Here are some things I'd do if I were king:
(1) Decree that the highest salary paid in any company doing business in the USA could not be any more than 25x the lowest salary. So if the lowest paid employee earns $20,000, then the highest paid employee could not earn more than $500,000 in salary. I'd impose similar rules on stock options and perks.
(2) Decree that basic health care should be treated as a right, and not something that can be withheld from the poor and needy. And then institute the infrastructure to make it so.
(3) Decree that the USA is not now, nor has it ever been, a christian nation.
(4) Decree that the USA is out of the world policeman business and redirect our obscene military spending toward programs to reduce poverty and ween the nation of the oil-spewing teet to which we are clinging like a starving infant.
(5) Decree that filibusters must actually be filibusters... that is, if you want to filibuster, then you have to get up there and talk. And when you have to go to the bathroom or leave the podium, filibuster over.
(6) Then I'd abdicate and call for elections.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
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16 comments:
Oh, I'd also do something about the labyrinthine federal tax code.
Leave it to a progressive to bring back the monarchy.
GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH!
"Off with his head", said King CSM.
"You may take my head, you bastard king, but you cannot take my heart", said I.
When I get more time I will take your points one by one.
First I would throw csm in to a deep prison or get him some psychological help.
I would run off all political parties and give the rights back to the states. I would then tell all Americans here she is, go pursue your happiness. Your only rights are life & liberty.
Oh, term limits for ALL who serve in DC along with the flat tax. And last item, do away with my kingship before I became as corrupt as the rest of them!
I'm not very surprised that my reign is off to a rocky start!
I like the term limits idea, Lou. Not so sure about the flat tax, but perhaps if done properly.
1. The idea that the government(in this instance, a king)could and should mandate what people get paid is an anathema to our societal setup. My example will be Michael Jackson. Mr. Jackson, I am sure had his own company and his own employees. I would also bet he made(in his heyday of course)much more than 25x his lowest paid employee. But Mr. Jackson had no way of knowing how much he was going to make because he had no way to know how many albums he was going to sell. And just like any other company, nothing is a given and no one knows beforehand how well any product or service is going to do in a free marketplace, just ask the guys who used to run GM.
Stocks options work on this basis. If the company flops and the stock tanks, options can end up worthless. This is the risk a CEO takes and sums up the executives incentive. If the stock skyrockets and the CEO exercises his options, his/her recompense could be obscene, but isn't that really the shareholder's concern(which really isn't a problem because, hey, the stock skyrocketed, right?). I chalk it up to societal jealousy, because anybody else would like a chance to be in that position.
2. Basic healthcare as a right would put this right in a group all by itself as opposed to all the natural rights the Constitution outlines very well. The reason is because this new right relies upon and supercedes another's right. The Freedom of
Speech does not rely on another to provide it. The Freedom of Association does not rely on another to provide it. The new right to healthcare DOES rely on someone else to provide it and it makes the provider's right subservient. The right to charge what they want for the services provided is crushed underfoot by the right of the patient to get what they want/need. If you take this tack, why not trample the rights of lawyers or electricians or plumbers. We already have the rights of food and drink establishment owner's trampled because non-smokers got heard by local, state and federal politicians and the politicians did the trampling. This country was based on an individual's right being protected until they interfere with someone else's rights and here I submit someone else's rights are being infringed.
3. I agree with your stance, but also must say that a king shouldn't be allowed to decree anything; in our society a king is as mythical as the religious subjects religions espouse. Religions, whether fundamentalist Muslims, the "Christian Nation" pushers or the Pope pushing an agenda are all grabs for power over people, or better individuals. Organized religion is just the power over people and their thoughts and any true Constitutional American should realize this. Power grabs over individual rights make me want to puke, so point me in their direction and they will get what they deserve.
4. Much of the "world's policeman" thing I agree with, but I must tell you the obscene military spending has done wonders for the global trade system, especially the fact our navy keeps the ocean trade routes free. I do believe our military should be for the defense of our territory and that is it. If we are attacked, fuck 'em up. If we aren't, we should stay out. We have oceans and high technology to keep most of our enemies at bay and if that doesn't work, like I said, fuck 'em up.
5. This is silly, nough said.
6. This one I agree with 100%.
The whole damn post is kinda silly, Bawdy, innit?
Hail, Hail Freedonia, land of the brave and free!
"I'm not very surprised that my reign is off to a rocky start!"
Well csm it is your first kingship, you got to give it time. Yes?
I think the real question is whether WE will give him the time...
Time? Time to steal our liberties, our economy and our nation. Not likely. We have seen the enmey and it is Obama.
What is an enmey?
And csm, which damn post is kinda silly, your original post or my rebuttal.
verification word: sured
My original one, Bawdy!
en-mey
(Pronunciation: \ˈen-mē\)
Etymology: Teabagging Redneckian
1. an African American president hated by close-minded right wing nutbags (in many cases, simply because of his race)
2. anything that is not backward and hate-filled
And Bob, sometimes it seems like we'd be better off with Groucho in charge, doesn't it? Love the Marx Brothers!
Yay, someone placed the quote! Sometimes our gummint seems to make as much/little sense as that movie did...sigh.
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