10 points included in the ideal political platform

[natedogg]

When I run in 2008, these will be part of my platform.

1. Decriminalize drugs. Disband the DEA entirely. Save billions on prison costs alone by firing half of the newly useless prison employees. Regulate the drugs and tax them, reducing income tax for everyone.

2. Eliminate social security and payroll tax entirely. Pay off those who have money coming to them on a sliding scale. The older you are, the bigger portion of the promise you'll see, but it won't be all. The cutoff point for getting $0 from social security should probably be around age 45.

3. Repeal PATRIOT act of course.

4. Line item veto. It is the only viable solution to the out of control spending orgy in congress known as "budget talks".

5. Strengthen 2nd amendment protections for lawful citizens while increasing penalties for crimes committed with guns.

6. Remove 501c3 status from all churches. They are profitable businesses, so tax them as such. Of course, charity work and salaries are deductible from their bottom line, but profits will be taxed.

7. Lift the ridiculous cloning ban and stem cell ban, assuming we continue to grant federal money for drug research. Ideally, stop subsidizing drug companies with federal money so that they turn around and gouge government mandated medicare with overpriced drugs that they developed with public money! WTF!!!

8. There is no greater and more glaring failure of our government than public eduction. Privatize the education and eliminate mandatory attendance.

9. Gay marriage is a ok. In fact, any kind of marriage is fine with me. Bigamy, polygamy, group marriages, line marriages, any thing you want to do is fine. Knock yourself out.

10. Say good bye to farm subsidies. "Bye bye farm subsidies!"


natedogg

[nothumb]

Well, if I were President (and I'm an anarchist, but I'm also supremely egotistical, so I'd take the job if offered) here would be my platform:

1. Single payer health insurance, with all start up costs paid for with 75% of the wealth of insurance executives living in the US. Note that this is a very generous deal for the insurance execs, as there is no firing squad involved.

2. Decriminalize marijuana and most other drugs. Not heroin, cocaine, PCP, meth. Release non-violent drug offenders from prison. (Word up, natedogg.)

3. Withdraw from NAFTA, WTO, IMF, World Bank.

4. Civil unions as a part of the constitution. "Marriage" to be defined on a state-by-state basis.

5. Force the USA Men's Basketball team to hold a bake sale if they want to go to the next Olympics.

6. Same deal for anyone wanting to build a missile defense system.

7. Force anyone wishing to own firearms not related to hunting to join a 'well regulated militia' that excludes felons, people with history of mental illness, etc. Strict penalties for any and all unlawful firearm sales, posession, and use.

8. All campaigns for public election will be funded solely by public money. Harsh penalties for any use of these funds deemed libelous, slanderous, or ethically unsound. The cost of funding these elections will be far outweighed by the money saved on pork owed to contributors.

9. You cannot receive any federal aid, such as financial aid for school, if you are eligible to vote and choose not to. It's tempting to say you can't get a tax return if you don't vote, not sure if that would fly though.

10. Nuclear disarmament and international safeguarding of all nuclear materials becomes a number one priority.

11. Celine Dion deported to Canada. Jarome Iginla's contract bought out and federally subsidized so he can play for one of the US hockey teams (preferably the Bruins).

12. FCC chairman Michael Powell dragged through the streets, beaten, forced to listen to Top 40 radio until he repents. Rules on station ownership tightened; obscenity guidelines eased.

13. Poker legalized as a game of skill throughout US states and territories.

That's all I can think of now.

NT

[3rdEye]

Agreed on all counts!

I presume that you, like me, are a libertarian?

[OrangeHeat]

Hmmm...would be nice to customize a candidate..in no particular order...

1. Flat Tax on income. Do away with estate taxes, gift taxes, taxes on gambling income, etc... Simple system you, me or ABC corp makes X dollars we all get taxed the same Y%. No tax returns! To protect the meek and humble a floor could be put on this in the neighborhood of the poverty line. Do away with the IRS.

2. Marijuana should be legalized and taxed. Stop spending money arresting kids for having a couple grams for weed. Other drugs would be studied and considered after seeing the efficacy of the first legalization.

3. Fair Trade - I am all for free trade as I remember my college economics, BUT it needs to be fair trade. At a minimum US firms outsourcing to other countries would be required to meet minimum health, envrinmental, and safety requirements (some type of fair wage requirement would be good too). Also countries we trade with would not be allowed to manipulate currencies and tariffs ala China to make them more attractive. Incentives to keep good paying technical jobs in the US would be a good idea.

4. Repeal the fear mongering Patriot Act. I am not sure why this hasn't or can't be challenged as a violation of constitutional rights....Reasonable search and seizure has always worked not "whatever we feel like". I mean library records?? I think they were smoking marijuana.

5. Immigration. Legal immigration/political asylum, etc... is fine. HOWEVER illegal immigration would be treated as what it is a crime. No more giving medicare, welfare, drivers licenses, schooling to people who are here illegally. There has been close to zero enforcement of these laws in southwest recently - companies employing illegals would face stiff penalties and frequent reviews.

6. Affirmative Action. Sorry any system that could force a company/school/business to hire/accept someone other than the top qualified candidate based on race is wrong. I would however increase spending on community based programs to encourage after school programs, tutoring, etc... - these should be based on income level and not solely on race.

7. Gun Control - I would keep existing laws (no new ones)and strengthen punishment for criminals using/possessing guns during the commission of a crime. Law abiding citizens are not the problem.

8. Abortion - Sticky issue, but if I am running for President it would be on a pro-life basis. I couldn't run on anything else after seeing the sonograms of my two kids when they were the size of my thumb with recognizable body parts. Every year premature babies survive earlier and earlier - pretty soon this vivable fetus theory is gonna be swamped.

9. Foreign Policy - Finish up whatever messes we are in at the time and then bring most of the forces home. Keeping enough in strategic parts of the world to protect the US mainland. The rest of the world wants us to keep our nose out of their business so why not? However this would include foreign aid and money given to third world countries. War on terror - Strengthen our borders and enforce the heck out of immigration/visiting policies. If US citizens want to go abroad to the hostile areas like the middle east then they know the risks.

10 Education - Teachers and schools would be run more like mainstream businesses. Perform or we shut you down and find competent people to do your job. College education subsidies would be increased for students who perform well and/or put forth a good effort (i.e. show they give a damn about their future). I think that some of these programs where someone pays for your schooling and then you guaruntee them 5 yrs of work are excellent ideas. Corporations/communities would be smart to develop their staff/employees this way.

Ok so now way I get elected on these, but that is what I would want.

Orange

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

You'll get my vote.

[natedogg]

[ QUOTE ]


5. Force the USA Men's Basketball team to hold a bake sale if they want to go to the next Olympics.


[/ QUOTE ]

Excellent idea! On a more serious note, the president should not have the power to pull us out of the olympics like Carter did. What he did was so despicable and insensitive and utterly violated the spirit of the modern olympics. I credit Carter with the first and most decisive blow to the olympics, setting it on the path to being the pathetic load of crap it is today.



[ QUOTE ]
7. Force anyone wishing to own firearms not related to hunting to join a 'well regulated militia' ...

[/ QUOTE ]

nothumb, this is a recipe for tyranny. All the govt has to do is define "well-regulated" in a way that no-one can meet, then start collecting all the guns as you get the rail-cars ready for the kindertransport...


[ QUOTE ]
9. You cannot receive any federal aid, such as financial aid for school, if you are eligible to vote and choose not to. It's tempting to say you can't get a tax return if you don't vote, not sure if that would fly though.

[/ QUOTE ]

Totally misguided. The fewer people who vote the better. That last thing you want to do is encourage every freaking ignorant jackass to get out and vote.


natedogg

[natedogg]

11. No foreign aid can be included in an unbalanced budget except during a time of war. It has to be an actual war that has been officially declared by congress.

natedogg

[elwoodblues]

[ QUOTE ]
6. Affirmative Action. Sorry any system that could force a company/school/business to hire/accept someone other than the top qualified candidate based on race is wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]

You clearly don't understand affirmative action. Under no program that I have ever seen is a company/school/business forced into implementing an affirmative action policy.

[OrangeHeat]

[ QUOTE ]
You clearly don't understand affirmative action. Under no program that I have ever seen is a company/school/business forced into implementing an affirmative action policy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmm..Forced may have been the wrong word.

Say company ABC had 10 positions open and had 200 white applicants and 100 black applicants. It turns out the 10 best qualified individuals are white.

Situation A

Company ABC has an affirmative action plan in place (voluntarily) and decides to take 3 of the best black candidates and hire 7 of the whites. Everyone is happy (except the 3 white guys who got shafted) and they cover themselves against discrimination lawsuits.

Situation B

Company ABC has no affirmative action plan in place and hires the 10 best candidates (all white). They are now open to discrimination lawsuit which they can defend at a costly price because they have all their interview records.

So they are not forced to have the program in place, but if they don't they are forced to defend themselves more often and at a higher price.

Real life:

At my workplace over the last four years we have had 8 operator level employess with attendance problems. 6 white and 2 black. All 6 of the white employess were terminated the day they fell below the required attendance percentage of 97 (not including vacation). The 2 black employess are still here with the same attandance problems - the reason HR and management does not want to let the black operators go is because they have been sued the last three times they let black operators go with recorded just cause.

They have won in court every time - but the cost outwieghs dealing with the problem people.

Is that fair?

I dunno. I think minorities need to be protected from racism/bias. However, to hold them to a lower standard is not right just because the claim of discrimination can be made (yes I know this isn't affirmative action). And to hire people based on anything other than most qualified candidates is not right (this is affirmative action).

Now if there are candidates of both races equally qualified I see no reason not to encourage diversity by making sure some racist HR guy doesn't toss all the minority candidates.

Orange

[Fluffington]

[ QUOTE ]
2. Decriminalize marijuana and most other drugs. Not heroin, cocaine, PCP, meth.

[/ QUOTE ]

This makes no sense whatsoever. The legalisation of heroin would have more positive effects than the legalisation of marijuana (though I believe that this drug should also be completely legal). No marijuana users die of overdoses because they can't trust the purity of something distributed by criminals and the vast majority of them does not have to resort to committing crimes in order to sustain their habit. Also, controlled doses of pure heroin is not harmful (which marijuana is) and I believe that a much larger portion of the heroin trade is linked to serious organized crime.

[anatta]

Good enough for me, but are poor children still going to get to go to school for free?

[Bez]

I have to disagree with taking away mandatory attendance from school. Kids with good for nothing parents who don't make them go to school + no education = career criminal.

[natedogg]

[ QUOTE ]
Good enough for me, but are poor children still going to get to go to school for free?

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course. Anyone who wants to have an education should get one. But forcing children to attend, especially teenagers, only creates an environment where no one can benefit even those who really want to.

If you don't want to be there, don't come.

natedogg

[natedogg]

[ QUOTE ]
I have to disagree with taking away mandatory attendance from school. Kids with good for nothing parents who don't make them go to school + no education = career criminal.

[/ QUOTE ]

On the other hand, kids with good for nothing parents who don't even have any concern or influence over the child's education == a school environment where no one can learn.

These days if kids with loser parents turn out ok in our society, it's not because of public school, it's in SPITE of it.

natedogg