxpayer expense. They also favor tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy on the backs of the middle class.
The GOP puts on a good Dog and Pony show about being "stand-up guys" and "pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps". In reality, they get more taxpayer enrichments (for their base) than any private citizen ever does.
Can't blame Corporations for none of that. blame the lobbyists. they are the ones at fault.
Also be careful how you ridicule the "Big Bad Corporations"..chances are you have a friend or a family member that works for one. I know I do.
Except for the few lameasses that always wander off topic or try to hijack a thread if it does not suit their particular view, there were more than a few responses that showed what a particular CD member felt about government and his role as a citizen of that government is.
Well done!
I'm impressed!
So far (all minus one) responders to the poll want maximum opportunity and minimal Government interference in their lives... 35 to 0 to 1
As opposed to the one who would opt for government care plus lottery tickets
You are aware that for your "vote" you are "free" to make no choices on your own, the Government taxes and decides for you.
You had better hope that in your case the government choices and your choices coincide. If they don't... you LOSE! As they say in Vegas... the HOUSE always wins.
Eventually "the Government" will decide that it no longer needs or requires your "vote"!
ArtinChicago either you are a troll or a very poorly equipped individual. It is a very sad thing that you refuse to accept, after virtually everyone on the first page pointed out, that your poll is fundamentally flawed. I direct you to Wikipedia since I suspect that is the maximum amount of complexity you can handle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loaded_question
Given a choice would you choose the Conservative/Republican ladder of opportunity with minimal Government interference?
-OR-
The Liberal/democrat rocking chair of stagnation with maximum Government interference in your life?
Many Americans are unwisely choosing the latter, where they are just a number, satisfied with mediocrity, circus's and welfare bread of Government HealthCare benevolence.
Does the Government owe you a living? Then move to a Socialist utopia like Cuba or Venezuela!
As for myself I don't want any Government limiting my dreams or opportunities or the dreams and opportunities of my children.
Choosing the ladder of opportunity you would vote Conservative.
Choosing the rocking chair of mediocrity you would vote Liberal.
Your poll is to slanted towards Republican ideology to be worth much more than being irrelevant.
If you really want to know try being neutral (now there's a challenge) with your polls.
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