- 24 Apr 2014 02:09
#14395228
So here is yet another basic ideological evolutionary update from me. I know I do these quite frequently. This is sort of my pragmatic plan from a mostly America-centric perspective.
ECONOMIC ISSUES
I support a more simplified tax code. I don't favor a "true flat tax" per se but I believe in having an exemption up to the poverty line with a separate tax credit for each dependent but beyond that no other writeoffs other than basic deductions for the cost of doing business (to tax profits only). For instance poverty line for a single person is 11,670 so the tax bracket up to that point would be say 0% for a single person, although that would be extended up to 23,850 for a family of four. So a family of four making 50k per year would pay 0% on the first 23,850 and then whatever the tax rate would be on the remainder, say 20%.
I support ending capital gains taxes and estate taxes as this simply re-taxes already earned income.
Introduce a voucher program so everybody can purchase a basic health insurance policy.
Allow people the option to either remain in the pay as you go social security system or invest their payroll tax in a government approved mutual fund similar to the system in Chile.
Support free trade via the lowering of tariffs and abolition of protectionist legislation as opposed to faux free trade "managed trade" policies like NAFTA and the WTO.
In contrast to libertarians I oppose a gold or metallic standard for currency. In the end the value we attach to anything is something created over time by society, besides having government control of the supply of money makes it more flexible in times of emergency.
I believe the maintanence of welfare programs for the poor and indigent should be a state, not federal responsibility. Some states would undoubtedly be generous whereas others would be stingy but in the end states should be allowed to be laboratories for what works best.
I support charter schools and private school vouchers as an alternative to teachers' union dominated public schools.
I generally believe immigration is a net positive for society although it needs to have some controls to make sure dangerous people do not get in. While I favor a fairly liberal immigration policy I do believe immigrants should have to follow a certain set of uniform rules. Non-citizens who commit felonies should face immediate and permanent deportation (a total ban on future immigration) after serving their sentence. Additionally non-citizens will not be able to accept welfare payments although they will be required to "pay their way" via taxes.
I believe that some basic environmental and labor regulations are needed in order to protect public safety.
SOCIAL ISSUES
To me the whole "national debate" about social issues is absolutely absurd. The Tenth Amendment more or less takes care of social issues in my humble opinion, it pretty much limits the government's role entirely to that of an abitrator of when these issues cross state lines. Both left and right in their attempt to federalize social policy have moved it out of its rightful domain in the states.
The framers recognized different local cultures would be more prominent in other areas. Thus gays have long flocked to progressive cities on the coasts and have legalized gay marriage there. By the same token somebody who wants to "toke up" can move to Colorado and somebody who does not want pot shops on their corner can live in nearby Kansas. The sole Federal role in the issue would be (if we truly upheld the Tenth Amendment) in prohibiting drug trafficking across state lines and penalizing lawbreakers, however it has usurped this power and raided medical marijuana programs in other states.
The trend of both social conservatives and social liberals to attempt to federalize social policy on one hand and to legislate from the bench and truncate democratic debate on social issues has led to these absurd "culture wars" issues playing a major role in presidential politics when constitutitionally and historically they should play NO role.
FOREIGN POLICY
It is really a case by case basis for me which foreign policy stance I support.
For the record I supported us military intervention into Afghanistan because I believed it was necessary to break bin Laden's organization and bring him to justice.
I opposed the invasion of Iraq because I believe Saddam was sufficiently contained within his own country by the First Gulf War and previous sanctions and there was no credible link between Hussein's regime (as deplorable as it was) and 9/11.
I support Israel's right to exist while supporting a two state solution.
I am currently opposed to any sort of western military intervention into Ukraine.
POLITICAL REFORM
I support introducing term limits for the Congress of 12 years (6 terms for the House, 2 for the Senate).
ECONOMIC ISSUES
I support a more simplified tax code. I don't favor a "true flat tax" per se but I believe in having an exemption up to the poverty line with a separate tax credit for each dependent but beyond that no other writeoffs other than basic deductions for the cost of doing business (to tax profits only). For instance poverty line for a single person is 11,670 so the tax bracket up to that point would be say 0% for a single person, although that would be extended up to 23,850 for a family of four. So a family of four making 50k per year would pay 0% on the first 23,850 and then whatever the tax rate would be on the remainder, say 20%.
I support ending capital gains taxes and estate taxes as this simply re-taxes already earned income.
Introduce a voucher program so everybody can purchase a basic health insurance policy.
Allow people the option to either remain in the pay as you go social security system or invest their payroll tax in a government approved mutual fund similar to the system in Chile.
Support free trade via the lowering of tariffs and abolition of protectionist legislation as opposed to faux free trade "managed trade" policies like NAFTA and the WTO.
In contrast to libertarians I oppose a gold or metallic standard for currency. In the end the value we attach to anything is something created over time by society, besides having government control of the supply of money makes it more flexible in times of emergency.
I believe the maintanence of welfare programs for the poor and indigent should be a state, not federal responsibility. Some states would undoubtedly be generous whereas others would be stingy but in the end states should be allowed to be laboratories for what works best.
I support charter schools and private school vouchers as an alternative to teachers' union dominated public schools.
I generally believe immigration is a net positive for society although it needs to have some controls to make sure dangerous people do not get in. While I favor a fairly liberal immigration policy I do believe immigrants should have to follow a certain set of uniform rules. Non-citizens who commit felonies should face immediate and permanent deportation (a total ban on future immigration) after serving their sentence. Additionally non-citizens will not be able to accept welfare payments although they will be required to "pay their way" via taxes.
I believe that some basic environmental and labor regulations are needed in order to protect public safety.
SOCIAL ISSUES
To me the whole "national debate" about social issues is absolutely absurd. The Tenth Amendment more or less takes care of social issues in my humble opinion, it pretty much limits the government's role entirely to that of an abitrator of when these issues cross state lines. Both left and right in their attempt to federalize social policy have moved it out of its rightful domain in the states.
The framers recognized different local cultures would be more prominent in other areas. Thus gays have long flocked to progressive cities on the coasts and have legalized gay marriage there. By the same token somebody who wants to "toke up" can move to Colorado and somebody who does not want pot shops on their corner can live in nearby Kansas. The sole Federal role in the issue would be (if we truly upheld the Tenth Amendment) in prohibiting drug trafficking across state lines and penalizing lawbreakers, however it has usurped this power and raided medical marijuana programs in other states.
The trend of both social conservatives and social liberals to attempt to federalize social policy on one hand and to legislate from the bench and truncate democratic debate on social issues has led to these absurd "culture wars" issues playing a major role in presidential politics when constitutitionally and historically they should play NO role.
FOREIGN POLICY
It is really a case by case basis for me which foreign policy stance I support.
For the record I supported us military intervention into Afghanistan because I believed it was necessary to break bin Laden's organization and bring him to justice.
I opposed the invasion of Iraq because I believe Saddam was sufficiently contained within his own country by the First Gulf War and previous sanctions and there was no credible link between Hussein's regime (as deplorable as it was) and 9/11.
I support Israel's right to exist while supporting a two state solution.
I am currently opposed to any sort of western military intervention into Ukraine.
POLITICAL REFORM
I support introducing term limits for the Congress of 12 years (6 terms for the House, 2 for the Senate).