One of the major problems is that MOST people, bright or not, have very surface ideas of which they haven’t dug into and examined the complexities.
They get both words and concepts mixed up. For example, political, social, and economic systems apply to all countries, but they are often confused. We are a democratic republic by political structure. We have a socialistic (government supplied services, not the old “communistic” meaning) social system, and we have a capitalistic economic system.
As I’ve posted before, these are a few of the services our federal and local governments provide: Military, Police, Fire Services, Local Roads, use, & maintenance, Highways, use, & maintenance, Street Signs & Traffic Control, Street Lights, Schools, Elementary, High Schools, Universities, Postal Service, Libraries, Judicial Court System, Patent Protection, Food Safety, Flight Safety, Penal System, Communication Control, Property Laws, Personal Laws, Program Name, Record Keeping, Public Parks, Health Care, Garbage Collection, Sewer System, Drainage System, Vocational Training, Utility Supply and Control, Minimum Wages, Worker Safety, Social Security, Unemployment Insurance, Humanitarian Assistance, Financial Regulations, Professional Licensing, Vehicle & Driver Licensing, Environmental Protection, Child Protection, Voting Regulation.
If you are against socialism, do you want all of these services to be canceled or privatized?
If you are a fiscal conservative, are you willing to not have any of these services available to you unless you buy each of them from private companies so you don’t have to pay taxes?
One of the fundamental functions of an ethical, caring society, I believe, is to assure minimum adequate living conditions for all its citizens. When parasites and predators manage to take funds from the citizenry so it trickles up, they are stealiing those funds. It’s part of the government’s job to protect the citizenry, and that includes increasing taxes on those who have been draining funds from the citizens, that is, taking from those rich and giving back services to those the predators and parasites have made poor.
Occam
I am simply quoting and responding to this post because it is so good, it desrves to be repeated.
And I live in a world of right or wrong. No shades of grey.
But don’t you see, Sandy; This is exactly the same world that the Fundamentalist Christians live in; and exactly the same world that the Fundamentalist Muslims live in; and exactly the same world that the Nazis lived in; and exactly the same world that the Soviet Communists lived in; and exactly the same world that the Khmer Rouge lived in?
And the problem is; each of these groups knows, absolutely what is right and what is wrong; and all of their absolutely known rights and wrongs are wildly different.
This is precisely what I mean about being out of touch with reality.
One of the major problems is that MOST people, bright or not, have very surface ideas of which they haven’t dug into and examined the complexities.
They get both words and concepts mixed up. For example, political, social, and economic systems apply to all countries, but they are often confused. We are a democratic republic by political structure. We have a socialistic (government supplied services, not the old “communistic” meaning) social system, and we have a capitalistic economic system.
As I’ve posted before, these are a few of the services our federal and local governments provide: Military, Police, Fire Services, Local Roads, use, & maintenance, Highways, use, & maintenance, Street Signs & Traffic Control, Street Lights, Schools, Elementary, High Schools, Universities, Postal Service, Libraries, Judicial Court System, Patent Protection, Food Safety, Flight Safety, Penal System, Communication Control, Property Laws, Personal Laws, Program Name, Record Keeping, Public Parks, Health Care, Garbage Collection, Sewer System, Drainage System, Vocational Training, Utility Supply and Control, Minimum Wages, Worker Safety, Social Security, Unemployment Insurance, Humanitarian Assistance, Financial Regulations, Professional Licensing, Vehicle & Driver Licensing, Environmental Protection, Child Protection, Voting Regulation.
If you are against socialism, do you want all of these services to be canceled or privatized?
If you are a fiscal conservative, are you willing to not have any of these services available to you unless you buy each of them from private companies so you don’t have to pay taxes?
One of the fundamental functions of an ethical, caring society, I believe, is to assure minimum adequate living conditions for all its citizens. When parasites and predators manage to take funds from the citizenry so it trickles up, they are stealiing those funds. It’s part of the government’s job to protect the citizenry, and that includes increasing taxes on those who have been draining funds from the citizens, that is, taking from those rich and giving back services to those the predators and parasites have made poor.
Occam
I am simply quoting and responding to this post because it is so good, it desrves to be repeated.
Some of those services can be provided by private contractors,who will do a far superior job at a better price than whatever crap the government has going. Socialist services are very necessary to maintain a decent quality of life,but other options should always be on the table, since many parasites and predators are in the government as it is.
Interesting point, Mid-A. However, the problem with privatizing services is that the more essential they are or the less competition there is, the higher the level of profit the supplier can and will demand. This doesn’t happen with government supplied services. Our job is to monitor the government supplied services and demand that any weaknesses be corrected immediately. We can’t do that with privatized services. If we are active, well-informed citizens, we can be sure we get the highest quality services at the lowest cost from the government. If we aren’t, we’ll get screwed by the government agencies OR by the private companies.
Another problem with privatization is market distribution. For-profit companies will shy away from areas which are not profitable or will charge higher prices. Thus there will be an imbalance in fair costs and distribution of services. The job of federal and state services is to provide equal access to all qualified persons, even in the most remote areas.
Ok, let’s use social security as an example of privatization of services. Right now 1/6th of the citizens of the U.S. rely strictly on social secutiry to survive. The baby boomers, that’s us will swell the ranks of social security by 2015. As this will swamp the funds available, the government can shift funds from other accounts to close the gap. Privatizing the system will not allow this to happen. Also, privately funded programs will be at the whim of inflation and market fluctuations. Understandably the system needs to be cleaned up from both ends; weeding out the deadbeats and kicking the wealthy off the rolls, but watchdog agencies can be brought into play to accomplish this. BTW President Obama has created a bipartisan commission to to it. You baby boomers out there want to take a chance on your retirement on the open market? Want to work till your 70’s, or 80’s to get the pittance a company wants to grant you for 50 years of loyal service? Have you worked for a company for 30-40 years only to see your retirement money vanish? This is just one example;there are many others.
We are a democratic republic by political structure.
Occam
That is a good post. Clear and concise. BTW, I could never get Rocinante to accept the democratic republic idea of political structure. He always thought it had to be one or the other.
Right, Traveler. Many can’t or won’t accept the subtlety of the combination concept. However, my daughter pointed out to me that while we may be called that, we have really become an oligarchy. Unfortunately, she’s right. (Thanks in part to our Supreme Court.)
Right, Traveler. Many can’t or won’t accept the subtlety of the combination concept. However, my daughter pointed out to me that while we may be called that, we have really become an oligarchy. Unfortunately, she’s right. (Thanks in part to our Supreme Court.)
Occam
Yeah, I’m still fighting that one but since corporations are now people my fight is growing weak.
Right, Traveler. Many can’t or won’t accept the subtlety of the combination concept. However, my daughter pointed out to me that while we may be called that, we have really become an oligarchy. Unfortunately, she’s right. (Thanks in part to our Supreme Court.)
Occam
Yeah, I’m still fighting that one but since corporations are now people my fight is growing weak.
The SC declaring that corporations have similar rights as persons has been applied in law forever.
The problem lies in the fact they completely overlooked the legal concept of personal liability. When an individual person speaks, he or she may be held accountable for their words (slander, defamation, incitement), but a corporation is exempt from such accountability. They can speak and lie and destroy another person’s reputation with total anonymity. The source could be a foreign government trying to undermine and subvert the US democracy.
IMO, by not addressing this potentially seditious threat to the nation, the Supreme Court was negligent in its due dilligence.
Ok, let’s use social security as an example of privatization of services. Right now 1/6th of the citizens of the U.S. rely strictly on social secutiry to survive. The baby boomers, that’s us will swell the ranks of social security by 2015. As this will swamp the funds available, the government can shift funds from other accounts to close the gap. Privatizing the system will not allow this to happen. Also, privately funded programs will be at the whim of inflation and market fluctuations. Understandably the system needs to be cleaned up from both ends; weeding out the deadbeats and kicking the wealthy off the rolls, but watchdog agencies can be brought into play to accomplish this. BTW President Obama has created a bipartisan commission to to it. You baby boomers out there want to take a chance on your retirement on the open market? Want to work till your 70’s, or 80’s to get the pittance a company wants to grant you for 50 years of loyal service? Have you worked for a company for 30-40 years only to see your retirement money vanish? This is just one example;there are many others.
I fully agree that privatizing social security would be disastrous. I’m not too concerned with it for myself,because SS will likely not be around (or not be enough to live on) when my age group starts to reach 67. As long as it still exists however, “socialized” social security is the only workable way.
I already have a grandchild. But I like the idea.
