I have another video I'd like your input on.

[massadvj]

Yes indeed! I to am one of them but my argument may differ somewhat.

I contend that it is impossible to have personal liberty without personal responsibility. Those two things are inextricably linked together which means that if you choose to do drugs and have to steal from me or harm me in any other way in order to support that then I'm going to hold you accountable for that harm no matter WHY you did it! 

I guess that really doesn't differ all that much from what Victor said when I think about it.

I agree completely with what Hayek had to say in the above quote.

As usual, you are right, Big.  Whether morality causes freedom or freedom causes morality is a "chicken and egg" argument.  The point is you can't have one without the other.  If you are going to support drug deregulation without supporting economic freedom  then you are only going to make society's problem worse.

As it is, the drug war is a very profitable proposition for the Democrat machine.  They hand out the welfare and food stamps to lock in the vote from lower class people, then the food stamps and welfare pay for drugs, then they have to hire gobs of law enforcement -- public employees all, so more votes -- to enforce the drug laws.  It's a beautiful thing for them.

[aligncare]

Citing what you said above Doc, how do you think a tax code that required you to collect a sales tax on the services you rendered but allowed you to keep ALL of your income until you actually purchased a new good or service (not for your business but for your personal consumption only)  would work for you?

Thinking on it....

[alicewonders]

...

While I don't necessarily disagree with you regarding legalization, I suggest you look deeper. Drug use is not only rampant, it is prevalent. It might be worth the time to examine why that is the case.

Boredom?
Lack of faith?
Just the way life is?

That's the core of it.  I think our society is heading toward rock bottom at the speed of a bullet.  It is morally dead, all decisions are being made for us, and the result is that it is killing the human spirit in many, many people. 

 

[Bigun]

As usual, you are right, Big.  Whether morality causes freedom or freedom causes morality is a "chicken and egg" argument.  The point is you can't have one without the other.  If you are going to support drug deregulation without supporting economic freedom  then you are only going to make society's problem worse.

As it is, the drug war is a very profitable proposition for the Democrat machine.  They hand out the welfare and food stamps to lock in the vote from lower class people, then the food stamps and welfare pay for drugs, then they have to hire gobs of law enforcement -- public employees all, so more votes -- to enforce the drug laws.  It's a beautiful thing for them.

OH yes! And it results in copious quantities of newly born future democrat voters because of the way it's structured as well!. 

The other day one a friend  called my attention to getto video, available somewhere on the internet I suppose, in which a number of scantily clad young "ladies" were dancing around showing off cell phones, gold chains, TVs etc while singing "All you gotta do Is F- - - !" to a catchy tune.  I had to tell him that as unfortunate as that is they were telling the truth!

[alicewonders]

As has already been said by others above we REALLY need to get away from this dependency society and get back to one where individuals are self motivated to do whatever it takes to deliver themselves from their current circumstance regardless of what that may be! To site an example, I am fully convinced that one of the main reasons our country has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world is our idiot tax code! The kid who goes out and get's a legitimate job making hamburgers at McDonald's pays a heck of a price over the one who goes out and pushes drugs, pimps, whores or whatever and that would NOT be the case IF we had a tax code that did not discriminate!

Citing what you said above Doc, how do you think a tax code that required you to collect a sales tax on the services you rendered but allowed you to keep ALL of your income until you actually purchased a new good or service (not for your business but for your personal consumption only)  would work for you?

If we, as a nation, had REALLY been all that concerned about a "separation of Church and state" we would have been marching in the streets when the government began taking over traditional roles of the Church!

I like the tax code you described -  it gives the individual control over their destiny.  You pay as you go.

Your quote at the end of your post about the Church and State is spot on!  We only have ourselves to blame.

 

[Bigun]

I like the tax code you described -  it gives the individual control over their destiny.  You pay as you go.

Your quote at the end of your post about the Church and State is spot on!  We only have ourselves to blame.

 

Thanks Alice! and You are, of course, right as rain!

[Bigun]

Thinking on it....

While you're thinking please keep in mind that the code I propose would no longer have need of a thing called the IRS.

[aligncare]

Citing what you said above Doc, how do you think a tax code that required you to collect a sales tax on the services you rendered but allowed you to keep ALL of your income until you actually purchased a new good or service (not for your business but for your personal consumption only)  would work for you?

I'd like to get rid of the IRS—but I'm not sure as a healthcare practice I want to be a tax collector for the government.

Still thinking on it...

[alicewonders]

I'd like to get rid of the IRS—but I'm not sure as a healthcare practice I want to be a tax collector for the government.

Still thinking on it...

I owned various retail businesses for 26 years.  We collected sale tax for the state - the paperwork is a headache, but not horrible.  I think the idea is a good one.  Of course, with anything gov't  - it has the potential to be obscenely mismanaged. 

[ABX]

I like the tax code you described -  it gives the individual control over their destiny.  You pay as you go.

I am going to ditto that too. Although I know it is almost an impossible task to get to this and all the more willing to start with a flat tax, going to a fair ta system really does give the power back to the people. If people have a ethical or political conviction against what the government is doing, they can impact it by changing what they do. Limit spending and stop feeding the beast. It is almost one last check and balance in the system. The people have even more power over the purse.

My fear in jumping into this is, of course, knowing our politicians, we would end up with a sales tax and income tax.

[Bigun]

I am going to ditto that too. Although I know it is almost an impossible task to get to this and all the more willing to start with a flat tax, going to a fair ta system really does give the power back to the people. If people have a ethical or political conviction against what the government is doing, they can impact it by changing what they do. Limit spending and stop feeding the beast. It is almost one last check and balance in the system. The people have even more power over the purse.

My fear in jumping into this is, of course, knowing our politicians, we would end up with a sales tax and income tax.

Not if we pass HR25/S122 we won't! Can't happen!

BTW we are much closer than you might imagine! The House Ways and Means Committee is supposed to vote on this early next year and we are picking up new co-sponsors quickly.

It is my firm belief that if this ever gets out of committee to the floor it's a done deal as there will be so much public pressure for it that they won't be able to stop it.

[Bigun]

I'd like to get rid of the IRS—but I'm not sure as a healthcare practice I want to be a tax collector for the government.

Still thinking on it...

Even if your business was compensated for it's trouble? The fairtax bill does that.

[Rapunzel]

Wait one cotton picking minute. Have you seen what the poor have today? Smart phones and big-screen TVs— that's what they have! In the meanwhile my income as a doctor has been ravaged by taxation and burdensome regulations. Do you know I make less today than I did my first year in practice nearly 30 years ago! Practice for me is a nightmare. Talk to other doctors, privately. You'll get an earful.

I can vouch for that....

[Rapunzel]

As usual, you are right, Big.  Whether morality causes freedom or freedom causes morality is a "chicken and egg" argument.  The point is you can't have one without the other.  If you are going to support drug deregulation without supporting economic freedom  then you are only going to make society's problem worse.

As it is, the drug war is a very profitable proposition for the Democrat machine.  They hand out the welfare and food stamps to lock in the vote from lower class people, then the food stamps and welfare pay for drugs, then they have to hire gobs of law enforcement -- public employees all, so more votes -- to enforce the drug laws.  It's a beautiful thing for them.

This so Lon our diff said two meth addicts.  Both on Medicaid both once again strongly encouraged to go to rehab.  Ny way you look at it we are paying for their habit.

[Rapunzel]

So, since your only reply this morning is to the drug question LS are we to assume you've not read any of the books recommended on this thread?

[massadvj]

So, since your only reply this morning is to the drug question LS are we to assume you've not read any of the books recommended on this thread?

Maybe he's out reading them right now, which might explain where he's been.  Either that, or he's out using drugs. 

[Liberal_Spy]

Sounds like you may in actuality be a "compassionate conservative"—a term I hate—minus the abortion integrity, you just don't know it yet. By the way, in case you didn't know, there is a pro-abortion wing of Republicans—or, at least there are agnostics on the subject.

I am definitely not a conservative. I'll admit that some liberals (dumb ones) think that Communism is a good idea, but most of them don't actually believe that. I support cutting government in places I think it is highly unnecessary and wasted (drug war/excess military spending/etc), but support growing government in places I believe it helps people.

[Liberal_Spy]

Maybe he's out reading them right now, which might explain where he's been.  Either that, or he's out using drugs. 

Today was my son's birthday.

[massadvj]

I am definitely not a conservative. I'll admit that some liberals (dumb ones) think that Communism is a good idea, but most of them don't actually believe that. I support cutting government in places I think it is highly unnecessary and wasted (drug war/excess military spending/etc), but support growing government in places I believe it helps people.

Maybe you could name some areas where you think the federal government has improved things, and should be expanded?

[aligncare]

Can't wait to hear the answer 

[Liberal_Spy]

Maybe you could name some areas where you think the federal government has improved things, and should be expanded?

I think we could do a LOT of good for education in this country if we started actually providing good funding to public schools. Maybe they'd be able to hire some more teachers and reduce the size of classrooms so teachers would be able to properly teach our children. Maybe they'd be able to buy some of the teaching materials that a lot of public schools desperately need. Maybe if we reduced some of our enormously bloated military spending as well as ended the war on drugs we could easily afford to let people do something horrible like go to college for free (or even for reasonable prices that don't put them in debt for the next 20 years). Maybe we could afford to hire more good professors so professors aren't overwhelmed with more students than they can handle and the quality of education can be improved in college as well.

[Rapunzel]

I think we could do a LOT of good for education in this country if they started actually providing good funding to public schools. Maybe they'd be able to hire some more teachers and reduce the size of classrooms so teachers would be able to properly teach our children. Maybe they'd be able to buy some of the teaching materials that a lot of public schools desperately need. Maybe if we reduced some of our enormously bloated military spending as well as ended the war on drugs we could easily afford to let people do something horrible like go to college for free (or even for reasonable prices that don't put them in debt for the next 20 years). Maybe they could afford to hire more good professors so professors aren't overwhelmed with more students than they can handle and the quality of education can be improved in college as well.

Most of us here went to school in classrooms of 30 or  more students and received a far superior education than what passes for education today.  If you want to go to college - pay for it yourself, something the majority of us did.  Also, not everyone is cut out for college, and there is a lot of jobs that pay a lot more, have more of a need for employees and all that is required is a trade school.  The problem with the quality of education is not a lack of professors, it is a overload of liberal professors.

[Liberal_Spy]

If you want to go to college - pay for it yourself, something the majority of us did. 

How long did it take the majority of you to pay off your massive student loan debt after you were finished with college?

[Rapunzel]

How long did it take the majority of you to pay off your massive student loan debt after you were finished with college?

I worked and paid as I went. I didn't expect some Joe schmoe I didn't even know to pay for my education... and THAT is the problem with the attitude of you young libs today, you all think you are owed something. News flash - you are not.  You are owed an opportunity to go to school and to work - provided you actually get a useable education.  What you are not owed is for me to support you. Your parents birthed you, let them support you or get a scholarship to help out with your education and get a job. Besides, you said you were in the military and going on the GI Bill.. so what are you complaining about - I am already paying for you since the GI bill comes out of tax dollars and it is in return for your service to our nation.

[Liberal_Spy]

I worked and paid as I went.

My student loans are nearing 50 thousand dollars and I have not even finished my masters degree yet. Where exactly can young inexperienced students today work that allows them to make ends meet as well as pay off the gigantic amount of student loan debt they are accruing while they attend college?