[Dark Tofu]

If you were to gain absolute control of the American government and economy, what would you change it to, and elaborate why it would work. Anarchy? Libertarianism? Conservativism? Dictatorship? branches? Economy? Taxes? Capitalism? Communism? Something else?

[normajean777]

I won't go into a lot of detail about my ideal government, which is not all though out anyway. The main thing is that it would be a capitalistic democracy. Taxes would be collected through a simple flat tax. It would be a 18% tax on all income over $80,000 reguardless of family or deductions (there would be none). It would be similar with corporations, but there would be a 70% deduction on capital expenditures. This would eliminate a tax code that is many times longer than a Bible.

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by normajean777

I won't go into a lot of detail about my ideal government, which is not all though out anyway. The main thing is that it would be a capitalistic democracy. Taxes would be collected through a simple flat tax. It would be a 18% tax on all income over $80,000 reguardless of family or deductions (there would be none). It would be similar with corporations, but there would be a 70% deduction on capital expenditures. This would eliminate a tax code that is many times longer than a Bible.

taxing corporations is stupid, the consumer pays for it in the long run, a tax on businesses is a tax on consumers.

[JerryLove]

taxing corporations is stupid, the consumer pays for it in the long run, a tax on businesses is a tax on consumers.

Taxing individuals is stupid, the economy pays for it in the long-run. A tax on individuals lowers real wealth and thereby lowers spending, and is thus a tax on business.

[Dark Tofu]

What would you make of a Libertarian Capitalistic system?

The government would be based on the three rights, solely. The right to life, liberty, and the property one has earned or recieved. That would be the law, as long as you don't violate or critically endanger the rights of anyone else, you can do what you want. If you were to violate someone else's rights, you would have to pay a worthy penalty. If you stole or damaged someone's property, you would be forced to work off double the value of what you stole/damaged in a labor camp (a new type of prison) where you would do useful hard labor. The government would immediately pay the victim what was stolen/damaged and then keep the profit. Then, you would be released from the camp. If you enslaved, raped, forced someone to do something against their will, you would be forced into a labor camp for a set amount of time by the court, what they consider equivalent to the crime. And, of course, if you violate someone's right to life, you would work in the labor camp for the rest of your life, except for a few cases (i.e. self-defence, unintentional(killing someone who was driving drunk in a car crash), soldiers under order of their commanding officer, etc.).

The branch system would be similar to the way it is now. The judicial system would set presadents as to what was violating rights and what wasn't, and they would determine punishment lengths. The supreme would also have the right to vote out the military commander(president) if he was violating the rights of anyone. The military commander would be elected by the public(like the president). He would have military control (with generals like now). He would have veto power over the Legislation, and he would be in charge of communication with other nations. The Legislation would control the money the government has and would handle treatys, declarations of war, etc.

The labor camps would be a place where one would go when they have done wrong. They would get only enough food and water to survive on, and it wouldn't be desirable food. They would be forced to do hard labor on a chain gang, it would be useful work though. I'm not sure what they'd do.

Or what about a democratic authoritarianism?

You'd have an election for a new dictator every four years, you could only be dictator for one term. You have some sort of system to ensure he was out then. That would be a very simple system of government.

Just some ideas...

[Nate]

God help us if anyone gains absolute control of the government and economy, let alone me.

[Peatrical]

Social Democracy. I don't think there is much to elaborate on that, they have existed in many forms for well over 50 years in the industrialized world and been successful. Very successful.

[JerryLove]

Gads. You guys are gonna make me finish my constitution aren't you?

After my reign as kind is over, I'll be replaced by a constitutional republic.

[JerryLove]

I will discuss one aspect of my plan for when I'm elected king: the assimilation of Canada and Mexico.

Mexico is simple. I bribe them. I figure an offer of a half-trillion dollars, to be dispersed to every Mexican upon their official entrance into the US (once the Mexican government petitions for and gets statehood) should be enough to get them to do it.

It will also save me the trouble of how to take in people with so little to spend coming up to speed. It will be a jump-start for the local economies (thereby giving me revenue via taxes) which will both make integration easier, and convince them to do it.

For Canada: I considered just moving the border a mile north each night; but have decided that I should declare war then surrender. Once they have absorbed me into Canada, I will use my larger populatoin to vote myself back to king.

I'm sure I can manage down to Panama easily enough at that point.

Now, about my american foreign legion and two-tier millitary....

[Nate]

Jerry, if I had to pick anyone to be supreme ruler of the North American continent, you'd be it.

[Qingu]

In addition to making Jerry my finance minister (annexing Canada by surrender ... awesome)—

—I would completely revamp the energy, agricultural and transportation economies to become self-sustainable and green, and aggressively wean us off oil. I would use New Deal and socialist tactics to accomplish this without causing chaos in the interval.

• Build nationwide high speed railroads, like the one in China. Connect metropolitan and suburban areas to cities with a complex system of rails. The goal is to make it so that most people do not need to own cars. Heavily tax gasoline.

• Reorganize agriculture so that farms must supply local populations. Force farmers to use sustainable farming techniques and ensure biodiversity, which will safeguard our future food supply. Tax unhealthy foods to the same extent that we tax alcohol and cigarettes—which will help prevent people from getting sick and wasting my universal health care system.

• Build many more nuclear reactors. Line the plains with windmills and solar panels. Increase government energy standards for everything from buildings to individual light bulbs.

I would also eliminate tax breaks to religious organizations. There should be no difference between a "religion" and an "ideology" as far as the law is concerned. They can apply to be nonprofits like everyone else.

Also, I would put an aegis around net neutrality because the internet is probably going to be the future of human civilization.

Aside from these changes, I'd leave the government pretty much as is (so basically it would resemble a more green version of the governments of Canada and European countries). Not sure how to depose myself as dictator after making these changes—maybe fake a fiery death and then rejoin as an anonymous citizen.

[JerryLove]

Let's not count out Zod yet.
http://zod2008.com/

[normajean777]

Originally Posted by JerryLove

For Canada: I considered just moving the border a mile north each night; but have decided that I should declare war then surrender. Once they have absorbed me into Canada, I will use my larger populatoin to vote myself back to king.

Or you could just send in a single soldier to take out Canada. Once he gets by the Air Force (a bunch of geese), he'll have to take out our army of 3 beavers. It would be difficult but an American could do it.

[bobthecockroach]

Anarchist Libertarian Communism.

[JerryLove]

"Hey, I'm in a bit of a bind and it would really doing me a favor if you could just, like, surrender Canada to me, eh?"

That should work. Exploit their politeness.