BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
Given what's about to happen in the next few days, I thought it would be interesting to get some feedback from people on their thoughts about political parties. . . .
So, If you could create your own political party, what would it look like?
I would like to have a political party where all the members resign and serve their constituents through their own business ventures. From the founding of this country through about 1840, most Americans only contact with the Federal Government was by using the Post Office. Now that would be a change I could believe in!
Small federal government only performs functions specifically listed in the constitution. Otherwise, a government that gets out of our way.
An end to all handouts and an end to the victim mentality. No more welfare, unemployment, minimum wage, social security or medicare (for people who are under 50 now), medicaid, Section 8, EPA, department of education, department of energy, OSHA, etc.
In other words, get the government out of our lives and let us sink or swim on our own!
I agree with all your points except #1. If you read the Constitution, there is nothing in it referring to the US as a 'nation'. In fact, during the Constitutional convention, the delegates debated putting in the word nation and voted it down - because they did not want to be a nation but rather a confederation of states. Prior to the Civil War, the US was referred to in the the plural ("The United States are great trading partners" for instance). So 'National Defense' is just a way to help consolidate power in the central government.
An early 20th century Congressman, Randolph Bourne, said "War is the Health of the State", and he was right. You can't have a huge national defence without a growing government. Look at the growth of the Fed Gov't since the War on Terror kicked off. Also look at every war in this country's history - and you'll see tremendous growth in government at the same time.
If you are worried about security, look at who actually took out terrorists on 9/11 - it was private citizens. The government with it's 1/2 trillion dollar defense budget was impotent against 19 guys armed with box cutters.
I say this as a veteran. The military spends money like there is no tomorrow on ridiculous stuff, and we really don't get much of a return from it. As for national pride, I think you get much more pride from your family, your friends, and your accomplishments, than you will ever get from the government.
Sorry to get on a soap box - just my 2 cents.
However elected officials are elected they should be bound by the Constitution in all matters as being above all other laws.
In all matters FISCAL there needs to be transparency and no deficit spending.
Let the non profits take on the extras so people help as needed then return to their own lives rather than build a bureaucracy that just feeds off of the system and does more harm than good. in many cases.
In all matters where elected officials perform any required duty of their office there needs to be ACCOUNTABILITY.
How can this manufactured crisis be endlessly debated by the people that were in charge without a single person losing their liberty or their life for these egregious actions against the entire country? Destruction of wealth on this scale is vandalism, theft, and if you extrapolate it further it is murder.
I just visited a third world country that was seeing potential starvation in rural areas due to the cost of basic food items.
The meltdown will do more harm than the combined acts of all the terrorists.
Public service should be an OBLIGATION but not a CAREER. Each citizen should be required to serve, somehow, in some capacity of their choosing which is for a public benefit and is done without pay.
Americans just needs to THINK VOTE and remain VIGILANT. We can vote the basty nastards out, whatever party they are associated with, if only we as a citizenry would manifest the will to force the change on ourselves and our elected officials.
And Hal, good point, 3 cheers to the ordinary citizens that brought that plane down... to the off duty law enforcement officers that return fire and take out "shooters" in malls..to all of the people that protect their neighbors rather than sit idly by during crimes.
Americans are giving, caring, hard working people.
When there is a flood, or a tsunami or any other natural disaster anywhere in the world who shows up in force...Americans and not just the military.
Our government is a joke, most but not all of our elected officials are bought and sold. They do not increase the wealth of the nation, state or municipality , but rather increase their own wealth at the expense of us all.
This has to stop and it stops at the ballot box.
I disagree Hal but I do understand where you're coming from. I think the consolidation of power was necessary to contend with forces that would have liked to see a divided and thus weakened America. That was one of early Greece's problems. You can't forget what a treasure trove of natural resources the early US was. But this goes off topic. And yes, like William said, rule of law not rule of men must reign.
As to national pride, I am proud of good, strong leaders and my pride in my family has no bearing on that. I can have both. Frankly, I'm proud to be a part of the greatest country on the planet. I know I'm "supposed to be" ashamed of the US according to a lot of people. I just have a hard time doing what I'm "supposed" to do.
And thank you for your service. We can work out the military's budget problems, but the time for that was not when we were under attack. I think now it is (part of the cycle, to everything there is a season) and I hope we have a good honest auditing. Regardless, I'm happy to be alive in a bad economy and can take that over dead in a good economy any day.
I want to live in a nation where people can no longer take advantage of the system. I understand bad things happen to good people and I support unemployment and welfare to a certain extent. What I'd like to see happen is that the people collecting checks from the government be required to WORK. Why are they not required to put in 20-40 hours a week serving our communities?? They are receiving a check they should work for it (if they can). Our city/town budgets are facing terrible cuts, wouldn't it make sense to have people already being paid put in some hours? We should all be contributing to our nation.
William, good post. If there is a silver lining to all this mess it may be that Americans, as a nation will open their eyes and stop being led over a cliff by corrupt, greedy, dishonest politicians and wall street con artists that have one goal and that is to move money from your pockets to theirs. I'd like to believe we can change it all at the ballot box, but I'm 57 and so far they (Gov. Polititions) just seem to be getting worse
I want a party that believes in personal responsibility. If you do the crime you do the time. If you father the kid you pay for the kid. If you're down on your luck we'll help, but not forever.
I want a party that makes illicit drugs legal, something you can buy at the ABC store. Poof - you get a significant drop in crime and the cops can do some important work. Tax the hell out of the drugs, help the users who need help, arrest those who drive or commit crimes under the influence, and wave goodbye to those who overdose.
I want a party that will mandate term limits so that no one can make a career out of politics. Encourage people from all walks of life to serve their country as senator or congressman or council member and then after a couple terms let them get back to doing some 'real' work.
I want a party made up of people with common sense, people with honor, and people with courage.
Nc Mark,
I have a friend that does data analysis for the prison system here in California.
Recidivism rate is 80-90 % depending on who you ask.
70k per inmate PLUS medical costs, (this information is a few years old) in a system where hepatitis.AIDS and TB are rampant.
90 some percent of people in prison in California at least, are there for drug related crimes with the attendant drain on court systems, social services etc. tTe cost is staggering and has absolutely no effect on the use of drugs.
The largest cash crop in California is green and smells like skunks but it is completely untaxed. The price has remained absolutely stable for over 20 years.
Economists, what does this tell you,?..that 's right.. almost a perfect balance between supply and demand.
Who runs this business anyway, lets get some ideas for stabilizing the markets from them..
I'll stop after this one last rant...
By most reasonable and honest estimates 90% of all illegal drug use in the world is by ordinary citizens/recreational users that hold down jobs, pay their bills, and care for their families.
Total legalization must be revisited.
It will be.
The costs and the harm of prohibition are immense and without any justification.
My husband jokingly calls me "the gov." because i apparently have a lot to say....LOL!
1- Strong National Security - Uh, its a WAR not a game of paddy cake. Torture those suckers. They arent slapping our soldiers hands when they catch them....
2- Fiscal responsibility- BEFORE they spend OUR money, maybe they should ask us how WE feel about that. (or send a tube of k-y jelly since WE won't be getting JACK from the "loans")
3- Required education at abortion centers- here is EXACTLY what YOU are about to do (no, it is not just a bunch of cells, its a baby) Once the person sees exactly what she is about to do to a life and can still go through with it, its between HER and God at that point.
4- National Guard at the borders. Let the Mexicans rise up against their own government like we had to. They can make their own change.
5- Protect our jobs
6- Global warming, global cooling? who can keep up. How about some straight answers.
7- FEWER taxes, tax breaks to companies that keep jobs in America
8- The ability to VOTE OUT a Union, just as they can be VOTED IN.
9- Frivolous lawsuits=judges with common sense. If the cup says "Hot" take it literally stupid.
10- smaller government.....
11- Less taxes and insurances "requirements" to small businesses- less government restriction on what my business can write off as an expense and why do i have to pay workman's comp on a stoner who is going to fall off someone's roof someday anyway? (see frivolous lawsuits.
It's interesting to note that almost all the people on this forum ( that is us folks who depend on ourselves for income and not the government) seem to lean Republican or Libertarian...
Coincidence?
I have enjoyed this thread tremendously - especially the subtle back & forth humor.
But, I take the title of the thread a little differently than most whom have already posted. Although I agree with some of the things said, I look at the thread title face on.
What‘s important to me in a political party? That they stand for something that is issue-oriented. You all listed numerous issues – I am not here to argue them. It is not the issues themselves, but the fact that a party stands for SOMETHING that I seek. I want a party of issues. So that I would know: the skidoodles stand for this and the ruckhousers stand for that. I could then choose between the two or three or four...
For example, which party is for the bailouts? – Republican President suggested it, but mostly Democrats in the House and Senate supported it (as did many congressional Repubs). Does that mean the Repub Pres was a turncoat or the Dem congress was? Some will argue neither is the case. Those who argue that would be right – since neither party stands for anything, except “what will help them to the most amount of power†then neither party has violated their principles.
If you have no principles you never have to worry about violating them. Or, as my father was fond of telling me: If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything.
How's this for a radical idea.
Let's do away with the political parties altogether. Let each candidate offer their own views on the issues and not be forced into an idealogical "box." Maybe they would be fiscally conservative but socially liberal. We could vote for the individual instead of the party. I think it would end all of this petty political "profiling" and make the country less divided.