bc2208
11-17-2007, 08:17 PM
http://bc.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2465946428&ref=nf
My friend said he'd donate on 12/16 if I provided satisfactory responses to all 16 points.
So....
1. Public funding for public universities comes from all citizens of the state. Obviously, not all people in the state are allowed to attend. Not only that, but they accept students from out of state. Thus, people who will never be admitted to these institutions are forced to pay for not only the smartest students in their own state, but also for smart students from out of state. It's one thing if you can almost pay for college. But what if you could never? Should you still have to pay for others to go? NAY!!!
2. He didn't say eliminate public education. If states would prefer to use their tax dollars for that purpose, and legislators consent, by all means do it. He wants to eliminate the federal DOE, because it forces all schools across all states to conform to meaningless tests. Instead of having students spend six months of the year preparing for a test. Remember how Katie Karroll got a 1530? She's not intelligent. And students can learn to pass tests without learning useful skillS. Instead, local school boards should determine curriculum, funding, etc. And what's wrong with home schooling? I wouldn't do it, but no reason others can't.
3. Many of the problems with health care come from government regulation of the system. A free market would lower prices. You obviously disagree with universal health care, so I don't need to embellish. It would take too much money to provide less care, as happens with everything the government takes control of.
4. The government isn't a hedge fund. We give them our money (unwillingly, sometimes) so they may put it to immediate good use, not to invest it. Government loans don't make sense, because the people that receive the loans are taxed as well. Why not let them keep the money, rather than request it back and pay interest? Ron Paul didn't let his kids take loans from the government - he made them work to pay off their own loans. It's called principle, not to be confused with the norm of hypocrisy.
5. The people of Alaska voted to allow drilling. Most simply, it's their land, their call. The land may be beautiful, and I may prefer it be preserved, but I don't live there. I will likely never see it. If the people of Alaska need the jobs and would prefer to use their own land for profit, how is that different from a farmer? Let the people keep track of their own land, and their prosperity. The bureaucrats in Washington don't know how best to use your own land.
6. Actually, Ron Paul would help single mothers more. While Gates' money is his own, and he should be able to keep more of it, he can obviously take the hit. However, the single mothers, who make much less money, need more of it to stay above. If a single mother makes 36,000, and only pays 10% income tax, she suffers a lot more than a rich person who pays 20%. The extra $3600 goes a long way, and causes suffering when it is taken away. What opponents don't understand is that he will take away taxes for everyone, not just the rich.
7. Those racist statements were made by a ghostwriter and slipped by the editor. It was a mistake that was apologized for long ago. As far as civil rights, Ron Paul does not oppose them. He does, however, oppose on federal regulations on private contracts between employers and empoloyees. The Civil Rights Act did not actually eliminate racism in the country. If the federal government decided AEP had to now include 10% Christians and Muslims, would you be cool with that? [AEP is my friend's Jewish fraternity.]
8. I obviously don't care about preserving safe access to what I perceive as murder. But if you don't see it that way, observe that states decide their own legislation on murder - there is no constitutional ban. A woman doesn't have a reproductive right to kill her baby six months after birth, so why six months before? Furthermore, even if abortion is not determined illegal, providing federal funding for it is costly, and it uses the taxpayers' dollars for something they may perceive as immoral. Finally, if aborting fetuses is part of a woman's health (as opposed to her mental illness), then providing federal funding is along the lines of socialized medicine.
9. If a town decides it is permissible to have a commandments sculpture in their courthouse, then let them do it. If you believe the court decides unjustly because of religious beliefs, you may use the appeals system. No need for federal intervention. The We The People act simply prohibits federal court intervention on so called "moral" issues (abortion, gya marraige, sodomy, etc.), so that states' rights are preserved. We have the freedom to leave our states and live elsewhere if we disagree with their decisions. If the federal government decides one way or another, you no longer have that choice.
10. Obviously Fox News is biased, but the people watch it. They are a private corporation with free speech rights. If people are dumb enough to believe everything on TV, that's their call. What is worse is the belief that governments should have control of the media. This is what Saddam did. It's an obvious path to propaganda. While NPR may be a great media, they would do well in a free market if there is a demand for their product. Profit obsession is a negatively connotated term for capitalism, and it's what our country is based on. Live with it.
11. Immigrants are fine. Illegal immigrants are felons and invaders. Ron Paul dealt with this first hand. As an obstetrician in Texas, he constantly encountered women who would jump the border to have babies. Their medical costs were paid for by medicare, and their babies were instant citizens. Anyone who isn't enraged by this abuse of our freedom and hospitality is not a patriot. We must welcome immigrants, because their pursuit of the dream invigorates our country and economy. However, those who abuse us and steal from us without contributing themselves should be punished for their actions. Being here for "decades" simply means they evaded taxes for that long.
12. The Employee Free Choice act is more federal regulation of private contracts between employees and employers. If you don't want to work for an abusive employer, don't. They cannot force you. The Act would eliminate private ballots on union issues, reducing freedom of choice in those cases. Companies who do not treat their employees well will be penalized in a free market when nobody works for them. No need to give more money to the government through fines.
13. Minimum wage sounds great. However, take this example. An employer can only spend $5,000 per week on employees. With a minimum wage, this works out to 625 man hours, or 15.625 man weeks (at an $8/hr wage). Thus, 15 hirees. However, if you lower that wage to $7.81, you can then add the 16th worker to the payroll. Expand this example over the entire market and you can see how by enforcing wage laws, employers can hire less employees, creating unemployment. Unfortunately, nobody complains because if you are unemployed, the government says, "don't worry, we'll pay for you!" and mails a check. More dumb intervention.
14. New Deal was awful. Social programs are expensive. People have a misconception that the government has money. The government has nothing. It only has what we give it. Don't think that we don't pay for these things. Charity is great. Government mandated charity is theft.
15. If our country is the moral leader of the world, then we would choose not to deal with murderers. Since we have to force them not to, what does that say about us? Are we any better people if we choose not to because it's illegal? Genocide is bad. But what is also bad is spending trillions of dollars abroad when we have poverty and suffering in our own nation. Besides, why should we send military to help these people? Why do men with GUNS have to be the ones to provide aid? How about private charities?
16. The UN is great for chatting. However, it's not great for telling other people what to do. If your friend's mom told you what to do, would you listen? No. We can make our own decisions. Especially when the leaders of the other countries aren't elected by us. It is the abolition of democracy to bow to unelected officials of other countries. We are sovereign. Diplomacy is great and essential, but we must not be bound to act on any recommendation of a foreign body.
My friend said he'd donate on 12/16 if I provided satisfactory responses to all 16 points.
So....
1. Public funding for public universities comes from all citizens of the state. Obviously, not all people in the state are allowed to attend. Not only that, but they accept students from out of state. Thus, people who will never be admitted to these institutions are forced to pay for not only the smartest students in their own state, but also for smart students from out of state. It's one thing if you can almost pay for college. But what if you could never? Should you still have to pay for others to go? NAY!!!
2. He didn't say eliminate public education. If states would prefer to use their tax dollars for that purpose, and legislators consent, by all means do it. He wants to eliminate the federal DOE, because it forces all schools across all states to conform to meaningless tests. Instead of having students spend six months of the year preparing for a test. Remember how Katie Karroll got a 1530? She's not intelligent. And students can learn to pass tests without learning useful skillS. Instead, local school boards should determine curriculum, funding, etc. And what's wrong with home schooling? I wouldn't do it, but no reason others can't.
3. Many of the problems with health care come from government regulation of the system. A free market would lower prices. You obviously disagree with universal health care, so I don't need to embellish. It would take too much money to provide less care, as happens with everything the government takes control of.
4. The government isn't a hedge fund. We give them our money (unwillingly, sometimes) so they may put it to immediate good use, not to invest it. Government loans don't make sense, because the people that receive the loans are taxed as well. Why not let them keep the money, rather than request it back and pay interest? Ron Paul didn't let his kids take loans from the government - he made them work to pay off their own loans. It's called principle, not to be confused with the norm of hypocrisy.
5. The people of Alaska voted to allow drilling. Most simply, it's their land, their call. The land may be beautiful, and I may prefer it be preserved, but I don't live there. I will likely never see it. If the people of Alaska need the jobs and would prefer to use their own land for profit, how is that different from a farmer? Let the people keep track of their own land, and their prosperity. The bureaucrats in Washington don't know how best to use your own land.
6. Actually, Ron Paul would help single mothers more. While Gates' money is his own, and he should be able to keep more of it, he can obviously take the hit. However, the single mothers, who make much less money, need more of it to stay above. If a single mother makes 36,000, and only pays 10% income tax, she suffers a lot more than a rich person who pays 20%. The extra $3600 goes a long way, and causes suffering when it is taken away. What opponents don't understand is that he will take away taxes for everyone, not just the rich.
7. Those racist statements were made by a ghostwriter and slipped by the editor. It was a mistake that was apologized for long ago. As far as civil rights, Ron Paul does not oppose them. He does, however, oppose on federal regulations on private contracts between employers and empoloyees. The Civil Rights Act did not actually eliminate racism in the country. If the federal government decided AEP had to now include 10% Christians and Muslims, would you be cool with that? [AEP is my friend's Jewish fraternity.]
8. I obviously don't care about preserving safe access to what I perceive as murder. But if you don't see it that way, observe that states decide their own legislation on murder - there is no constitutional ban. A woman doesn't have a reproductive right to kill her baby six months after birth, so why six months before? Furthermore, even if abortion is not determined illegal, providing federal funding for it is costly, and it uses the taxpayers' dollars for something they may perceive as immoral. Finally, if aborting fetuses is part of a woman's health (as opposed to her mental illness), then providing federal funding is along the lines of socialized medicine.
9. If a town decides it is permissible to have a commandments sculpture in their courthouse, then let them do it. If you believe the court decides unjustly because of religious beliefs, you may use the appeals system. No need for federal intervention. The We The People act simply prohibits federal court intervention on so called "moral" issues (abortion, gya marraige, sodomy, etc.), so that states' rights are preserved. We have the freedom to leave our states and live elsewhere if we disagree with their decisions. If the federal government decides one way or another, you no longer have that choice.
10. Obviously Fox News is biased, but the people watch it. They are a private corporation with free speech rights. If people are dumb enough to believe everything on TV, that's their call. What is worse is the belief that governments should have control of the media. This is what Saddam did. It's an obvious path to propaganda. While NPR may be a great media, they would do well in a free market if there is a demand for their product. Profit obsession is a negatively connotated term for capitalism, and it's what our country is based on. Live with it.
11. Immigrants are fine. Illegal immigrants are felons and invaders. Ron Paul dealt with this first hand. As an obstetrician in Texas, he constantly encountered women who would jump the border to have babies. Their medical costs were paid for by medicare, and their babies were instant citizens. Anyone who isn't enraged by this abuse of our freedom and hospitality is not a patriot. We must welcome immigrants, because their pursuit of the dream invigorates our country and economy. However, those who abuse us and steal from us without contributing themselves should be punished for their actions. Being here for "decades" simply means they evaded taxes for that long.
12. The Employee Free Choice act is more federal regulation of private contracts between employees and employers. If you don't want to work for an abusive employer, don't. They cannot force you. The Act would eliminate private ballots on union issues, reducing freedom of choice in those cases. Companies who do not treat their employees well will be penalized in a free market when nobody works for them. No need to give more money to the government through fines.
13. Minimum wage sounds great. However, take this example. An employer can only spend $5,000 per week on employees. With a minimum wage, this works out to 625 man hours, or 15.625 man weeks (at an $8/hr wage). Thus, 15 hirees. However, if you lower that wage to $7.81, you can then add the 16th worker to the payroll. Expand this example over the entire market and you can see how by enforcing wage laws, employers can hire less employees, creating unemployment. Unfortunately, nobody complains because if you are unemployed, the government says, "don't worry, we'll pay for you!" and mails a check. More dumb intervention.
14. New Deal was awful. Social programs are expensive. People have a misconception that the government has money. The government has nothing. It only has what we give it. Don't think that we don't pay for these things. Charity is great. Government mandated charity is theft.
15. If our country is the moral leader of the world, then we would choose not to deal with murderers. Since we have to force them not to, what does that say about us? Are we any better people if we choose not to because it's illegal? Genocide is bad. But what is also bad is spending trillions of dollars abroad when we have poverty and suffering in our own nation. Besides, why should we send military to help these people? Why do men with GUNS have to be the ones to provide aid? How about private charities?
16. The UN is great for chatting. However, it's not great for telling other people what to do. If your friend's mom told you what to do, would you listen? No. We can make our own decisions. Especially when the leaders of the other countries aren't elected by us. It is the abolition of democracy to bow to unelected officials of other countries. We are sovereign. Diplomacy is great and essential, but we must not be bound to act on any recommendation of a foreign body.