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Thread: How do you fix the US?

  1. #21

    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    Quote Originally Posted by Settra View Post
    The US needs comprehensive reform in several areas. Imho these should be the most important points of reform:

    1. Ban lobbying and lobby groups. Whenever you hear a government horror story coming out from the US, where it is congress allowing Dupont to dump toxic sludge in water basins, or laws that favor immoral corporation over the citizen, a lobby group is behind it.
    Lobbying is vital for informed government. It is lobbying groups that make the case for clean water, hazard disposal, and police reform.

    2. Comprehensive education reform: standardized testing goes out the window, alongside multiple choice quizzes and no child left behind. The SAT's are now a fully written exam, where you have to know the subject instead of just guessing the answer. Colleges are no longer allowed to pick and choose and must accept students on academic performance alone. Advance the curricula for each grade by several years. Right now 6th grade mathematics in the US is the equivalent of 4th grade mathematics in Romania. Not good.
    GRE, widely recognized as a high quality standardized test and used for many graduate program admission, uses multiple choice. There are many issues with education in United States, but I don't think you've identified the right one.

    4. Force the media to present all reasonable points of view with a news story not just left or right. The divide in present American society was accused almost exclusively by the media promoting and pushing partisanship. The American public arena has become an echo chamber for Fox News and CBS fans where everybody is talking but nobody is listening to the arguments from the other side.
    I think the media is "fine", and dare I say, your criticisms stem from your own ideological lens than any intrinsic problem.

    6. Nationalized healthcare insurance. Instead of paying monthly premiums to eye gouging insurance companies that do their best to dump you the moment you get sick, you will pay a monthly premium to a federal run institution. Anybody who insured can go to any hospital anywhere in the country. People who do not want to be part of the public insurance scheme can opt out and continue to pay premiums to private companies, however they will be limited to privately run hospitals in turn.
    Currently, private insurance networks are tied to different provider networks. What you're suggesting to do isn't impossible, but it is a brute force hammer that would bankrupt industries and put tens of thousands of people out of work. Biden's plan is essentially an expansion of ACA. While healthcare reform is sorely needed, you need to keep in mind that there are human costs to any reform. A rash policy can cause far more economic and health damage than benefits.

    7. Reform the electoral system. Elections need to be based on popular vote alone. Right now 3 states deter mine the result for the entire country, and you can mathematically win the election with only 39% of the popular vote due to the electoral college system. That is not fair. That is not acceptable.
    This is not entirely accurate. Swing states often change.

    8. Comprehensive anti-trust laws. Major corporations are no longer able to own other major corporations. Each company must have one and only domain of work. If you make cartoons, you have no business also making computer parts or providing internet services. Any corporation that exceeds a flat revenue ceiling for 3 years in a row or 6 years of the previous 10 gets broken up into two distinct entities.
    This is a bad idea, and if you want a serious discussion on the topic of economics, I'm more than happy to do that, but your simplistic and broad suggestion would do far more damage than it prevents.

    10. Ban politics from classrooms. If it's math class talk about math not about Suzi's former boy parts or Biden's dementia.
    On the contrary. Lack of a civics class is one of the reasons so many are uneducated about politics.

    11. Unified teacher training and vetting. This can also extend to teachers. A teacher from Dumpstown West Hampshire should get the same training and possibilities as a teacher from Los Angeles. People should not be allowed to teach without graduating a 1-2 year pedagogical training course.
    It's called Unions. And history has shown us that neither public sector unions, nor government monopolies on hiring and vetting, produce ideal results. Instead of being held hostage to a government Gestapo that puts an approval stamp on a teacher's credentials, we are now held hostage to a teacher's union that makes no distinction between administrators who make 6 figures, and public school teachers in Missouri who make 4, while crying about bad pay for teachers.

    12. Same as 11 but for public servants.
    No thanks. There is a vetting service, and it's calling hiring. If there is a "bad apple", organizations should take responsibility instead of pretending that we can filter out "undesirables" through some kind of fool-proof filtering service. The things that people are few up with, is lack of accountability, not instances of bad teachers, bad cops, or bad workers.

  2. #22

    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    Lobbying is vital for informed government. It is lobbying groups that make the case for clean water, hazard disposal, and police reform.
    Not really. Its lobbying groups that result with dirty undrinkable water, destruction of environment, endless wars and reinforcement of prison-industrial complex and "war on drugs".

    I think the media is "fine", and dare I say, your criticisms stem from your own ideological lens than any intrinsic problem.
    Your assessment of media as "fine" stems from your own ideological lens, while you refuse to see intrinsic problem with media being blatantly one-sided and partisan to the point of detriment to society.

  3. #23

    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    Quote Originally Posted by Heathen Hammer View Post
    Not really. Its lobbying groups that result with dirty undrinkable water, destruction of environment, endless wars and reinforcement of prison-industrial complex and "war on drugs".
    It's also lobbying groups that fight for food standards, environmental regulations, and legalization of marijuana. Blaming lobbying for "X" is like blaming auto manufacturers for car accidents.

    Your assessment of media as "fine" stems from your own ideological lens, while you refuse to see intrinsic problem with media being blatantly one-sided and partisan to the point of detriment to society.
    Yes it does. It comes from a centrist ideology, not a Trumpist one. I think we all know which one is more objective.

  4. #24

    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    Quote Originally Posted by Love Mountain View Post
    It's also lobbying groups that fight for food standards, environmental regulations, and legalization of marijuana. Blaming lobbying for "X" is like blaming auto manufacturers for car accidents.
    Your position relies on assumption that a megacorporation and a group of concerned citizens have same influence and reach, which isn't feasible in, well, reality. So at the end of the day lobbying for good things that could bring positive change is far outweighed by negative things which elites tend to demand, including reversal and prevention of the things you have listed.
    Yes it does. It comes from a centrist ideology, not a Trumpist one. I think we all know which one is more objective.
    That has to do with distortion created by your own ideological lens, viewing bias that correspond to your views as "centrist". Mainstream media is viewed as neither credible nor objective by majority of population for a reason.

  5. #25

    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    Quote Originally Posted by Heathen Hammer View Post
    Your position relies on assumption that a megacorporation and a group of concerned citizens have same influence and reach, which isn't feasible in, well, reality. So at the end of the day lobbying for good things that could bring positive change is far outweighed by negative things which elites tend to demand, including reversal and prevention of the things you have listed.
    You're relying on an assumption that "megacorporations" are united in their interest. They're not. Food standards are just as likely to be pushed by domestic producers who want to protect their interests from foreign competitors, as they are by concerned citizens and scientists who want better food.

    That has to do with distortion created by your own ideological lens, viewing bias that correspond to your views as "centrist". Mainstream media is viewed as neither credible nor objective by majority of population for a reason.
    The majority of population is hardly credible or objective enough to make that evaluation, neither their nor your appraisal impresses me.

  6. #26

    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    Quote Originally Posted by Love Mountain View Post
    You're relying on an assumption that "megacorporations" are united in their interest. They're not. Food standards are just as likely to be pushed by domestic producers who want to protect their interests from foreign competitors, as they are by concerned citizens and scientists who want better food.
    Why compete with each other when you can lobby government to regulate in your favor?
    Again, lobbying is the biggest problem in US. By your own logic it is doing more harm then good.
    The majority of population is hardly credible or objective enough to make that evaluation, neither their nor your appraisal impresses me.

    "Kings is right, its the people who are wrong".
    Nah, mainstream media is just partisan and biased and is nothing more then propaganda arm for elites and deep state. I'm perfectly fine with sacrificing "freedoms" of corporations for the benefit of individual freedoms.

  7. #27

    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    Quote Originally Posted by Heathen Hammer View Post
    Why compete with each other when you can lobby government to regulate in your favor?
    Because the ultimate goal of all firms is market monopoly.

    Again, lobbying is the biggest problem in US. By your own logic it is doing more harm then good.
    Far from it. Lobbying needs reform, but banning lobbying, is unlikely to improve things in United States.


    "Kings is right, its the people who are wrong".
    Nah, mainstream media is just partisan and biased and is nothing more then propaganda arm for elites and deep state. I'm perfectly fine with sacrificing "freedoms" of corporations for the benefit of individual freedoms.
    In this instance, yes. The validity of any opinion is not based on who made it, whether it be the people, or the "king". On the other hand, a mere "opinion" that there is an issue with the media is not a self evident claim.

  8. #28

    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    Quote Originally Posted by Love Mountain View Post
    Because the ultimate goal of all firms is market monopoly.
    And ultimate goal of sane government is to prevent monopolies, not regulate in their favor. Lobbying results with the latter. Again, lobbying is bad by your own logic.
    Far from it. Lobbying needs reform, but banning lobbying, is unlikely to improve things in United States.
    Reform that would prevent rich elites from influencing politics would be an essential ban on lobbying.
    In this instance, yes. The validity of any opinion is not based on who made it, whether it be the people, or the "king". On the other hand, a mere "opinion" that there is an issue with the media is not a self evident claim.
    Its not an opinion, it is an observable fact - majority of American legacy media is owned by a small handful of corporations. We see MSMs constantly collude to enforce false narratives and fake news. Public's opinion of corporate media as unreliable is correct and factual. That's specific to corporate media though, I'm fine with alternative media since it doesn't do the whole thing corporate media does, when it pretends to be unbiased while being incredibly partisan.

  9. #29

    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    If there was anything like impartial media in US, they'd give room to more candidates than just those two decrepit clowns.

    Case closed.

  10. #30

    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    Quote Originally Posted by Heathen Hammer View Post
    And ultimate goal of sane government is to prevent monopolies, not regulate in their favor. Lobbying results with the latter. Again, lobbying is bad by your own logic.
    You've lost the plot. Like I said, firms aim to monopolize the market, this is why megacorporations are just as likely to lobby against each other, as they are to lobby together. While some may think that Tobacco, Marijuana, and Alcohol would band together to lobby for total drug legalization, you will find the opposite is true. Theses firms will often spend money fighting and demonizing each other as they identify spaces where they compete. Hell, Big Tobacco even crusades against e-cigarettes, despite trying to transition into that industry. It's all about fending off incumbents and securing their own markets.

    So no, while lobbying is far from perfect, it's by no means a battleground of "rich vs poor". Such a simplistic argument may satisfy Marxist and other far-left groups, but it is far removed from reality.

    Reform that would prevent rich elites from influencing politics would be an essential ban on lobbying.
    Rich elites have far more ways to influence politics than lobbying. Rather than choking off the wealthy, you are closing off one of the only avenues by which underserved, and under-represented groups can influence Washington.

    Its not an opinion, it is an observable fact - majority of American legacy media is owned by a small handful of corporations. We see MSMs constantly collude to enforce false narratives and fake news. Public's opinion of corporate media as unreliable is correct and factual. That's specific to corporate media though, I'm fine with alternative media since it doesn't do the whole thing corporate media does, when it pretends to be unbiased while being incredibly partisan.
    Reality has a liberal bias, we know Heathen. Thankfully, in today's world, you can choose the news you consume. In fact, that's the main issue with partisanship today. Instead of watching media giants like WaPo, NYT, and CNN, who at least have to mention the other side of the story (even if the "other side" is completely absurd), folks on this Forum and in real life, head to Breitbart or Mother Jones as their only source of news. Not that Mother Jones is a bad outlet, but it probably shouldn't be the only publication a person reads.

    A diet of The Federalist, Breitbart, InfoWars, and Mises.org will provide all the counter-narratives a person could ask for. And the answer to this "problem" isn't to make Breitbart have liberal editors.

    Quote Originally Posted by Sar1n View Post
    If there was anything like impartial media in US, they'd give room to more candidates than just those two decrepit clowns.

    Case closed.
    I take it you've never heard of primary elections.

  11. #31

    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    Quote Originally Posted by Love Mountain View Post
    I take it you've never heard of primary elections.
    Your ignorance is the proof of validity of my point.

    I'm talking about Jorgenen, Hawkins, even write-ins La Riva and Caroll. All those candidates not nominated by the two main parties.

    And before you start with the "vote thrown away", that is a self-fulfilling prophecy perpetuated by media.

  12. #32

    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    Quote Originally Posted by Love Mountain View Post
    You've lost the plot. Like I said, firms aim to monopolize the market, this is why megacorporations are just as likely to lobby against each other, as they are to lobby together. While some may think that Tobacco, Marijuana, and Alcohol would band together to lobby for total drug legalization, you will find the opposite is true. Theses firms will often spend money fighting and demonizing each other as they identify spaces where they compete. Hell, Big Tobacco even crusades against e-cigarettes, despite trying to transition into that industry. It's all about fending off incumbents and securing their own markets.

    So no, while lobbying is far from perfect, it's by no means a battleground of "rich vs poor". Such a simplistic argument may satisfy Marxist and other far-left groups, but it is far removed from reality.
    That's because there is a much bigger anti-legalization lobby. Again, no need for competition when one can simply pay to have state regulate in your favor.
    Rich elites have far more ways to influence politics than lobbying. Rather than choking off the wealthy, you are closing off one of the only avenues by which underserved, and under-represented groups can influence Washington.
    Except that corporations are far more effective at lobbying then "undeserved and under-represented", which proves my point. The latter's interests are disregarded by the very system you support.
    Reality has a liberal bias, we know Heathen. Thankfully, in today's world, you can choose the news you consume. In fact, that's the main issue with partisanship today. Instead of watching media giants like WaPo, NYT, and CNN, who at least have to mention the other side of the story (even if the "other side" is completely absurd), folks on this Forum and in real life, head to Breitbart or Mother Jones as their only source of news. Not that Mother Jones is a bad outlet, but it probably shouldn't be the only publication a person reads.

    A diet of The Federalist, Breitbart, InfoWars, and Mises.org will provide all the counter-narratives a person could ask for. And the answer to this "problem" isn't to make Breitbart have liberal editors.
    "Reality has my ideology's bias, hehehehe". Okay dude, way to give away your "impartiality" here.
    Actual reality still stands, however - corporate alphabet media is owned by a handful of corporations and isn't factually reliable, it is simply propaganda arm of its corporate owners, nothing more. Essentially, it is an oligopoly, and I don't see anything wrong with reforming the way state should treat media oligopolies, especially in information age. We see that today, when less intelligent segments of society took up to loot and riot because legacy media radicalized them and convinced them that violence is good if it is aimed against "racist" police and "bad orange man". What those oligopolies did and still do is detriment to society.

  13. #33
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    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sar1n View Post
    Your ignorance is the proof of validity of my point.

    I'm talking about Jorgenen, Hawkins, even write-ins La Riva and Caroll. All those candidates not nominated by the two main parties.

    And before you start with the "vote thrown away", that is a self-fulfilling prophecy perpetuated by media.
    Hey if you want air time it helps to have a platform people actually support and not some ridiculous ideologically driven agenda like the Green Party and Libertarian Party do every year.

  14. #34
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    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    Quote Originally Posted by Love Mountain View Post
    ...
    I take it you've never heard of primary elections.
    I'll take "Gatekeepers in a Byzantine Political system for twenty trillion" Alex.

    One woman candidate, ever. One African American candidate, ever.

    Two creepy doddering old white dudes with money (ZOMG Biden was one of the poorest senators, with only 20 million or so!) and connections to the Clintons. The Jewish guy with more popular delegates was railroaded out of the Democratic nomination by the press, super delegates and the help of the Republicans...yeah there really are two parties and they are oh so different.
    Jatte lambastes Calico Rat

  15. #35
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    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    You want a third party, then found it. Seriously. Libertarian and Green Party put up candidates every year and they get no where. Part if this is because of the US political system. The other part is due to the fact tgird parties completely suck ass at appealing to anyone other than their small small bases. If third parties want to win then start actually appealing to the US population and not simply people who were already bound to vote for their party.

  16. #36
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    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    The US has her history of pain and struggle, just like any country. It's a hilariously impossible project to start a thread with the intention to "repair" this historical struggle in some way. All the suggested changes here appear like pleads to the gods of weather to give us more sunny beaches and less things to worry about. It's hilarious. Make a comment about how to fix a superpower. Ok, here is my attempt: Shame them. Yes - shame them! Their only drive is to be liked and followed by other countries, since they want and need to be the leader of the world (at least of the western world). The more the US is actively shamed the more it will change and europeanise (which she should *cough*). Thank you, that's all.
    Last edited by swabian; October 04, 2020 at 05:33 PM.

  17. #37

    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    Why won't people vote for my Vampyres Witches & Pagans Party? I guess the system is rigged against third parties.
    Ignore List (to save time):

    Exarch, Coughdrop addict

  18. #38
    Ludicus's Avatar Comes Limitis
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    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    Quote Originally Posted by swabian View Post
    . The more the US is actively shamed the more it will change and europeanise (which she should *cough*). Thank you, that's all.
    I wish it was true. In Europe, the welfare state is recognized in any developed society as an essential institution which aims to ensure a relatively decent life for its citizens, and does not reject the role of markets in society. In America, nope, nyet, nein.There are some possible explanations,
    American Exceptionalism and the Welfare State: The ...
    For more than 100 years, scholars have asked why the American welfare state is so small and why the government is so hesitant to intervene in the market. There is no shortage of possible explanations: Early democratization undermined the state, racial fragmentation undermined the unions, the availability of the frontier allowed those whose dissatisfaction might have been expressed politically to pull up roots and head west, the absence of a tradition of guilds meant absence of a tradition of coordination in business, fragmented institutions prevented the rise of a coherent statist tradition, or the dual economy led to resistance from the South
    ------
    For Americans, the European welfare state is a definitive no-no.
    "It is not for the economist, but for the moralist and the philosopher to decide what kind of society we should deem desirable. An industrial society has one thing in abundance,
    and that is material welfare more than is good for it. If, to uphold justice and the freedom restore meaning and unity in life, we should ever be called upon to sacrifice some
    efficiency in production, economy in consumption, or rationality of administration, an industrial civilization can afford it. The economic historians' message to philosophers today should be: we can afford to be both just and free"
    Karl Polanyi (For a New West: Essays 1919-1958, 2014)


    In normal times (Trump is a undesirable, regrettable anomaly) their internal conflicts never really change anything.Three decades ago, billionaire Ted Turner asked astronomer Carl Sagan if he was a socialist.
    Il y a quelque chose de pire que d'avoir une âme perverse. C’est d'avoir une âme habituée
    Charles Péguy

    Every human society must justify its inequalities: reasons must be found because, without them, the whole political and social edifice is in danger of collapsing”.
    Thomas Piketty

  19. #39
    swabian's Avatar igni ferroque
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    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    Yeah, dear teacher, ok. I was actually half-sarcastic about it. Can one ask whether a country can be fixed? Sure, ok. Why not. Maybe the world itself has to substantially change for it, though. It's not like the US is a total failure, far from it. Maybe the problems it has are just very high standards of Europeans who don't have to try and be world police.

  20. #40

    Default Re: How do you fix the US?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sar1n View Post
    Your ignorance is the proof of validity of my point.

    I'm talking about Jorgenen, Hawkins, even write-ins La Riva and Caroll. All those candidates not nominated by the two main parties.

    And before you start with the "vote thrown away", that is a self-fulfilling prophecy perpetuated by media.
    Yeah, I'm the ignorant one. Not the guy who expected to convey this message by saying, "If there was anything like impartial media in US, they'd give room to more candidates than just those two decrepit clowns. Case closed." Third parties are dead in United States because nobody wants to put in the work to legitimately displace any of the incumbents. Hence why current "alternative parties" are full of grifters like Jo Jergensen who haven't contributed anything useful in any way to political discourse in 2020.



    Quote Originally Posted by Heathen Hammer View Post
    That's because there is a much bigger anti-legalization lobby. Again, no need for competition when one can simply pay to have state regulate in your favor.
    And why is there a much bigger anti-legalizaiton lobby? Because state and local government have an innate interest in pot taxes, because big pharma, big agri, and venture capital see huge growth potential in the industry. And as often as they fight together for regulation, they will fight each other big big pharma wants marijuana to be prescribed, whereas agribusiness want to grow and sell as much pot as possible. And then police unions and prison lobbies want to keep milking arrests and convictions that result from marijuana criminalizaiton.

    Your simplistic view of lobbying is removed from reality.

    Except that corporations are far more effective at lobbying then "undeserved and under-represented", which proves my point. The latter's interests are disregarded by the very system you support.
    Again, "corporations" aren't on "one side" or inherently against the "underserved and under-represented". Learn the system before you criticize it.

    Actual reality still stands, however - corporate alphabet media is owned by a handful of corporations and isn't factually reliable, it is simply propaganda arm of its corporate owners, nothing more. Essentially, it is an oligopoly, and I don't see anything wrong with reforming the way state should treat media oligopolies, especially in information age. We see that today, when less intelligent segments of society took up to loot and riot because legacy media radicalized them and convinced them that violence is good if it is aimed against "racist" police and "bad orange man". What those oligopolies did and still do is detriment to society.
    Corporate media is split between pro-business (WSJ, Reason, CATO), liberal outlets (CNN, WaPo, theGuardian), Progressives and Socialists (Salon, Jacobin), neutrality (AP, Reuters, NPR), and hyper-partisan conservatism (Fox, Breitbart, Federalist). Ceaseless allegations that the media is responsible for cultural decay (or whatever), are just as aimless and detrimental to public discourse as the grifters who use protests as an excuse to loot and burn.

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