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Public Policies Part 2

Please chose the political directions you prefer

  • Equal Opportunity: Disallow inherited money

    Votes: 2 11.8%
  • Equal Opportunity: Keep things the same or similar

    Votes: 7 41.2%
  • Equal Opportunity: Remove equal opportunity policies

    Votes: 3 17.6%
  • Energy: Aggressively reward efforts for renewable resources

    Votes: 8 47.1%
  • Energy: Provide medium level rewards for renewable resource efforts

    Votes: 5 29.4%
  • Energy: Let Capitalism run its course

    Votes: 5 29.4%
  • Government: Dismantle and rebuild governmental system

    Votes: 5 29.4%
  • Government: Amend current policies

    Votes: 11 64.7%
  • Government: Leave the current system alone

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    17

MusicAdventurer

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I have compiled some of the major political issues and asked related questions for voting purposes. If you aren't sure what I mean, please comment. Enjoy!
 
I agree with the majority at this time as far as energy is concerned - we need aggressive measures for better energy sources and uses.

I also agree that we should amend many current policies, but... with an end goal of a complete change in the system, in order to allow change to happen fast when needed and to allow for a democracy in which the larger minority groups can still somehow get a little bit of what they want. I believe the governmental system needs to be better informed by education. We need people in governmental positions because they are smart and educated, more than because they are popular.

I disagree with people's sentiments regarding equal opportunity, I believe people should not be allowed inherited money - it puts people on unequal footing from the start.
 
Inheritance: Tax it the same as normal income. No need for special laws regarding it. People should absolutely be able to leave money to their heirs though.

Energy: We absolutely need to develop more renewable energy sources. However it's not a panic situation like some make it out to be. We have several generations of fossil fuels left, so there's plenty of time for a sensible transition to renewable energy. It doesn't need to be done in the next 20 years. I think government money is best spent on research for technologies in their infancy that show promise (such as fusion research, or orbital solar power), whereas technologies that are mature, though maybe not widely used (solar, wind) should be funded less aggressively, and allowed to be controlled more by the free market. The one thing I would support is mandatory laws forcing energy companies to buy excess electricity generated from home solar or wind generators. Possibly also small amounts of government assistance for renewable energy installations.

Our government system at its core is fine. It just needs some work. I don't think we need to completely rebuild it from the ground up. Some good things to start would be changing our voting system to an instant runoff election so that 3rd parties have more of a chance, as well as making it mandatory for candidates running for office to provide certain information to the public so that it's easier to be an informed voter. Other good changes would be direct election of the president, and a repeal of presidential term limits.
 
Energy: Stop allowing rabid environmentalists lobby their way through Washington. No benefits or punishment for anyone.

Government: Reduce the size and power of the Federal government big time. Decentralize control and give states more freedoms. Never allow war powers to strictly be in the hands of the executive branch. Have a foreign policy of non aggression and no preventative wars. Do not allow international bureaucracies to undermine the Constitution. Keep a free market economic system, and leave social issues away from government control.
 
Equal Opportunity: I don't really get this issue. I guess leave things the same.

Energy; We need a market shift towards renewable resources. A energy policy should be written and geared towards lessening dependence on a national energy grid. Our policy should be retrofitting of energy-inefficient building to be energy self-sufficient with more regional grids built around the available local energy resources. Investment should be both public and private within states.

Government: more emphasis on state and local politics. Federal elections should be less important, IMO.
 
I have compiled some of the major political issues and asked related questions for voting purposes. If you aren't sure what I mean, please comment. Enjoy!

where is the END Taxes on estates or inheritances?
 
That might be what he means by remove equal opportunity policies. I don't know, the questions are kind of unclear.
death taxes are idiotic iMHO

smart people raise smart children

athletic people are far more likely to have athletic children

I was at a party today. The woman had a picture of her father-he was an olympic gold medalist in the 64 olympics. She was an all-american in track which paid her way through college. Her daughter is ranked in the top ten in a sport that will get her a full ride to stanford.

do you want to tax that sort of advantage.

the best tennis player in my son's class (7th grade) is beating a freshman who is ranked top in the state in HS. That seventh grader's father was on the pro tour, his mom was a division one first singles player for four years.

sure, the kid practices all the time-but so do many others. He has a tremendous amount of athletic talent.

he will get dozens of scholarship offers. shall we tax his genes?
 
death taxes are idiotic iMHO

What do you mean by death taxes? Do you mean estate and inheritence taxes?

smart people raise smart children

Sometimes

athletic people are far more likely to have athletic children

I was at a party today. The woman had a picture of her father-he was an olympic gold medalist in the 64 olympics. She was an all-american in track which paid her way through college. Her daughter is ranked in the top ten in a sport that will get her a full ride to stanford.

do you want to tax that sort of advantage.

Who wants to tax what now?

the best tennis player in my son's class (7th grade) is beating a freshman who is ranked top in the state in HS. That seventh grader's father was on the pro tour, his mom was a division one first singles player for four years.

sure, the kid practices all the time-but so do many others. He has a tremendous amount of athletic talent.

he will get dozens of scholarship offers. shall we tax his genes?

What are you talking about TurtleDude?
 
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That might be what he means by remove equal opportunity policies. I don't know, the questions are kind of unclear.


Yeah... imo, taxes on estates or inheritances would be considered equal opportunity measures - however, imo that is the improper route for equal opportunity... at least its something though
 
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What do you mean by death taxes?



Sometimes



Who wants to tax what now?



What are you talking about TurtleDude?

if someone's concept of equal opportunity is preventing thrifty parents from passing on their wealth to their children doesn't equal opportunity also mean that kids with athletic parents will have a significant advantage over kids whose parents are untalented klutzes. Do you know how many women in tennis-generally considered the most lucrative sport for women athletes, are the daughters of former pro or world class athletes.
 
if someone's concept of equal opportunity is preventing thrifty parents from passing on their wealth to their children doesn't equal opportunity also mean that kids with athletic parents will have a significant advantage over kids whose parents are untalented klutzes. Do you know how many women in tennis-generally considered the most lucrative sport for women athletes, are the daughters of former pro or world class athletes.

Wealth as in money, assets etc. not biological or psychological wealth... that quite the leap there TurtleDude! Nice try though!

The idea is to keep the original underpinnings of capitalism pure, i.e. "survival of the fitest" , not survival of the people who are lucky enough to have an inheritance. This makes everyone start at the same level without artificial advantages.
 
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Wealth as in money, assets etc. not biological or psychological wealth... that quite the leap there TurtleDude! Nice try though!

The idea is to keep the original underpinnings of capitalism pure, i.e. "survival of the fitest" , not survival of the people who are lucky enough to have an inheritance. This makes everyone start at the same level without artificial advantages.

assets are assets.

I have a great idea-the government shouldn't try to punish those who are able to pass on to their children assets they have

life isn't fair but worse evil comes from those who try to use the power of government to change that fact
 
assets are assets.

I have a great idea-the government shouldn't try to punish those who are able to pass on to their children assets they have

life isn't fair but worse evil comes from those who try to use the power of government to change that fact

So... you are saying that if an angry mob decides to lynch someone... the government shouldn't step in to makes things fair?

This is besides the point though.

Biological and genetic inheritance is completely different from financial/asset inheritance in that one is artificial and the other is not.

Let me ask you...

Do you believe in the theoretical underpinnings of capitalism?

If so, do you not believe that the best competitors should do the best financially so that their products/services are the ones that thrive?
 
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So... you are saying that if an angry mob decides to lynch someone... the government shouldn't step in to makes things fair?

This is besides the point though.

Biological and genetic inheritance is completely different from financial/asset inheritance in that one is artificial and the other is not.

Let me ask you...

Do you believe in the theoretical underpinnings of capitalism?

If so, do you not believe that the best competitors should do the best financially so that their products/services are the ones that thrive?

massive straw man alert

I don't believe the government was given the authority to take wealth from someone who has paid taxes on it to make those who are upset that their parents weren't successful feel better.

smart people give their children advantages that lead to wealth and power. Athletic parents give assets to their children that often lead to free education and sometimes great wealth

deal with it
 
massive straw man alert

I don't believe the government was given the authority to take wealth from someone who has paid taxes on it to make those who are upset that their parents weren't successful feel better.

smart people give their children advantages that lead to wealth and power. Athletic parents give assets to their children that often lead to free education and sometimes great wealth

deal with it

I noticed you didn't answer any of my questions... or even try for that matter... hmm... I wonder why that is? ? ?
 
I noticed you didn't answer any of my questions... or even try for that matter... hmm... I wonder why that is? ? ?


because I don't believe you have a correct assumption of what capitalism is and you want to freeze frame the concept from a primordial beginning rather than examine it after a few generations
 
because I don't believe you have a correct assumption of what capitalism is and you want to freeze frame the concept from a primordial beginning rather than examine it after a few generations

Should it matter what you think I want to do when answering questions? Shouldn't you, as a debater, be able to answer the questions without hurting your argument? What is it that you fear my questions?
 
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Should it matter what you think I want to do when answering questions? Shouldn't you, as a debater, be able to answer the questions without hurting your argument? What is it that you fear my questions?



You seem to think capitalism would be corrupted if the children of those who won the game gave them an advantage.

I say so what-it sure beats giving the government the power to stop that. My main issue is keeping the government under control, not keeping capitalism "pure"

and ultimately, those who whine for death taxes or inheritance taxes are generally envious jerks who pretend they are doing it for the "sake" of the system
 
You seem to think capitalism would be corrupted if the children of those who won the game gave them an advantage.

The advantage is given via biology and psychology, not via assets/money... anything else would lead to mediocrity (which of course is what we see today)

I say so what-it sure beats giving the government the power to stop that. My main issue is keeping the government under control, not keeping capitalism "pure"

Unfortunately, government is necessary - but it is the current form and corruptibility of government that needs to be fixed

and ultimately, those who whine for death taxes or inheritance taxes are generally envious jerks who pretend they are doing it for the "sake" of the system

Speculative... unfounded
 
The advantage is given via biology and psychology, not via assets/money... anything else would lead to mediocrity (which of course is what we see today)



Unfortunately, government is necessary - but it is the current form and corruptibility of government that needs to be fixed



Speculative... unfounded


actually I have spent years observing the envious left. its indisputable

the government needs to be fixed-an easy solution is actually having judges who resurrect the precedent that ended when the Dems ignored Schecter Poultry and started issuing crap like Wickard v. Filburn
 
actually I have spent years observing the envious left. its indisputable

the government needs to be fixed-an easy solution is actually having judges who resurrect the precedent that ended when the Dems ignored Schecter Poultry and started issuing crap like Wickard v. Filburn

Clearly your set in your opinions...

Still... if its best for the system... does it matter what the motives of those arguing those points come from?
 
Clearly your set in your opinions...

Still... if its best for the system... does it matter what the motives of those arguing those points come from?

you are set in your opinions. the system is not served well by increasing class envy and government power
 
you are set in your opinions. the system is not served well by increasing class envy and government power

Still, you missed the point... if a scholar decides that 1 + 2 = 3, what matters more... that it is truth? .... or the motives of the scholar?

Don't get me wrong, I don't want "class envy" and I'm not sure how many people argue from that motivation, but 1 + 2 still = 3 ... doesn't it?
 
Still, you missed the point... if a scholar decides that 1 + 2 = 3, what matters more... that it is truth? .... or the motives of the scholar?

Don't get me wrong, I don't want "class envy" and I'm not sure how many people argue from that motivation, but 1 + 2 still = 3 ... doesn't it?

Wrong as usual. try again. the sanctimonious nature of the posts is not based on proper evidence
 
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