realizations

I've realized that the older I get the less enlightened I become. Life was so easy as a child; no worries, always happy, lots and lots of fun. I was at complete peace with the world, and with myself. Funny how life can stick a big as thorn in ya!!

last thing....

It's extremely easy to criticize capitalism/democracy from a socialist perspective, but it's hard to point to an alternative that has been proven to be superior. Surely the "solution" here is not in black and white form. In fact there are some attributes of our government/economy that are socialist in principle, and there are aspects of China's gov/economy that are capitalist. Man has been struggling for 10,000 years to find the best form of Government, and we're not there yet.

the best form of government is no government. My newests unverified realization, lol! :D

Im all for a minimalistic democratic/republic society. I am for a capitalist society with a low flat tax and a few unalienable rights such as the right to bear arms and the right to free speech. I like Thomas Jefferson's governmental point of view myself. I suppose I would really enjoy a libertarian society. I am also against any society that has welfare or any other programs where people feel the need to assume that the government or anyone for that matter owes them ANYTHING really. No one owes you anything, you are not entitled to anything either except for a few things. It is not the governments responsibilty to be a nanny state.

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Originally Posted by JunkYard

the best form of government is no government. My newests unverified realization, lol! :D

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haha read Hobbes/Locke/Rousseau.

The state of chaos is nothing nice either.

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Originally Posted by rebgirl420

Im all for a minimalistic democratic/republic society. I am for a capitalist society with a low flat tax and a few unalienable rights such as the right to bear arms and the right to free speech. I like Thomas Jefferson's governmental point of view myself. I suppose I would really enjoy a libertarian society. I am also against any society that has welfare or any other programs where people feel the need to assume that the government or anyone for that matter owes them ANYTHING really. No one owes you anything, you are not entitled to anything either except for a few things. It is not the governments responsibilty to be a nanny state.

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Certain forms of welfare like long-term disability insurance are good programs, IMO. I think it's right to look after our own that were injured. I don't see it so much as the government oweing people anything, like you said, but more like a fund that working people donate to that they can later draw from if they need to. Of all the crap our tax money is spent on, that particular form of welfare is one of the better things. I think it's good risk-management from an individual's perspective. Would you want to stop paying your few bucks/month, but in exchange if you were ever hurt and couldn't work you'd essentially be out on the street? I'd rather just keep paying that few bucks/month. Studies have shown that people would be willing to pay up to 5% of their income to have disability insurance, but we only end up paying about 1% - Disability Risk and the Value of Disability Insurance

This might not have been the type of welfare you had in mind, just wanted to mention that not ALL welfare is bad.

As far as a libertarian gov't, if it means the ganj is legal, I'm all for it :pimp:

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Originally Posted by bud luv

Does China have a nat'l healthcare system? Harvard Gazette: Health care reform in China discussed

Did the U.S.S.R. have a nat'l healthcare system?
The Crisis of Russian Health Care and Attempts at Reform

The healthcare in the U.S. is better than in any of these countries, so your point is what?

If you're going to be adamant about something, maybe you should do your homework.

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look,

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bud luv

Does China have a nat'l healthcare system? Harvard Gazette: Health care reform in China discussed

Did the U.S.S.R. have a nat'l healthcare system?
The Crisis of Russian Health Care and Attempts at Reform

The healthcare in the U.S. is better than in any of these countries, so your point is what?

If you're going to be adamant about something, maybe you should do your homework.

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look,
what i'm saying is IDEALLY, socialism > capitalism
socialist policies that are being put in place in: uruguay, argentina, venezuela, cuba, bolivia are benefitting PEOPLE much more than our US National Healthcare system. 42 million out of 300 million, 1/4 of them kids have no health insurance, and we claim to be a nation where anyone can achieve the American Dream... Did you know that the majority of people that filed bankruptcy last year had medical bills they couldn't take care of?

Well Bud what im trying to say is that today many people abuse the welfare system. It was supposed be there for people for a few months until another income is possible. Now a days people live on it and teach their kids to live on it. Many people even us their access cards to buy ciggarettes and hoe-hoes. WTF?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bud luv

last thing....

It's extremely easy to criticize capitalism/democracy from a socialist perspective, but it's hard to point to an alternative that has been proven to be superior. Surely the "solution" here is not in black and white form. In fact there are some attributes of our government/economy that are socialist in principle, and there are aspects of China's gov/economy that are capitalist. Man has been struggling for 10,000 years to find the best form of Government, and we're not there yet.

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i think it's extremely easy to say that WHAT SHOULD BE OCCURING and what IS occuring under the policies of any government is far from what they stand for in a books definition. so why fight about which one is wrong, and focus on fixing the shit we were lucky to have, capitalist ideals with an ends justifies the means rulebook.