How are you going to fix the United States?

Great Debates
#1

Inspired by [thread=547185]this thread in the pit[/thread] I propose the following scenario:

The US government has come to you for advice, and a binding plebiscite has confirmed that the people concur that the only solution to America’s problems is to go to a wise person for advice. America has come to you to make just and wise recommendations to fix the country. You can make up to 10 laws, that the US has agreed to follow like the Constitution for the next ten years. You can, if you wish, repeal part or all of the Constitution, or any other law.

Like Solon of Athens, you must stay away from the US for the next decade as well, to give your laws time to take effect.

Both US and non-American Dopers are welcome to dive in, wise people are everywhere. If you want to make rules for Canada, or Australia or Tajikistan, feel free, I just figured the US would be more interesting. I assume this idea will either wind up in GD or the Pit, but lets start off here.

#2

Fix America? With these.

#3

Based on the linked pit thread, I’d say we should nuke Canada from orbit, then take over and live fat and happy on the spoils, sucking up all the maple syrup and raping all of the caribou any good, red blooded American could wish for.

-XT

#4

Or these.

#5

Change to public financing of political campaigns.
Redo the Glass/Steagal Act and get banks back in line. Listen to Elizabeth Warren. She keeps telling the truth but we don’t listen.
Quit the god damn wars. We have been in wars, one after another. We are wasting treasury and lives. We are creating enemies.

#6

Now, now, I’m surprised at you XT, this is GD. I started a new thread specifically to get away from the vitriol and stupidity in that thread. Is the US perfect? Got any ideas to make it better? Let’s hear them.

Or, if you prefer, give your ten rules for Canada.

#7

Rule 1: No binding advice from any individual, most especially from anyone claiming to be wise.

#8

No clue. I would probably create a council of left leaning economists to reform commerce. Beyond that, no idea.

#9

They picked you because of your wisdom and modesty. Now, help 'em out, carve some commandments.

#10

Add to the constitution:
‘US military personnel are not permitted to be in a foreign country for longer than 3 months in a non-war situation’.
In other words, close all the damn bases around the world and go home. Let the rest of the world take care of itself as they seem to think they know better (history be damned).

#11

No…the US is certainly not perfect. However, basing a serious discussion about the US’s problems and possible solutions on that particular pit thread makes it a bit difficult to have a serious discussion about those problems and the various solutions.

However, I’ll see what I can do about keeping down the tongue in check comments.

I’m wary of silver bullet type solutions to complex problems. Broadly speaking, I think that, as a nation, education should become a focus for looking into solving future problems. Were I to be asked, I’d want to form a serious group from a variety of fields and disiplines to look into ways to educate our children in a better, more effective, and more in tune with today’s realities. Something that would actually interest today’s kids in science, math, history, the arts…something that uses modern technology and modern methods, instead of boring rote learning methods…and BAD boring rote learning methods at that. Something that gives kids a stake and an interest in learning, and also something that is a bit less bloated and bureaucratic than our current public education system.

Having tackled that easy job, I’d like to move on to to the same kind of group to look into and give serious, real world recommendations about health care, energy, and foreign policy.

After solving all those issues, and dealing with latent racism, problems with Social Security and foreign policy, I’d then like to be declared God Emperor, nuke Canada, and get all the…

Sorry about that. Bit of back sliding there. Anyway, one thing I WOULD really like, if I were asked and in a position to have influence on getting it done, would be a real concerted manned space exploration and exploitation initiative. While it won’t ‘solve’ any problems here on earth, I think it’s something that America should do…while we still can. I think it’s important and would like to see it done. Personally, I think the effect of the US, in concert with several other nations (but with the US taking the lead) landing men on the back on the moon, on Mars, or fully exploring the possible oceans of Europa, would have a tangible effect on the country, it’s morale, and on the future course of the nation as a whole.

-XT

#12

My problem is that I mistrust the efficacy of broad commandments - indeed, I think they are more or less inherently a bad approach. So the task of imposing them (and crushing the inevitable resistance) will inevitably fall to those with natural skills in that direction (e.g. Stalin, Hitler, et al).

#13

Fine. I apologize for linking that thread, since it obviously bugged the hell out of you. In all seriousness, trying to extract some logic from that thread is what got me thinking about this issue.

Sure, but it’s a message board. You’re giving a series of laws to the duly elected government - unless you change how government is created- and they will enact them, while you wait out the next ten years…in Canada…BWAHAHAHA. Or somplace else, wherever you like.

#14

No need to apologize, just giving you my take. :slight_smile:

-XT

#15

Rule #1, every single government employee Including elected officials shall be forced to take and pass an intense and in depth course on Demings Teachings. anyone who cant pass is fired.

#2 the same thing for Business, ALL business, owners managers, supervisors, everyone who thinks they know jack or shit about running a company.

#3 same thing for educators, from Teachers all the way to the top.

#4 -10, at this point I am to sleepy to think of the rest.

#16

Okeydoke, I’m gonna put my money where my mouth is, with my first couple of commandments:

  1. I’m repealing the second amendment. Y’all can have hunting rifles, but handguns are gone, unless you’re a cop. Anything more potent that a basic hunting rifle, also gone.

  2. Bismark health care. The Iron Chancellor invented it, and here it is. Plus we’re covering dental and basic eyewear as well, pretty much the deal the military has, but now everybody gets it.

  3. All the financial restrains undone since after the Great Depression? Back in place.

  4. Teacher salaries are now linked to medical salaries. A teacher earns as much as an MD. Yup, they’re now part of my Bismark program.

  5. I’m decriminalizing a hell of a lot of drugs, and taxing the hell out of them. Don’t try smuggling it in, cause the tax evasion laws are going to be very unpleasant. Marijuana is going to be expensive, but probably less expensive than it is now, and legally available.

  6. I’m paying for tuition for anybody who can make the SAT score to go to college. Yup, I’m using my drug taxes for that.

Four to go.

#17

My addendum to the Constitution:

“P.S. Oh, and please look up the words “between” and “commerce” in the dictionary. Hint: If it ain’t interstate, and it ain’t commerce, then that clause doesn’t apply. Thank you.”

#18

I second that. My ten commandments would probably all clarify the constitution, make laws simpler, and make the country more free. Here they are in no particular order.

  1. Reform the tax code: taxes are equal to X% of your income, regardless of how much you make. I think about 5% should be sufficient.

  2. Abolish all federal social services. Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, all of it gone, as well as the department of education. Instead, provide vouchers for the parents of all student aged children. Publicly funded education, but not publicly run. A minimum of social services will be provided by states, but it would be limited; people would have more money and things would be cheaper, so better standard of living + private charity should be enough.

  3. No more US bases abroad. We have the Navy to project our power; we are not the world’s police, and they can take care of their own.

  4. Legalize prostitution, drugs, etc. Pretty much any activity between consenting adults is fine, and you are free to do with your body as you please.

  5. Overhaul the immigration system. Make it easier to be here legally, by increasing the number of green cards available. Hell, I might even make it completely open immigration.

  6. Drastically reduce the power of the federal government. I’m not sure how best to do this, and it’s a huge one, but I’d try to clarify the constitution to make it much clearer as to what the Fed can actually do. I’d probably remove the general welfare clause, as well as interstate commerce clause, and just write instead: “States cannot tax or otherwise impede the flow of US goods into their territories.” The Fed’s should be providing courts, the military, and protect civil rights.

  7. Clarify the second. This one is small, but I think it deserves it’s own rule. All persons shall have the right to keep and bear arms. In those cases where a person is considered ineligible by reason of insanity or past criminal behavior, the proof of burden is on the state.

  8. I would clarify the purpose of the constitution and my new rules: “To secure the right of all people to live in ways that they desire, the federal or state laws shall not abridge a persons right to life, liberty or property, nor abridge their right to act in a way that they wish, if such way does not infringe on another’s life, liberty or property. Revenue in the form of income tax will be assessed to provide courts, police, military, education, and roads, but for no other purpose shall these funds be used.”* The idea being that if someone wants to live in a communist utopia, they can in my US - but they have to do it with consenting adults, and they can in no way force that vision on others. The default is absolute freedom (minus stealing, hurting, or killing others): the only way to lose that absolute freedom is through voluntary cooperation with others.

*This would probably need to be clarified, is in no way exhaustive, and would probably need to be changed before it’s written into the stone tablets I will carry down from the mount - but I hope you get the gist of it.

9 and 10) I would hold these until the 10 years have passed and I have returned. After assessing the success of my first 8, I would then decide upon my last 2, retire to my villa, and party.

#19

Legalize weed, gambling, whores, and other such vices.

Socialize healthcare

Socialize higher education

Cap on personal wealth

Set slary structures for companies that do not allow executives to make more than 10 times the lowest paid employees

Legalize same-sex marriage

Tax churches (this would also allow them to engage in all the political speech they want, which they do anyway, so we might as well make them pay through the nose for the privilege)

Mandate a school curriculum, which I will personally develop, which will include a full and thorough introction to scientific method, critical thinking and the basics of evolution. Creationism will be addressed specifically as an example of archaic religious mythology, non-science and factual falsehood. My curricula will also include factual, historical overviews and critiques of major world religions.

Bring back the Fairness Doctrine. It is not acceptable to let one political party have control of publicly owned airwaves.

Did I say legalize weed? Legalize weed.
Let all non-violent drug offenders out of prison. Mandate longer sentences for violent criminals, including life without parole for rape, sexual crimes against children and wife beaters.

Raise the driving age to 21. Those kids are fucking menace.

Make any non-emergency use of a cellphone in a movie theater a federal offense, punishable by 25 years in a PMITA federal prison. This will include not only talking, but texting, surfing or anything else that makes it light up. Minors will be treated as adults for this offense.

Get rid of metered on ramps. metered on ramps are stupid.
I will personally start sitting in the Fox News studio and loudly calling bullshit on their lies, occasionally slapping the shit out Hannity or Oliver North, and generally keeping them honest until they can learn to do it without my help.

Destroy all prints of the Star Wars prequels and hire Peter Jackson or James Cameron to start all over with them. Under penalty of death, there will be no Jar Jar this time.

That’s about all I can think of off the top of my head. If I think of more stuff, I’ll come back.

#20

I’m on board for these.

We may not agree on much, but this last one is an absolute necessity. :smiley: