MXrider13 said:
I believe America needs to end the Federal Reserve and move to a more Libertarian Government.
As a Keynesian, I would really like to hear these arguments a bit more. Criticize about whatever stimulus or whatnot, but what were you going to do instead? After all, the market will heal itself, eventually, right? That said, "in the long run, we are all dead."
As for Ron Paul, I generally don't agree with his views since I'm a Keynesian and I'm not really buying into him being all Juche and stuff. After all, if he decides to get out of NAFTA, then so be it. Then he can't enforce free trade with Canada or Mexico. If he gets out of the UN, then no one else will back the Americans when they go off fighting whereever.
Libertairianism and Authoritarianism is the same stuff at the end of the day. Most of it is words, and words only. At least, that's the case in America. Americans are using those words as "Good Guy" vs. "Bad Guy," and it's kind of laughable, at best. There are a few idiots in America trying to get that social conservative vote just by talking. To be fair, they're pretty damn ridiculously dumb. Sarah Palin is the obvious one but also consider the Christine O'Donnells, Michelle Bachmanns, or the Glenn Becks in this world. Because, after all, America's Founding Fathers abolished slavery and apparently Mr. Obama's a racist. Let's not get into abortion or gay marriage either, as realistically, there's no way those guys trying to get the social conservative vote (in abortion and whatnot) will actually make it illegal. They're just trying to get the social conservative vote.
That said, look at the Democratic Party. You'd think with people as laughable as those said on one side there'd be more people voting the other side, but the Democrats in general are just not taking advantage of their stupidity nor are they even trying to play hardball. Additionally, neither party really has a plan. At least get a budget. Although Michelle Obama has my deepest respects, Barack needs to start playing hardball and actually make Americans realize that they're going to really have to change to really get moving again. That said, like how I pity Bush I, I pity Barack as well, since both presidents really inherited quite a problem. The last few months do in fact show some optimism, which benefits guys like Canada, since the United States is still our #1 customer (and the only real reason why Canada generally makes a trade surplus).
Not all CEOs are liars/cheats, though. Consider Steve Ellis of Chipotle. Someone in America who actually installs solar panels and sells local, let alone organic foods in his stores.
The one thing the United States needs is a true fiscal conservative, like a Paul Martin (Liberal Party of Canada) or a David Cameron (UK Conservative Party). Generally speaking, as much as the Tea Partyists is lobbying to reduce the deficit (and generally speaking, I do actually agree with them), they're not really getting in the guys who can do it. You need both tax increases and spending cuts to get the deficit down. I know. Tax is a bad word, but you have to do it when the rates are unsustainably low. What else are you going to do? Cut in an already underfunded education system? Well, you could've ended the Bush Tax Cuts or even those subsidies to corporate corn or oil. That would fix at least 1/3 of your problem right there. Although it would be nice, you can't have a big tax cut
and a big military (which explains why I pity Bush I).
Though the one threat to democracy (this can easily apply anywhere, not just America) is when you get old-money folk donating a hell of a lot of their money to parties. Then, the ones receiving the money essentially change their beliefs to whatever the donators want. Then, when an ordinary Joe like you talks to your local member of the house (Congressman or Member of Parliament), he/she won't listen to you cause you didn't donate $1,000,000 to him/her. It's just like bribing. Consider the Koch brothers in the United States.
