King of America
Ok. You've just been made King (or Queen) of America. You have absolute power. The only restriction placed upon you is that you can only effect one change per month. This change can be anything from a simple law, to an ammendment to the Constitution.
It's January. What will you change this month?
[SIZE=1]
(for you non-Americans, please assume that you now live in america so that we're all talking about the same laws)[/SIZE]
It's January. What will you change this month?
No more blue laws -- booze on Sundays!
Speed limit on highways: 120
Local Roads(Anything with a #): 100
Residential: 35
Thats it. Thank you.
All directors of information technology will be allowed to purchase those Scottish tawses from over in the spanking thread and use them to whip people who persist in making unreasonable demands. (unreasonable = you're asking at the last minute, it's something we don't support anyway, and even if it were, there's no money in the budget for it.)
[oh yeah, it's been one of those weeks. Can you tell?]
I remove the one-per-month restriction.
sounds a little kneejerk, steve....maybe you'd like to take more time to consider. If you were King, I doubt you'd have to push your own computer keys anyway. try again.
Originally posted by Happy Monkey
I remove the one-per-month restriction.
NO WISHING FOR MORE WISHES!
I would remove one law per month.
Uh......did you read the previous posts?
welcome aboard, btw.
Not sure what previous post you are refer to.
And thanks for the welcome.
I've visited this board a couple of times before, as well as others so far this one seems to be a good one. Others are either too conservative or too librial. And show no tollerance for anyother opinion.
Originally posted by Armchair-Commander
Not sure what previous post you are refer to.
And thanks for the welcome.
I've visited this board a couple of times before, as well as others so far this one seems to be a good one. Others are either too conservative or too librial. And show no tollerance for anyother opinion.
THESE:
quote:Originally posted by Happy Monkey
I remove the one-per-month restriction.
NO WISHING FOR MORE WISHES!
I think AC is saying that they would "remove one law per month" - not remove the one change per month rule, which is what I think you think they said.
I wasn't wishing for more wishes. I was saying to remove 1 law each month. At least until we have a set of laws that 99% of the citizens can comply with, without beating their heads against the wall wondering if they are breaking some law somehow.
...well...um.
Which would you start with?
Oh and who said anything about opinions being tolerated here? Not I.
Originally posted by jinx
I think AC is saying that they would "remove one law per month" - not remove the one change per month rule, which is what I think you think they said.
think think think
i think you think i dont think so good. what do you think?
if i thought he thought what you thought he thought, i think you'd be right in thinking what you're thinking about what he was thinking.
i think
in my first month, i'd make all businesses stay open 24-7.
just think of the benefits.
you could always get whatever you need regardless of the time of day or day of the week.
there would be more jobs available
there would be less crowding in malls and grocery stores
less traffic
i could continue
Beestie's new rule: Only registered voters can contribute to campaigns and not more than $1,000 per voter. Corporations and PACS are prohibited from participating in the electoral process. This rule is retroactive which may involve backtracking on some under-the-table deals that Bush and Kerry have already made.
It all starts with the lawmakers.
Next in the crosshairs: Lobbyists.
After that: Trial lawyers.
It is good to be King! :)
Yeah seriously, *a lot* needs to be done to improve the election system.
January: Mandatory, everyone must vote. Everyone has to file taxes every stinking year. Why not mandate that everyone must vote? Turkey (the nation) already has a similar law on the books. When a cantidate is elected, you know (s)he earned it.
Sub-item: Enable online elections. Make it easy to vote.
February: Roll-over election numbers. If there are more than 2 cantidates, voters have the option to "rank" the cantidates... 100% of their vote goes to their #1 pick. If that cantidate isn't one of the top contenders, then 100% of their vote goes to the #2 pick, etc etc.
And yeah, contribution reform and lobbyist reform would be pretty high up on the schedule as well.
Originally posted by lumberjim
sounds a little kneejerk, steve....maybe you'd like to take more time to consider. If you were King, I doubt you'd have to push your own computer keys anyway. try again.
I didn't say I'd do it... I said I'd magnanimously delegate the authority to the directors of IT :cool:
Originally posted by lumberjim
in my first month, i'd make all businesses stay open 24-7.
just think of the benefits
Well, as the King, you'd be more or less assured that you wouldn't get stuck working third shift!!
unless i wanted to
the whole reason third shift sucks is that all your friends and fam. are working while you sleep and vice versa.
Originally posted by Riddil
January: [b]Mandatory, everyone must vote. Everyone has to file taxes every stinking year. Why not mandate that everyone must vote? Turkey (the nation) already has a similar law on the books. When a cantidate is elected, you know (s)he earned it.
[/B]
So people with an IQ of 47 will be required to vote?
How about the folks in one of Wolfs lockups?
Originally posted by Riddil
snip--Sub-item: Enable online elections. Make it easy to vote.--snip
Man, I have trouble with that. Any other electronic dohickey that can't be recounted and checked, also. Too easy to defraud the public. :(
Hey! First off, yes, if you have an IQ of 47, if you're an American citizen then you have the right the vote... and I *want* you to vote. Pull that lever, and be proud. The benefits of having EVERYONE vote far outweigh the downsides of having a president serve in office where less than 50% of the total population voted... and of THOSE, only 45% voted for the "winner".
And next, just because there are some problems with the current online voting system doesn't mean we should shun it! Fix the problems, fix accountability, fix auditing of the system, and just do it!
What was it, Wisconsin? Montana? (can't remember) that had Dem primary voting enabled online. It is possible, it can be done, but it takes a whole heck of a lot of planning to implement it properly. I don't care if you have to route it through 3 dozen clearinghouses to make it official, there *is* a way. If I can log on and transfer money to netflix for a couple DVDs, then dogonit, I should be securely able to vote for the next governor of Durham, NC.
*spits tobakee off his porch*
Now git yer yankee arse off er me propertee!
I consider any law system for which high school students could not memorize and understand all of the law* in one semester to be flawed.
Contrary to what I just said, I would impose taxes (or tax scalars) for corporations based upon polluting. The first target would be PCBs.
[Edit: I had said: for corporations, but that would be too easy to dodge. Craft the law to target things dumped by corporations, and don't say 'corporations' specifically.]
*Maybe 'all applicable law', but that might be getting into dangerous territory.
that the Second Amendment to the Constitution shall be reworded to read:
"In order that the people shall be secure in their person and effects, The Right of the people to keep and carry small arms and such ammunition as may be necessary, shall not be infringed, save for that such a Right be reserved to adults who have shown competency in such a firearm to a qualified instructor."
There, I think that covers it. No more permits, no more gun bans, no more ammunition restrictions. Just a simple demonstration to any qualified instructor that one is competent in the firearm they choose to carry; be that a revolver or a submachine gun. Dammit, if I feel that an MP-5A is the right tool to defend me and mine from the forces of evil out there, then who is the government to say I cannot? And I want more law to be written to more clearly define "competency", "adult", "infringed" (since they can't seem to figure it out NOW), "small arms" (must be able to be carried and used by a single person, no crew-served weapons, no howitzers, no nuclear bombs), and something needs to be written to require that a person be responsible for his use or misuse of that firearm. If one chooses to carry a sawed-off shotgun and uses it to kill six gangbangers and one innocent bystander, then one is responsible for that innocent bystander. I'll leave it to the lawyers to iron out the details.
Brian
that all laws must have a "sunset Provision" written into them (Amendments to the Constitution are exempt), which shall be no longer than five years.
Now that the Legislature must vote to renew all laws every five years or so, they will reach a critical mass of law where they cannot find the time to pass more because they are reexamining the old ones. This can also save us from having outdated laws sitting around.
For example, in Ambler, Penna, it is technically illegal to kiss in public.
This is silly and should be repealed, but it still sits there. Not enforced or anything, but IMO, if a law is not enforced, then it is useless and either needs to be repealed or, if it is still useful to society, then the law enforcement authorities need to have their butts kicked.
I hate it when I see silly laws from two hundred years ago still on the books for no discernable reason. Legal journals run stories now and then listing the silly laws they have found that are still on the books. Examples such as laws that regulate how an automobile and a horse may meet and pass one another, Victorian "decency" laws and others that are quaint, out-of-date and no longer useful to society. We look upon these as merely humorous but why for Pete's sake do we not then remove these laws? This would decrease the overall burden on citizens and reduce the need for lawyers.
Brian
Originally posted by lumberjim
in my first month, i'd make all businesses stay open 24-7.
You'd make every place like Los Angeles?
My first amendment will be, Congress shall make no law.
How's about reinstating the constitution.
For real.
No bullshit this time.
Oh, and about people in the nuthouse voting? They can. We have, in fact, transported patients to their polling place on election day.
It's one of the rights that they don't use.
Requests for this are infrequent, but we do it.
As an outsider looking in maybe I can offer a different prospective.
I have 3 suggestions which should take us nicely up to March
1.Pass a law that states that the very ambition to run for office to be any kind of politician automatically bars you from taking any office.(how wonderful the world would be without politicians).
2.This might cause a stir?..That the right to bear arms be changed to the right to bear soft fruit.
I have never heard of anyone being killed or maimed by a ripe banana.
3.Close down Macdonalds and defrock Ronald Macdonald as a US icon he used to scare my kids (too creepy).
Their food is tasteless,falls to bits.and the coffee is awful.
What the US people decide to change them to, I bow to your better judgement. :D
Originally posted by be-bop
2.This might cause a stir?..That the right to bear arms be changed to the right to bear soft fruit.
I have never heard of anyone being killed or maimed by a ripe banana.
:D
been watching python?
wha' aboot a pointed stick?
no no , come at me with the banana
right
**5000lbs falls from above***
see? that's how you defend yourslef when someone attacks you with fruitAh, but in Python, it was fresh fruit, which is much sharper than soft fruit.
frivolous law suits
I've been away from the throne. sorry. here's June's law:
If you sue someone and lose, and the judge determines that the suit was unfounded and frivolous, you and your attorney must pay the amount that you were suing for. this amount will be divided between the state and the defendant. the state will use the money for public benefit only...ie..parks projects, tax credits, etc... If the defendant is a corporation with more than 50 employees, the money must be spent on improving work environment and safety in their place of business.
May's law:
Doctors found guilty of negligence or malpractice that results in the death of a patient, and said deaths can be proven to be so, wil be criminally prosecuted without exception. If doctors want to reap the rewards of their power, they should also be subject to the penalties of misuse of that power.
regarding frivolous lawsuits...
I think the way to fix the problem is to not give the punative damages to the plaintiff. The punative damages should go into some type of charatible fund. Out of the punative damages, the attorneys should only be paid the rate they charge their non-lawsuit clients for only the hours they worked + reasonable expenses.
Punative damages are the gasoline that feeds the fire of lawsuits. If your brakes fail and the auto company knew that they would, how does that make you the recipient of a punative damage award sufficient to discourage and penalize the company for the mistake? I agree that the company owes the money - that's justice. But I violently disagree that the company owes the money to the plaintiff.
The plaintiff is only entitled to just compensation for his/her loss. The attorneys are only entitled to compensation for the work that they did. Anything over and above that should go to a charity or a charitable fund for uncompensated victims.
But, I'm not the king so lawyers can continue to drive up health care costs and drive good doctors into retirement while the politicians continue to blame the health insurance companies for it.
Originally posted by lumberjim
If you sue someone and lose, and the judge determines that the suit was unfounded and frivolous, you and your attorney must pay the amount that you were suing for.
I had a similar idea, but more general. Loser pays attorney's fees in a civil suit. But, so a massive corporation can't just throw money at a case to scare away lawsuits, the loser pays an amount equal to their own legal fees to the winner, in addition to whatever judgement there was, if any.
All laws restricting or prohibiting any consensual activity are hereby abolished. This includes but is not limited to prostitution, gay marriage, any kind of consensual sex, suicide, gambling, any kind of gun ownership, any kind of drug manufacture..sales...and use, traveling anonymously, etc. And all non-violent criminals being held in jails for these charges are to be released immediately.
Two years mandatory (and paid) military service starting at 18 years of age.
Those not physically capable may opt for some type of social service work.
Originally posted by jdbutler
Two years mandatory (and paid) military service starting at 18 years of age.
Those not physically capable may opt for some type of social service work.
There may need to be some flexibility to the age bracket. Imagine if every 18 year old today was instantly in gov't service.
I'm a little late, so here's my catch-up
January - flat tax of 20% on every person, every corporation. No loopholes. No exemptions. No more social engineering by means of the tax code.
February - Institute a new $2 per gallon tax on non-commercial gasoline. Taxes to go into a fund that is split between mass transit funding and grants for new transportation technology development. I know this is pretty contrary to most of my political leanings, but I earnestly believe that we need to move our economy off of an oil basis in order to remain competitive. The thought that a cartel of countries that hate us can fundamentally alter our economic strength keeps me awake at night.
March - School vouchers. Education is now a public obligation fulfilled through private innovation. Vouchers extend all the way up through 2 years of community college.
April - accidentally "forget" to renew the UN's lease in NYC. I don't mind if the petty despots and tyrants of the world gather to foment their tirades against the US. I mind that they do it on our soil.
May – Institue a new term limits policy. You may serve in an elected public office for one term. That’s not one term per office, that’s one term period. If you spend a term as mayor, you’re done. You have to go back to the private sector and make a real living after that. You may not run for state Senate, for Governor, President. You’re done. Go get a real job.
June – That all the children of the world would join together, holding hands, and sing for peace. Also, I want a million dollars.
Originally posted by smoothmoniker
Also, I want a million dollars.
psst, dr evilmoniker.....it's 2004...you might want to up the anty.
Smooth, consider yourself retroactively assassinated on 2/2.
$2 a fucking gallon?
i like the gas tax. he's right. we'd be burning methynol in short order. and maybe we wouldnt throw away most of our corn. and fuck saudi arabia, btw
Originally posted by lumberjim
i like the gas tax. he's right. we'd be burning methynol in short order. and maybe we wouldnt throw away most of our corn. and fuck saudi arabia, btw
Not to mention global warming.
Wait. I just mentioned it. Damn.
I figure the sooner we use up our finite resources, the sooner some corporation will develop some proprietary (or patented) power source that they can gouge us with.
How many people are on the fence right now about getting hybrid vehicles? Now imagine that gas is $4.50 a gallon. Now how many people are going to jump at getting that new 45 mpg Ford Explorer vs. the 18 mpg version?
How quickly would the infastructure catch up to the technology for fuel cells? In the 20th Century we sold our automobiles to the world and built an economic sphere of influence unrivaled in history. What if in the 21st Century we did the same thing with clean energy technologies?
How much better would we make decisions about foreign policy if there were no oil incentive to protect despotic stability over uncertain democracies in certain areas (Africa, Saudi Arabia)?
There are only two create change - with a carrot or a stick. Why not use both? Make an oil economy painful to sustain, and use the proceeds to fund the carrot.
-sm
Originally posted by smoothmoniker
How many people are on the fence right now about getting hybrid vehicles? Now imagine that gas is $4.50 a gallon. Now how many people are going to jump at getting that new 45 mpg Ford Explorer vs. the 18 mpg version?
How quickly would the infastructure catch up to the technology for fuel cells? In the 20th Century we sold our automobiles to the world and built an economic sphere of influence unrivaled in history. What if in the 21st Century we did the same thing with clean energy technologies?
How much better would we make decisions about foreign policy if there were no oil incentive to protect despotic stability over uncertain democracies in certain areas (Africa, Saudi Arabia)?
There are only two create change - with a carrot or a stick. Why not use both? Make an oil economy painful to sustain, and use the proceeds to fund the carrot.
-sm
I agree in essence, but do you really think that Americans are going to take it in the ass like that to get the ball rolling?
Originally posted by smoothmoniker
There are only two create change - with a carrot or a stick. Why not use both? Make an oil economy painful to sustain, and use the proceeds to fund the carrot.
Why not just leave things alone? What is it about the current system that isn't working? As the price of gas increases, alternates become more feasible and more people start choosing them.
When the price of oil climbs to the point that the developers of alternate enegy sources feel enough people will pay for it then they will invest the money to develop it.
Of course, the day we run out of oil may not come
as soon as we thought.
[FONT=courier new][edit - everything below is new - nothing above changed][/FONT]
Besides, artificially hiking the price of gas will not ease the transition. Here's why: If the government added a $2.00/gal tax to gas making it $4.50/gal then an alternate energy costing $3.95/gal is all the sudden feasible right? Well, to develop (not produce but figure out how to make it then set up shop to make some) costs $20Billion dollars. What company is going to ivest $20B to develop a product that takes 3 years to develop when the only assurance they have that the product will even sell is an artificial gas tax (remember - if the tax is repealed then gas is back to $2.50/gal and the product won't sell)?
This sort of meddling with the economy is not good. The price of oil will determine what we do and when we do it.
this plan would never work in a democracy. fortunately, I'm the king of america. One of the advantages of being a benevolent dictator is that you get to make unpopular choices that favor future benefit over present comfort.
-sm
Get their own day of the week......so that we don't have to hear liberals and Conservatives cry at each other all day...
Except for sports.....I would open more radio & TV air space for them....
I would have the all curling channel....
Just like HBO I would have football channels to cover each decade...
I would have a channel to cover each NHL star, past & present...
Oh plus porn would be deregulated and Fox would now be a legal hardcore Porn channel.....as Marge Simpson said "Fox became a hardcore porn channel so gradually, nobody noticed"
basically I would make the media fit, they way I want it to fit....I would replace Stern as King of all Media!!!
Later!!!! :rattat:
Originally posted by Radar
All laws restricting or prohibiting any consensual activity are hereby abolished. This includes but is not limited to prostitution, gay marriage, any kind of consensual sex, suicide, gambling, any kind of gun ownership, any kind of drug manufacture..sales...and use, traveling anonymously, etc. And all non-violent criminals being held in jails for these charges are to be released immediately.
going on a new push in favor of legal pedophilia, are we??? "i swear your honor little bobby really did say he wanted it - just wake him up from his nap, and he'll tell you"
Originally posted by jdbutler
Two years mandatory (and paid) military service starting at 18 years of age.
Those not physically capable may opt for some type of social service work.
no thanks, we don't want anyone who didn't get off their ass to go in and volunteer of their own free will.
Originally posted by jdbutler
Two years mandatory (and paid) military service starting at 18 years of age.
Those not physically capable may opt for some type of social service work.
[COLOR=indigo]I'll agree to that **IF** the US brings
all it's troops back onto American Soil, and do productive things, like patrol our borders. If an act of war is perped on American soil, once the perpetrators are tracked down, we Hiroshima the fuck out of the country that they came from. Period.
February: All illegals will be rounded up at gunpoint and deported. Anyone caught crossing the border other than at manned checkpoints with immigration papers in hand are shot, regardless of age/sex/disability/religion.
March: All golf courses are razed and new housing is put up, employing people who will live in them. Habitat for Humanity x apartment complexes.
April: All persons purchasing a computer must pass a minimum competancy test. All persons owning a computer must also pass this test within 6 months or give their computer to a school of their choice.
May: All persons on death row that have been verified as guilty by way of DNA evidence or admission of guilt are to be executed by May 7. All prisons will remove televisions, exercise equipment, inmate computer access and conjugal visits. All inmates incarcerated for marijuana offenses will be released. All heavier use offenders will be released on the understanding that if they are caught with even paraphenalia, they will be relegated to the new prison system, which means prison with no visitation, in solitary confinement cells of 15ft x 15ft, with one hour in a 10ft x 10ft walled yard per day. Meals will be delivered 3x per day and will consist of welfare recipient food. No interaction with other inmates will be given. Prison will be something you don't want to go to again.
June: Under no circumstances will any athlete be paid over $50,000 a year + medical benefits.
July: The Electoral College/Voting system will be changed. All persons with a drivers license will be required to vote, whether that is online from home or at an online voting kiosk. If they fail to vote, their drivers license will be revoked until the election they decide to participate in. Any persons driving on a revoked license will be put in prison for one month and will not be eligible for a drivers license. Ever. Subsequent offenses will result in 3 month extensions to the prison time, (ie 2nd offense 4 months, 3rd = 7 months, 4th = 10 months). In addition, I like the $1,000 idea, and candidate reforms will be put in place before this is put in place.
August: Electric/Solar/Methane/other alternative cars will be made available for sale at the same price as other cars in their body/class. Within 3 years, gasoline cars will no longer be available for sale, and oil will no longer be a priority for the nation.
In addition, other earth-friendly alternatives to energy production will be put into operation within 3 years.
September: All companies with employees overseas will pay $1,000 per employee overseas per month to the welfare fund.
Jobs will be created in the government sector (ie DMV, welfare offices, disability offices, immigration offices, etc to reduce wait times and unemployment.)
October: A fund will be set up for all people within 10 years of retirement, already retired and/or on disability, who will be paid $1000 a month from said fund upon retirement/disability. All funds not used upon death will be put into the common fund after simple burial/cremation has been paid for.
The remaining persons working will have elective deductions from their paychecks made and placed into a fund for their own use (not a common fund, more like a savings account). This will not be taxed, will not earn interest, and may be used at any time, but once it's gone, it's gone, and if you retire and you've used up your personal fund, too damn bad. Better have been good to your kids. No welfare will be given to persons not working or not in school, and maintaining a "c" average.
September: No more credit cards will be issued, no new charges will be accrued, and as credit cards are paid off the accounts will be closed. At no time will interest on remaining accounts be accrued in excess of 5%. Once a credit card company has no open accounts, it will be disbanded.
I'm sure I can come up with 3 more to get me assassinated.
[/COLOR]
September: No more credit cards will be issued, no new charges will be accrued, and as credit cards are paid off the accounts will be closed. At no time will interest on remaining accounts be accrued in excess of 5%. Once a credit card company has no open accounts, it will be disbanded.
Christ, what do you want, everyone mailing checks for their internet shopping? That's not feasible. Can we at least keep Paypal as a viable internet bank for these transactions, Queen Onyx?
June: Under no circumstances will any athlete be paid over $50,000 a year + medical benefits.
The reason these athletes can demand so much money is because MORE than what they demand is being made off of their performance by the television networks. Same with high-dollar actors. If you're going to cap their salaries, then at least make the networks give the money they would have paid the athletes to a charity or something--letting the networks keep more profit doesn't solve the problem.
[COLOR=indigo]Pay pal is not credit. It's debit. All debit cards are fine. It's credit cards that will go.
And once athletes are paid less money, we'll start charging less for tickets, and advertisers will pay less for time, and networks wont have to charge suppliers so much. So yes, caps if necessary. By all means.
[/COLOR]
it's so cute when the girls talk about sports.
*ducks*
Originally posted by lookout123 going on a new push in favor of legal pedophilia, are we???
Minors are not legally capable of consent. :rolleyes:
not under our current laws - radar's idea is to rid us of any laws concerning the subject.
Originally posted by lookout123
not under our current laws - radar's idea is to rid us of any laws concerning the subject.
Who's laws? In the United States, minors are not legally capable of consent therefore "consensual sex" automatically excludes minors. Radar can speak for himself but until he explicitly states he is in favor of removing the age barrier for consent, I will assume that, were he king of America, that it would remain in place. The age varies by state (14 in Hawai'i, btw) but every state has an age below which consent is deemed to be legally void.
Now go bitch slap yourself for making me defend Radar :)
wow i've never seen anyone defend radar before. my thinking was that radar want all laws repealed due to his stance that gov't (that evil, lurking menace) should have NO say over who is doing who.
it is possible that i took his statement further than he intended.
but... don't you feel dirty for siding with him on something?
Originally posted by Beestie
14 in Hawai'i, btw
And in MO if you're older than 18 but younger than 21.
Originally posted by lookout123
wow i've never seen anyone defend radar before. my thinking was that radar want all laws repealed due to his stance that gov't (that evil, lurking menace) should have NO say over who is doing who.
it is possible that i took his statement further than he intended.
but... don't you feel dirty for siding with him on something?
that's your distaste for radar speaking. i've not seen him condemn the government like say....spivey has; just federal income tax......that's his drum, and he likes to beat it. I've learned more about the constitution in here than i did in school.
Beestie is right in defending him. and far from feeling dirty, should hold his head high because he did not allow his personal opinion of radar to cloud his vision regarding your incorrect interpretation of radar's mandate.
any kind of [color=red ]consensual[/color] sex, suicide, gambling, any kind of gun ownership, any kind of drug
Onyx almost made me think she was going to do it, but then didn't:
Nix the electoral college. Popular vote for everything.
After that, I dunno. Probably mandate that The King gets to sleep in until 12 every day.
Originally posted by Skunks
Onyx almost made me think she was going to do it, but then didn't:
Nix the electoral college. Popular vote for everything.
After that, I dunno. Probably mandate that The King gets to sleep in until 12 every day.
Most people aren't qualified to drive. Why would we give them carte blanche to vote as well?
Originally posted by lookout123
no thanks, we don't want anyone who didn't get off their ass to go in and volunteer of their own free will.
Who said anything about volunteering? This country should emulate the Israeli's...Mandatory training for everyone to become a citizen/soldier and serve thier country for 2 years.
To all of the young liberals lurking...I do believe the draft will be reinstated after the elections no matter who wins as our military is stretched too thin and enlilstment and reinlistment numbers are dwindling. Drop down and gimme 20, Private Rueda!
I'll give you 3 to 1 on the draft not being reinstated by June 2005.
Originally posted by Undertoad
I'll give you 3 to 1 on the draft not being reinstated by June 2005.
OK, your on for one Dinar:p
Originally posted by Undertoad
I'll give you 3 to 1 on the draft not being reinstated by June 2005.
I'm with UT, give me some of that action.
Originally posted by Troubleshooter
I'm with UT, give me some of that action.
UT is the bookmaker, not me. But I know he suckered me in on a lost bet anyway...no matter who gets sworn in in January, nothing in Washington gets done in 5 months. *Excuse me while I snipe a raghead to get UT his Dinar*
I'll give you 2 to 1 on June 2006.
With the current draft bill sitting in committee, Congress has painted itself into a neat little corner anyway. It specifies men AND women all have to equally serve.
Even if they might take the draft if it were coated with a little vaseline, the population at large would NEVER accept drafting of debutantes. Army wouldn't want 'em anyway.
But count on the ACLU to sue for discrimination on behalf of the boys.
With all the lawyerin' for years, there ain't never gonna be a draft in this "equal rights" country again...
did you hear that some asshole in new jersey got "ladies night" banned from all night clubs and bars becasue of gender discrimination? [/derail]
Originally posted by jdbutler
*Excuse me while I snipe a raghead to get UT his Dinar*
[COLOR=indigo]Racist anyone?[/COLOR]
Originally posted by OnyxCougar
[COLOR=indigo]Racist anyone?[/COLOR]
Not necessarily.
Originally posted by OnyxCougar
[COLOR=indigo]Racist anyone?[/COLOR]
When it comes to those murdering bastards from the "Religion of Peace" you're goddamn right I am, and proud of it! Let the sand scratching sons-o-bitches put on a uniform and quit hiding behind women and scoolchildren and let's get this shit over with.
Bleeding heart / let's just get along liberal, anyone?
Originally posted by jdbutler
When it comes to those murdering bastards from the "Religion of Peace" you're goddamn right I am, and proud of it! Let the sand scratching sons-o-bitches put on a uniform and quit hiding behind women and scoolchildren and let's get this shit over with.
Bleeding heart / let's just get along liberal, anyone?
[COLOR=indigo]I don't have a problem with you disliking cowardly militants. I don't have a problem with you disliking the war, and the cost to the nations involved. I *do* however, have a problem with characterizing MILLIONS of innocent people based upon those (relatively) few extremists.
That is racism. And not something to be proud of.
I'm not a bleeding heart or "just get along liberal". I dislike the terrorists as much as you do. But I have ALOT of muslim and some sikh friends (you know, the people who wear turbans) that dislike the terrorists as much as you and I do. And it pisses me off when you lump everyone together as ragheads.
What ethnicity are you so I can call you a racial epithet? So I can racial profile you, and lump you in with all the others like you...oh wait....
Fucking dumbass. That crosses all the skin tones....
[/COLOR]
Originally posted by jdbutler
Who said anything about volunteering? This country should emulate the Israeli's...Mandatory training for everyone to become a citizen/soldier and serve thier country for 2 years.
To all of the young liberals lurking...I do believe the draft will be reinstated after the elections no matter who wins as our military is stretched too thin and enlilstment and reinlistment numbers are dwindling. Drop down and gimme 20, Private Rueda!
1) as someone who has been in the military for the last 12 years (USAF, USAFR, ANG) seriously, no draft, if you want them in some sort of civilian, social-service capacity - i'm ok with that. but the leadership in the miiltary still remembers the quality degradation due to soldiers who didn't want to be there. the draft is not advocated by any career member of the armed services, that i know of.
2) as far as i know the enlistment quotas are still being met ahead of schedule. i haven't looked up the numbers but i am in regular contact with a handful of recruiters. the only complaint that i have seen is that the quotas aren't allowing for enough growth to keep up with the growing demands. there are more people that are not re-enlisting, but that is true anytime there is a heavy deployment schedule while there are jobs in the civilian community.
Originally posted by OnyxCougar
[COLOR=indigo]I don't have a problem with you disliking cowardly militants. I don't have a problem with you disliking the war, and the cost to the nations involved. I *do* however, have a problem with characterizing MILLIONS of innocent people based upon those (relatively) few extremists.
That is racism. And not something to be proud of.
I'm not a bleeding heart or "just get along liberal". I dislike the terrorists as much as you do. But I have ALOT of muslim and some sikh friends (you know, the people who wear turbans) that dislike the terrorists as much as you and I do. And it pisses me off when you lump everyone together as ragheads.
What ethnicity are you so I can call you a racial epithet? So I can racial profile you, and lump you in with all the others like you...oh wait....
Fucking dumbass. That crosses all the skin tones....
[/COLOR]
Relatively few extremists??? Try taking your kid to see the teaching of the Koran in a Wahabist mosque. They make the Nazi Brownshirts look like social workers.
What ethnicity am I? Proud to be a third generation American combat veteran, thank you, and willing to go again if needed to defend your right to practice your beliefs.
When and if your "ALOT of Muslim friends" gain an upper hand in this war, you and your infidel friends will be the next heads on the Islamic chopping block, ala Nick Berg.
Originally posted by Troubleshooter
Most people aren't qualified to drive. Why would we give them carte blanche to vote as well?
Sorry, I'm really not tops on voting theory.
It's my understanding that the difference between an electoral college (voting system?) and a popular vote is that in the former, the votes for a region are pooled together. That is, the person with the majority of votes in a specific state gets all of the votes for that state. In states that are heavily dominated by a certain political leaning, this causes problems; the lone dissenter's vote is only considered within a smaller context than is (I'd imagine) technologically necessary.
What's the link between changing how votes are counted and giving anybody carte blanche to do anything?
Originally posted by Skunks
What's the link between changing how votes are counted and giving anybody carte blanche to do anything?
Anytime someone mentions a popular vote I automatically visualize the worst scenario of every vote counted with no boundaries.
Originally posted by Troubleshooter
Anytime someone mentions a popular vote I automatically visualize the worst scenario of every vote counted with no boundaries.
Which is?
Originally posted by sycamore
Which is?
Like I said, no boundaries, or more accurately, no districting of any sort.
For instance, in a presidential election, it would take away a portion of the block voting power of states.
I always thought that was the general principle of democracy -- that everybody (within very broad guidelines, such as 'over age 18') gets to vote.
I'll concede that it could suck (a lot of people are pretty fucking dumb). But if the really-fucking-dumb people start organizing stupid-committes to force their dumb on us, we smart people can always slaughter a new indigenous society.
Who's up for New Zealand?
Sorry, TS...I didn't realize that that was the scenario.
But how much power does a state really have anyway?
Here's how presidential politics works now: the nominees focus on the most populous and battleground states.
Here's how presidential politics will work without the EC: the nominees will focus on the most populous and battleground areas.
IOW, not much will change, IMO.
Originally posted by Skunks
I always thought that was the general principle of democracy -- that everybody (within very broad guidelines, such as 'over age 18') gets to vote.
I'll concede that it could suck (a lot of people are pretty fucking dumb). But if the really-fucking-dumb people start organizing stupid-committes to force their dumb on us, we smart people can always slaughter a new indigenous society.
Who's up for New Zealand?
As much as subjugating another inferior race might appeal to me, I'm happy here.
An idea that just occured to me:
Let everybody vote, but only count the ones of citizens who meet a certain set of, as yet undetermined, standards.
Originally posted by sycamore
Sorry, TS...I didn't realize that that was the scenario.
But how much power does a state really have anyway?
Here's how presidential politics works now: the nominees focus on the most populous and battleground states.
Here's how presidential politics will work without the EC: the nominees will focus on the most populous and battleground areas.
IOW, not much will change, IMO.
It's a little bigger than just presidential elections. That was just one example.
State blocks of votes give regions a way to muster votes to handle regional issues.
Without a state, what need is there for legislators? As appealing as that idea may be, the state is an intermediary between the top and the bottom.
I have no desire to get rid of states...I only wish to see the end of the EC.
Originally posted by jdbutler
Relatively few extremists??? Try taking your kid to see the teaching of the Koran in a Wahabist mosque. They make the Nazi Brownshirts look like social workers.
What ethnicity am I? Proud to be a third generation American combat veteran, thank you, and willing to go again if needed to defend your right to practice your beliefs.
When and if your "ALOT of Muslim friends" gain an upper hand in this war, you and your infidel friends will be the next heads on the Islamic chopping block, ala Nick Berg.
[COLOR=indigo]And that justifies you being racist?? Not mad at the people who are causing the problems, but just plain out, proud of it, racist.
There are 1.48 Billion Muslims in the world(
source). There are maybe a few thousand individuals that are "terrorists".
That's 1.48 BILLION people you hate because of a few thousand? That you degrade because of their muslim beliefs? Not ALL muslims are extremists. In fact, Islam is actually a peaceful religion.
It's only the extremists that cause the problems.....people who are...*gasp* racist against ALL Americans and Westerners, based on the actions of a few....
So congrats, jd. You're just like them.[/color]
My only contact with Islam has been through professors who specialize in it. The same goes for most religions, aside from what I read on the news and so forth. I've never sat down and chatted with Average Ahmed the Muslim about his faith.
So, I admit that maybe I'm biased; maybe I'm re-spouting idealistic thoughts about religion with my own idealistic take on it. But, there's a common trend throughout every scholarly lecture I've attended about any religion in the past school year. Lectures on eastern Christianity and Islam were the most memorable (I've only listened to talks about the Abrahamic traditions, and the Judaism ones really went over my head). Every time, the lecturer has said that war sucks, isn't supported by the texts, etc. And every time someone asks, "well, what so-and-so saying that religion to justifies this stuff?"
Every time, the lecturer answers, "well, they're wrong", going on to say that it's undereducated people with axes to grind interpreting scripture to further their own goals. Terrorists, broadly speaking, are not expert theologians.
Originally posted by OnyxCougar
[COLOR=indigo]And that justifies you being racist?? Not mad at the people who are causing the problems, but just plain out, proud of it, racist.
There are 1.48 Billion Muslims in the world(source). There are maybe a few thousand individuals that are "terrorists".
That's 1.48 BILLION people you hate because of a few thousand? That you degrade because of their muslim beliefs? Not ALL muslims are extremists. In fact, Islam is actually a peaceful religion.
It's only the extremists that cause the problems.....people who are...*gasp* racist against ALL Americans and Westerners, based on the actions of a few....
So congrats, jd. You're just like them.[/color]
No, I'm just like you are, in case you forgot...[QUOTE]
Originally posted by OnyxCougar
[B]
[COLOR=indigo] If an act of war is perped on American soil, once the perpetrators are tracked down, we Hiroshima the fuck out of the country that they came from. Period.
February: All illegals will be rounded up at gunpoint and deported. Anyone caught crossing the border other than at manned checkpoints with immigration papers in hand are shot, regardless of age/sex/disability/religion.
May: All persons on death row that have been verified as guilty by way of DNA evidence or admission of guilt are to be executed by May 7.
I looked in a couple of dictionaries for Raghead, Rag-Head and Rag Head. No luck. Is that like pornography in that you can’t define it but you’ll know one when you see them?
How can you call someone a racist, or accuse them of casting aspersions of billions of people by using a word that has no meaning.
Does it mean people of Islamic faith? I’d venture to say most Islamic people wear no head covering, most of the time. Look at the pictures from the myriad of predominately Islamic countries, and I think you’ll find that to be true. Look at the pictures from Iraq, or the Indonesians, or Palestinians.
Look at the pictures of the terrorists, outside the US. er,...uh.....gosh,.....Ragheads.
:p
Anyhoo...to get back to the spirit of the thread-
Marriage licenses are banned, to be replaced with 2 year permits.
If both parties agree to renew, so be it, and vice-versa.
Any community property acquired during the permit period is split 50-50 as well as any possible visitation arrangements upon non-renewals. Screw the lawyer's fees.
people found to have "unintentionally" caused injury to someone by shooting weapon into air is summarily shot, with their own weapon.
Originally posted by lookout123
people found to have "unintentionally" caused injury to someone by shooting weapon into air is summarily shot, with their own weapon.
And shot by the family of the injured party!
nice touch. and if the first shot happens to hit the kneecap, the second hits the elbow, the third... well dammit they just have to keep going until they figure that malfunctioning weapon out!
Agreed..and if the kids are missing pitching and batting practice because of attendance at this event, well, two birds with one stone, eh?.
people found guilty of crimes against children receive a complimentary tattoo of a beautiful woman on there back and a lifetime sentence in a turkish prison.
Haven't had time to read through it, so I'm sorry if I repeat one.
Every child is required to be fluent in English and at least one other language before graduating from junior high. This means immigrants, too.
All pharmaceutical advertising is permanently banned.
The term "Marriage" is removed from all laws. The societal institutions can go around "marrying" people if they wish; the gub'ment is in the business of enforcing contract law.
Large-scale funding of research into effective, safe, cheap and easily available birth control, for males and females.
Constitutional amendment granting the right to privacy.
Judges cannot be elected; only appointed.
...I'll think of more later.
[later] Oh, yeah, that universal sunset provision -- GREAT IDEA!
Remove tax/tariff/gas milage exemptions for "light trucks".
Run Wal-Mart and their ideological cronies out of town.
Decrease or remove subsidies for corn farming. Go back to a "grain reserve" program, not a loan program.
Rescind software patents.
Say it with me now ...
All nuclear power, all the time.
I'll say that, with the caveat:
Wind, solar, and geothermal where feasible, and hydroelectric where it already is.
Say it with me now ...
All nuclear power, all the time.
All nuke-u-lar waste to be stored in the LA basin.
you mean it's not already?
you mean it's not already?
You're thinking of human waste. :biggrin:
Shine little glow-worm, glimmer, glimmer
Shine little glow-worm, glimmer, glimmer
Lead us lest too far we wander
Love's sweet voice is callin' yonder
Shine little glow-worm, glimmer, glimmer
Hey, there don't get dimmer, dimmer
Light the path below, above
And lead us on to love
:biggrin:
I always automatically hear the Spike Jones and His City Slickers version of this.
It pains me as a Republicanarchist to say this, but I'm sick of hearing about oil. I'm sick of paying for oil. I'm sick of anything related to oil. I wish oil had never been discovered.
As king, I say all oil executives must immediately stop production in their respective companies and turn their attention to alternative forms of energy. I want to see whatever oil is left on the planet lie dormant forever. I hope Saudi Arabia has to sell sand to make a living. Internal combustion engines are banned forever. Make me a nukular car that can still get me up in the mountains but doesn't cost an arm and a leg to run. Sorry NASCAR.
Well, we get to hear Bush's energy plan tonight. Maybe he will renounce oil.
Or move a couple caribou and drill in ANWAR.
I like the NASCAR thing.
Fuck NASCAR.
i like oil. i like using oil. in fact, every where that i park my car - i leave a large oil puddle behind as a sign of my passage. my engine is in good repair and doesn't leak oil, so i have dump out a quart of oil from a bottle - but that is ok. i think we should have more things that run on oil. why can't we have oil powered computers? when it is cold outside, i just dig pits in the backyard, pour oil in, ignite it then invite my friends over for a marshmallow roast.
at my family events we don't encourage water balloon fights, we have 10-w30 balloon fights. i don't drink much anymore so when i have extra cash i just buy a case of motor oil and dump it down the sewer - i don't even get a hangover from it and it is just as much fun as binge drinking.
i want to use up all the oil in the world so that there is absolutely no reason for us to give one little damn about the middle east or the people who get off on killing eachother there. i figure using all the oil is more likely than getting humans to quit using oil, so i'm doing my part.
i want to use up all the oil in the world so that there is absolutely no reason for us to give one little damn about the middle east or the people who get off on killing eachother there.
You know, if you take the profit motive out of it, maybe we can finally get around to actually killing each other for differences in ideology, as has been claimed for so long.
well, you've got an idea there. but what if profit IS our ideology?
Or move a couple caribou and drill in ANWAR.
Looks like that's going to happen now with yesterday's budget agreement.
Well, we get to hear Bush's energy plan tonight. Maybe he will renounce oil.
what did he say?
To reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy, we must take four key steps.
First, we must better use technology to become better conservers of energy.
And secondly, we must find innovative and environmentally sensitive ways to make the most of our existing energy resources, including oil, natural gas, coal and safe, clean nuclear power.
Third, we must develop promising new sources of energy, such as hydrogen, ethanol or bio-diesel.
Fourth, we must help growing energy consumers overseas, like China and India, apply new technologies to use energy more efficiently and reduce global demand of fossil fuels.
We are going to tell China and India how to conserve fossil fuels. Classic. :lol:
I'm surprised to hear a Republican talking about conservation. I'll be very surprised if he gives this more than lip service.
His talk of using existing resources is just code for drilling in ANWAR and strip mining for coal in West Virginia while dumping the rubble in the valleys. It's hardly "environmentally sensitive," but that's how Rove has taught the Republicans to talk. Call something the exact opposite of what it really is, and many fools will actually believe you. The only realistic answer I see to the US's energy problems is to start massively building nuke plants all over the place. We can run electric cars off of them. I agree with him on this one. Finding a home for the waste is a problem, but I'm fine with burying the stuff in the caves in the desert. It's far from perfect, but it's our best option right now. I also would like to see lots of funding for alternative energy sources. I think he's latching on the wrong ones, but at least he's talking about looking.
Before describing this little plan, he also talked about contacting oil producing countries and asking them to ramp up production.
In the near term, we will continue to encourage oil-producing nations to maximize their production.
It seems to me that the oil countries are at maximum production. Saudi Arabia is trying so hard to be our friends where they can, it's in their best interests to be at maximum capacity. It's the one thing they can do to help us without pissing off the muslim world. They must be at capacity right now. I think this is it. We are at world peak oil production today. It ain't gonna get better.
Who is doing the drilling here?
At least we got back to the thread title. :lol: