If I Was In Charge

[hmmnmm]

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[rgraham666]

First thing I'd do is quit.

I'm not nearly wise enough to run anything more complex than a lemonade stand.

 

[BlackShanglan]

Reinstitute line item veto, but grant that power to a newly constructed House of Common Sense. That would consist of committees of a dozen randomly selected citizens each. Their very temporary jobs would be to review a single bill and strike out every asinine rider and "earmark" that was thrown in to help get someone re-elected. They would have appointments of one week, so as to help prevent them becoming part of the Washington machinery, and they would be instructed to strike out every clause and rider that could not be proven immediately and directly to support the titled central purpose of the legislation. Each senator or representative sponsoring a rider later sticken by the House of Common Sense would be fined a thousand dollars for each such rider, with those funds used to help pay the salaries of the House of Common Sense members for the period of their appointment.

Members would have the same rights of return to work / excuse from work as persons serving on jury duty, with the advantage that they would never be asked to serve for more than a week and they would be paid considerably better. Each House of Common Sense member would be paid the equivalent of one week's salary for a United States senator. No person could serve as a House of Common Sense member more than once, and the same restrictions on felons, etc. as applies to jury duty would apply there.

Complicated, but I think it would be worth it.

 

[Guest]

 

[BlackShanglan]

If I were in charge, the first thing I would do would be to order up at least one day of luxury for all of my friends--spa visits, riding instructors, massage artists, whatever.

The second thing would be to put the horsie in charge, because clearly, I'm too corruptible.

Now, see, I'm going to be much too busy with that riding instructor. You've just spoiled my Grand Plan - and I can't say I miss it.

Shanglan

 

[amicus]

hmmnmm]It all started when I was considering the submission of something for the halloween stories, but in the process of procrastination, I saw Sub Joe's atheist thread and...
Anyway, this idea has simmered in the background of my brain for some time. Maybe a blog or something, but I thought this might be the better place for it.

I will not speak for you, the potential poster, but I have often decried and felt embarrassed at the way things are, the way those in charge seem to habitually repeat detrimental and unpleasant acts. And so many times I say, "If only I was in charge" things would be a lot different.

So, for starters, If I was in charge:
First thing would be across the board legalization of drugs and the prohibition of Reality TV.

Next?

[/I]

Wasn't gonna touch this with a ten foot pole...saw you mention it on the other thread...still may not...but....will give a try...

"Legalize and Prohibit" First off, it seems to you want to control and manage things...rather not my thing.

I am working on a book, (I am always working on a book), concerning the 1.5 million homeless children dumped on the streets of America every year by modern parents who are so wrapped up in their own individual struggles they should never have had children in the first place.

Well....the old Amicus starts building shelters for these children of all ages and ethnic groups and finds he can't keep up with the demand. First a thousand show up in the first few days...then more thousands and then the shelters expand from one to five, eventually, over the years to hundreds, like McDonalds, in every town and city across the nation...

So...a million a year...in a few years...millions....millions of vibrant young people, finally living with security and concern...how are they educated...what are they taught, what do they work at...

As they begin to settle they begin to think and become angry at their lot in life. No biological family, they hate cops, they hate authority of any kind and if they had the choice and the power they would slash and burn everything from Los Angeles to Washington D.C., bulldoze it to the ground and start rebuilding....

Now just how would they do that?

Well...after an appreciable and sufficient passage of time, they train, they learn, they begin to understand and simultaneously, with the use of force where necessary or when infiltration fails, they take over and occupy every political office in the land from local dog catcher to the Congress of the United States, all in one swell foop.

They replace the police with those of their own, along with the county mounties and the state bears, even the FBI and CIA and NSA, a real James Bond thriller with high tech these young minds create and utilize all on their own....ole Amicus remains the guiding force way back in the shadows of a 30th floor penthouse suite....

Now these millions of latchkey kids, castaways, throw aways...they don't want structure....they don't want rules and regulations...they want FREEDOM...the freedom to choose their own lives lived in a manner they choose...so...what do they change in society at large?

Well...they abolish all taxes except those that a constitutionally mandated, such as a police force, a court system and a military.

Secondly, the abolish all forms of tax support and forced public education.

Thirdly...all the land controlled by federal state and local agencies, including national parks and wilderness areas, are made available for individuals to homestead, purchase or lease. The government has acted as a caretaker of the land (and botched it) long enough, the land, this land is my land, is your land, belongs to the individual who owns and maintains it.

All federal, state and local programs that use tax monies to support special interest groups, rich or poor, are rescinded and abolished.

You did say one thing almost right, but instead of 'legalizing' drugs, all controls are removed, not even pharmacies licensed by law...the theory being that adult human beings deserve the absolute freedom to choose what they eat, drink, inhale or inject.

Medical practices...the boogey man of health care, is opened wide for all to practice, medical schools are permitted to abound wherever needed thus the market place will competitively satisfy the demand for quality medical care at affordable prices. You don't need a doctor for a hangnail or a cold, so that 'practioners of medicine' would show up on every street corner, just like Burger King and Big Mac's.

Morality? In the over 10 million who pass through the Amicus shelters, less than one tenth of one percent experience abortions. They are taught the value of human life and the value of a sexual relationship and the possible consequences arising from such activity. They cherish and revere each new human life that comes into the world. And yes, retroactive penalities for those who had abortions and the doctors and nurses that performed them are meted out.

Gender uncertainty, homosexuality, is treated as it was before 1972, as a mental illness and appropriate psychological treatment and rehabilitation is standard practice.

Marriages take place within the Amicus family and families are started and nurtured, not all is perfect...but...the divorce rate in one one-hundreth of the national average before.

It is not 'anarchy' as laws exist and are enforced by law enforcement officers who actually protect lives and property once again and are backed up by a court system that is actually fair in judgement.

Would it...could it possibly work...I mean this startlingly new concept of human freedom? I dunno, never been tried anywhere.

amicus...

(Edited to add...Oh, yes, the book...it will be called "The Amicus Files", is at about 400 pages thus far...expected to be around 1400 pages upon completion, should I live that long....)

 

[hmmnmm]

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