I always wanted to debate this here on the dope. Maybe just to have a hypothetical situation. After having read the debate on the Cultural Wars in the US, I would really like this to happen.
Let me state that my political persuasion is definately left of center, but I dont see any political party that shares my view. I definately vote democratic, but the thing is that there is no way any of my “radical” ideas (universal healthcare!) would get instituted across the nation.
But what really pissed me off was the fact that the rich states that vote overwhelmingly democratic have higher tax rates, because they chose to provide extra services. Lets take New York City, for example. I was in the lowest income bracket, and I paid 25 percent of my income in taxes, when I lived there. Yet, that federal money is leaving the state and is going to other states which vote for politicians which eventually screw us over in various ways by building bridges to nowhere in Alaska.
In the end, its not fair for people in places like New York, and Massachusetts who vote overwhelmingly democratic to have to pay people in other states. (like mississippi where Im from) There was a Nissan plant that was lured in through subsidies.
Why can’t we just say that we kick the federal government out of everything it does except defense and law enforcement? Anything that can be done by the states should be done by the states. What I think is most important, is that the federal government doesn’t define important aspects of daily life. It isn’t necessecary to have a federal ammendment on marriage. Why do people in Texas care about what goes on in New Jersey? I think we ought to simply say that we are different, and then go about our own business. This is similar to what is going on in the states at the moment with regards to such issues. Yet, you have politicians like Bush who use hot button issues to threaten voters in swing states, in order to gain votes. I´d be happy to see the US become something between what it is now, and what the EU is. Obviously we have a greater advantage being that we have a similar culture and language, but we are drifting apart.
In then end, I’m sick of poor states voting for politicians who make poor fiscal deciscions based on stupid issues like gay marriage. Yet they don’t have to pay for those mistakes because there are the centers of wealth in America that prop them up.
Sorry about the disjointed post, but I had to write it in a short period of time because i’m in an internet cafe. I’ll post later with something a bit more thought-out, but i just want to get the ball rolling for debate