If You Were In Charge

[David]

Here's my disingenuous way of trying to draw attention from the ad hominem attacks in the other threads (as much as I enjoy them, some people's feelings are probably hurt).

If you were president, what would you do about:

1. Terrorism?

2. Unemployment?

3. Creative accounting & other funny business among corporate heads?

4. Congressional stalemates?

5. Hate crimes (assuming you consider the category a separate, valid one)?

6. Crime & punishment in general?

7. War & the military?

8. Education (or, more accurately, public schooling)?

9. The rivenness of American social life (in other words, the deep splits between ideologies that affect all aspects of experience)?

Above all, you're the president . . . so have fun!

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by David

Above all, you're the president . . . so have fun!

Hmm... I think I'm going to need you to step that up to "Supreme Ruler Of One And All" before I'm capable of answering how I'd change things if I were in charge.

Seriously though, great topic... I'll have to give my answers some thought. I don't want to flip-flop on anything!

[estranged4life]

Originally Posted by David

Here's my disingenuous way of trying to draw attention from the ad hominem attacks in the other threads (as much as I enjoy them, some people's feelings are probably hurt).

If you were president, what would you do about:

1. Terrorism?

2. Unemployment?

3. Creative accounting & other funny business among corporate heads?

4. Congressional stalemates?

5. Hate crimes (assuming you consider the category a separate, valid one)?

6. Crime & punishment in general?

7. War & the military?

8. Education (or, more accurately, public schooling)?

9. The rivenness of American social life (in other words, the deep splits between ideologies that affect all aspects of experience)?

Above all, you're the president . . . so have fun!

the number 1 scurge of the planet:

Downloading music & movies from the internet...Which makes the rest of those problems look somewhat not as important if ya ask some of those 'tards in Washington DC...I'm sure they tell ya some "blonde bimbo flavor of the weak" missing that $0.02 profit from an album being downloaded online is WAY more important that world peace

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by David

Here's my disingenuous way of trying to draw attention from the ad hominem attacks in the other threads (as much as I enjoy them, some people's feelings are probably hurt).

If you were president, what would you do about:

1. Terrorism?

:

We have to take a good long look at who and what's involved in that. No comprehensive investigation into 9/11 was ever really conducted. The 9/11 commission was a whitewash. Since I'm not privy to all the information, that would be a first step-one that as a president would probably get me assasinated. My personal opinion is that our government was far more complicit in 9/11 than most Americans are capable of believing.
After the first world trade center bombing, there were many preventitive measures that should/could have been taken and were not.
I doubt any of them would have made the towers such that they could have withstood the impact of airplanes.
We certainly should implement some sort of system to check cargo that's coming into the United States. Power plants and water supplies need to be more secure. Our borders, especially to the north, have very little security. It sure would create a lot of jobs. Of course, we'd have to raise taxes. But don't you think Americans would be willing to pay for their safety? The Department Of Homeland Security has been shown to be a largely pork barrel project anyway. Those dollars could be diverted into other programs.
We might want to consider what it's like to be diplomatic to other countries again. We could be facing blowback from the situation in Iraq for god knows how long.
It would help if we developed methods of alternative fuel to lessen our dependence on foreign oil so that a lot of the evil people who have been our bedfellows and then enemies wouldn't have us by the balls.

Originally Posted by David

2. Unemployment?

NAFTA. Just get rid of that damn thing.
Implement taxes on corporations that do business in this country and ship the majority of their jobs overseas.
Our economy needs to be made strong again in order to spur job creation. The first step toward a more stable economy is to start ridding ourselves of the ridiculous deficit that we have now.

Originally Posted by David

3. Creative accounting & other funny business among corporate heads?

It's already illegal. If the Department Of Justice and the SEC don't investigate these people, then who the hell is going to?

Originally Posted by David

4.Congressional stalemates?

I'll have to think on that one. The system of checks and balances is so out of whack right now... With the gerrymandering of congressional districts and other things that have gone on, it's hard for me to believe that the people are being fairly represented. We need to figure out a way to hold our reprsentatives more accountable. Term limits, maybe?

Originally Posted by David

5. Hate crimes (assuming you consider the category a separate, valid one)?

Specifically?

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

Seriously though, great topic... I'll have to give my answers some thought. I don't want to flip-flop on anything!

It's okay, Johnny. Thinking, progressive people change their mind. Sometimes, they're even wrong.

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

It's okay, Johnny. Thinking, progressive people change their mind. Sometimes, they're even wrong.

Even though I have used "flip-flopping" as a punchline on this and other occasions, I actually admire people who are able to remain open to other possibilities, and are willing to admit that they were wrong, or hadn't considered a possibility.

Sticking to your guns is an admirable thing, but a willingness to admit you don't know everything is even more admirable, IMO.

[amber]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

NAFTA. Just get rid of that damn thing.
Implement taxes on corporations that do business in this country and ship the majority of their jobs overseas.
Our economy needs to be made strong again in order to spur job creation. The first step toward a more stable economy is to start ridding ourselves of the ridiculous deficit that we have now.

I'm in a quandry about NAFTA. Not a quandry where i question that it is bad, but a quandry where....how can we hope to make businesses stay in our country when most of the rest of the world isn't up to our living standards? how can it be done? I can imagine some serious forces working against taxing businesses who ship their business overseas...
But how can we convince Capitalist america to do these things? business owners are in business for money. It's cheaper to pay workers overseas. How can we stop it? I'm pretty damn sure business owners won't wake up and see the light of how they're detrimental to our society.
It just seems impossible to make a business owner here pay our wages, and our health benefits, etc, when someone else will do it for $3 a day. And i'm not saying that is right, I'm just saying that business owners will never do it, and that the standard of living in many of these other countries is to different from ours to ever...awww....I just haven't found the solution, except by law, to require them to hold business here. Judging from the vice grip corporations have always had on politics and law, it's hard to see the right ever happening.
GDW?

[Vianna]

1. Terrorism?

2. Unemployment?

3. Creative accounting & other funny business among corporate heads?

Prosecute these guys, especially that Enron Guy. Frankly I don't know how these guys cook the books like they do. Don't they have to be audited by an outside source?

4. Congressional stalemates?

5. Hate crimes (assuming you consider the category a separate, valid one)?

6. Crime & punishment in general?

7. War & the military?

8. Education (or, more accurately, public schooling)?

Get rid os SOL's in Virginia...the idea of holding people to standards isn't a bad one butyou have to watch teaching to the tests and not teaching anything else...

9. The rivenness of American social life (in other words, the deep splits between ideologies that affect all aspects of experience)? People have to be taught to respect all beliefs..

I have a question: What would you do if you were president about the great economic splits in the country? The inequality here I think breeds some of the other stuff-like hate crimes...I also find it ridiculous that a nation as rich as this one is (not the gov't-I mean ordinary citizens) should have homeless people in the streets..

this is a great thread-i need to thin k some more about it..

Above all, you're the president . . . so have fun!
__________________
Pas de lieu Rhône que nous.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by Vianna

3. Creative accounting & other funny business among corporate heads?

Prosecute these guys, especially that Enron Guy. Frankly I don't know how these guys cook the books like they do. Don't they have to be audited by an outside source?

Ken Lay will never be prosecuted more than a dog and pony show trial. he's been a Bush family friend for many, many years and was one of his biggest campaign contributors in '00 and the gubernatorial race.

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

Ken Lay will never be prosecuted more than a dog and pony show trial. he's been a Bush family friend for many, many years and was one of his biggest campaign contributors in '00 and the gubernatorial races.

The sad thing is that this type of fraud was very widespread. I personally know of a company that knowingly lied to Wall Street but they never got in trouble. They just fired the CEO, who I am not even sure was fully to blame, but he probably deserved to be fired. Of course, he had the "golden parachute" of millions in severance.

The reason why Enron's corruption was so vast and so unnoticed was because they had the auditors in their pockets. Wasn't it Andersen? I think that their reputation was ruined after this.

[wondergirl9847]

Originally Posted by David

If you were president, what would you do about:

1. Terrorism?

I would go find OBL myself with a team of twenty-something gals with PMS.

2. Unemployment?

I would make all people without jobs come to the White House....and paint it sky blue.

3. Creative accounting & other funny business among corporate heads?

Anyone caught screwing around with company monies or whatnot...will go with my PMS group of ladies.

4. Congressional stalemates?

If you don't go along with the group, you're OUT! This ain't 12 Angry Men!

5. Hate crimes (assuming you consider the category a separate, valid one)?


If you commit a hate crime...you will be forced to live with a group of whoever you hurt/killed for one year. You will clean their toilets....with a toothbrush. No lip.

6. Crime & punishment in general?

You commit a crime, you get your fingers chopped off.

7. War & the military?

Would YOU wanna fight twenty-something gals with PMS? Yeah, didn't think so. No more war.

8. Education (or, more accurately, public schooling)?

Easy...no more school!!!! Snow days..EVERYDAY!!!! Woohoo!!

9. The rivenness of American social life (in other words, the deep splits between ideologies that affect all aspects of experience)?


Easy...you believe what I say and we can all get along juuuuuuust fine.

Tee hee!!!!

[seeker007nmss]

To get anything done, you would have to be Dictator. The congress and Senate would need their pork barrell additions and amendments ...in other words no President can really do much.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

The reason why Enron's corruption was so vast and so unnoticed was because they had the auditors in their pockets. Wasn't it Andersen? I think that their reputation was ruined after this.

It was Arthur Anderson.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

It was Arthur Anderson.

For anyone interested, here is some info. on the Bush - Lay - Enron connection

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/bushlay1.html

Here are some on Lay and Enron's donations:

http://www.opensecrets.org/alerts/v6/alertv6_31.asp

http://www.cato.org/dailys/02-01-02.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontl...ers/power.html

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5395458/
___________________________________________________________

That no one of any substance, much less Ken Lay, from Enron has not been tried and convicted speaks for itself. I mean who here sitting on a jury would not convict them on the facts we know Thus, this is politics - pure and simple

As to David's point, I would:

Take marriage out of the govt.'s hands. If you want to get married - find some Church to marry you and I do not care who or how many you marry. no tax or other Federal or state benefits will be deemed given just because you are married. Thus, everyone would bo on equal footing in all areas. If this is so easily obtainable as the far religious right says it is in reference to gay marriage, then I really do not see the problem. If fact, the Churches can provide the documents since they apparently are so interested in this.

Change affirmative action to poverty based as opposed to race. I have long said the reasoning that minorities (not just blacks) were oppressed therefore they deserve special treatment is over and done with as far as I am concerned. I say that the son of a wealthy African American family should not be given any preference over a poor white kid from the projects. That is assinine to me.

I would semi-socialize medicine in that doctors would have to donate something like 20% of their time to treating the indigent. Another thought is doctors and hospitals would have to take 20% indigent patients and the govt. would pay them a nominal fee - like $20. That people in America die from a lack of health care is horrible. Plus, many doctors and hospitals are already doing this.

I would, even though I do not smoke it, legalize pot - I mean come on - alcohol is worse for you and think of the tax dollars flowing in from that cash cow.

Those are a few - there are many more though

[GypsySorcerer]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

For anyone interested, here is some info. on the Bush - Lay - Enron connection

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/bushlay1.html

Here are some on Lay and Enron's donations:

http://www.opensecrets.org/alerts/v6/alertv6_31.asp

http://www.cato.org/dailys/02-01-02.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontl...ers/power.html

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5395458/
___________________________________________________________

That no one of any substance, much less Ken Lay, from Enron has not been tried and convicted speaks for itself. I mean who here sitting on a jury would not convict them on the facts we know Thus, this is politics - pure and simple

As to David's point, I would:

Take marriage out of the govt.'s hands. If you want to get married - find some Church to marry you and I do not care who or how many you marry. no tax or other Federal or state benefits will be deemed given just because you are married. Thus, everyone would bo on equal footing in all areas. If this is so easily obtainable as the far religious right says it is in reference to gay marriage, then I really do not see the problem. If fact, the Churches can provide the documents since they apparently are so interested in this.

Change affirmative action to poverty based as opposed to race. I have long said the reasoning that minorities (not just blacks) were oppressed therefore they deserve special treatment is over and done with as far as I am concerned. I say that the son of a wealthy African American family should not be given any preference over a poor white kid from the projects. That is assinine to me.

I would semi-socialize medicine in that doctors would have to donate something like 20% of their time to treating the indigent. Another thought is doctors and hospitals would have to take 20% indigent patients and the govt. would pay them a nominal fee - like $20. That people in America die from a lack of health care is horrible. Plus, many doctors and hospitals are already doing this.

I would, even though I do not smoke it, legalize pot - I mean come on - alcohol is worse for you and think of the tax dollars flowing in from that cash cow.

Those are a few - there are many more though

I agree about pot legalization. Though it didn't do that much for me, as you say, alcohol is legal. Pot users don't belong in jail. They're overcrowded as it is.

I would also abolish the death penalty.

I would overhaul the higher education system - entirely open admissions, but tougher standards to graduate. Universities are paper mills, and then employers b!tch about incompetent workers. And, this would never fly in our society, but I think grades are negative. People are more worried about passing/making staight A's/just getting by or whatever their mantra than actually learning. College would also be free or extremely low cost.

I would end legalized discrimination in all forms.