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Forum General Aristotle on Politics (Kebir Blue)

Aristotle on Politics (Kebir Blue)

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Parsifal (Kebir Blue)

All worlds
07 Nov 2010 00:55Link
Regulations and the lack of being able to get loans for small businesses is a definite problem. I deal with small businesses every day and it's not just a problem of Washington regs. I live in Houston, one of the most business friendly environments in the US. And yet small businesses get "fee'd" to death. There are fees for having a safe in your business, for having a sign, for having a dumpster, which you don't own but rent. You can't even open a street vending taco stand without jumping through hoops. I could go on and on. This doesn't include all the forms a business has to fill out for local, state, and fed stuff. And as yet, there's not real new demand, so businesses aren't in need of loans. And yet the banks that caused a lot of our current problems are making record profits. Go figure. And finreg is turning out to be a joke. I heard that the derivitive markets that were going to be regulated by finreg, ma
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Solomon Grundy (White Giant)

All worlds
07 Nov 2010 01:41Link
Well spoken Parsifal
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TuCulo EsMio (Little Upsilon)

All worlds
07 Nov 2010 01:50Link
"Tax payers money going towards employing tax payers..."

But, are you suggesting government works?

Adding to the public sector payrolls through more public employees?

Here is what kills that.

Greed.(of the individual most likely on the left side of the isle by the way. No side of the political spectrum holds the monopoly on greed. Not the bankers, nor the city janitors)

ready....

pension spiking.

Im a registered nurse who has done OK(thankfully) through this entire debacle. Oh dear lord thank you for that blessing.

The other day, I was curious to see how my state employed brethren were doing.

I looked through public records which show local UC(University of California) employee's income.

Public workers in California have their income publicized on the web. Just have to find it. Its out there.

There is more then o
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Parsifal

All worlds
07 Nov 2010 01:55Link
so, how do you change anything, short of revolution? There is an old saying, "all politics is local". And I don't mean party politics, even though that should be reformed. But organize in your neighborhood or apartment complex or work place. Start with something small. I've seen immigrant families work to get a stop sign in their neighborhood so that their children would be safer. Then they lobbied the local school for a crossing guard and volunteered to help watch their kids going to and from school. Then they got a vacant piece of land cleaned up that was all grown up and infested with all sorts of human vermin. then they got a Cantina closed that harbored prostitutes, drunks, and drug dealers. But none of them could have done it by themselves. They worked together for the common good. That's the way you get your neighborhood changed for the better. And where do you find these neighbors? Have a meeting of a few friends in
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TuCulo EsMio (Little Upsilon)

All worlds
07 Nov 2010 02:04Link
There is no changing California. Only the pacific and the San Andreas fault can solve these fiscal issues.

Cali will continue to fatten the public sector till the state slides into oblivion.
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Solomon Grundy (White Giant)

All worlds
07 Nov 2010 03:12Link
Elect me president TuCulo and I'll send Mexico the bill for baby sitting their population ;)
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Psycho_Honey

All worlds
07 Nov 2010 04:34Link
Barney, you should have read my post on the subject on my Blog. What you did was describe what people assume anything that is govt driven is meant to be. I laid out specific guidelines for introduction of the corps/enterprise, how they would be funded, the union wages for workers, how to pay back the borrowed taxpayer funds, and how to add to the SS fund in the process.

I am not suggesting that Govt works... I am suggesting that I WISH IT WOULD. If it followed the basic model I laid out it shouldn't be that difficult to implement.

I am suggesting that Government do something that is the equivalent of Murder to the Financial/Private Sector of this country and create Enterprise outright.

What needs to be said is that we need to stop branding this as GOVT. It should be referred to as "TAXPAYERS" or "CITIZEN ENTERPRISE"

You politely injected partisan fear-mongering

This would NOT be a "feder
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TuCulo EsMio

All worlds
07 Nov 2010 05:05Link
Ill read it soon.

I just had to post my observations about what I see as one of this states leading issues going into the future.

When the baby boomers begin to really test the pension systems in California, and I don't mean SS, we may have some very tough decisions to make on the city and state level.

My position on immigration is probably more liberal then my above post would likely indicate.

Migrants will come to work. Is this good or bad? There presence will result In downward pressure on wages, I think. Bad for you if your competing with them. Will we all be competing with them someday? Perhaps.

I do believe that as we native born folks(descendants of immigrants of yesteryear)continue to age, we will need some people to pay taxes and what not to support us.

Those very kids of undocumented parents may well be supporting us as we enter our golden years.

No wouldn't tha
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Psycho_Honey

All worlds
07 Nov 2010 05:19Link
I agree on Pensions. Maybe Corporate Structureless Enterprises will alleviate that problem.
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Scarlet

All worlds
07 Nov 2010 08:01Link
<!-Quote-!>Quote:

This is not consistant with the US Constitution which prohibits American troops from internal law enforcement.

So no, it is not NEEDED or wanted.

That's a local thing and they need to keep their hands off. If I'm policed it should be by someone of my choosing and someone local. Thanks anyway though<!-/Quote-!>



I'm refering to police in "keeper of the peace internally."

<!-Quote-!>Quote:

Scarlet--so you'll build your own roads, outhouse, garbage dump, school,med school, etc. When in history has libertarianism worked? and if you put your money (who makes that?) in the bank and the bank goes under, that was your fault for not putting it under your matress, right? So, we're reduced to barter since hard assets are the only thing that can be trusted. and as for oil, we would need to eli

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Scarlet

All worlds
07 Nov 2010 08:06Link
<!-Quote-!>Quote:

These would be Small businesses OWNED by US instead of Wallstreet or any corporate Profiteering Structure. The only difference is these Entities would borrow direct from the Taxpayer/Govt and be liable for repayment in the same way all the Bailed out Banks were. With no greedy CEO and Shareholders looking to skin every cent for profit, the sole objective would be to employ American workers at Union Wages and Repay the Taxpayers, and possibly continue to function after full repayment. The only benefactor would be the Employee, and the Taxpayers, The Economy, and Relief to our federal liability to welfare, social services etc. I find it hard for anyone to rebut this idea with any solid objections. If we only used 600B, which is equal the latest round of Throwing money to the banking System that will never be loaned to small business or STIMULUS with the hope of it "trickling down" to the rest of o

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TuCulo EsMio

All worlds
07 Nov 2010 18:50Link
Government corps frighten me.

Fannie, freddie...ooops. Politics----Improper lending. Big losses and debt.

GM----Government motors. I believe we are trying to get out of this "investment" now.

Post Office----oops---loss after loss after loss.


"Sound" Politics may guide operations rather than a sound profit motive.

Whenever I wonder about profit motive, and the evils of outsourcing, I look at my crotch. know what I see? My $10 American eagle jeans and beneath that my lovely boxers created with loving care by our friends in Pakistan.

Total cost....$15.

Now, if I were noble, or rich, I would buy jeans made in America.

Total Cost $100-$150.

This is a $85-%135 difference. Even in the best of times its hard to argue with that equation.

What makes the American jeans more expensive?

How come the Pakistan jeans are so much cheaper?

Th
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Solomon Grundy

All worlds
07 Nov 2010 19:16Link
"Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power"


~Benito Mussolini
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Solomon Grundy

All worlds
07 Nov 2010 20:52Link
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."


~George Santayana
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Blueserpent (Little Upsilon)

All worlds
07 Nov 2010 21:11Link
"Dude, where's my car?"


-Jesse Montgomery III :)
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Psycho_Honey (Little Upsilon)

All worlds
08 Nov 2010 01:53Link
Scarlet. It Would make money the same way any other corporation makes money in the United States. I don't see %100 every product in our country imported. The profits would not be sucked up by a corporate structure that maximizes profit by way of slashing thousands of jobs. Without a corporate greed structure, money would indeed be made to pay back loans. The same way all the failed corporations have nearly payed back the loans given in the first stimulus. So far, Fannie/Freddie and the rest of the entire housing are in need of added extra money, analyst project in the area of 160B industry wide and 80B for Fannie/Freddie itself.

Solomon, not sure if you were thinking that this is a merger of state and corporate power. Actually, my idea is absent the forces that drive Wall street and usual corporate structures that dominate business. There is no figure-head, CEO, or share holder to make the sheer function of a corporation max profit and then f
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Scarlet

All worlds
08 Nov 2010 02:34Link
<!-Quote-!>Quote:

Scarlet. It Would make money the same way any other corporation makes money in the United States. I don't see %100 every product in our country imported. The profits would not be sucked up by a corporate structure that maximizes profit by way of slashing thousands of jobs. Without a corporate greed structure, money would indeed be made to pay back loans. The same way all the failed corporations have nearly payed back the loans given in the first stimulus. So far, Fannie/Freddie and the rest of the entire housing are in need of added extra money, analyst project in the area of 160B industry wide and 80B for Fannie/Freddie itself.<!-/Quote-!>



In your plan, I foresee that the whatever you call it will attempt and fail to make money. I'm not saying that it's impossible in theory to make money; I'm saying that in practice it will fail to make money.

Why?
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Nick Washington (Little Upsilon)

All worlds
08 Nov 2010 02:37Link
This is straight from the progressive playbook, Cloward and Piven. Overwhelm the capitalist system with excessive taxes and regulations, and at the same time force banks to make risky mortgages while having a government entity ( Fannie Mae ) agree to buy them. Then, when the crap hits the fan, blame capitalism for the mess. Pass even more regulations on everyone but the real culprit, rinse and repeat. Spend billions on a so called stimulus, and increase debt to unsustainable levels. Pass a health care bill that will increase health care costs, but hide that by delaying benefits for 4 years and require employers to provide coverage or face fines which increase business costs. Propose carbon taxes that will greatly increase energy costs and implement through the EPA when congress rejects it. Paralyze private sector job creation by creating the most uncertain business environment possible. Throw in some irresponsible monetary policy from the fed (
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Parsifal (Kebir Blue)

All worlds
08 Nov 2010 03:30Link
Scarlet--Ok, so you lean towards a separation of the economy and state. Many of us would agree that gov’t is too involved with our lives. But lets look at some of the areas that you and I might disagree.

Railroads—no the gov’t didn’t build the railroads but they were instrumental in the financing and the giving of rights of way with many politicians receiving pay offs which enabled rail barrens to become wealthy at the expense of the people. But they could not have been built otherwise.
Schools—public schools are the cornerstone of economic development in America. Private schools are the purview of the rich and not the common person. And there was and is a great debate over whether the gov’t should fund private sectarian schools.
Garbage service—In Houston all businesses/apts have to use private services. Only homeowners get free garbage pickup. Howe
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Parsifal

All worlds
08 Nov 2010 03:46Link
There have been numerous successful gov't and private/gov't projects in American history. Two in particular were the Erie Canal and the Houston Ship Channel. in the case of the Erie Canal, it was set up by the state of New York and in the case of the Houston Ship Channel it was a public/private endeavor. In both cases the effect of creating them was to enhance the economies of the areas around those population centers. in the case of Houston, the ship channel took the city from a being a mosquito infested swamp to being the second largest port in the US. with the expansion of the Panama Canal in a few years, Houston will again be the beneficiary of public/ private development. The point being that public works or public/private partnerships have a long history of sucess for the greater good. In the process a lot of people got rich and not just because of the canals.
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Scarlet

All worlds
08 Nov 2010 06:09Link
1. "But they could not have been built otherwise." Was this truly at the expense of the people then? I'm sure you don't think that America was better off before the railroads were built. As far as politicians receiving pay offs, this is predicated on a system where the government is entitled to dispense favors.

2. The private school I went to cost ~$4000 for the year. Contrast that with the ~$9000 per student per year the public schools receive (in my state at least). We weren't wealthy by any standard (being roughly lower middle class).

3. Toxic waste is an exception as it presents a clear danger to the lives of others. The ideal behind the whole system is to prevent the infringement of both government and individuals on the rights of others. Dumping a toxic substance in the middle of a populated area infringes on the lives of others. I'm not against basic zoning restrictions that protect the lives
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Parsifal

All worlds
08 Nov 2010 14:32Link
Scarlet
1. The railroad barrens not only controlled the railroads, a number of them controlled the means of production to build those roads. they sold bogus stock because they could say what they wanted too, to entice envestors (like Bernie Madoff) and paid and kept politicians in power who would give them what they wanted. And they built the roads, etc. on the backs of the poor and the uneducated. as to the system being predicated on giving favors, what system does not have some of that? All systems have some who have power and some without. Who do you want to have the power? Personally, as an investor, i want to be reasonably assured that the information i'm given on my investment is reasonably accurate and that i'm not being fleeced.
2.Schools-again, public schools are the cornerstone of American success. How many schools could we build where the teachers don't get a salary (many sectarian schools use people who are
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Psycho_Honey

All worlds
08 Nov 2010 16:49Link
+999,999 points to Parsifal for starting the most productive flame-retardant thread possibly in SC history.

A step up in forum evolution. LoL.
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Parsifal (Kebir Blue)

All worlds
08 Nov 2010 20:15Link
thank you PH.

There is a saying, "the world as it should be and the world that is". We can condemn our gov't, or corporations, oursleves or others for the way things are. My question to Scarlet about voting is one addressed to us all. If we don't vote, what reason were the sacrifices made by those who have died in wars since the revolution. I suppose one could say it was to give us the right to bitch and not vote. But i'm concerned that in the last election only 50% of those over 50 voted and less than 25% of those under 30 voted. We may not think that our vote counts, and maybe the big money has all the power. But if we don't vote, if we don't work in our communities, our churches, our schools, our unions, in the political process, etc. we've abdicated our right to gripe. I can't fix the big problems of the world, but I can mentor a young man who has no father in the picture, I can teach Sunday schoo