Ok, here is my first blog post. Something I've considered for a long time, but haven't really followed through. Hello Blogosphere, I am here. As this is no doubt to be eventually found by people who know me from web forums and the military, they can tell you I am an intellectual force to be reckoned with. That is not arrogance, it's simply the truth. Does it mean I'm never wrong? No, just highly intelligent and intent on putting that intelligence to work in the best way possible to improve the world around me.
Politics- I am a centrist, best way to describe me politically. I believe that the government needs to keep its' hands out of the pot, unless the pot needs to be stirred. I also believe that when the pot needs to be stirred, it shouldn't be stirred half-heartedly. So, the first big complaint is both liberals and conservatives who threatened a government shutdown over ideology. Seriously, one side or the other should have compromised days before they did, and not with the attempts at forcing something ideological through the budget. Liberals could have guaranteed womens' health services without funding abortion. Religious Conservatives didn't need to make a big stink about a portion of the budget just to prevent federal funding of abortions.
Now that we're on the budget topic, let's look at the amount of redundancy in the government. The first part I'm going to attack is the tax structure, which is inherently wrong in just about every way. From the local level to the federal level, the tax structure is entirely jacked up. In fact I've just named the chief problem. Everyone has to deal with three or four levels of government when it comes to paying taxes. That is jacked up. All collection from individuals and businesses should be handled at the local (city or county) level. The local governments are then allocated their funds out of that on a percentage basis, and they pass the money up to the next higher level. The states collect from the counties only, and then are allocated their percentage, sending the remaining percentage to the federal government. The next problem with our tax system is that it is primarily an income based system. This creates a problem because you are taxing production intstead of consumption. In all reality, you are penalizing all but the smallest percentage of top producers. You are diminishing the incentive to work harder and produce more. Tax consumption instead. The more necessary an item is, the lower the tax on it. A car is necessary, for example. Tax that at a lower rate. Same with food, fuel, and communications equipment. But I don't need a Playstation or XBox. Tax that at a much higher percentage. And tax everything. Nothing you buy is tax exempt. Let those that work harder have their money, and only penalize them for buying luxury items. Doesn't even have to apply to "high end" vs. "low end" merchandise. Just target those items based on their total necessity value. Tax a Mercedes-Benz, a Honda, and a Kia at the same rate.
Now I'll come to the politicians. There's no way to avoid career politicians. It's impossible to elect someone senator or president if they don't have the background to be known well enough for that level of office. Even at the state level, it can be impossible to elect a legislator or governor without having a political history to assess by. However, there are things that should be done to discourage the type of political careers that are based solely upon inherited wealth.
I have no problem with someone keeping that which they've earned. I've no problem with someone who inherits a tangible interest from their parent(s) when they continue to work at that interest. I do have a problem with those that are generations removed from the ancestor who established an interest and do no real work to continue building or sustaining it. I am of the opinion that when an inheritance exceeds a reasonable level, it's time to tax that to a huge degree and utilize the money gained to provide equal educational opportunities to everyone. Our nation now has a de facto aristocracy of robber barons who haven't actually earned a cent they have. If you don't believe me, look at a celebrity like Paris Hilton. Okay, she did some modeling work. But the only reason she is where she is is because of her father's fortune. I get sick of seeing her sordid life on the news when it's hardly ever for anything constructive. When a family gets that rich, and the patronage dies, leave the inheritors enough to live comfortably off of and even start their own new business, but let us trim the fat and level the playing field. The only out for having your estate that heavily taxed is to establish a non-profit organization which is nonpolitical in nature and in which at least 60% of the proceeds are dedicated to improving education in this nation. Then the tax interest rate still applies, just the government does nothing more than assist in establishing the new organization.
It's time to discuss religion. Freedom of religion is an inherent right. I hold Secular Humanism to be a religion. Therefore, anything we teach in our schools in which religious views may play a part in should be taught as theory, and addressed as such. There is no reason why Intelligent Design, Creationism, and a more agnostic Evolution can't be comparitavely taught side by side. And they can be taugh in an objective fashion.
Now, I'm in no mood to debate someone over the minor details of my religion vs. theirs. My faith is mine. I will share it with you if you ask, and I do not judge people for having a different faith. I've studied too many religions to a fair depth to claim that because someone follows a certain path they are going to heaven or hell. Burning the articles of another faith is also unacceptable. In fact, in many religions such an act is counter to the very core of its' doctrine. And considering the possible end result of such an act, I consider it no different than yelling "fire" in a crowded theater when there is no fire. It's not free expression, it's an act of open antagonism.
So, these are my thoughts tonight. The system can be fixed, it just takes a concerted effort on our part to do so. We just have to be fed up with the status quo.
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