2008 Presidential Candidates

agreed, NO TO UNIVERSAL HEALTH care. You serious, you want the government to handle your health?

 

1. im a staunch supporter of laissez-faire economics.

2. Government is retarded and slow.

3. You will only receive care that they can afford, and if our deficit has anything to do about it, you wont receive any health care.

I'd leave the country if that happened.

 

Why? France has national health care and it's among the best in the world. It costs the government a lot, but they are already working on ways to fix that. Are you just against the idea of it, or think that we can't pull it off right? Admittedly, I am concerned about the latter.

This quote basically sums up my view of "freedom." It's tossed around a lot by people who think it means "no rules" - however - I think it covers it quite nicely.

 

"You see I believe in freedom. Not many people do, although they will of course protest otherwise. And no practical definition of freedom would be complete without the freedom to take the consequences. Indeed, it is the freedom upon which all the other are based."

This quote basically sums up my view of "freedom." It's tossed around a lot by people who think it means "no rules" - however - I think it covers it quite nicely.

 

"You see I believe in freedom. Not many people do, although they will of course protest otherwise. And no practical definition of freedom would be complete without the freedom to take the consequences. Indeed, it is the freedom upon which all the other are based."

 

i could be botching this, but that quote sounds like, You are free to do what you please, as long as you are willing to pay the price.

 

While this is fine and true, it also means for things that should be legal, you will pay a much higher price than you should.

 

Example: jail time.

 

 

http://jj.am/gallery/d/42471-1/whyhelloHillaryClinton.jpg Edited October 8, 2007 by Shikimaru

Why? France has national health care and it's among the best in the world. It costs the government a lot, but they are already working on ways to fix that. Are you just against the idea of it, or think that we can't pull it off right? Admittedly, I am concerned about the latter.

 

I don't know much about France's system, but I don't like the idea of the government controlling too much, or socializing things. I want the government in my life as little as possible. So yeah, I don't like the idea of it. I also don't think they can pull it off. The US government has rarely run anything properly. Schools, prison systems, social security, pretty much anything the goverment puts its hands on turns to shit. They're good at law enforcement and military, I'll give them that much. But there's little else I'd want them involved in.

On an different note. Down with the electorial college system. Just count all the votes and whoever wins wins. Kthx.

 

Couldnt agree with that more. With me living in NJ, it's a lock that my state will be voting for the Democratic nominee. Until they change our voting system, there is no point to me voting other than to say " I contributed to our electorial process ", which is bs.

 

As for my canidate, I'm still not sold on anyone. I do like Ron Paul and agree with alot of what he has to say, but at the same time alot of his radical ideas I don't think would fly all too well with the masses and would probably divide our nation even further. Regardless what happens though, I'm happy to see the Bush's be gone.

 

 

 

 

i love you tom, you make everything funnny

Your argument is flawed, as its based on what you want/don't want in your trees. The issue is much deeper, i do smoke, and feel it should be legal because it doesn't harm anyone else, my smoking doesn't hurt anybody! So who are you to say i cant smoke? this is the land of the free? right? so allow me to be free.

 

Your logic doesn't sound very deep. In fact it sounds only like an opinion with no facts to support legalization.

 

Marijuana is where the government drew the line on mind altering substances. No its not as potent as heroin or crack, but you still have to draw the line somewhere. Every drug has its 'volatility' when it comes to the government, int he case of marijuana, many feel penalties are too stiff and too varying.

 

Case in point. I was in court awhile back for rolling my car. The judge basically told a gentleman who was caught with less than an ounce that it was stupid to plead guilty of possession because of the amount and substance itself. Unfortunately the guy didn't get the hint and still plead guilty.

 

Its illegal because its been defined as a drug, but most people will agree including some law enforcement-government when it comes to small amounts its stupid to heavily prosecute because there are more important things they could be pursuing.

Death penalty costs too much: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~werbe20c/classweb/costs.html

 

Those were roughly the numbers I saw in a lengthy report about 3 years ago.

 

Lets save some money and build more prisons. Its cheaper and we can give more people jobs at lower wages. It is far cheaper to pay prison guards 40-50k a year rather than paying Appeals court lawyers and judges millions of dollars for needless appeals.

Lets save some money and build more prisons. Its cheaper and we can give more people jobs at lower wages. It is far cheaper to pay prison guards 40-50k a year rather than paying Appeals court lawyers and judges millions of dollars for needless appeals.

Did you know that prison guards in Cali with experience make $70k+ per year? They're also understaffed so overtime is mandatory, so they can often exceed $100k+. I do agree with the dissolution of the death penalty however.

 

IMO fix the laws on the books, I am very much in favor of legalization both as a way to free up valuable space and time in the penal system, but also as a source of revenue through taxation. But I've got the same view on prostitution for whatever that's worth. It's also worth noting that the "drug war" has it's roots in something our nation is still dealing with: immigration. Cannibus was brought to this country in large part my Mexican immigrants. It was fear over them stealing the jobs of the natural born American citizen that led activist groups to put pressure on the government to take action. Bringing us to where we are today. ( I did skip a good part of the 70's and 80's but that was more to save time then anything.)

 

Let's all try to use some facts and figures, and some solid reasoning instead of impassioned arguments and all caps. It does little to impress anyone, even when it's likely that I might share some of your views.

Education - School systems will improve if socioeconomic issues are addressed in the region. Providing more money to schools won't fix the area that it is in. And successful students in a poor neighborhood/district will leave it, naturally, so they won't put back into the school system. Working on condensed poverty will improve schools.

 

Death penalty - People shouldn't kill. Individuals nor states. It is immoral to kill (when not necessary) and impractical.

 

Abortion - People shouldn't kill. But instead of making abortion illegal, make it unneeded. Work on poverty, improve sex ed, and general education. Also, kick the faces in of pharmacists who won't provide Plan B.

 

THC - Decriminalize it. I'm not sold on legalizing, though.

 

Voting - The electoral system has its advantage of not bestowing too much power to larger states - it's another balance of state population (aka Senate v House). I don't see the electoral college as the problem, but rather the all or nothing vote. The simplest way to revolutionize the political system in America is simple - handle voting as a sequential rating of candidates. You'll see surges in the Green Party, Libertarian Party, and I wouldn't be shocked to see the GOP split between moderates and neo-cons. This won't happen, because the two party system benefits the two parties.

 

Health Care - I'm torn. We have the best health care in the world, if you can afford it. I'd prefer nationalized health care, really, because at least I can hold the government accountable.

 

My (realistic) candidate so far - Barack Obama.

 

I read a book over the summer called "Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity" by John Stossel that was essentially "Mythbusters" towards political issues skewed by the media etc. He's a Libertarian but regardless of political view its a very interesting read. I agreed with a lot he had to say...

 

His main point which I completely agree with is the Free Market. K-12 should be done exactly the same way as our College system. Colleges actively recruit...they send people to talk to your schools, they bribe players for the best sports teams, best teachers, etc. They do this because they want you to come to their school and if you don't then they don't get paid. The easiest way to describe K-12 is as Initech from "Office Space." Teachers aren't motivated and only do the minimum amount to avoid being fired and keep getting their paycheck. No amount of money you throw at them will solve this. Private Schools and even inner city schools where they have a motivated principle have to be excellent or their parent who pays for them to get a better education wants results. The college system would be for the best but at the minimum give every child a voucher and let them pick any school they want to go to. It would be rough at the start with parents going for the few schools that are solid but Free Market would fill that gap with entrepreneurs creating and reforming schools to meet the demand.

 

Free Market is also why I'm against national healthcare. I go to Canada for 2 weeks during the summer and there's always complaints about not being able to get a doctor for long periods of time or just this year with a new procedure where they simply flip your sheets after the last patient. Again, no one has any motivation to do beyond what is necessary...malpractice lawsuits is another big issue (Edwards you douche).

 

My final rant...Global Warming. Global Warming is another issue that I'm baffled how many people have jumped on the bandwagon screaming about. Yes, the Earth is warming but we had a mini ice age about 400 hundred years ago. To think that we could play "God" and be able to reverse or have some ridiculous affect on something as geologically complex as the Earth. I'm not saying we should spit on the Earth but more people need to look as this less as activists. Really all we can do is like those hundreds if not thousands of years before us did and adapt. If Florida does get covered in water we'll just have to move.

Edited October 9, 2007 by Beornwarrior

its all a big conspiracy imo.....democrats , republican, libitarian, chose the lesser evil perhaps.....

at least Bush will be gone....

Death penalty costs too much

 

It does, so instead of sitting them in a can for 30 years. Sit them in a chair and pull the trigger.

 

Life is cheap. People should make it worth something to hang onto.

 

/Sparta