NationStates Jolt Archive

If you could name any five things which a government could do for you, what would it be?

I'll start it off ...

1. An honest government (Yeah right ...)
2. Protection from criminals
3. Clear defined equal rights as a citizen
4. As little tax as possible, without cutting public spending
5. A fantastic National Health Service

Say what you think!

1 - fully-funded healthcare with a national drug prescription plan
2 - legalised pot
3 - fully-funded public education through post-secondary
4 - money invested in social infrastructure, including and not limited to public transit and green spaces
5 - equal rights regardless of gender, race, religion, sexuality etc

1. MAKE ME A SANDWICH, BITCH.
2. ????
3. Profit!

1) Accountibility.
2) A detailed financial report as to where our taxes are being spent.
3) A Goverment that does it's best.
4) A Goverment able to keep secrets
5) A Goverment that is NOT efficent

5 things I want a government to do, in no order:
National Defense
Emergency services
Roads/Infrastructure
Focus on saving the environmnent
Large national parks and designated wilderness territory (I'd say over half the country should be wild, if not more)

1. criminal deterrence, criminal justice, civil dispute resolution
2. commercial regulation to: (a) promote the domestic economy, (b) encourage entrepeneurship, (c) encourage export, (d) establish and maintain an excellent transportation infrastructure (e) subsidize environmentally friendly energy production, recycling, etc.
3. protect natural habitats at home and abroad with military force if necessary
4. promoting human rights at home and abroad with military force if necessary
5. cooperation with other governments to acheive progress in the world's environment, scientific exploration of truth, criminal justice, human rights, and other worthwhile endeavors.

5 things I want a government to do, in no order:
National Defense
Emergency services
Roads/Infrastructure
Focus on saving the environmnent
Large national parks and designated wilderness territory (I'd say over half the country should be wild, if not more)

I like your emphasis on the environment, you and I just might become good buddies.

3. protect natural habitats at home and abroad with military force if necessary

Wouldn't use of military force damage natural habitats?

1. Voluntary syndicalist organisational form
2. Participatory economic system.

... But then, that's not a government, it's governing through free association.

1. Rationality
2. Compassion

Those two are probably sufficient.

1. The Fair Tax Plan
2. Small and Decentralized
3. The less intrusion on my personal life and private proprety, the better!
4. A well funded and regulated militatry and police force.
5. Actually gives a damn about the Bill of Rights
6. No National Health Care System, but the Health Care company shouldn't have monopolies either.
7. A healthy and robust private sector.
8. A emphasis on alternative fuels!!!
9. In relations to the Fair Tax Plan, a Taxpayers Bill of Rights, which will regulate what the government taxes, and for how much.
10. Accountability.

1. MAKE ME A SANDWICH, BITCH.
That will never work. For starters, if you want another user to do a command for you, you have to append it with sudo. Second, bash is case sensitive; nobody wants to type holding the damned shift key all day (or remember to flick Caps Lock), so pretty much everything is lowercase. Third, it is quite tedious to type it words that do little to the sentence, so they are removed: a adds nothing, and me is implied. Finally, computers have not been programmed to understand name calling, so bitch isn't going to help.

Therefore your command should be:
sudo make sandwich

Which will work in the rare cases when the Makefile with a sandwich target.

national and civil defense
roads/infrastructure
court system

1. Protection from criminals and a functioning law system.
2. I want it to protect the individual rights we hold for granted like the freedom of the press and the freedom to say whatever we want without being punished.
3. Grant everyone health care, schooling, social security when getting sick or loosing a job and so on...
4. Infrastructure
5. And maybe the most important thing, it should protect the environment.

1. Civil Rights
2. Healthcare
3. Education
4. Commerce/Economy
5. Environment
6. Social Equality (Vote NDP for $10 minimum wage!!)

in no particular order:

- free healthcare/education and a good welfare-system

- protection of the environment

- a lot of civil liberties (legalisation of soft drugs, euthanasia and abortion legal, gay marriage etc (i don't really know how to call these, but i guess civil liberties is correct?))

- federal and regional elections on the same day and maybe more often

- doing something about the roads and traffic, improving public transport

1. National health service - with nothing left out except maybe blatantly un-necessary cosmetic surgery.
2. An unrestricted legal market in all drugs, recreational or otherwise, with proper information on effects / side effects rather than hysterical, puritanical anti-drug propaganda.
3. A well funded police force.
4. An equally well funded fire and rescue service.
5. Properly funded and equipped armed forces.
5. Government controlled public transport infrastructure, provided at cost with no profiteering.
5. Government run Electricity, gas and water supplies, provided at cost.
6. An eternal ban on privatising any of the above.
7. Sound property rights.
8. Sound currency, 100% backed by gold reserves.
9. The right to protect local industries through judicious use of capital controls and trade barriers.
10. Environmental protection regulations.
11. The legally guaranteed right for every citizen to form or join an independent trade union, with collective union bargaining rights.
12. A progressive taxation system - or failing that, a flat rate of tax with a reasonably high threshold to protect lower paid workers.
13. A limit of 5 years in any political office or civil service job (this would reduce mini-empire building and abuses of power within the government).
14. A minimum wage and a maximum work week - plus legal overtime regulations.
15. An independent agency to detect and combat corporate fraudulence and white-collar crime.

Ok, you're probably beginning to see where my politics lie.
I'm probably going to be screamed at by Free-market fanatic types, hardcore conservatives and anti-tax crusaders, but sod it, I don't care.

Wouldn't use of military force damage natural habitats?

Not really. I am referring to using infantry to protect wildlife refuges from poachers, sinking Jap whaling ships, and punitive air strikes against governments that violate environmental treaties.

1. Infrastructure, either for necessity or a combination of necessity and economic stimulus (WPA, CCC, etc.)

2. National defense, and by defense I mean DEFENSE. I need intelligence (and investment in HUMAN intelligence, especially) to assess threats, but what I don't need is pre-emptive war without a solid footing from which to launch it. I most certainly don't need a military-industrial complex suckling on the government teat.

2a. TAKE EXCELLENT CARE OF THE VETERANS, FOR FUCK'S SAKE.

3. Simple and fair taxation without millions of loopholes and offshore dodges. You do business here, you pay taxes here. Also, the tax code must weigh less than the average auditor and have fewer pages than the BIG PRINT version of War and Peace.

4. Elections. Everyone gets the same amount, and airtime and print media are free. This takes personal fortunes and backdoor fundraising scams out of the mix...I'm hoping to not have to hear the term "soft money" ever again. In addition, four terms for the House (16 years) and three for the Senate (18 years) are maximums. We will have no career federal politicians unless you are working your way up the ladder.

5. Social Security. De-emphasize welfare and punch up disability, making it a felony to abuse either (adding closer scrutiny). NEVER allow private investment firms' hands on citizens' retirement benefits.

6. A basic national healthcare plan. Nobody should have to deal with abcesses, pneumonia, and other conditions that come about from neglecting simpler and easier to treat maladies. All citizens and nationals get one free medical, dental and visual check-up a year. A tax on elective cosmetic surgery, Viagra-like elective prescriptions, unnecessary gold teeth or fronts and other concessions to vanity (frames for glasses valued at over $300, for example) will help defray the cost.

7. STAY THE HELL OUT OF MY RELIGIOUS, SEXUAL, INTELLECTUAL and PERSONAL LIFE. Amendment XXVIII -- Congress shall make no law interfering with personal decisions of a moral, ethical or spiritual nature, excepting where such decisions put any person in jeopardy of life, liberty or property or which, in so doing, subject anyone to punishment under the Laws of the Nation or several States or the Jurisdiction in which the decision is made and resulting action executed.

8. Sensible immigration policy. Illegals are exactly that -- illegal. That said, let's make becoming a legal citizen a streamlined, but thoroughly-checked process which INCLUDES passing a standard English as a Second Language class.

9. Education funding and merit pay for public school teachers and profs at state schools. Mandate that schools may not be allowed to "change the paradigm" of ANY damn thing until the one they've just implemented has been given a chance to succeed or fail for at least three years, barring a gross failure of documented proportions.

1. National health service - with nothing left out except maybe blatantly un-necessary cosmetic surgery.
2. An unrestricted legal market in all drugs, recreational or otherwise, with proper information on effects / side effects rather than hysterical, puritanical anti-drug propaganda.
3. A well funded police force.
4. An equally well funded fire and rescue service.
5. Properly funded and equipped armed forces.
5. Government controlled public transport infrastructure, provided at cost with no profiteering.
5. Government run Electricity, gas and water supplies, provided at cost.
6. An eternal ban on privatising any of the above.
7. Sound property rights.
8. Sound currency, 100% backed by gold reserves.
9. The right to protect local industries through judicious use of capital controls and trade barriers.
10. Environmental protection regulations.
11. The legally guaranteed right for every citizen to form or join an independent trade union, with collective union bargaining rights.
12. A progressive taxation system - or failing that, a flat rate of tax with a reasonably high threshold to protect lower paid workers.
13. A limit of 5 years in any political office or civil service job (this would reduce mini-empire building and abuses of power within the government).
14. A minimum wage and a maximum work week - plus legal overtime regulations.
15. An independent agency to detect and combat corporate fraudulence and white-collar crime.

Ok, you're probably beginning to see where my politics lie.
I'm probably going to be screamed at by Free-market fanatic types, hardcore conservatives and anti-tax crusaders, but sod it, I don't care.

I am pretty conservative and I do not think that you sound too radical. However, it is wierd to ban private utilities. What is so bad about private utilities especially if they can provide the utilities at a lower cost than a public utility company?

1. National health service - with nothing left out except maybe blatantly un-necessary cosmetic surgery.
2. An unrestricted legal market in all drugs, recreational or otherwise, with proper information on effects / side effects rather than hysterical, puritanical anti-drug propaganda.
3. A well funded police force.
4. An equally well funded fire and rescue service.
5. Properly funded and equipped armed forces.
5. Government controlled public transport infrastructure, provided at cost with no profiteering.
5. Government run Electricity, gas and water supplies, provided at cost.
6. An eternal ban on privatising any of the above.
7. Sound property rights.
8. Sound currency, 100% backed by gold reserves.
9. The right to protect local industries through judicious use of capital controls and trade barriers.
10. Environmental protection regulations.
11. The legally guaranteed right for every citizen to form or join an independent trade union, with collective union bargaining rights.
12. A progressive taxation system - or failing that, a flat rate of tax with a reasonably high threshold to protect lower paid workers.
13. A limit of 5 years in any political office or civil service job (this would reduce mini-empire building and abuses of power within the government).
14. A minimum wage and a maximum work week - plus legal overtime regulations.
15. An independent agency to detect and combat corporate fraudulence and white-collar crime.

Ok, you're probably beginning to see where my politics lie.
I'm probably going to be screamed at by Free-market fanatic types, hardcore conservatives and anti-tax crusaders, but sod it, I don't care.

Wow, I'm glad you're not President, my taxes would skyrocket, and our economy would tank.

Not really. I am referring to using infantry to protect wildlife refuges from poachers, sinking Jap whaling ships, and punitive air strikes against governments that violate environmental treaties.

"Jap"? Please feel free to go get stuffed, bigot-face.

Wow, I'm glad you're not President, my taxes would skyrocket, and our economy would tank.

Wow, I'm glad your opinion isn't even worth the electrons it costs to display it. How about you comment your own list instead of slagging someone else's, Rush-humper?

"Jap"? Please feel free to go get stuffed, bigot-face.

Saying Jap is not offensive or derogatory.

I'm British, and it would be no less offensive than calling me a "Brit"

6. Social Equality (Vote NDP for $10 minimum wage!!)

if everyone was a millionaire you would be paying $1000 for a loaf of bread

sinking Jap whaling ships, and punitive air strikes against governments that violate environmental treaties.

i'm all for protecting the environment, but killing people to protect it, isn't that a little bit extreme?

"Jap"? Please feel free to go get stuffed, bigot-face.

Saying "Jap" is not offensive or derogatory. It's merely short for Japanese

I'm British and it would be no more offensive than calling me a "Brit"

I am pretty conservative and I do not think that you sound too radical. However, it is wierd to ban private utilities. What is so bad about private utilities especially if they can provide the utilities at a lower cost than a public utility company?

Because public utilities (water, electricity, gas, public transport etc.) can't make a profit without significantly lowering the standard of service and / or significantly raising the price compared to government run "at cost" networks.

Yes, I know government utilities have a sorry track record of being useless - but this is more often than not a result of underinvestment by a government that's more concerned with cutting taxes, or corruption by civil servants building their little empires.

Also, in the history of privatising former public utilities, the justification given for doing so is always "we can cut the price of the service by XX percent". However, the result is usually at least a twofold increase in price, with concomitant lack of investment in maintenance by a company focused on it's bottom line.

The government doesn't need to make a profit - in fact, it is usually prohibited from doing so. Private companies must make a profit for their shareholders / bondholders. Therefore in the interests of providing the best service for the public, utilities should be left in state control.

I'm not against private industry by the way, I just think that public services should be publicly owned - otherwise you end up with a conflict of interests.

Wow ...

I'm nominating you as my finance advisor!

I agree, public services should be at the hands of the public (through democratic country of course).

Just to show what a "Rush humper" I am, I shall go point by point on this list.

1. National health service - with nothing left out except maybe blatantly un-necessary cosmetic surgery.

So far the NHS is really getting mixed reviews from other countries, some love it, some hate it. I guess if you're not dying, then they put you on a waiting list. If the United States actually get a NHS, then 15% more of our economy would be controlled by Gov. Co. I'm sorry but I'm not going to give a government who couldn't even beat terrorist with home made bombs that much control over something I personally use everyday.


2. An unrestricted legal market in all drugs, recreational or otherwise, with proper information on effects / side effects rather than hysterical, puritanical anti-drug propaganda.

I support this, if you want to do drugs, or whatever in the privacy of your own home, then that's your business. However I should warn that it shouldn't protect you from getting fired from your job if you come to work high.


3. A well funded police force.

Agreed.

4. An equally well funded fire and rescue service.

Agreed
5. Properly funded and equipped armed forces.

Agreed, but no micromanagement.

5. Government controlled public transport infrastructure, provided at cost with no profiteering.

No, no, no, and no. If there's one thing I've seen government screw up over and over, is Public Transportation, I've also seen private form of public transportation as well, and they tend to work better. Have the private sector take over the public transportation, the buses and trains will be cleaner and run more smoothly.

5. Government run Electricity, gas and water supplies, provided at cost.

My city has both government run electricity, gas and water. It also allows the option of a private eletricity, gas, and wells. Guess which one provides better services with fewer problems. Another score for private sector.

6. An eternal ban on privatising any of the above.

No, no, no, no and once again no. At the least you should allow options for public and private.

7. Sound property rights.

Agreed.


8. Sound currency, 100% backed by gold reserves.

Also to start paying off our debt to other countries, starting with China.

9. The right to protect local industries through judicious use of capital controls and trade barriers.

No, I cannot agree with this, one of the reason that capitalism does so well is that there's competition betweens companies to try to make the best product and sell that product at the lowest prices, this control and trade barriers will just hurt local businesses and drive prices up.

10. Environmental protection regulations.

Eh, why not.

11. The legally guaranteed right for every citizen to form or join an independent trade union, with collective union bargaining rights.

Government should not have any powers over Private Sector, Government and Private should be kept separated, so no.


12. A progressive taxation system - or failing that, a flat rate of tax with a reasonably high threshold to protect lower paid workers.

Or we could just cut through all the red tape and bureaucratic nonsense and install a Fair Tax.

13. A limit of 5 years in any political office or civil service job (this would reduce mini-empire building and abuses of power within the government).

and then shall rise the problem of those who just got out to endorse someone else who will carry on what they started, so you're still stuck with the same problem, just a different way of doing it.

14. A minimum wage and a maximum work week - plus legal overtime regulations.

Private and Government, separated.

15. An independent agency to detect and combat corporate fraudulence and white-collar crime.

Eh, I can agree, if it's also private and not government funded.

To leave me alone
To clean up the shit on the streets (both metaphorically and literally)
To vastly improve the hospitals, schools, police etc...
Imrpove the economy

To leave me alone

That's pretty much all I want from my government.

It sucks being an anarchist...it's totally unrealistic. :( :p

That will never work. For starters, if you want another user to do a command for you, you have to append it with sudo. Second, bash is case sensitive; nobody wants to type holding the damned shift key all day (or remember to flick Caps Lock), so pretty much everything is lowercase. Third, it is quite tedious to type it words that do little to the sentence, so they are removed: a adds nothing, and me is implied. Finally, computers have not been programmed to understand name calling, so bitch isn't going to help.

Therefore your command should be:
sudo make sandwich

Which will work in the rare cases when the Makefile with a sandwich target.

Posi hits Greater Trostia with an old UNIX manual!

Isketch players will know what I mean. (Lolz. UNIX manual for newbs.)

That's pretty much all I want from my government.

It sucks being an anarchist...it's totally unrealistic. :( :p

Yeah, thats why I stopped being one.

What do I want? Here goes:

1. Honesty, pure and simple, and transparency.
2. Sound property rights and enforcement of contracts etc.
3. A fair and independent judiciary, with the power to protect the rights of citizens.
4. Free trade with other nations.
5. Law enforcement.
6. Provision of universal healthcare. I've heard Singapore is a good example using public and private finance.
7. Universal education.
8. Nationalised public transport, with profits reinvested in the system, since the system has collapsed since privatisation.
9. Nationalised utilities (gas, water, electricity, and certain aspects of telecoms), again with profits reinvested in the industry.
10. Progressive taxation on individuals, but not excessive.
11. Relatively low taxation on corporate profits for industries to stimulate employment and investment, etc.
12. ILO Union rights.
13. Minimum wage.
14. Protection for the environment, and tax breaks for research into technologies to replace fossil fuels etc.

And more Anglo-centric:

15. A federal system for the UK.
16. Proportional representation.
17. For heaven's sake GET OUT OF IRAQ.


EDIT: Legalisation of illegal drugs, and no government involvement in people's bedrooms, if you get my drift.

i'm all for protecting the environment, but killing people to protect it, isn't that a little bit extreme?

In Soviet Russia, cans recycle you...

What do YOU want from a government?

I want a pony

I want my government to participate in random acts of kindness and senseless acts of *vomits*


Healthcare would be nice.

1. Subsidize Kraft Foods.
2. Provide efficient transportation/distribution of EasyMac.
3. Provide low-cost spoonfeeding services to needy/disabled individuals.

I want a government to:
1. Run only security like the justice system and military plus inevitable monopolies like roads and water, nothing else unless necessary.
2. Use high taxes to subside (not run) socialistic welfare like free education including uni, almost free universal health care coverage and so on.
3. Be transparent so it can't hide any corruption, wasteful inefficiency or dirty cover ups from it's citizens.
4. Stay sovereign, the more we cooperate with others the better but not if it costs us our sovereignty. And I wish we would at least try to speak up about our own interests when talking to larger nations.

I want a government to do for the people the things they aren't able to do for themselves.

Given the chance people can do almost everything for themselves - from education to charity.

About the only thing one needs a government for is for international relations - trade, treaties, defense, immigration and the like.

In other words, they should butt out.