Ewection 2012

[Timedude]

Whoops, yep. I though I read Tzan at the top for ome reason... Weird.

[Scottsman]

I am perfectly fine helping out others who are down on their luck. This is called charity. What I'm not fine with is the government forcing me to give my money to a group of their choice. This is not charity. This is called bullshit.

[Tzan]

I am perfectly fine helping out others who are down on their luck. This is called charity. What I'm not fine with is the government forcing me to give my money to a group of their choice. This is not charity. This is called bullshit.

You mean like the way the government gives money or health care to soldiers?
Or food stamps to people.
Or to big defense contractors to buy more weapons.
Or to science guys to invent stuff.

Yeah I hate government always giving money to groups of their choice.
Taxes should be at zero percent. Then if I feel like it I will make a charitable contribution toward a nuclear bomb.

[Scottsman]

I am perfectly fine helping out others who are down on their luck. This is called charity. What I'm not fine with is the government forcing me to give my money to a group of their choice. This is not charity. This is called bullshit.

You mean like the way the government gives money or health care to soldiers?
Or food stamps to people.
Or to big defense contractors to buy more weapons.
Or to science guys to invent stuff.

Yeah I hate government always giving money to groups of their choice.
Taxes should be at zero percent. Then if I feel like it I will make a charitable contribution toward a nuclear bomb.

I have... small issues with taxation, but it is needed. However, I am moderately opposed to welfare and food stamps, at least in their current form. That is the kind of thing that charities can help with. As for your wonderful science, I'm a fan of science too. You know what happens when reliable people are working on good projects? Private investors flock to them. Government should stay the fuck away from private industry in my opinion.

[Tzan]

Government should stay the fuck away from private industry in my opinion.

I don't see a lot of private companies plowing million (billions ?) into the fusion power project.

[Scottsman]

It's not flawless, but neither is the government. neither is perfect, but one is far more effective than the other. Surely we must agree on this, even if we disagree on which is better.

[knolli]

It's not flawless, but neither is the government. neither is perfect, but one is far more effective than the other. Surely we must agree on this, even if we disagree on which is better.

Most of the time science is not effective. Private investors mainly support projects that promise fast or much monney. They usually have too little patience for fundamental research or projects that "don't pay off". But without that we wouldn't be talking with each other right now. Governmental founding is needed for that.
In that context:

[Pwnerade]

Is "You know . . . stuff," the CIA budget?

[OneEye589]

It's not flawless, but neither is the government. neither is perfect, but one is far more effective than the other. Surely we must agree on this, even if we disagree on which is better.

The only flaw is that the government isn't spending its tons of money on helping people, but instead trying to help itself.



The entire purpose of a government is SUPPOSED to be helping its people and keeping them safe. In response, we help the government by being a part of it and helping protect it. That includes people who are on Welfare, etc. Some people don't have the resources for all things to lead a happy life, which is where the government should jump in. I'm not saying their doing it right, but National Healthcare is a step in the right direction I think.

[stubby]

I don't see a lot of private companies plowing million (billions ?) into the fusion power project.

I don't see the government doing much either. Right now the big name in fusion research is Bill Gates.

[Porphyrogenitus]

Uhh, what's wrong with universal healthcare?

Under the US Constitution, universal health care is illegal without some kind of amendment.



Congress has no power to provide money for private individuals to pay their doctors' bills with. Of course, Congress has no power to do 95% of what they do at this point.

As for the Bush tax cuts, I think they're dumb, but mostly because the whole tax system is fundamentally messed up. A flat % tax on income would be most fair, with 0 loopholes or exemptions (and stop with the subsidies already, they're all illegal, and they kill whatever industry "benefits" from them). Most in-line with constitutional principles generally would be cutting back sufficiently to fund the government entirely with import/export taxes, but that's rather unrealistic at this point.

For military spending, if you ended all the so-called wars (not one of which was legally declared), stopped subsidizing European socialism by garrisoning their countries with US troops, and retained only those overseas bases that are necessary for naval and air power projection, then the defense budget could be cut by a vast amount without significantly impacting the ability of the US to defend itself.

[Tzan]

I don't see a lot of private companies plowing million (billions ?) into the fusion power project.

I don't see the government doing much either. Right now the big name in fusion research is Bill Gates.

I was referring to this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITER

We will be in for over a billion eventually.
At the bottom of the ITER page you can see a summary of all the projects the US is involved in.

I expect the US to be involved in DEMO as well
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEMO

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Ignition_Facility

The only Bill Gates investment I found was in TerraPower, which is fission. Its a nicer fission though.
http://www.xconomy.com/seattle/2010/03/ ... ervention/


Hmm, this is what happens when I have no work.

[Warhead]

Rise up and REVOLT!

Tear down the false rulers from their ivory towers and bring vengence to the self serving parasites leeching off the people they were meant to protect. Parade them through the street, beaten and tormented to be hung from lamposts for all to see. Bring in a new age, the age of Warhead!

WARHEAD FOR enlightened TYRANT!

[501stCadians]

Rise up and REVOLT!

Tear down the false rulers from their ivory towers and bring vengence to the self serving parasites leeching off the people they were meant to protect. Parade them through the street, beaten and tormented to be hung from lamposts for all to see. Bring in a new age, the age of Warhead!

WARHEAD FOR enlightened TYRANT!

I think you mean Tywant.

[Warhead]

I have no lisp. Otherwise I'd be Wawhead.