Why on Earth would you think it's a good idea for the GOVERNMENT to tell a BUSINESS how to do whatever it does? That is incredibly short-sighted and anti-freedom.
Totally true. The government should get rid of those silly child labor laws, safety regulations, and pollution controls. They are all anti-competitive, as were the silly bureaucrats who used to try to keep unsafe pharmaceuticals out of the public's hands.
With no labor laws or industrial safety reguations we'd soon be able to compete with India not only in computer programming but also in living standards, which would be good for all of us. Indoor plumbing and electricity (which most Indians don't have) are for sissies!
And if we let private industry -- which is always superior to government in every way -- make its own decisions on pollution controls, before long our cities can enjoy the fragrance of New Delhi at rush hour.
Best of all, perhaps we can return to pre-FDA days, when drug companies laced over-the-counter drugs with Opium to make sure their customers kept coming back for more.
Just think of the tax savings! We can shut most schools since the kids will need to go to work at the age of eight. And with none of that Socialist Security nonsense Roosevelt forced on us despite opposition from Stalwart Americans like Herbert Hoover we wouldn't be worrying about prescription drug costs for old people because most of them would be cast aside to live (and die) by the side of the road as soon as their productive years were over.
But don't think this picture is full of nothing but gloom. The people at the top of the economic heap would have hardly any taxes to pay or any other restrictions on them, so they could build glorious mansions and host fabulous charity balls. The rest of us could stand outside the security fences, marveling at the pearl-encrusted gowns and diamond tie studs worn by Our Betters.
Ah, the return of the Gilded Age. The thought makes my heart leap with joy.
Or better yet, we could take it all back a few more centuries to the way France was before that little revolution thing they had, which was nothing but a bunch of whiny peasants complaining about starving instead of getting off their sorry butts and working for whatever salaries their Lords and Masters felt like paying, which may not have been enough to buy bread for their families but was certainly more than those smelly louts deserved.
And if they couldn't afford to buy bread, why let them eat cake!
Spoiler Warning!
After that, the deluge... with riots in the streets and chopped-off heads piling up in the public parks, the remaining nobility fleeing for their lives, and a dictator running the country who makes life miserable for almost everyone.
I love unbridled free enterprise. Truly I do. It is so much better than having the government act in the interest of the people who do the grunt work in our society instead of making sure their Betters are protected from their silly urges -- as long as we can keep it that way, which might not be all that long, I'm sorry to say.
This question is for both candidates. Senator Kerry, if you are elected President, what would you do to cut down on guns in school? President Bush, if you are re-elected, how will you try to cut down on school violence?
Why, as an American citizen, will I have to compete for jobs and college financial assistance with people who are here illegally from other countries? My immigrant parents followed the rules and waited their turn.
I am concerned about our growing population in the U.S. and all over the world. The traffic, overbuilding and suburban sprawl is not slowing, and I worry, that by the time I am an adult and have a family, that my quality of life is really going to suffer. I would like to hear the presidential candidates address their views on over population, how to control it, its effect on the environment, energy consumption, land use, etc., and on how to stop the overcrowding of both America and the world.
The Bush administration has made a big deal of President Bush's Christian faith. Democratic candidate John Kerry is also a Christian. My question for both candidates is how does your faith affect your decision-making for the future of our country? Also, America is based on the separation of church and state. For the candidates, is it conflicting to take a position on issues based on Christianity (such as abortion and gay marriage) when not everyone in America believes in God or Christianity?
What has influenced you to run for office? What do you hope to contribute that the other candidates are not able or willing to contribute to the government and the people?
If our society were to take a dramatic downfall in morals, what would be the best course of action? Who decides what is moral, and why are we basing our legislation on a book that was written centuries ago?
Why do you say bad things about each other? When I grow up and become President I will be truthful and honest and I won't talk bad about the other guy. You both have a war against each other and you are forgetting we don't care about your war but we care about the War in Iraq. I would like for you to say one good thing about each other.
I am 15 and learning disabled because of a serious heart condition. I am having a difficult time in school. I face increased pressure with the "no child left behind" rules. I get pushed and I cannot keep up. My sister is autistic. I need to know where she will go when she is older. Her school may have to close because they are not getting funding. Why is no one stepping forward to support the growing need for special education?
Considering the reality of the rise in teenage pregnancies, what is your position on the availability of contraceptives, medical care, education and coverage for these health services for teens? Does your position realistically deal with the consequences of teenage pregnancy and teen parents, the resulting poverty, and the rise in back-alley abortions and abandoned newborns? What will you do as president to address this issue, and why?
What is your take on so-called "intellectual property"? Would you veto any attempt to extend the duration of copyrights yet again? Would you attempt to reign in the range of software patents to prevent patents on ideas and trivialities to stifle innovation?
Let's look ten years out. Since we have a wave of baby boomers planning on retirement, what effect will their retirement have on me, my family, and the nation as a whole? How will we pay for the trillions that Social Security, Medicaid, and all of the other entitlement programs need to be handled? How does having countries like Japan who are buying our debt change the equation? How does the fact that Japan is heading for their baby boom retirement in 4 years change our equation?
In regards to social security, as a professional 25-year-old worker I'm concerned that I'm paying into a system, which is severely over-taxed and will be non-existent when I reach retirement. I would like to know what steps will be taken to either ensure I will get the benefits I've paid for, or to allow me to no longer contribute to Social Security and use that extra income to invest myself for my retirement, most likely a Roth IRA.
When is it appropriate for a leader to change their opinion? Both sides have been accused of flip-flopping on important issues - President Bush on establishing the Dept. of Homeland Security and steel tariffs, Senator Kerry on the Iraq war. But changing opinion due to thoughtful reconsideration ought not to be derided as flip-flopping. Tell us about a time when you had an honest change of opinion on a topic of national importance.
Who is doing your respective jobs while you are campaigning? And if your job allows for the additional work that is put into campaigning, then what do you believe you could have accomplished if this were not a campaign year (assuming that you put this additional campaign work into your respective jobs)?
Though the U.S. is the undisputed world leader, we fall last in line behind all other industrialized countries when it comes to post-partum maternity benefits. With all the proven advantages of a mother staying home with her child during the first year of life, what do you propose for changes in legislature to ensure a woman is not only allowed time off to stay at home, but can afford to do so by being paid for that time?
Nearly 100 American media resources today are owned by only 5 corporations. While the Senate's overruling of the FCC's controversial 3-to-2 decision to further deregulate media ownership rules in June of 2003 is a source of encouragement, most Americans want more variety in their sources of news and entertainment. What will you do to ensure that Americans have accurate sources of information to base their democratic decisions on?
Dear Mr. President and Senator, as a local nurse, I am interested in how you plan to help ease the stress many OB/GYN physicians and OB/GYN nurses have due to the ocean of malpractice lawsuits. How can you help us, as healthcare providers to NOT live in fear of undue lawsuits?
In light of a number of recent publicized legal cases, including the suing of illegal file sharers by the RIAA [Recording Industry Assoc. Amer.], it seems that our legal system is slanted to benefit those with money. Large companies and rich individuals can afford lengthy legal proceedings with multiple lawyers, while non-upper class individuals often do not have the same access. This forces many individuals to settle cases, even if they believe they have done nothing wrong. What can be done to fix this injustice?
In the light of 9/11, Palestinian militant groups were designated as terrorist groups. This action has precluded communications and these groups involvement in peace negations. How do you propose to break the deadlock in this peace process, and what is your vision for how this peace will look (statehood, disarmament, settlements, etc)? Will this action be taken by individual nations (the road map which was supported by the U.S., Russia, etc) or through the UN (Security Council resolution)?
Dear Sirs, what specifically are your plans to ensure both Iran and North Korea do not obtain nuclear missile capabilities and additionally, and what is your stance on the defense of Taiwan?
What is the plan for dealing with Iraq if the citizens of Iraq vote in favor of a fundamentalist Islamic form of government that resembles the one currently existing in Iran? How will your administration work to preserve the roots of democracy that have been cultivated in this middle eastern country if the citizens of Iraq vote in a theocratic form of governance?
Slashdot Mirror
Why on Earth would you think it's a good idea for the GOVERNMENT to tell a BUSINESS how to do whatever it does? That is incredibly short-sighted and anti-freedom.
Totally true. The government should get rid of those silly child labor laws, safety regulations, and pollution controls. They are all anti-competitive, as were the silly bureaucrats who used to try to keep unsafe pharmaceuticals out of the public's hands.
With no labor laws or industrial safety reguations we'd soon be able to compete with India not only in computer programming but also in living standards, which would be good for all of us. Indoor plumbing and electricity (which most Indians don't have) are for sissies!
And if we let private industry -- which is always superior to government in every way -- make its own decisions on pollution controls, before long our cities can enjoy the fragrance of New Delhi at rush hour.
Best of all, perhaps we can return to pre-FDA days, when drug companies laced over-the-counter drugs with Opium to make sure their customers kept coming back for more.
Just think of the tax savings! We can shut most schools since the kids will need to go to work at the age of eight. And with none of that Socialist Security nonsense Roosevelt forced on us despite opposition from Stalwart Americans like Herbert Hoover we wouldn't be worrying about prescription drug costs for old people because most of them would be cast aside to live (and die) by the side of the road as soon as their productive years were over.
But don't think this picture is full of nothing but gloom. The people at the top of the economic heap would have hardly any taxes to pay or any other restrictions on them, so they could build glorious mansions and host fabulous charity balls. The rest of us could stand outside the security fences, marveling at the pearl-encrusted gowns and diamond tie studs worn by Our Betters.
Ah, the return of the Gilded Age. The thought makes my heart leap with joy.
Or better yet, we could take it all back a few more centuries to the way France was before that little revolution thing they had, which was nothing but a bunch of whiny peasants complaining about starving instead of getting off their sorry butts and working for whatever salaries their Lords and Masters felt like paying, which may not have been enough to buy bread for their families but was certainly more than those smelly louts deserved.
And if they couldn't afford to buy bread, why let them eat cake!
Spoiler Warning!
After that, the deluge... with riots in the streets and chopped-off heads piling up in the public parks, the remaining nobility fleeing for their lives, and a dictator running the country who makes life miserable for almost everyone.
I love unbridled free enterprise. Truly I do. It is so much better than having the government act in the interest of the people who do the grunt work in our society instead of making sure their Betters are protected from their silly urges -- as long as we can keep it that way, which might not be all that long, I'm sorry to say.
This question is for both candidates. Senator Kerry, if you are elected President, what would you do to cut down on guns in school? President Bush, if you are re-elected, how will you try to cut down on school violence?
Why, as an American citizen, will I have to compete for jobs and college financial assistance with people who are here illegally from other countries? My immigrant parents followed the rules and waited their turn.
I am concerned about our growing population in the U.S. and all over the world. The traffic, overbuilding and suburban sprawl is not slowing, and I worry, that by the time I am an adult and have a family, that my quality of life is really going to suffer. I would like to hear the presidential candidates address their views on over population, how to control it, its effect on the environment, energy consumption, land use, etc., and on how to stop the overcrowding of both America and the world.
The Bush administration has made a big deal of President Bush's Christian faith. Democratic candidate John Kerry is also a Christian. My question for both candidates is how does your faith affect your decision-making for the future of our country? Also, America is based on the separation of church and state. For the candidates, is it conflicting to take a position on issues based on Christianity (such as abortion and gay marriage) when not everyone in America believes in God or Christianity?
What has influenced you to run for office? What do you hope to contribute that the other candidates are not able or willing to contribute to the government and the people?
Today, where you're at in your life, would you be willing to die for your country?
If our society were to take a dramatic downfall in morals, what would be the best course of action? Who decides what is moral, and why are we basing our legislation on a book that was written centuries ago?
Why do you say bad things about each other? When I grow up and become President I will be truthful and honest and I won't talk bad about the other guy. You both have a war against each other and you are forgetting we don't care about your war but we care about the War in Iraq. I would like for you to say one good thing about each other.
I am 15 and learning disabled because of a serious heart condition. I am having a difficult time in school. I face increased pressure with the "no child left behind" rules. I get pushed and I cannot keep up. My sister is autistic. I need to know where she will go when she is older. Her school may have to close because they are not getting funding. Why is no one stepping forward to support the growing need for special education?
Considering the reality of the rise in teenage pregnancies, what is your position on the availability of contraceptives, medical care, education and coverage for these health services for teens? Does your position realistically deal with the consequences of teenage pregnancy and teen parents, the resulting poverty, and the rise in back-alley abortions and abandoned newborns? What will you do as president to address this issue, and why?
What is your take on so-called "intellectual property"? Would you veto any attempt to extend the duration of copyrights yet again? Would you attempt to reign in the range of software patents to prevent patents on ideas and trivialities to stifle innovation?
Let's look ten years out. Since we have a wave of baby boomers planning on retirement, what effect will their retirement have on me, my family, and the nation as a whole? How will we pay for the trillions that Social Security, Medicaid, and all of the other entitlement programs need to be handled? How does having countries like Japan who are buying our debt change the equation? How does the fact that Japan is heading for their baby boom retirement in 4 years change our equation?
In regards to social security, as a professional 25-year-old worker I'm concerned that I'm paying into a system, which is severely over-taxed and will be non-existent when I reach retirement. I would like to know what steps will be taken to either ensure I will get the benefits I've paid for, or to allow me to no longer contribute to Social Security and use that extra income to invest myself for my retirement, most likely a Roth IRA.
What are the three written works or political thinkers that have contributed the most to your philosophy of governance, and why?
When is it appropriate for a leader to change their opinion? Both sides have been accused of flip-flopping on important issues - President Bush on establishing the Dept. of Homeland Security and steel tariffs, Senator Kerry on the Iraq war. But changing opinion due to thoughtful reconsideration ought not to be derided as flip-flopping. Tell us about a time when you had an honest change of opinion on a topic of national importance.
What was the biggest mistake you made in the last four years? What were the negative repercussions of that mistake and what have you done to fix it?
Who is doing your respective jobs while you are campaigning? And if your job allows for the additional work that is put into campaigning, then what do you believe you could have accomplished if this were not a campaign year (assuming that you put this additional campaign work into your respective jobs)?
Though the U.S. is the undisputed world leader, we fall last in line behind all other industrialized countries when it comes to post-partum maternity benefits. With all the proven advantages of a mother staying home with her child during the first year of life, what do you propose for changes in legislature to ensure a woman is not only allowed time off to stay at home, but can afford to do so by being paid for that time?
Nearly 100 American media resources today are owned by only 5 corporations. While the Senate's overruling of the FCC's controversial 3-to-2 decision to further deregulate media ownership rules in June of 2003 is a source of encouragement, most Americans want more variety in their sources of news and entertainment. What will you do to ensure that Americans have accurate sources of information to base their democratic decisions on?
Dear Mr. President and Senator, as a local nurse, I am interested in how you plan to help ease the stress many OB/GYN physicians and OB/GYN nurses have due to the ocean of malpractice lawsuits. How can you help us, as healthcare providers to NOT live in fear of undue lawsuits?
In light of a number of recent publicized legal cases, including the suing of illegal file sharers by the RIAA [Recording Industry Assoc. Amer.], it seems that our legal system is slanted to benefit those with money. Large companies and rich individuals can afford lengthy legal proceedings with multiple lawyers, while non-upper class individuals often do not have the same access. This forces many individuals to settle cases, even if they believe they have done nothing wrong. What can be done to fix this injustice?
In the light of 9/11, Palestinian militant groups were designated as terrorist groups. This action has precluded communications and these groups involvement in peace negations. How do you propose to break the deadlock in this peace process, and what is your vision for how this peace will look (statehood, disarmament, settlements, etc)? Will this action be taken by individual nations (the road map which was supported by the U.S., Russia, etc) or through the UN (Security Council resolution)?
Dear Sirs, what specifically are your plans to ensure both Iran and North Korea do not obtain nuclear missile capabilities and additionally, and what is your stance on the defense of Taiwan?
What is the plan for dealing with Iraq if the citizens of Iraq vote in favor of a fundamentalist Islamic form of government that resembles the one currently existing in Iran? How will your administration work to preserve the roots of democracy that have been cultivated in this middle eastern country if the citizens of Iraq vote in a theocratic form of governance?