TurquoiseB wrote: > Since I created this dare, I might as well do it myself. > I don't claim that the following ten points of the Turq > Platform are completely 100% positive, but they are my > best shot at positivity given the ten minutes I gave > myself to write them, off the top of my head. > > My bet is that Judy cannot create such a list in ten hours. > > 1. Create a completely new tax structure that ensures that > corporations and non-profit entities like churches that > in fact make huge profits cannot avoid paying taxes on > those profits. Currently, according to the US government, > most corporations pay no taxes. > (http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/aug2008/ctax-a15.shtml) > As businesses and corporations begin to pay their fair > share, reduce taxes on individuals accordingly. > > 2. In any country in which American troops are currently > "needed" to fight a war there, put democracy to the test > and allow the people of that country to decide whether we > should stay or withdraw. For example, since we claim that > Iraq and Afghanistan are now basically democracies, hold > well-publicized and *heavily* monitored elections, and ask > the people to vote on: 1) Should U.S. troops stay or withdraw? > 2) If stay, for exactly how long? 3) If withdraw, exactly > when? Then abide by the decision of the people. Isn't that > what democracy is supposed to be about? > > 3. Given that both Iraq and Afghanistan will vote for us > to get the hell out of their countries and we won't be > throwing money into those black holes, and given that a > fairer tax structure will bring in more tax revenues, use > this money to create a massive research program to find > and exploit alternative and clean sources of energy. Do > nothing to bring down the price of gas; the more expensive > it gets, the more likely this new energy program will be > to succeed. > > 4. Establish a health care system that provides a basic > level of regular preventative (not just emergency) health > care for everyone in the country, regardless of whether > they work or not, or even if they are just visiting. > Individuals can *supplement* this basic level of care > with private insurance if they want to get higher levels > of service or specialties such as cosmetic surgery, but > the basic care is there for everyone. If most of the > nations of Europe and even Cuba can do this, why can't > the United States? > > 5. Another sizable chunk of the newly-increased revenue > stream should be aimed at eliminating homelessness, and > making the availability of a basic level of food and > shelter available to everyone. Even one homeless person > is too many; three million is *far* too many. > > 6. Tie the salary rates of school teachers to the salary > rates of U.S. Representatives and Senators. Whatever the > Senators/Representatives make per year, teachers should > make 1% more than that per year. The education of our > children is far more important than filling the media > with a lot of hot air, and should be recognized as such. > > 7. Require that all electronic voting machines in America > have their software audited by independent computer > specialists, and that the machines have an incorruptible > "paper trail" that is verified against the electronic > totals and the actual ballots before results of any > election are finalized. > > 8. Limit the ability of all parties in national elections > to campaign in the media to three calendar months before > the election. Any candidate who violates this and spends > a penny to distribute print ads, TV commercials or even > printed campaign materials by mail earlier than the three- > month limit has to immediately withdraw from the election. > > 9. Establish laws that define what constitutes "profiteering" > in the health care and pharmaceutical industries. Make the > penalty for breaking these laws a minimum of 20 years in > prison, without possibility of parole. > > 10. Establish laws that define what constitutes "profiteering" > in the defense industry and for any materials provider or > contractor who defrauds or overcharges the U.S. government. > Make the penalty for breaking these laws life in prison, > without the possibility of parole. Lots of good ideas there.
I think that Obama laid out some pretty good plans last night. I like the overall idea of going after the corporations who've had too much of a free ride. People will say that they'll just move out of the country. I've got a couple ideas of what should happen if they do: take away their exclusive patents (some which should have never been granted anyway) and copyrights for one. And two: give their offices and factories over to the workers just like is happening in Argentina. We know the corporate goons will be all over trying to keep Obama out of office. On #7 those systems should run on Linux not Windows. This makes them cheaper as there is no license to purchase and plenty of eyes on the source code just for the operating system. And the actual voting source code should be open source so anyone can point out potential problems. You and I know the code for a voting machine is butt simple. Watch the voting machine companies put all kinds of spin on that though. I've already heard bullshit spins against Linux and open source from of all things a know nothing Democrat! My older sister is still a member of the "sisters of the pantsuit" and told me yesterday she didn't want to vote for McCain. Okay, no brainer, vote for Obama. This woman has voted for Democratic candidates all her life and her best friend was the once the Democratic chair for Alameda county. I don't know why she is being stubborn on this. I was the odd man out except for maybe my nephew's wife who I also believe voted for Obama in the primary. One point Obama made might have gone by some people's ears but it was the comment on Georgia and creative a problem with a long term ally (Russia). Most who are knowledgeable about the Georgian incident know that Georgia started it. The national selfish are going to fight to the finish line to keep this country for the "me" people. We need to take them on hard!
