Lucius Optimus Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 The "tech people (especially kids)" part was quite clever but I didn't figure out why you had two part 5s. Nevertheless, you obviously put some effort into your post and several parts made me smile. Thanks. Time is not on my side. My posts are a little rushed. I came back to the main one like 5 times to correct it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakyr Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 At least you vote in your leader somewhat more directly, in the USA. Over here in Australia, we vote in the party and whoever is the current party leader, gets to play at being Prime Minister. Which leads to fun, when the party votes out their current leader and votes in a new leader. Overnight we have a new Prime Minister. Without an election or any input from "the people". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Brother Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 (edited) Ah, a european. Then how do you suggest the US right itself? Many euro nations also have crippling debt. And I don't see how you will ever get a meritocracy in the USA. It's about the GD worthless money. How are the taxes across the pond?? With regards to the US, I'd say lobbyism, unemployment and corruption are the first things that need to be handled. Money has a far too important role to play in American politics, when it should have no role in it at all. I would also see about reducing your prison population (which is larger than the population of some countries), because.. they're basically just sitting there, locked up, doing no good at all, costing your government lots and lots of money. If they were actually rehabilitated and made into productive citizens, not only would these expenses diminish, but you would also gain a bunch of people who could be a part of, and contribute to the economy. Ending the war on drugs would probably save you some money too. Oh and, please stop being so mean to black people. I don't really think the US needs to right itself or that democracy is somehow the root of your debt. You have issues, like any other nation. I'm not in the European Union, I think it's a bad idea and I don't care for the Euro either. I cannot speak for the EU when it comes to taxes, but where I live we have a dual income tax ("Under the dual income tax, income from labour and pensions is taxed at progressive rates, while capital income is taxed at a flat rate"), and the rates are 3.0% for pension income, 7.8% for wage income and 11% for other business income. A lot of people here, if not most, believe that taxes are a good thing. We experience the benefits of taxation very clearly in our everyday lives, and I think most people understand the necessity of them. Complaining about taxes is kind of.. shunned here because people will think you greedy and selfish for it. Edited March 12, 2015 by Big Brother 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoS Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Prison is good business. They're always in depressed communities (like wal marts). Lots of good jobs. And they eliminate the rights of millions of people of color for petty crimes. It's like modern day slavery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur James Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 (edited) edited. Edited March 12, 2015 by Arthur James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Optimus Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 No talking about the race problem here. That is for another topic that frankly I can't comment on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Optimus Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 (edited) With regards to the US, I'd say lobbyism, unemployment and corruption are the first things that need to be handled. Money has a far too important role to play in American politics, when it should have no role in it at all. I would also see about reducing your prison population (which is larger than the population of some countries), because.. they're basically just sitting there, locked up, doing no good at all, costing your government lots and lots of money. If they were actually rehabilitated and made into productive citizens, not only would these expenses diminish, but you would also gain a bunch of people who could be a part of, and contribute to the economy. Ending the war on drugs would probably save you some money too. Oh and, please stop being so mean to black people. I don't really think the US needs to right itself or that democracy is somehow the root of your debt. You have issues, like any other nation. I'm not in the European Union, I think it's a bad idea and I don't care for the Euro either. I cannot speak for the EU when it comes to taxes, but where I live we have a dual income tax ("Under the dual income tax, income from labour and pensions is taxed at progressive rates, while capital income is taxed at a flat rate"), and the rates are 3.0% for pension income, 7.8% for wage income and 11% for other business income. A lot of people here, if not most, believe that taxes are a good thing. We experience the benefits of taxation very clearly in our everyday lives, and I think most people understand the necessity of them. Complaining about taxes is kind of.. shunned here because people will think you greedy and selfish for it. Nobody likes the prison population. Unfortunately we have no penal colony, and rehabilitation does not have a very great success rate. Our prison pop is larger because we have a big country...full of mean, undereducated, people that the public schooling system (and parents) have failed. Race violence is instigated and perpetuated by the likes of Al Sharpton, and the american media. lol. you bet we have issues. Yikes. taxes taxes taxes. Americans complain about taxes because we don't see as much (if any) benefit from them as you do in Europe( Affordable Care Act? far from it.) Middle class/small business americans have a hard time with all the taxes, and permits. Bottom line...the american gov is bad with money. but when you police 3/4 of earth i guess that hurts the budget to.... Edited March 12, 2015 by Lucius Optimus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Specter Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I believe the US constitution still states that if the american people grow tired of their government then they have the right to change it... As of now no one has grown tired of our government, and if some have then there numbers are probably small or they dont know about that part of the constitution. Quote Amidst the eternal waves of time From a ripple of change shall the storm rise Out of the abyss peer the eyes of a demon Behold the razgriz, its wings of black sheath The demon soars through dark skies Fear and death trail its shadow beneath Until men united weild a hallowed sabre In final reckoning, the beast is slain As the demon sleeps, man turns on man His own blood and madness soon cover the earth From the depths of despair awaken the razgriz Its raven wings ablaze in majestic light Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Optimus Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 I believe the US constitution still states that if the american people grow tired of their government then they have the right to change it... As of now no one has grown tired of our government, and if some have then there numbers are probably small or they dont know about that part of the constitution. yes that is true. It is our duty as citizens to change the gov if we are not satisfied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fistofdoom Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Don't worry guys! When I rule the world there'll be no time to vote! It would interfere with your performance in the salt mines! Salt mines? Hah! You aught to bring back this. Quote 01:05:55 <%fistofdoom> im out of wine 01:06:03 <%fistofdoom> i winsih i had port 01:06:39 <@JoshF{BoC}> fistofdoom: is the snowman drunk with you 01:07:32 <%fistofdoom> i knet i forgot somehnt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Brother Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 (edited) Nobody likes the prison population. Unfortunately we have no penal colony, and rehabilitation does not have a very great success rate. Our prison pop is larger because we have a big country...full of mean, undereducated, people that the public schooling system (and parents) have failed. Race violence is instigated and perpetuated by the likes of Al Sharpton, and the american media. lol. you bet we have issues. Yikes. taxes taxes taxes. Americans complain about taxes because we don't see as much (if any) benefit from them as you do in Europe( Affordable Care Act? far from it.) Middle class/small business americans have a hard time with all the taxes, and permits. Bottom line...the american gov is bad with money. but when you police 3/4 of earth i guess that hurts the budget to.... Are you from the South? I hate to break it to you, but rehabilitation can, and has been proven in many cases to be highly successful and there's no reason why any sane government shouldn't pursue it. Your prison population is disproportionally large in relation to your total population. The inmates are disproportionally of colour too. Any quick internet search will verify this information, but since I'm such a nice guy I'll put some documentation right here: "In October 2013, the incarceration rate of the United States of America was the highest in the world, at 716 per 100,000 of the national population. While the United States represents about 4.4 percent of the world's population, it houses around 22 percent of the world's prisoners. Imprisonment of America's 2.3 million prisoners, costing $24,000 per inmate per year, and $5.1 billion in new prison construction, consumes $60.3 billion in budget expenditures." In my country, where we focus almost entirely on rehabilitation, the recidivism rate (rate of criminals who commit crimes again after being caught and incarcerated) is at 20%, which is the lowest in Europe. In your country, where you focus on punishment, the recidivism rate is at 60%. It doesn't take a genius to see what works best here. http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/12/18/prison-could-be-productive/punishment-fails-rehabilitation-works http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/03/norway-prison-bars-trust-150303121441430.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recidivism#Recidivism_rates Your race violence is a result of systematic, institutionalised oppression against people of colour. We as white people (assuming you're white), are not in any way qualified to judge the experience of being a person of colour in a white dominated society. I think the latest events that have transpired in places like Ferguson and the damning reports that ensued, reports that document this discrimination and oppression, prove beyond utter doubt that there's a serious problem with discrimination, racism and prejudice in the United States without equal anywhere else in the "free world". As for taxes, you should probably just start taxing your richest citizens more because you know.. Edited March 13, 2015 by Big Brother 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Optimus Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 (edited) You are mistaken. You see I will rule the world... Edited March 5, 2018 by Lucius Optimus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoS Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 I believe the US constitution still states that if the american people grow tired of their government then they have the right to change it... As of now no one has grown tired of our government, and if some have then there numbers are probably small or they dont know about that part of the constitution. That would be the declaration of independence. I'm pretty sure it was a letter to the king of England. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Specter Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 (edited) That would be the declaration of independence. I'm pretty sure it was a letter to the king of England.Maybe, but i think it is mentioned in the constitution. But at the same time the declaration was a precedent and the founding fathers even stated that the citizens can change the government if the government has failed to do its duties. Edited March 13, 2015 by Dark Specter Quote Amidst the eternal waves of time From a ripple of change shall the storm rise Out of the abyss peer the eyes of a demon Behold the razgriz, its wings of black sheath The demon soars through dark skies Fear and death trail its shadow beneath Until men united weild a hallowed sabre In final reckoning, the beast is slain As the demon sleeps, man turns on man His own blood and madness soon cover the earth From the depths of despair awaken the razgriz Its raven wings ablaze in majestic light Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Optimus Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 (edited) @Big Brother Attacks american media for us being dumbed down and "chronically self-absorbed about the American nation"; posts The New York Times and Wikipedia to back himself up. Al Jazeera *shivers* I'm too north to be south and too south to be north. I am white and not ashamed of it. Try this one on for size. http://www.bjs.gov/content/reentry/recidivism.cfm I'll come back to this after work Edited March 13, 2015 by Lucius Optimus 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elsuper Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 http://www.bjs.gov/content/reentry/recidivism.cfm That study examined the years 1983 and 1994. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Brother Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 @Big Brother Attacks american media for us being dumbed down and "chronically self-absorbed about the American nation"; posts The New York Times and Wikipedia to back himself up. Al Jazeera *shivers* I'm too north to be south and too south to be north. I am white and not ashamed of it. Try this one on for size. http://www.bjs.gov/content/reentry/recidivism.cfm I'll come back to this after work The New York Times article was about an issue prevalent in the United States, focusing on the situation as it is in the United States, and like you pointed out, is an American newspaper. Is that not self-absorbed? But, I am perhaps unfair in making such a generalization, and perhaps all newspapers are more concerned about the matters close to themselves, than they are of matters far away. I would not expect you to be ashamed of being white. Like elsuper pointed out, your source is outdated. If you had taken a glance at the Wikipedia article, you would have found dozens of more recent and updated sources very easily. I'm sure Google would be equally efficient. And even so, the numbers you have shown are not good. To be in any position to aid and have any idea of what is best for your country, one must be well informed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Optimus Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 (edited) Hard to be informed when you trust no news BB its all biased one way or another. Fox, ABC, CNN, NBC all the same. Edited March 13, 2015 by Lucius Optimus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Brother Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 (edited) Well, we live in an age in which we have access to more information than anyone in human history ever had before us. Anyone with internet access can read news from numerous sources from countries all over the world in mere moments. Let's not forget the potential of things like smartphones to capture events directly at the scene and spread it to the world very quickly, before there is any time to apply any bias to it. The world wide web has contributed a lot to making it easier for regular people to have their voice heard and spread to far more people, across the world's borders, than was ever possible before. I think it's possible to look at different sources of information, and with a critical mind gaining at least some truths about what is happening around the world. Edited March 13, 2015 by Big Brother 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solomon Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 ^ He's right. It's easier to be informed than it ever was, but you have to want to be informed. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoS Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Sadly, people are getting dumber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Optimus Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 Then lets do ourselves a favor and keep the internet unregulated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Penguin Rikkar Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Why not go the other route? Obviously, America is doomed to idiocy. As a proud pacific northwesterner that was lucky enough to study abroad for a year in high school and with strong foreign ties, I can vouch that our media and education system is already locked in place to keep us from really doing much. Seriously, when college classes are the equivalent of a foreign nations high school, you know you're screwed in the education department. Instead of fight the system, why not join it? Keep the internet regulated. Disseminate information that keeps the general populace at ease. America talks of revolution, but unless we can unite from our couches it won't happen. Better to be a part of the machine than the stick trying to break the cogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphman Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 (edited) My 50 year plan to save the USA from it's impending political catastrophe: 1) Immediately disband the current government, purge the whole system. Only keep the vitals working. 2) place the US under martial law. 3) New curriculum for school children stressing the constitution, the revolution, and the founding fathers. Make world history upper a high school/ college subject. 4) Tech people (especially kids) to be proud of american culture, not cultures! 5) Unite the people with patriotism (of the old style) 6) make sure all citizens have the basic understanding of their rights; and that they can NEVER be infringed upon. 7) Strict new regs on political campaigning targeted at corruption. 8) Voting standards! voter Id. Only legal citizens who speak english vote. 9) re-introduce elections (slowly!) Start rebuilding the federal government from the ground up; with the basic unaltered constitution as it's blueprint. 10) With new gov in place remove martial law. ===immediately after==== 1) amend constitution to give local government more power. 2) make english the official language. Repeat this process every century to ensure to government stays clean. Looks like somebody failed Spanish in grade school. Edited March 16, 2015 by Dolphman Quote Leader of UPS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elsuper Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Looks like somebody failed Spanish in grade school. An interesting take, though I learned more about grammar from Spanish class than I did from English class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.