How would you change the government structure to make it better?

[Raelum]

I am always interested in talking politics and what if scenarios... most of my friends are not into this at all so now you have to put up with it :)

I am basically going to post some of my ideas that i have, and how i think it will help the people and the government. You can then debate them, play devil's advocate or post your own ideas or changes.

Lets keep this reasonable, and make sure you post WHY or HOW it will help.

My ideas...

1. Dissolve the party system. This will remove the focus from the parties which have a single platform and no one member of that party supports 100%. For example, you have Lincoln Chafee, the former Rhode Island Senator who was a Republican but voted with the Democrats on almost every issue. So, people who voted straight ballet voted him in thinking he supported the Republican platform when in reality he supported the Democrats.

2. Term Limit for Congress. Like the President of the United States, Senators and Representatives should only be allowed to serve so many terms. (two terms like the president?) This would allow the elected to focus more on their beliefs and not so much on winning the next election. There is also a problem with career politicians, IMO.

3. Campaign Salary Cap. To create more equality between candidates there should be a maximum amount for campaign contributions. This includes donations, etc. This will prevent the already wealthy from having a more likely chance of winning an election.

4. Equal Air-Time. The government should reserve airtime from public television company's for the purpose of presidential and local elections. All candidates will receive equal air-time, which will allow candidates without big corporate connections and stock piles of cash a better chance to win.

5. Legalize Recreational Marijuana. This will drop the crime rate significantly as there are tons of arrest related to Marijuana. In turn, Marijuana can be government regulated for quality and taxed. The billions of dollars spent on drug enforcement can be diverted to educating the citizens about the risk of drugs and boosting the education programs.

6. Privately Run Schools. The government is apparently not capable of running or managing schools (this is on a state level). We should contract out
school management to third party companys. This will create competition between companys and competition always leads to better and cheaper products (in this case, the product being education). Essentially publics schools would become more and more like colleges, with the exception that the government still owns the publics school, but a 3rd party runs the schools.

Thats it for now, i might add more of my crazy ideas later. I thought most of these up on my own, but i doubt if no one else has come up with similar ideas.

Thanks!
Raelum

[Krogith]

This is a question to you. Do you think Mankind on there own will ever run Everything Good? I have read history and see today and a stright NO, I see mankind as to Not Have The Ablity to Rule themselfs. Seems to me Greed & Pride take people over when they let it. Mankind I see can never rule themself.

What do you feel on the issue? People can do it you say? If everyone acted like me? If everyone had These Rules? Humans have Free Will some just want to be Bad. How are we going to prevent that? Someone will always feel that the Grass is Greener and let there own (wisdom) tell them there Right! IDK you tell me please. What do you think?

[Raelum]

This is a question to you. Do you think Mankind on there own will ever run Everything Good? I have read history and see today and a stright NO, I see mankind as to Not Have The Ablity to Rule themselfs. Seems to me Greed & Pride take people over when they let it. Mankind I see can never rule themself.

What do you feel on the issue? People can do it you say? If everyone acted like me? If everyone had These Rules? Humans have Free Will some just want to be Bad. How are we going to prevent that? Someone will always feel that the Grass is Greener and let there own (wisdom) tell them there Right! IDK you tell me please. What do you think?

I'm not trying to create a Utopian society. I agree with you that there will always be profit-seeking, greedy, and selfish people in this world. My goal with most of these changes is to make it easier for the people that aren't wealthy, that don't own company's, etc. What most people fail to realize is that this government was DESIGNED by the rich wealthy aristocrats to be run by them. They did not believe the average person was capable and feared an idiot would get elected. In a sense our government IS NOT a democracy. It just looks like one. It's actually a Plutocracy.

[iRayone]

As a student of history I don't think man is capable of a perfect utopia. We are human. It is our natural right to survive however that maybe. The human nature of it all throughout history is greedy, corrupt governments. However it's not the government it's the people who run it. The system should work in a perfect world. But as you already know If a third party such as the green party were to come on strong sure enough the CIA would take care of things for the statis quo. Throuh out history the christian etihic had to enslave indians, and blacks and other ethnic races to show their superiority. Still today we are taking over countries and stealing there reasourses economicly.
A good read " Cofessions of an Economic Hit Man." Why do you think we are in a war????OIL money, power= control. Are we truly free in the USA or is that all we know? The more money you have the more freedom you have????
The fact is look at all the cultures before the whiteman came to rape and pillage. They were content in there own world. IE Indians, Hawaiians, Africans, etc. with there own cultures, ideas, races, creed, colors and religions. We distroyed there cultures and tried to ingrain ours. We white washed other cultures for power and control. We continue to do so today. Just because we have control and power......Are we the chosen ones?

[Krogith]

Watching Online what the world thinks and trys while it is trying to float on an ice cube, that in fact they have even started to melt KNOWINGLY. Can people not see what looks into there own eyes day after day? Do they not see the march there on? Can history not help masses learn? Why does man Think he is Wise? This test is comming to a close who will awake? and see that trust in man fails.

[Raelum]

Watching Online what the world thinks and trys while it is trying to float on an ice cube, that in fact they have even started to melt KNOWINGLY. Can people not see what looks into there own eyes day after day? Do they not see the march there on? Can history not help masses learn? Why does man Think he is Wise? This test is comming to a close who will awake? and see that trust in man fails.

that was kinda poetic, lol

[Blindman0v0]

A 2 party system definitely doesn't work so do away with the electoral and let the voters elect there president.
Term Limits might help but if your a crook how long does it take to get on the lobbying gravy train? 4 years 8 years?
Legalizing pot would definitely have a positive effect on the legal system
People hate the term socialism but there are good things about socialism if the system isn't rotten to the core.
Free air time? Never happen.Too much money made by the media for them to give up free air time.
Campaign contribution limits? Been tried numerous times,thers always a loop hole for the filthy rich to get richer.

[onequestion]

Get rid of the federal reserve.

[Blindman0v0]

The federal reserve system is a joke.But what would you replace it with?

[pisshead]

what did we do before the federal reserve? the country functioned fine without some private entity charging us interest to print fake money out of thin air, all it's done is inflate and will eventually crash the economy. it's run by a criminal elite destroying the republic. we had a lot less government intrusion into our lives and more freedom...

our currency started to wildly inflate once silver started being removed from our coins in 1964.

from the constitution:
Section 10 - States prohibited from the exercise of certain powers.
1. No state shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation; grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money; emit bills of credit; make any thing but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts; pass any bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, or grant any title of nobility. ]

how about this for a change?

The Constitution of the United States of America (http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.overview.html)

[The full Constitution, in both hypertext and word-processor formats, can be purchased and downloaded for individual local use from the LII. For details click here (http://www.law.cornell.edu/disks96.html).] Preamble ["We the people...."]

Article I [The Legislative Branch]

Article II [The Presidency]

Article III [The Judiciary]

Article IV [The States]

Article V [The Amendment Process]

Article VI [Legal Status of the Constitution]

Article VII [Ratification]

Signers

Amendments

[onequestion]

We need to go back to backing our money with gold and silver rather than using "legal tender" which is federal reserve talk for meaningless paper.

[onequestion]

and as bad as you think the public school system is, you have no idea how much worse the private schools are. I have been to a very well regarded one for a while and it is horrible. Much worse than any public school. I think that the schools will fix themselves once we get rid of the federal reserve.

[rebgirl420]

Rae has alot of good ideas.

1) I believe that we should disolve much of our government. Less is defiantely more.

2) Make drugs legal BUT make harsher punishments for your actions on drugs. Example: You begin taking a drug such as meth or heroin, and if you would rob a store or assault someone your jail sentance is trippled.

3) Cancel the welfare system, and if we DO keep it we make sure that the people keep receipts for EVERY DAMN THING they buy and when tax time comes around we make sure the welfare is being spent on shit it should be.

4) NO gun control laws.

5) No more nanny state government. You are responsible for your own damn actions. Things like censorship shall be over.

[rebgirl420]

and as bad as you think the public school system is, you have no idea how much worse the private schools are. I have been to a very well regarded one for a while and it is horrible. Much worse than any public school. I think that the schools will fix themselves once we get rid of the federal reserve.

I dont agree, I did public school until 10th grade and then I did online private school and it was MUCH better. Public schools are awful. I believe the parents should be able to keep their money and put their kids were they deem fit.

[onequestion]

2) Make drugs legal BUT make harsher punishments for your actions on drugs. Example: You begin taking a drug such as meth or heroin, and if you would rob a store or assault someone your jail sentance is trippled.



Why? That doesnt really make sense. I agree with everything else you said though.

[onequestion]

Online private school? Im talking about private school where you go with a bunch of other kids. Online learning is completely different than what happens in private schools.

[rebgirl420]

1) I think that if you make all drugs legal you still need some structure. B/c not everyone has self control and I feel that many will blame the drugs on their actions.

2) True, I understand the differences. Im just trying to get the point across that many public schools are awful.

[D.Boone]

The federal reserve system is a joke.But what would you replace it with?

wed go back to having congress be the sole entity in charge of creating and issuing money thats the way it was before the federal reserve.

"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation then by deflation, the banks and the corporations that will grow up around them, will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs." -Thomas Jefferson, The Debate Over The Recharter Of The Bank Bill, (1809). This prophesy has come true.

[D.Boone]

"The government should create, issue and circulate all the currency and credit needed to satisfy the spending power of the government and the buying power of consumers..... The privilege of creating and issuing money is not only the supreme prerogative of Government, but it is the Government's greatest creative opportunity. By the adoption of these principles, the long-felt want for a uniform medium will be satisfied. The taxpayers will be saved immense sums of interest, discounts and exchanges. The financing of all public enterprises, the maintenance of stable government and ordered progress, and the conduct of the Treasury will become matters of practical administration. The people can and will be furnished with a currency as safe as their own government. Money will cease to be the master and become the servant of humanity. Democracy will rise superior to the money power." -*Lincoln Abraham Senate document 23, Page 91. 1865

[D.Boone]

Seek To Know (http://www.seek2know.net/money.html)

[onequestion]

I dont think you really understand the nature of addiction rebgirl. If you want a true to life portrait of what addiction is really like you should read the kevin smith blog series "me and my shadow". It's about Jason Mewes and his heroin problem and it is actually a really good read and especially good if you are a fan of Kevin Smith's movies.

The View Askewniverse Message Board :: View topic - PART 9 of "Me and My Shadow" now up at MBAL! (http://www.viewaskew.com/theboard/viewtopic.php?t=45209)

You would also be surprised to find out that kevin smith, the man behind the clerks and jay and silent bob movies, is one of the best writers around today.

I also think this is even better at depicting drug addiction than Requiem for a Dream, at least to Kevin Smith fans who know the people in this story so well.

[rebgirl420]

I know what addiction is I assure you. I was locked up with heroin addicts, I watched them writhe on the floor shaking in cold sweats, puking wishing for death. Ive watched them fail over and over when I was in group homes. Its horrible. Ive seen friends waste away with meth, getting it from their parents home made labs. Hell, I even watch Intevention on A&E. Its a horrible thing. Its why id never touch anything than pot. But I will look into that link, Jay and Silent Bob crack me up.

[onequestion]

Oh, and every person on welfare isnt a crackhead. The percentage is actually quite low. We definitly shouldnt get rid of it.

[onequestion]

Well if you like Jay and Silent Bob you should definitly read it. It shows another side of it than you get to see on intervention, after reading about what happens to Jay i doubt you would want these people to have triple sentences. It usually isnt their fault. Sometimes its a genetic thing where people are just draawn to these substances and feel that they have to try it and it isnt their fault when they get hooked. Anyway, read the thing, if anything its entertaining and really good read. I was actually extremely surprised at how good of a writer kevin smith is.

[onequestion]

I wouldnt touch anything other than pot either (except maybe shrooms or very little maybe acid) but I have this plan that when I'm really old and am probably dying im gonna try all the hard drugs i I have a lot of money so I could at least know what its all about before i die. I think thats what the grandpa in little miss sunshine did.

[rebgirl420]

1) No everyone on welfare isnt a crackhead but so many do abuse the system.

2) Yeah it IS your fault. You know the damn effects it can have. Just like you know that shooting yourself in the leg can kill you, dont assume that your so different that it wont effect you.

[onequestion]

I bet you also think being gay is a choice.

[onequestion]

Everyone isnt perfect and can think rationally about drugs. SOme people have addictive personalities and since the day they are born they feel like something is missing. ANd when they find out about drugs its like they have to have it without thinking about the consequences.

[rebgirl420]

I bet you also think being gay is a choice.

Why would you even assume that? My best friend is gay and hes going to be my maid of honor in my wedding. Your being completely rude and ridiculous. And I refuse to argue about people who do hard drugs. If you do drugs you have to be responsible for your actions!

[onequestion]

What about peopl whos mom did hard drugs when they were pregnant? They are automatically addicted from the day they were born. How about the person that accidentally tried a hard drug once, and then they are addicted forever. Thats what happened to Mewes. Read about Mewes and you will know its not as simple as you think. Its a true story.

[onequestion]

Do you honestly think people wake up one morning and say "I think I wwanna bea crackhead from this day forward." It isnt that simple.

[rebgirl420]

The first situation is one thing, but you should know that trying hard drugs, even once can get you a lifetime of decisions. Thats reallllly poor decision making right there.

[rebgirl420]

Psh of course I dont think that, wtf. But you should know that even trying hard drugs, even just once can be the downfall of your life.

[onequestion]

If you dont think that then why do you think that people that are addicted deserve triple punishment for their crimes.

[onequestion]

I actually believe the opposite. I think that people shouldnt be unished as harshly for commiting crimes because of addiction. They should just be sent to rehab and hopefully corrected. Putting them in prison longer doesnt help anybody.

[rebgirl420]

Bc you have to be responsible for your actions. And too many people blame the drugs. Im just afraid that if we made all drugs legal people would be in and out of jail and blaming it all on drugs. If you knew that the judge was to give you a triple sentance for what you did on meth or whatever than you would think twice about starting harder drugs.

[onequestion]

When you are addicted you are not really the same person you were pre addiction. I think that the person who is addicted needs to be rid of his addiction and he will no longer need to commit crimes to support his nasty habit. Locking people up for a long time doesnt help anybody, I think you need to just fix the person's problem. Why would you want to lock somebody up after they have no problem anymore.

[onequestion]

Anyway, read me and my shadow.

[rebgirl420]

I really dont believe that most rehibilitation actually works. Yes, some people really DO want help and they DO stay clean but so many dont want the help, and you cant fix someone who doesnt want help. So many just go back into their old ways for so many reasons. Like going back with old friends or whatever.

[onequestion]

All i can really tell you is to read me and my shadow to find out what a lot of people go through.

[onequestion]

As much as some people waqnt help it isnt that easy. SOme people describe it as every second without their drug is like another second without air.

[rebgirl420]

THEN DONT START HARD DRUGS! I dont feel bad for people who make bad decisions even though they know the consequences.

[Raelum]

I wouldn't make many radical changes right away. First I would take care of the absolutely critical problems then put an enormous amount of support into the educational system so the more intelligent next generation could rework the government radically. Society is heading toward the future depicted in Mike Judge's movie Idiocracy at the moment...

thanks for bringing this back on topic, haha.

i got a question for you, how do you suggest we go about boosting our educational system?

[Raelum]

I dont agree, I did public school until 10th grade and then I did online private school and it was MUCH better. Public schools are awful. I believe the parents should be able to keep their money and put their kids were they deem fit.

Delaware has a pretty cool law, where you can send your children to ANY school in Delaware and the state will provide transportation.

So, you can go to the best highschool even if your outside the school district. This did create another problem though... The best highschools started getting to many transfers and then had to start an application program to choose which students got to go there, and which ones did not.

~Raelum

[palerider7777]

As a student of history I don't think man is capable of a perfect utopia. We are human. It is our natural right to survive however that maybe. The human nature of it all throughout history is greedy, corrupt governments. However it's not the government it's the people who run it. The system should work in a perfect world. But as you already know If a third party such as the green party were to come on strong sure enough the CIA would take care of things for the statis quo. Throuh out history the christian etihic had to enslave indians, and blacks and other ethnic races to show their superiority. Still today we are taking over countries and stealing there reasourses economicly.
A good read " Cofessions of an Economic Hit Man." Why do you think we are in a war????OIL money, power= control. Are we truly free in the USA or is that all we know? The more money you have the more freedom you have????
The fact is look at all the cultures before the whiteman came to rape and pillage. They were content in there own world. IE Indians, Hawaiians, Africans, etc. with there own cultures, ideas, races, creed, colors and religions. We distroyed there cultures and tried to ingrain ours. We white washed other cultures for power and control. We continue to do so today. Just because we have control and power......Are we the chosen ones?

\
hey irayone thats the dumbest thing iv'e ever heard.so white man is the reason for all the war lmfao so the Egyptian's are considered a white men too?as they were one of the first to use slavery.and where is egypt?at the top of africa and they look black mixed with middle eastern to me so when the Egyptian's inslaved the jews that was ok to do??really u should be thanking the white man as without them everyone would still be livin in grass huts and what about the indians of the usa well really asians that came through alaska to the us but what about them b4 (whiteman)came along they were fighting with each other (diffrent tribes)all the time.so u need to go slap the person or person's that have brain washed u into submission lol white man lol

[palerider7777]

lmfao white men lmfao

[palerider7777]

so... i thought there would be more to this...

[MajMike]

I would do two main things.

First, I would rescind 'personhood' for corporations.

Second, I would add the following introductory clause to all corporate charters: "First do no harm", just like physicians treat patients. And if they violate it they are fined massively (not the bs of today), and/or placed under oversight of the SEC/EPA or whoever suits the nature of the violation.

[GoldenBoy812]

THEN DONT START HARD DRUGS! I dont feel bad for people who make bad decisions even though they know the consequences.

I dont understand what is so hard to realize about what you said... People dont start taking drugs because they are addicted. They start them because of the euphoric feeling that is associated with that particular drug.

Some people are addicted to sex, stealing, work, dogs, computers, gambling, and a whole lot of other things. So if someone who is "addicted" to stealing takes something, than they should be punished. If someone who is addicted to sex rapes someone, they should be put to death. If someone who is addicted to work to the point where they ignore their wife/husband on a continuous basis , than sometimes their spouse will leave them.

The point that im trying to make is that there has to be a balance. For every action, there is a reaction. The world doesnt take excuses on any level as a means to forget the harms or problems you put on others.

If i was addicted to gambling to the point where i took speed to stay up all night and day on a constant basis, and than i became far into debt with both drug dealers, and loan sharks, and than became a thief and accidently killed someone trying to get the money to pay off my "debts". Should i not have to face the consequences for my actions?

Education is the key.

[palerider7777]

well for starters iv'e never taken any drugs of any kind i don't even smoke ciggs or drink never tried them. but everyone else around me has all my family everyone i know does one or the other. and at one point or another they've all said it was a lack parenting or peer pressure. or something that got them started.

then sum have said it was an injury and weed help alot in letting them eat or whatever the case. and i growing up used to think it was evil all of it just because i'd seen what it would do to people mainly young people.u know the lazy all i want to do is lay around and smoke all day type.+ what i was tought by my dad and school and all that.and the older iv'e got and the more i see happen in the world and the more iv'e learned on my own. i have learned that the reason say, weed for starters gets such a bad rap is because 1st u have to see where the prob starts and thats with parents.

lets say a parent has cancer or what ever the case and nothin really works to stop the pain. and he/she can't eat and all the scrips from doc just make it worse so they smoke a lil weed to settle the stomach so they can eat.(yes i know of this because someone in my family had this and the weed helped him see just because i don't smoke or do anything like that i really have no vice see thats where the prob starts but anyways).so say he's out back smoking or where ever and his /her kids sees them over and over smoking this stuff. and then sees all there peers start smoking because of pretty much seeing there parents smoke it but don't really know why other than it (gets them high). so there like oh i can smoke this and feel good and heck everyone else is doing it so thats pretty much where it starts. not always like that but 90% of the time it falls in there somewhere. either friends or family but it's never explained why they are doing it just that it makes u feel high.


so the lack of knowledge is where it starts and by the gov. and everybody saying hey it's just bad thats all u need to know just say no type bs is what would make more people do it for the wrong reasons. do u see where im going with this? instead of saying hey it can be used for this and this but don't just take it just because. thats where the abuser's get started lack of knowledge. and humans being humans it's in our nature to over indulge in things. so with out proper knowledge is where the abuse would come into it.

i know i saw my dad for the past 3 years go from one of the hardest working people in the world. he worked 7 days a week (for himself remodeling houses and other stuff).to finding out he had prostate and bone cancer and still went to work everyday. and doing fine then they put him on oxy's morphin and a ton of other stuff. and by the end of it he was thinking of droping all that and just smoking the weed. or thats what i was trying to get him to do cause he could'nt eat or do anything around the last 5 mo of his life. then they put him on 160mg of oxy's a day. + hydrocodone +morphine +patches of morphine. and then i found him dead not knowing at the time cause i just opened the door and saw him and went to call hospice. the ones that gave him all that shit. and then found out he shot himself in the head.

so i believe it was the drugs that did it cause he did'nt believe in doing that. but now i wonder what would have happened if he didn't take all that shit and just smoked the weed. i think it would have been alot better for him. see i used to hate weed. and what it would do to people (in the wrong way as i explained above but with the right teachings and knowledge it can be a really good thing). and what got me to believe this is, is'nt it funny the gov will say and allow all these drugs like oxy and the thousands of others that are aproved to be on the market. and thats ok and good for u but kills thousands a year. when i have yet to hear of weed killing anyone. what that tells me is it's ok to have drugs out there. no matter how bad they can be as long as the gov can turn a profit. then it's ok i say, fuck them now.

[MrNiceGuy420]

i think the best government is a government that governs least...i dont think anarchy at this point in time is plausible, we need a government in order to keep things from getting out of hand, there are to many fucked up people who would go on rampages and shit. the human race has evolved into a society where greed and hate matter. the government should have little influence and interferance in peoples lives...i think people should be able to do whatever the fuck they want long as it doesnt interfere with anyone else's health or freedom...libetarianism

ron paul/dennis kucinich for president!

[cannabis=freedom]

Overthrow the government and install the Stoner Party as the only party!! No opposition allowed!

[cannabis=freedom]

In all seriousness, we need to completely and immediately abolish any sense of this ridiculous "white guilt" that causes the government to wipe the ass of any minority who cries hard enough.

I'm pretty liberal normally, but in Canada I see my government give the Natives anything they want, and yet they have high rates of alcoholism and unemployment. If you have everything handed to you, that doesn't do any good at all.

And yeah, I know they were here first...well, my race has been here for several hundred years also. It's the past. Get over it. I'm Irish, but I wouldn't go to England and say the British government owes me something because Ireland was taken in the twelfth century and oppressed for centuries after....

[palerider7777]

im with ya on that c/f it's like if ur a white man ur expected to go it alone type of attitude. everyone else has aids for help and like naacp womens rights. and a slew of other places of help for everybody but a white man. but if people start seeing white men getting together it's considered evil and backed by hate. that says alot to me.and the irish people that came to america was treated way worse than the other cultures that came through.