OK, smarty pants, how would you "fix" America?

[Mr. President]

inverse of relative per capita income * democracy index * human rights index

Why not just tell the truth and say "Congratulations, you now have no incentive to work to improve your own economy because we'll pad it for you?"

[David Floyd]

Goodness no. If anything, we need more religion in the Government.

Could you explain that? The only function religion in government seems to fulfill, to me, is forcing the moral values and private beliefs of one group of people on everyone else, who may or may not believe the same way.

[Inverse Icarus]

anyone who objects to US foriegn policy is a hypocrite waiting to happen. If you're number 1, you'll do your best to keep others "down".

strategic toppling of quasi-hostile regimes at regular intervals keeps you on top and keeps them too weak to pose a major threat.

if you can think in terms of civ (i know some of you dont play), you often trim down your opponents when they start catching up to you.

and i'm not acknowledging terrorism in our foriegn policy. i believe we should hunt every terrorist to the ends of the earth and mutilate them in front of their families.

[Sava]

I wish I knew you in real life Uber...

[Inverse Icarus]

Originally posted by Sava
I wish I knew you in real life Uber...

hell, i think thats an apolyton first for me!

[Lord Merciless]

Arrian, you should apply what you do in Civ3 to the US.

[devilmunchkin]

Goodness no. If anything, we need more religion in the Government.

what are you smoking man? such things are in direct violation of the Constitution. If government officials want to be christian, that's their thing..but they need to do on their own time and leave a religious agenda out of the office as the constitution says they should. a great number of people in america are not christian....we have many muslims (xianity is on the decrease, islam is the fastest growing religion in the world and atheism is also growing but is nota religion or belief), atheists, agnostics.....
but that sort of stuff isn't what government is based on....and therefore should be left out of government

[David Floyd]

Whoa, dm and I agree on something political. First I agree with jimmytrick and Slowwhand, and now dm

[Arrian]

Originally posted by Lord Merciless
Arrian, you should apply what you do in Civ3 to the US.

Too late. I would need a 4000bc start... need the FP in Brazil up 'n running by the AD years... need time to clear and develop S. America... then need time to build colonization/occupation forces for Europe and the Far East. Take the coast, grab the luxuries, raze the interior. Same with Africa and the ME, but I could take my time there.

Ned,

I suppose I am a republican at heart - I tend to agree with what (some) republicans say on a philosophical level. The trouble is, I just about never agree with what they actually DO. The Democrats are no better.

I'm not really an isolationist, in that I don't want to withdraw from the UN and go turtle. But I'm not an interventionalist who likes military adventures all over the world (to paraphrase FMJ: "I wanted to travel the world, meet new and exciting people, and kill them"). I'm much rather we were less unilateral and less reliant on military solutions. In short, Rumsfeld/Cheney really worry me.

Do I approve of FDR's actions pre-WWII? That's a tough question, because in order to answer properly, one must attempt to ignore hindsight. Hindsight makes the answer a resounding "yes" but things weren't as clear at the time. I think I would have supported FDR at the time because by 1939/40 it was pretty damn clear just how dangerous the Nazis were.

Che,

What would those minimum requirements be? I'd agree with restricting the candidates to only public funds if we could come up with a good set of rules for who gets on the ballot and who doesn't. I hate the fact that by the time a politician makes it to high office they've been bought and sold so many times they don't even remember who owns them.

Lonestar,

I could not disagree more. Religion has no place in government.

-Arrian

[Lord Merciless]

Religion mixed with government will get you a Taliban-like regime, regardless what religion it is, even if it is the Atheism.

[Dauphin]

Is the Israeli government secular?

Seriously, I don't know, that's why I'm asking.