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Ned
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of Aptos, CA
Oct 1999
time: 21:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Sandman
You've already got NATO. The UN is not an military alliance.
Besides, what happens when these vassals start to get less than compliant? Give them the boot? You'll soon end up with no-one, not that any major country would join your alliance anyway.
Well, I don't think bin Laden was working under the auspices of the UN. Do you think that Israel would be free of terrorists if it was not for the UN? Hardly. It's rather ridiculous to claim that the UN is the focal point of anti-Americanism. If you left the UN, anti-Americanism would doubtless increase.
Guess what? The UN isn't there to defend American interests, it's there to foster international cooperation. If it's not bowing to America and going by the international consensus, then it's doing it's job. |
I think we would have to limit membership/voting rules based on certain criteria - just like the EU.
Obviously there will be disagreements. But if the members interests are alligned, the debate will be on tactics, not fundamentals.
In the UN, on the other had, the interests of the majority are divergent from the interests of the US. Nothing is ever going to change this.
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Adam Smith
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Maryland, USA
Jan 1970
time: 00:22
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After five minutes of thought, a Republican party platform I would like to see sooner rather than later:
Eliminate all tax dedctions except home mortgage interest and charitable contributions.
Reduce income tax rates for lower brackets. People who earn less than the poverty level should pay negative income tax rate.
Increase gasoline tax by 50 cents per gallon.
Means test social security benefits. Social security should be a safety net for the poor, not an entitlement for all.
Eliminate all tariffs, import quotas, and export subsidies for any country which will do the same for us.
Limit pain and suffering awards to $500,000. Remember this is over and above awards for any actual damages.
Loser pays the cost of legal proceedings. This should encourage less expensive forms of dispute resolution, such as arbitration, and discourage frivolous suits.
Limit pharmaceutical patents to 10 years, down from the current 17. No reason we should subsidize worldwide pharmaceutical development. If other countries want new drugs, they can help pay for them.
Reduce reimbursement levels for high-tech medical procedures.
Suspend sales of military equipment to developing nations.
Increase personal campaign contribution to $5000 in returin for elimination of all soft money.
Many of these will need to be phased in over five or ten years to minimize economic dislocation.
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Arrian
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Kneel before Grog!
Jul 2001
time: 00:22
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AS,
I agree with most of that list. In particular, I like the pharmaceutical patents limitation, the campaign finance reform (although as AKAIK it would be very hard to get rid of all "soft money"), the legal changes ($500k, loser pays fees), the removal of most tax writeoffs, and hiking the gas tax (though I would specifically target the new revenue toward R&D and/or enforcement of evironmental regulations).
One thing I'm not so sure about: "Means test social security benefits. Social security should be a safety net for the poor, not an entitlement for all."
We already have a progressive tax system (which you advocate making more progressive by lowering the lowest tax levels) that redistributes wealth. Your SS proposal effectively turns SS into another progressive tax system, overlaid on the one we already have. I would pay my SS tax, and when I hit 65, I probably wouldn't see a cent of that money back. Therefore, all you've actually done is raised income taxes rather creatively.
-Arrian
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Ned
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of Aptos, CA
Oct 1999
time: 21:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Arrian
In no particular order:
1) Cut military spending, redirect money to education
2) Redirect all foreign aid to nongovermental aid organizations
3) Provide tax incentives to "green" technology... basically anything that cuts down on pollution. Also take a more proactive stand on cleaning up haz waste sites.
4) Legalize pot, tax the hell out of it and use some of the money on an ad campaign encouraging people to eat it rather than smoke it.
5) Drop farm subsidies and other forms of protectionism
6) Withdraw our troops from Saudi Arabia, and hand the Saddam & his chemicals problem to the UN.
7) Quit selling people (as in other countries) weapons.
8) Much stricter regulations on domestic gun sales.
9) Discuss "regime change" in Israel
10) Make the aim of our government policies "equal opportunity for all Americans" which is very different than "equal outcome for all Americans" (communism). By equal opportunity, I mean the chance to succeed: education, basic health care, safety.
11) Quit telling the rest of the world to **** off in very blunt terms. Tell them nicely. 
-Arrian |
Arrian, It looks like you a quoting George Washington's farwell speach - the one where he cautioned America to stay out of European politics.
I suspect that you are a Republican at heart. I have heard the same viewpoint expressed by many isolationists.
Just a question, though, do you approve of Roosevelt's actions prior to WWII that forced the Axis to declare war? I mean the embargo and Lend Lease?
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devilmunchkin
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first circle of the inferno
Jul 2001
time: 05:22
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ppl in the government must learn to better separate church and state
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chegitz guevara
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Ft. Lauderdale, FL Communist Party of Apolyton
Jun 2000
time: 00:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Adam Smith
After five minutes of thought, a Republican party platform I would like to see sooner rather than later:
Eliminate all tax dedctions except home mortgage interest and charitable contributions.
Reduce income tax rates for lower brackets. People who earn less than the poverty level should pay negative income tax rate.
Increase gasoline tax by 50 cents per gallon.
Means test social security benefits. Social security should be a safety net for the poor, not an entitlement for all.
Eliminate all tariffs, import quotas, and export subsidies for any country which will do the same for us.
Limit pain and suffering awards to $500,000. Remember this is over and above awards for any actual damages.
Loser pays the cost of legal proceedings. This should encourage less expensive forms of dispute resolution, such as arbitration, and discourage frivolous suits.
Limit pharmaceutical patents to 10 years, down from the current 17. No reason we should subsidize worldwide pharmaceutical development. If other countries want new drugs, they can help pay for them.
Reduce reimbursement levels for high-tech medical procedures.
Suspend sales of military equipment to developing nations.
Increase personal campaign contribution to $5000 in returin for elimination of all soft money. |
Sounds pretty good, all except that last part. Abolish the privitisation of politicians. Public funds only, for anyone who meets certain minimu requirements.
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David Floyd
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The bottom of a large bottle of beer
Jan 1970
time: 05:22
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quote:
Goodness no. If anything, we need more religion in the Government. |
Could you explain that? The only function religion in government seems to fulfill, to me, is forcing the moral values and private beliefs of one group of people on everyone else, who may or may not believe the same way.
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Lord Merciless
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Arrian, you should apply what you do in Civ3 to the US.
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devilmunchkin
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first circle of the inferno
Jul 2001
time: 05:22
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quote:
Goodness no. If anything, we need more religion in the Government. |
what are you smoking man? such things are in direct violation of the Constitution. If government officials want to be christian, that's their thing..but they need to do on their own time and leave a religious agenda out of the office as the constitution says they should. a great number of people in america are not christian....we have many muslims (xianity is on the decrease, islam is the fastest growing religion in the world and atheism is also growing but is nota religion or belief), atheists, agnostics.....
but that sort of stuff isn't what government is based on....and therefore should be left out of government
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Arrian
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Kneel before Grog!
Jul 2001
time: 00:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Lord Merciless
Arrian, you should apply what you do in Civ3 to the US. |
 Too late. I would need a 4000bc start... need the FP in Brazil up 'n running by the AD years... need time to clear and develop S. America... then need time to build colonization/occupation forces for Europe and the Far East. Take the coast, grab the luxuries, raze the interior. Same with Africa and the ME, but I could take my time there.
Ned,
I suppose I am a republican at heart - I tend to agree with what (some) republicans say on a philosophical level. The trouble is, I just about never agree with what they actually DO. The Democrats are no better.
I'm not really an isolationist, in that I don't want to withdraw from the UN and go turtle. But I'm not an interventionalist who likes military adventures all over the world (to paraphrase FMJ: "I wanted to travel the world, meet new and exciting people, and kill them"). I'm much rather we were less unilateral and less reliant on military solutions. In short, Rumsfeld/Cheney really worry me.
Do I approve of FDR's actions pre-WWII? That's a tough question, because in order to answer properly, one must attempt to ignore hindsight. Hindsight makes the answer a resounding "yes" but things weren't as clear at the time. I think I would have supported FDR at the time because by 1939/40 it was pretty damn clear just how dangerous the Nazis were.
Che,
What would those minimum requirements be? I'd agree with restricting the candidates to only public funds if we could come up with a good set of rules for who gets on the ballot and who doesn't. I hate the fact that by the time a politician makes it to high office they've been bought and sold so many times they don't even remember who owns them.
Lonestar,
I could not disagree more. Religion has no place in government.
-Arrian
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Lord Merciless
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Religion mixed with government will get you a Taliban-like regime, regardless what religion it is, even if it is the Atheism.
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