What's your philosophy on the role of government?
Hopefully there are still some lurkers yearning to post out here besides buzz and penn. If so, how would you define the role of government if could create the framework for one on the scale of the U.S.? Here's my take:
1. All laws should be centered around the right to free will. No law should be made restricting a given activity unless that activity impairs someone else's ability to exercise their free will, limits one's own ability to exercise free will (i.e. mind altering drugs or mental illness), or garners near unanimous support on the order of 80%.
2. Basic rights should include free will, a minimum standard of healthcare, and a certain level of privacy.
3. The federal government should only make laws or expend funds which benefit multiple states or have near unanimous support. Federal funds should not be directed to intrastate projects such as a bike trail in city XYZ. The same holds true for state funds where they should not pay for intra-county projects unless they have near unanimous support (i.e. rebuilding after a natural disaster).
4. Taxes should be based on what is taken from society (consumption) and not what is put into it (labor). A VAT tax which is generally applied as a fixed rate to all new goods with a fixed dollar amount refund would be ideal. Different rates could be applied to different consumables in order to encourage or discourage them (i.e. solar panels or cigarettes) but this should require near unanimous support on a recurring basis.
5. We should participate in an enforceable world government with a similar structure as our own. A United Nations with a peacekeeping military, criminal justice laws and courts, extradition, and currency which would be modeled after this framework to only deal with international issues and not intra-national ones and centers around the basic right to free will.
6. Legislative representatives for one of the bicameral houses at the state, national, and international levels would be selected by compulsatory sortition from the voting population while the remaining house is directly elected.
That's a start. What would you add or remove? Or feel free to write up your own from scratch.
The Federal government needs
The Federal government needs to be more that a vehicle to protect the assets of the wealthy with a costly war machine. A view of unregulated government can be seen in Somalia, and our deregulation binge lead to the near deregulation depression of 2008. Billionaires, and their sock puppets, the tea party, want to move the US to feudalism. The federal government must protect all citizens, not just the wealthy. Without regulation, the average worker/voter would be a serf to the crown/billionaires.
And with regulations, they
And with regulations, they still will be. The sad reality is that we have allowed those super-wealthy to become more powerful than the government. They will put every necessary ounce of their vast resources to get around any regulation we throw at them.
The Somalia analogy is a little much, but I get where you are coming from. We don't need to get rid of regulations, but we desperately need smarter regulations.
“The only difference between
“The only difference between the Republican and Democratic parties is the velocities with which their knees hit the floor when corporations knock on their door.” – Ralph Nader
I can see that you are not a
I can see that you are not a student of the constitution. The role of Government is and was supposed to be limited in nature. Taxes were to fund only those functions that government was to do. government does not have any business involving itself in the governing of any individual state. Please understand we are gauranteed the right to self determination. W have the right to pursue happiness. there is no gaurantee implied there. Why as a smoker should i be charged a tax for pursuing my choice. The government does not pay my medical bills. Iam against the use of alcohol. The costs associated with it are astronomical but yet i do not support a booze sin tax. How about unwed teens etc. These issues are not the bgusiness of government. Yet the government is involved in every part of our life. Only the Communists Governments have that kind of control. You cannot legislate morality. Nor should you tax it. The Governments job is to provide infrastructure and National defense. Nothing else. As far as a world government absolutely not. The united nations is a prime example of the corruption and stupidity on steroids. The U.N. couldnt prevent the massacres in Rhowands,Darfur,N korea or anywhere else despite the massive amounts of money they extort from member nations.
I recommend that you read
I recommend that you read Thomas Paine's work, "The Rights of Man." This will provide you invaluable insight concerning the extent to which the Founders intended the government to protract its role into social and political matters.
When I read his "treatise" as well as many other of the Constitutional Founders, I was thoroughly surprised at how "progressive" their ideas were-essentially calling for a government which offers a strong safety net to its citizens, i.e. progressive taxation, family allowances, hardship allowances, pensions, invalidity benefits, death grants, funding for public education, etc.
Hugh, you must have read a
Hugh, you must have read a different "The Rights of Man" by Thomas Paine then the one I read. Paine reflected on the natural rights, that little government was needed or even harmed peoples interests, for individuals would seek to work together to obtain those things they need without government.
Locke's writings are much the same as Paine, and these natural and individual rights were the rights the nation was founded on.
These ideas are classical liberalism, not progressivism which is liberal corporatism or interest group liberalism.
You must be lying because all
You must be lying because all government spending is unconstitutional and evil and bad.
--The Tea Party
What is bluegrass talking
What is bluegrass talking about?
'The government shall have
'The government shall have the power to regulate prices....'
'The government shall have the power to seize any company or entity... ' and give it to the people.
'When a politician was bribed, both the giver and the taker would forfeit all family assets and spend a mandatory 30 years in prison"
Sounds a lot like Chairman Mao, hero of the Chi-Coms. Google, images, Mao Tse Tung and check out his attire.
So I guess we can assume that
So I guess we can assume that bluegrass is in favor of unbridled capitalism, bribery, exploitation, price gouging and corporate subversion of the government and the people. I don't like regulation any more then others do; however, if they ask for it, it should be done. And they have asked for it by their actions.
I have several ideas and will
I have several ideas and will be posting them.
1. The government shall have the power to regulate prices in cases of excessive profiteering. (oil companies, health care)
2. The government shall have the power to seize any company or entity engaged in defrauding the public. The company might then be given to the employees who were not corrupt.
3. Corporations would be businesses and not have the rights of individuals.
4. Only grass roots lobbying would be allowed.
5. Freedom of speech would not include money. When a politician was bribed, both the giver and the taker would forfeit all family assets and spend a mandatory 30 years in prison.
6. Employee ownership of businesses would be assisted and encouraged. Full ownership, not some stock option.
7. The economy would be measured in terms of people working and average wages paid, not on how well wall street is doing.
8. Political contributions would be taxed at 70%
9. Constitutional issues would be interpreted so as to give the greatest freedom to individuals.
10. The people shall have the right of recall and voter initiative at all levels of government.
11. All unfair trade agreements would be abolished. No agreement could be approved without the strong majority mentioned in the post.
Where are you coming from?
Where are you coming from? You must be a U of I grad.
1. corporations are people.
2. corporatios do not pay taxes. the taxes are passed on to the people in the form of higher costs.
3. free trade is a lie. Take a look at NAFTA. biggest failure ever heaped on Americans yet.
4. truly free markets set prices. The U.S.government makes 1.16 CENTS a gallon on gas with no costs. the oil companies take all the risk and make about 9 cents a gallon. These are true figures. educate yourself dont drink the kool aid.
5. Americans are for the most part are lazy and uneducated. They would rather save a nickel buying a chines made item over an american made item and then complain that all the jobs are going to china, Yet at the same time out of every dollar we send to china they put 75 cents of that dollar in to their military. We show no loyalty to our country because of the stupidity of political correctness. I am an American first and last. I am not an afro/hispanic/chinese/asian/muslim/ AMERICAN. hYPHENATION DIVIDES US. Just as uncontrolled borders and immigration does.
6. the rule used to be that you entered the u.s. legally. you were required to have a sponsor and had to prove that you had financial responsibility. you could not become a BURDEN on the american taxpayer. Anation without borders is not a nation that can survive.
I have two degrees but not
I have two degrees but not from the U of I.
Are you not aware that the courts have given corporations all the rights of individuals? A corporation is a business entity only. It should not have the right to donate huge amounts of money to politicians and call it free speech.
corporations should not be allowed to pass their tax on to the consumers, who have nobody else to pass their costs on to.
Nobody likes NAFTA except repugs and corporations. Think about what i wrote.
The oil companies and OPEC set prices through supply manipulation, speculation and lies. The government makes more than 1.16 cents per gal. on gas taxes. Look at the profits the oil companies are posting and then tell me how hard they have it.
Nobody can afford to buy American anymore because your corporations moved all of the jobs overseas in the name of profits. Everybody would love to buy American given the chance.
Where do you read that I am in favor of illegal immigration? Just the opposite.
Over all, a pretty uneducated reply.
Interesting ideas. Not sure
Interesting ideas. Not sure about #11 though. what is fair/unfair?
Fair trade is when imports
Fair trade is when imports and exports are roughly equal between two countries and wages are equal for the workers.
sam, you forgot Everyone
sam, you forgot
Everyone shall wear brown shirt coats, khaki pants, and brown patrol hats. Shoes and belts can be black or brown, but the colors must match.
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