What is your ideal society?

[Czechs Mex]

(Terr, this topic was made with you in mind. I hope it holds your happiest post ever.)

Here's your chance to post how you think the United States (or any other country) SHOULD function. What should the government be like? How much are people taxed? Who is taxed? What are the government's main concerns? What views should be held concerning foreign policy? Whatever you think is most important, tell us about it. (This doesn't really have to be limited to the government, either.)

No need to talk about how our current situation sucks balls and why we're all completely ****ed because of it - we all know that already, and I guarantee there will be many topics about it. This topic, however, is where you find your happy place.

I'm genuinely curious about Terr's answer to this question, and I think others might be as well. If we're going to be hearing about what's wrong with our country, it would be nice to know what you think we should be aiming for.

So let's hear about your dream world. Who knows, maybe some of your ideas are more possible than you imagined.

[Ryner]

Re: What is your ideal society?

Stupidity should be a crime.

[Magus]

Re: What is your ideal society?

Breasts should be mandatory for ALL Japanese.

[John Mora]

Re: What is your ideal society?

Equal rights for gargoyles!

[MaRc]

Re: What is your ideal society?

[Magus]

Re: What is your ideal society?

Yeah? You think it's funny now right?

Well, what're you gonna do the next time someone stupids you? What're you gonna do the next time your Japanese is no-breasted? What're you gonna do the next time a gargoyle can't perch in his 1000-year home?!

Well. LAUGH IT UP, FUZZBALL.

[Funk]

Re: What is your ideal society?

Antisocial behavior should be considered the norm, paradox pending.

[IRC]

Re: What is your ideal society?

Everyone should act decently to everyone else. If you follow that everything else will be fine.

[The Toecutter]

Re: What is your ideal society?

Here's your chance to post how you think the United States (or any other country) SHOULD function. What should the government be like?

Small or minute in size, with harsh legal enforcement towards those in positions of authority and lenient legal enforcement to those not in positions of authority. Above all, the constitution of the United States should be upheld.

Ideally, those most negatively affected by a decision should have the most say in it. Issue pertains especially to things like industrial pollution, global warming, and deforestation.

How much are people taxed? Who is taxed?

Varies with income or profit, pegged to any inflation rate with no consessions allowed for placing income earned inside America or from its consumers or workers to offshore tax shelters. No deductions, no loopholes, no BS, exception being breaks to those that choose to home school their children(NOT send them to a private school or have a private instructor teach them), breaks to those that do not want to use the planned Universal Healthcare system and a private entity instead, and tax breaks to those that don't own and drive an automobile. TAX POLLUTION TO REFLECT ITS ASSOCIATED SOCIAL COSTS AND ENFORCE CURRENT REGULATIONS. No more are really needed. If a car would be made to cost $100k due to the social costs of the pollution it makes over its lifetime, and gasoline was made to cost $12 a gallon, for example, people just might be offered electric cars because they would account for far less pollution and with said pollution tax cost as much as cars we have now in mass production. This pollution tax would help fund universal healthcare; pollution is responsible for 50k-100k premature deaths per year in the US according to the American Lung Association. It's time for those creating these problems to pay up the damages that currently come from other people's pockets. Those families making < $50,000 a year in current dollars pay no income tax. None. Those individual families making about $100k a year would pay about 5%. Those making $500k or so would pay 15%. Those making $1 million or more a year would pay about 25%. So on and so forth, going no higher than 30% for individual incomes. For corporations, the percentage can go higher and the scale would be different, so as to penalize big business and make sure the smallest businesses pay no taxes. The federal budget would be cut drastically, to about 60% of what it currently is, with cuts in defense spending, elimination of the DEA, FBI, CIA, NSA, HSA, ending of the drug war, ending of the war in Iraq, elimination of all corporate subsidies.

What are the government's main concerns?

Promoting the general welfare, concern for civil liberties, keeping the size of government limited, and making sure society remains a free republic and not an oligarchy.

What views should be held concerning foreign policy?

Non interventionist. Adhere to international laws agreed to, but otherwise remain non-interventionist. If excessive tax revenue exists, make it a priority to try to eliminate starvation and deprivation worldwide, which would cost $40 billion per annum according to the UN, but remain non-interventionist in 99% of all other cases.

Bar the government from ANY deficet spending.

Destroy all nuclear weapons.

Whatever you think is most important, tell us about it. (This doesn't really have to be limited to the government, either.)

Corporate accountability. Need I say more?

[Vonwert]

Re: What is your ideal society?

One where idiots aren't looked towards with respect.

[Kire]

Re: What is your ideal society?

My society will live by 2 rules...

1. Be excellent to each other.

2. Party on, dudes!

[Funk]

Re: What is your ideal society?

3. No evil robot us's.

[IRC]

Re: What is your ideal society?

*air guitar*

[Sampson]

Re: What is your ideal society?

What should the government be like?

Take the US constitution as a template, but then revamp it. Abolish the executive branch as a whole. State governments can still have executive branches and governors, but the nation would not have a president. The power would then be divided between the Supreme Court and the congress. The Supreme Court's power would be beefed up even more so than it is now, and the judges would be popularly elected. After a law has passed congress, the Supreme Court would first have to check it over to make sure that it fit entirely with the constitution. If they decided that it was unconstitutional, it would be thrown out, and congress could not overturn their decision. If the congress really wanted to pass said law, they could amend the constitution (but then they have to go through a ridiculously long process to amend) and they could impeach and remove judges from the court.

In times of war, the congress could elect a temporary president to preside over the war effort, but nothing more.

The constitution would include a longer and more definite bill of rights, and the government would govern as less as possible. Coining money, regulating interstate affairs, dealing with other countries, raising an army in times of war, these would be the duties the federal government would primarily be limited to. However, the state governments would be curbed as well. Capital punishment and the war on drugs would be gone, as would the government's interference with the private sector. Yet so would social security, nearly all government benefits, and corporate/personal welfare.

As far as crime and punishment--criminal sentencing would be based around a theory of, "logically, would this person commit this crime again?" (No harsh punishments based on vengeance would be permitted.) If the answer is no, then the person gets off practically scott free, if the answer is yes--then logical steps would be taken so as to prevent this person from ever being able to commit this crime again. Say a person hits a construction worker with their car, and it was a true accident, they would simply loose the ability to drive, but they would not have to serve any time in prison for manslaughter or pay any fines.

How much are people taxed? Who is taxed?

As the government would be infinitely smaller, much less taxing would be needed. There would be no income tax. The little money the government needed to keep running would be provided for by sales tax, an equal rate on every good. (with the exception of food, water, and house(the purchase of a second home though would be taxed))

If an individual state wanted to provide additional benefits, such as public schooling, they could increase the rate of sales tax, but income taxing would be illegal.

What are the government's main concerns?

Keeping their nose out of other's business, and making sure that people do not violate other's rights. Above all, treating everyone equal, and making sure that it's citizens can live their lives however they choose, as long as they don't violate the rights of others.

What views should be held concerning foreign policy?

Strictly isolationist. The government would not have a standing army, but systems would be in place to create one quickly, if and only if, another country invaded this nation. The government would not be able to provide any foreign aide, or make formal alliances with any country.

[Nixon]

Re: What is your ideal society?

My ideal society: Everyone obeys the fist.