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

[David Floyd]

I love how alot of these "fixes" involve shreading various parts of the Constitution.

That wasn't directed at my posts was it?

If not, I certainly agree with you...

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by David Floyd
That wasn't directed at my posts was it?

Not in particular. I just didn't agree with yours.

[David Floyd]

That's what I figured.

[Lonestar]

Foreign Policy:

- Make the Army Divisions lighter (but do not eliminate them)
-Expand the USN and USAF's power projection capabilities substantially. (Bring the number of Carrier groups to 15, purchase another 100 B-2 bombers)
-"Take Back" the Panama Canal.
- Annex Cuba
- Remove US from NATO alliance. Sign new one with Great Britain.
- Demand the Maine-Canada border be moved up to it's true border (which was ceded by the US in the 1830's)

or.

-Propose a single US-Canadian currency.


Domestic Policy:

-Expand Prision system. Crack down on all crimes, including "victemless crimes" because, well, there is no such thing.
-Increase pay and benefits for Federal employees(including servicemen)
-Revitilize NASA's space program. Put a man on Mars within ten years of activation of the program. The technology used to put a man on Mars would help drive the Domestic High-tech sector.
-Put Welfare solely in the hands of the States.
-Pass laws increasing the milege of cars substantially. This is more for political reasons than enviromental; don't want to be dependant on foreign oil.
-Increase funding to the National Lab system.
-Increase funding to the Smithsonian.
-Increase funding for the Department of the Interior.
-Make Puerto Rico a full member of the Union.
-Pass laws that would close Income tax loopholes.



So far, everything's legal. Woot!

[Adalbertus]

-Expand Prision system. Crack down on all crimes, including "victemless crimes" because, well, there is no such thing.

Yeah! Death penalty for attempted suicide!

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by Adalbertus

Yeah! Death penalty for attempted suicide!

\

Okay, okay, suicide is the one.

That and Masturbation.

But c'mon, saying Drug use is a victemless crime is just false. The money goes to somewhere...somewhere we wouldn't want it to go.

Prostitution? What about all those prostitutes who are forced into "The service" by pimps?

[David Floyd]

including "victemless crimes" because, well, there is no such thing.

Explain that to me, please - how does me smoking weed in my house victimize anyone?

[dudemanjack]

The only thing I can think of doing would be to reform education. Simply throwing more money at the school's isn't going to do it. We've been doing it for years now. I don't have any solutions, but what we are doing now obviously isn't working.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by David Floyd


Explain that to me, please - how does me smoking weed in my house victimize anyone?

Is that the only one you would legalise?

I think he was refering to harder drugs that cause social and personal problems.

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by David Floyd


Explain that to me, please - how does me smoking weed in my house victimize anyone?

Besides you spending the $$ that trickles done to various groups "South of the Border" who anjoy inflicting misery on the locals?

Not a thing.

Besides you deciding to drive your car while smoking a blunt, getting in a car accident, and killing someone?

Not a thing.

What you are displaying with those comments, David, is a self-centered view of world. You'd rather get high, and go off and do something STUPID that might result in getting someone hurt, then relise "hey! There's a reason Drugs are illegal! And it isn't because the DuPont company tried to get hemp banned!"

Or it could be you just don't give a rats ass about your fellow human beings, in which case, you fall under my "Tar and Feather" clause.


EDIT: But yes, while I would still be going after Weed, I'm more concerned about Harder drugs.

[Adalbertus]

Explain that to me, please - how does me smoking weed in my house victimize anyone?

There seems to be a slight confusion with the term "crime". Are crimes those things that are declared as such by some law, or is do you talk about the common-sense crimes which are (roughly) understood as actions which victimize? Ideally, both agree, but as Cicero once said: We don't live in Plato's Politeia but in the p!ss of Romulus.

[Dauphin]

Lonestar, are you pro-prohibition of alcohol?

If not, on what principal?

[David Floyd]

Besides you spending the $$ that trickles done to various groups "South of the Border" who anjoy inflicting misery on the locals?

Not a thing.

You mean Colombian drug lords? Well so what, why should we care if they get money? They're simply providing a service to people who want to **** their lives up. If we decriminalize drugs, also, remember that most of that black market goes away, same as alcohol - you don't see speakeasys anymore, right?

Besides you deciding to drive your car while smoking a blunt, getting in a car accident, and killing someone?

Not a thing.

Right, but I can do the same thing with alcohol, and I don't see you advocating a ban on that. The fact is, being high wasn't the problem. It didn't hurt anyone. Deciding to drive while impaired DID, and that's where the crime should be.

What you are displaying with those comments, David, is a self-centered view of world. You'd rather get high, and go off and do something STUPID that might result in getting someone hurt, then relise "hey! There's a reason Drugs are illegal! And it isn't because the DuPont company tried to get hemp banned!"

No, in point of fact I DON'T want to get high. I don't do drugs, and I don't smoke. The only reason people get hurt is, same as anything else, I committed a crime that hurt someone. Owning a gun doesn't hurt anyone, doing cocaine doesn't hurt anyone (else), and drinking beer doesn't hurt anyone - committing crimes with a gun or under the influence is what hurts people.

Prostitution? What about all those prostitutes who are forced into "The service" by pimps?

If prostitutes are kept against their will, that's kidnapping - but kidnapping and prostitution are not related. Kidnapping victimizes people, but the act of paying for sex hurts no one.

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by Sagacious Dolphin
Lonestar, are you pro-prohibition of alcohol?

If not, on what principal?

I think Alcohol is a problem, and will continue to be a problem. If I thought there were a feasible way to completely Ban alcohol (The USN and the other Armed Services are drifting in this direction, I've noticed) I would be all for it. Alcohol causes far to much heartache and pain for it to be completely unregulated. We took a step in the right direction increasing the legal drinking age limit, now I think places that serve alcohol need to be more concientious about letting a patron hop in a car and drive off.

That having been said, Most people(in the states) get their alcohol from Faceless Godless Corporations(tm).

Where do people in the States get their drugs? Well, *some* grow it(mostly "soft" drugs like the Mary Jane). But *most* buy it. And where does that money go? Kooky DEA commercials aside, they go to not-very nice groups in various parts of the world, mostly south of the border for the USA market.

Drugs are also one of the big drivers of crime in the United States. Possibly the Biggest driver of criminal activity. Cracking down on drugs, at the source (which would be the people who use the drugs, not the growers) would help society alot.

[dudemanjack]

Originally posted by David Floyd


Explain that to me, please - how does me smoking weed in my house victimize anyone?

Here's some statistics about crimes where people were under the influence of drugs:

http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/factsht/crime/index.html#table1

24.5 and 29.0 % of state and federal violent crimes were committed by people who were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 39% of motor vehicle thefts were by people on drugs as well. So tell me why we should legalize drugs?