My man Griper challenged me to report what I would do if I were dictator. he is reporting what he would do on his fine blog which is linked at the side. I'll do most of my stuff there as it was his idea to receive another intellectual beat down from me.
Most of our debt malaise started under the ignorant trickle down policy of of Ronald Reagan. At least Reagan had the sense to see it wasn't the panacea he was told by his handlers and taxes were raised anywhere from 9 to 16 times while he was president, depending on whom you source.
The first thing I would do as dictator is what Walter Mondale said he would have done. Raise taxes. Eliminate the Bush tax cuts and make sure our country has the resources it needs to keep it's promises and responsibilities to our citizens.
The penal code would be revised so white collar criminals like the bankers that stole billions with their sub prime loan bullshit would face severer penalties than petty thieves. (I would build enough jails to hold these scumbags with the new revenues. Safety is the number one duty of government. Keeping scumbag bankers off the streets and out of our wallets is a priority.)
I would institute a single payer health insurance and retirement program so all could live securely in their golden years.
Any business that demanded bribes to either move factories and jobs or close them would have it's officers prosecuted for racketeering.
I would institute a draft.
Education from preschool through college would be a right for all citizens.
A tax on gasoline to fund development of low cost energy alternatives would be enacted. We have more natural gas than we'll ever use. The Sun has another ten billion years before going super nova. Public commuter systems would be expanded.
I would go fishing and golfing more because I would be dictator and nobody could tell me not to.
OSHA. EPA. DOE and the Dept.of Labor would do their freaking jobs.
I'd finally have that cigar and bottle of good wine with Rational Nation.
TAO would send me the damn tshirts I ordered for my brother last year.
Will Hart would stop grasping a false self image and admit he's a liberal.
Whirling Dervish's outstanding blog, Sleeping With the Devil, would get more than three visitors a week.
MadMike would stop changing the titles of the articles I submit to MadMike's America.
Our Troops would be out of Iraq and Afghanistan. A total review of where the rest or of forces are and the cost and benefits would happen.
Talk show hosts like Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, and a few on the left, would have to talk through a truth o meter. Liars will be made to wear clown outfits any time they speak.
51 comments:
ok, you'd raise taxes but on whom and how much? like i said you need to be specific. is a balanced budget or the paying down of the national debt the goal of these tax hikes?
what do you mean by the use of bribes to induce businesses to move or stay put? and how do you distinquish the use of bribes as opposed to the use of incentives?
don't you believe that schooling is already a right that is available to all now?
I'd vote for you...assuming that you ran for election instead of staging a coup d'etat.
I said I'd repeal the Bush tax cuts griper. That would raise everyone's taxes but the wealthiest would have theirs raised more as they benefit from the largess of our nation the most.
Your attempt to call bribes "incentives" is worthy of the right's calling rich people "job creators." 14% of the wealthiest among us can actually be iddentified as "job creators."
Higher education is available only to those that can either afford it or get the loans. Affordability should be taken out of the education equation. The best we can offer to all should be the standard.
My wife doesn't want me running for anything anymore Jerry. I don;t really dig this theme either as I hate people asking what I would do if I were the boss at work also.
I don't want to be the boss. I'm satisfied being a good lab tech and plant operator.
joe,
i'm not attempting to call bribes incentives. i was just asking for a clarification of the two concepts so as to create unity between us as to how to perceive them when they occur.
ok, affordability is to be taken out of the equation for the amount of schooling. then how would you pay for the added education?
ok,,you'd raise taxes on all but add an additional tax on the rich. how do you define the "rich"?
and you never answered whether or not the goal of these added taxes would be, a balanced budget or paying down the debt or are not these problems deserving of being dealt with?
what my questions are doing is creating a situation where you have to be very specific about those changes, nothing more.
i'll reserve my opinion about those changes until we have something real to address.
in other words, joe, i'm trying to get you to think through your solutions. that is all at this time.
jerry,
isn't that one of the problems with politics now, politicians not being specific on their promises of what they would do if elected and why Congress has such a low rating in the polls?
A graduated tax rate with a minimun of zero and a maximum of 50%. That is alos Bill O'Reilly's opinion per the last episode of his show I ever watched.
The rating system in regards to income is acceptable to me Griper.
I haven't explained how to solve all the problems yet as I don;t want to overwhelm you with a truth and wisdom overload.
A balanced budget, while a nice idea and worthy goal, is stupid policy as we never know what situations will face us and we have to borrow.
And before some well meaning fool makes claims about business operating on budget, they all borrow. Opportunity doesn't wait until the cash is on hand.
Truth 101 & Griper - Intensely watching this thread while withholding comment until such time as both the Truth 101 and the Griper have given SPECIFICS, backed up by verifiable sources and linked when appropriate.
BTW, Either of you would be preferable to the lightweights currently in the GOP field. Ron Paul excluded of course.
Joe - 'our troops would be out of Iraq and Afghanistan' - and everywhere else in the world.
And when we bring them home I've got jobs for all of them.
and if someone wants to put them in harm's way - then they will have to pay us for it.
You've got my vote Joe
but then you always have...
Joe - you are way too nice to Rush and Bill O'Reilly -
I'd personally lead a mob to tar and feather them.
My man Griper challenged me to report what I would do if I were dictator.
Given my current disillusioned state there is a great line from the movie "The Fall of the Roman Empire"(1964) with Stephen Boyd and Alec Guinness.
Boyd played Livius and at the very end of the movie as the dust was settling all the slime molds that had been sucking up to Commodus decided to offer control of teh empire to Livius like Marcus Aurelius intended to do at the first of the movie.
Livius grabs Lucilla and tells the ass wipes he will not accept the offer of becoming emperor, that if he did his first command would be to have them all crucified.
Sounds like a damn good plan, and I would start at Wall Street and work my way to Congress.
joe,
ok, so we continue to run the federal government with a deficit budget every year and the government borrows any money needed to pay its bills each year.
and have a maximum income tax of 50% for the rich. i'll assume that this 50% tax applies only to the top 1% of income earners. if not, correct me.
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alright, so far we see the following changes;
1. universal health insurance with the federal government being the single payer.
2. universal education as being an entitlement program run by the federal government beyond what it is now.
3. a social security program run by the federal government that would pay out enough to take the elderly out of the poverty level.
4. more federal prisons built.
5. a reestablishment of the draft.
am i correct on my understanding?
RN,
you'll find my side detailed on my web site. i'm only getting joe to clarify his position here.
Might I add the tarring and feathering of one, Alan Greenspan?
I have government serving all Americans and we're all helping to pay for it according to our ability and level of benefit from largess thanks to the order and security of said government Griper.
And isn't it cool how fellow lefty Beach Bum is tough on criminals as I am. Pansy right wing criminal coddlers!
I have government serving all Americans and we're all helping to pay for it according to our ability and level of benefit from largess thanks to the order and security of said government Griper.
And isn't it cool how fellow lefty Beach Bum is tough on criminals as I am. Pansy right wing criminal coddlers!
oh, i understand the intent, joe. this little exercise was to show in detail how each of us would like to see that government function so as to bring about the end results we desired from government.
this is why i said it would need to be a series of posts. neither one of us could detail the changes we thought were needed in a singular post.
by detailing the changes we both leave ourselves open to criticism from others and from each other.
it also forces each of us to promote our ideologies from a positive aspect instead of promoting it by arguing from the negative aspects of the ideology of the other side.
Mornin Joe, after reading this piece, I called it "Winter Wonderland" in spirit of the Christmas season, because it's a dream many would like to see come true, unfortunately.
I didnt even notice it when I was younger, but the trend we are on now, bringing us to these battles, austerity, economic woes, etc, etc actually were started back when Reagan took office, I even voted for Reagan.
I could never be a political leader Truth or similar, I like the simple fun living, or would want to be too much inspiration period on anyone either, especially in these time's, but bless those who actually have it in them to. And I'm not referring to the majority of politician's we have now, most of them should be given term limit's and/or fired.
Wow.
Joe - If I didn't know better I would think this was a real,
intelligent blog - full of meaningful discussion.
:)
Yes, a call for facts and links per RN....
Like links and facts change anything!
Remember the famous, "Drill, Baby, Drill?"
Well, guess what, facts show that we actually EXPORT gasoline because of a glut in our market.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/05/news/economy/gasoline_export/index.htm?hpt=hp_t2
We import half the oil that we currently consume and we export more gasoline than we consume, making us a NET exporter of refined oil based products!
Oh, but everytime the price of gas goes up everyone on the right will point the finger at Obama and blame him for not allowing the oil companies to "drill baby drill" and or demanding that the EPA be dismantled and to hell with the environment!
Many would like to see me become president RC.
I don't know what else I have to lay our for Griper. Government's role is to help make people's lives better.
I've said what I'd do and how I'd pay for it.
My fatass beagle Dudley is demanding to do a post ripping me for putting him on a diet and calling me a hypocrite for cutting his food while demanding government sponsored health insurance and education for all.
I told him I was not a feed and spend liberal.
Just shaking my head as the lights continue to dim across the nation...
I would also make sure the power grid is safe and modern RN.
Thanks for reminding me it needs that. You can e in my cabinet.
Griper had a comment in my inbox that didn't take here for some reason. It wasn't in the comments thingy here either.
I'll post it if Griper wants me to but if he deleted it himself that showed good judgement as it was a silly comment.
RN - 'just shaking my head as the lights continue to dim across the nation'
and when they go out completely -
then what
Sue - Leaving it to your imagination.
i've been told by many that my comments were foolish so it doesn't bother me, joe.
and no i did not delete the comment. so publish my foolishness.
Rational - The problem is - I've got a very vivid imagination - and what I'm seeing is not really that good.
but there's always a chance that someone will come along to show us the way...
Maybe it will be ...Dudley.
:}
Sue - Well, Dudley is a thought. Perhaps, just perhaps, Dudley would be better than... ;)
Failing Dudley, whom I'm pretty sure lacks the organization needed to get elected, everyone should switch to the republican party, vote Ron Paul in the primaries, and get the guy into the Chief Executive's Chair on Pennsylvania Avenue on Jan. 21, 2013. :)
Even a Dog is better than the current crop of republicans...and Dudley is better than most dogs.
Perhaps the democrat party should change its mascot from a donkey (aka ass) to a dog.
It would likely improve the party image.
Rash - Ron Paul.
Although I have not said this before I don't believe - I do have some respect for Ron Paul.
But the best case scenerio would be to reelect President Obama - and appeal to his real self in running the country instead of how the mean Dems have been doing it by overcoming him and making him do things their way.
Ultimately we need to get a team of Navy Seals and a few Marines in there and capture these son-of-b*tch*es who have hijacked our country and send them on an extended vacation at Gitmo.
Then - and only then - we can allow Barack Obama to spend the next four years being the kind of president that he was destined to be.
As for Dudley - he can give guided tours of the White House at Christmas. And even hold a yearly reunion for past presidential pets - that is if he would be willing to stop gorging on cereal and work out a little to get into shape.
:)
here is Griper's comment that didn't get posted:
The Griper has left a new comment on the post "Truth 101 vs. Griper":
joe,
you haven't told us everything you'd do and that is what i want to know. so far, the only changes you'd make would result in a higher cost of government. and you haven't told us how you are going to pay for it either.
deficit spending is not paying for it. it is a declaration of inability to pay. that is economics 101
Griper:
Reread the original post and note that I said what I would do in every sentence.
In the interests of being kind and gentle, which I have become famous for, I will delete your foolish comment should you agree that it is an embarrassment to you.
and you also said this and i quote; joe
"I haven't explained how to solve all the problems yet as I don;t want to overwhelm you with a truth and wisdom overload."
thus i expected more was to be done too.
and as a voter who would have to decide whether or not to give you the authority and power of a dictator, i feel i have the right to be fully informed as to what you intend on doing just as you should want to know about what i'd do as a dictator.
so, if being fully informed on what you'd do is being silly then i think i'll remain the silly fool that you think i am.
Griper: this may well piss you off but I'm quite frankly sick of being polite to you.
You sir are a shithead.
You are the one that challenged ME to say what I would do as dictator. Now you ask who gave us the right to be dictator.
Your inconsistency is a constant reminder that you have no clue on any subject you attempt to participate in discussing.
Your "big ideas" included the eliminating of Constitutional Amendments that granted women the right to vote and eliminated slavery.
I welcome different points of view. You have no point of view. You fail even at your pathetic little game of trying to trip people up with your ignorant questions that were always answered in posts and comments before you even asked them.
The best thing I can compare you to is a whiny brat in the back seat of a car on a long trip. You offer nothing and I can't even remember you ever offering anything of any substance.
Now go back to you little dictatorship and fantasize about eliminating the Bill of Rights because you never had the chance to whine at the framers about how this is an infringement on the liberties of pricks to keep the less powerful from excerisizing their rights to assemble, operate a newspaper, be unreasonably searched and all the other rights we have.
Joe - Why is it that - and I have said this before - that I turn to the Truth before I shut the computer down - when I feel beaten down by the events of the day :)
and there it is -
remarks like:
you sir are a shithead
and when I read something like this - that's when I know that in spite of everything...that everything is gonna be ok.
thanks joe
I'm looking out out for all that is wonderful Sue. And if that means calling out shitheads then that's what I do.
They call me Old Man River cause I just keep rolling along. Telling it like it is. Facing down the powers that be with truth and wisdom.
Be proud Griper. You have joined a long line of shitheads exposed for their shitheadness.
joe,
i noticed that my last comment is not published. did Blogger forget again?
Joe - the Truth of it is:
what I call getting down to the basics.
I have no idea what happened to your comment Griper. And reading more of your ignorance and pathetic attempt to be this millenia's socrates just doesn't interest me.
I said what I'd do and exposed the goofball stuff you'd do as goofball.
if you want a real echange of ideas that's wonderful. if you want to play your silly game of saying nothing and thinking that makes you look smart then find someone else that will enable your delusion.
well, thank you for that, joe. then i'll restate my response to you.
"Griper: this may well piss you off but I'm quite frankly sick of being polite to you.
You sir are a shithead."
don't worry, you can't piss me off. as i state on my web site, "alinksy tactics" doesn't phase me at all. in fact i am quite amused and honored when people attempt to use them with me.
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"You are the one that challenged ME to say what I would do as dictator. Now you ask who gave us the right to be dictator."
you're correct i never stated in my challenge how one would become a dictator of the united states. and given your response i'll admit that was a detail that should have been mentioned.
i guess i presumed that with your truthfulness and wisdom and with the history of this nation of electing their leaders you would come to this conclusion on your own. this presumption also took into consideration that one of the most notorious dictators in modern history came into power by the elective system, Hitler.
this presumption also took into consideration that Chavez of Argentina, who is called a dictator by some, was also elected.
i've always wondered if the people would have elected them if they'd have asked the questions necessary to understand what he intended on doing once in office as i am trying to understand your stance.
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"I welcome different points of view. You have no point of view."
you are correct again i gave no point of view in this thread yet. i was still in the process of trying to understand your point of view and that was the reason for all of the questions.
the fact that you are used to someone arguing with you instead of wanting to understand your point of view is not my fault. but it does explain your frustration.
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so, if trying to understand your position better rates me being called a "shithead" then i wear the title proudly.
My first (and possibly only) action as dictator would be to permanently replace Joy Behar with Ashleigh Banfield.
Other Plainly Brillant Post from the Truth-Meister!
On to Victory, Mr. Truth 101!
Will: My first (and possibly only) action as dictator would be to permanently replace Joy Behar with Ashleigh Banfield.
You could just give Ashleigh her own program... why take away Joy Behar's program? If someone's program must be taken away, why not Nancy Grace's program? Or Rachel Maddow's... don't you hate her more?
Apparently Will is more concerned with disliking women for not being good looking enough then disliking women whose political opinions he disagrees with.
Also, kudos to Truth for the intellectual beat down he administered to Griper in this post and comment thread. No doubt Truth would be a benevolent and effective dictator who would place American firmly back on the path to prosperity.
One additional thing I would do if I were in his position would be to withdraw American from the WTO and slowly introduce real tariffs.
I would remove Nancy grace from the air WD. That broad wears me out.
And thanks for the kudos. You would most cetainly be in my cabinet.
You're too kind Gene. I do respect your integrity. You always speak truth.
Your sense of humor still reigns supreme, wd.............Nancy Grace - yes, Truth, she needs to be vanquished as well.
"Any business that demanded bribes to either move factories and jobs or close them would have it's officers prosecuted for racketeering."
And the Union thugs don't do this already through the wholly owned and operated by the Union NLRB thugs.
You are an ignorant cunt. First visit to this sewer, and last. Go kill yourself Please.
Truth, you're a breath of fresh air and funny, too. First visit here. (Though would someone please take a bar of soap to Anon's potty mouth? Maybe John-the-spitting-negotiator could do the trick.)
404 days until THE WHITE HOUSE IS WHITE AGAIN!!!
*pumping fist wildly and dancing around jubilantly*
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