Fix Education; Fix Society

[vodz]

If I were running things, education would be free for all.

Everyone would receive the same high standards of education.

Education should be a right, not a privilege. 

People are taught to be consumers.

We don't need most of the crap advertising rams down our throats.

The rate of overpopulation would decrease.

Health should be treated the same. Free public health to all!

My family, who came to this country to escape communism, might be ashamed of me 

Socialism FTW!

[Rabbit From Hell]

1.  Only insomuch as the state isn't providing it, there will be competition, and parents who can obviously afford it would be REQUIRED to fund their child's education themselves.

5.  Some advertising is OK as long as it isn't obtrusive

6.  people just need to spread the fuck out, quit being so concentrated in cities

7.  no, make it the responsibility for any primary employer to provide insurance and copays for employees and their children, legitimately unemployed people will have their med insurance subsidized and their copays paid for by the government.

8.  probably

9.  false, government does a shit job and wastes money, it should only be involved when businesses cannot, or will not, provide for a need

[Rabbit From Hell]

If I were in charge there would be a system where a business can have a majority of its taxes waived if it provides its product or uses its influence to provide another product to people who would otherwise be unable to afford it, and that product is needed.  The base tax rate for large businesses would go up somewhat though to increase motivation to do this.

Often times, a business can provide something for a far lower expense than if the government bought that on its own.

[Soph]

If I were in charge I'd just shoot the fucking lot of them

[Calandale]

I agree with much of this.
But, it's very difficult to fight
against an entrenched position.

Socialism isn't enough, because it
retains the whole ownership axiom.

So long as people own things, they
are liable to become acquisitive. Most
'property' needs to be seen as more
of a trust. Including power.

Inherent in this is safeguards to prevent
any one person from obtaining too much
power - or else you end up with the kind
of problem which communism (and other
revolutions) suffered from. Any type of
self-perpetuating bureaucracy almost requires
something like term limits. Because, power
snowballs.

[Pyraxis]

People would find new ways to acquire power as quickly as rules were put in place to prevent the old ones.

[vodz]

Good points by most (real mature Soph! )

For implementation, my solution would be to raise taxes astronomically.

Of course this means we need some kind of mythical government that has everyone's best interest at heart, and is totally transparent.

[vodz]

1.  Only insomuch as the state isn't providing it, there will be competition, and parents who can obviously afford it would be REQUIRED to fund their child's education themselves.

5.  Some advertising is OK as long as it isn't obtrusive

6.  people just need to spread the fuck out, quit being so concentrated in cities

7.  no, make it the responsibility for any primary employer to provide insurance and copays for employees and their children, legitimately unemployed people will have their med insurance subsidized and their copays paid for by the government.

8.  probably

9.  false, government does a shit job and wastes money, it should only be involved when businesses cannot, or will not, provide for a need

Fucken BINGO!

[Rabbit From Hell]

For implementation, my solution would be to raise taxes astronomically.

Because, of course, taxes aren't already astronomical.

[Rabbit From Hell]

kill drug patents

The bulk of research for drugs is publicly funded, then drug companies step in and get to patent it.  They are getting to monopolize a product that YOUR tax dollars funded the development of.

[Calandale]

People would find new ways to acquire power as quickly as rules were put in place to prevent the old ones.

I'm not so sure. I can think of some rather
dystopic ways of ensuring that it wouldn't
happen. There might just be some palatable
ones, as well. Largely involving humans NOT
making a lot of decisions.

[Pyraxis]

Like what? Machines replacing humans as decision makers?

[Calandale]

Like what? Machines replacing humans as decision makers?

Obviously, one needs actual intelligence at some
level, which, no matter what (human or machine)
is the problem. But, automating the removal of those
in positions of power. Say by poisoning them, so that
they die after a few years. I think that would work.

Not pleasing though. But perhaps the selection process
could be automated. And traditions would ensure
that one couldn't violate the order.

[Rabbit From Hell]

Let citizens decide a politicians pay on a monthly basis.  Ban lobbying by businesses.

[Calandale]

Let citizens decide a politicians pay on a monthly basis.

They'd make negative money. 

  Ban lobbying by businesses.

problem is getting around the way we
treat corporations. So long as they are
considered 'people' with free speech rights
(and how NOT to, yet maintain a free press?),
we've got a problem doing this.