CellarRat's Utopia

[Deleted]

Since we are heading into the midterm (2014) and Presidential (2016) elections, I thought it would be helpful to summarize CellarRat's view of the ideal America - he/she/it (?) seems to be the most vocal about wanting the following changes.

1)Eliminate income redistribution - support continued income concentration including reduction of the middle class and increased poverty,
2)Repeal Obamacare - once again deny access to health care for the poor and unemployed, deny coverage for preexisting conditions, reestablish donut hole prescription costs for seniors, return unregulated health care control to profit driven insurance companies, eliminate competition in health insurance pricing, and reestablish lifetime maximum caps on insurance payouts,
3)Reduce taxes - continue only those Government services that the upper middle class and rich can't pay for themselves, i.e., national defense, interstate highway construction/maintenance, FAA/airport maintenance,
4)Eliminate Government controls - accept lower air/water quality, exploitation and elimination of green spaces, etc.,
5)Eliminate minimum wage - allow companies to pay what they want driven by their profit goals,
6)Reduce the size of Government - increase unemployment (those displaced Government workers will go out on the street),
7)Eliminate all environmental controls on production of hydrocarbon fuels!

I'm sure there are others that he will want to add to this list. His ideal conservative/libertarian/republican America would maintain an economic apartheid structure. Let's get out the vote and prevent that from happening.

[Deleted]

Add my name in support of the items on that list, even with your twist on CR's motives. They are all prudent and responsible goals.

[indian82]

MP - Not sure why you started this thread other than to start something. CellarRat could also put a list of your utopian goals here that could sound admirable, but add the extra ulterior motives like you did that would not be true. Do you really think Rat (or any Republican) wants to reduce the middle class and increase poverty?

Like racer said, many of those goals on there are desirable in my view and I would hope Dems & Reps would want them as well. Do you really want to increase taxes & the size of the govt? What's your utopia? Again, this extreme partisan thought is not going to help this country. I know I get criticized from the right for being moderate but I honestly see that as better than this kind of sniping from both extremes.

[Deleted]

May 9, 2014 7:50:16 GMT -5 indian82 said:

MP - Not sure why you started this thread other than to start something. CellarRat could also put a list of your utopian goals here that could sound admirable, but add the extra ulterior motives like you did that would not be true. Do you really think Rat (or any Republican) wants to reduce the middle class and increase poverty?

Like racer said, many of those goals on there are desirable in my view and I would hope Dems & Reps would want them as well. Do you really want to increase taxes & the size of the govt? What's your utopia? Again, this extreme partisan thought is not going to help this country. I know I get criticized from the right for being moderate but I honestly see that as better than this kind of sniping from both extremes.

Well, to be honest, it was a bad hair day and I wanted to have a little fun. I am getting sick and tired of being constantly mischaracterized and insulted by him/her/it (?). While I don't think the Republicans would admit to wanting a reduced middle class and increased poverty, many, many of their desired actions would, IMO, have or continue those trends. If you go back to Obama's first election, Mitch McConnell made no bones about working to do everything in his power to ensure a failed Presidency - the follow on Republican actions confirmed that they all got the message. That posture at least maintained the economic woes for a much longer time than might have been seen had other programs been instituted, e.g., put some $'s (and jobs) into restoring our woefully neglected highway and power grid infrastructure. As to your question about tax increases - no, I don't want to generally raise taxes but I am realistic in believing that the rich (who already have many more tax advantages than the rest of us) could pay a little bit more. What many fail to realize is that Government spending is the infusion of our tax dollars back into our economy for the most part - Government workers get paid, Government contracts buy goods and services from the private sector. Government spending covers work that the private sector can't/won't do. Have you noticed that each time I ask for specifics on what should be cut - no answers are forthcoming. It's easier to just say "cut" than to actually think about services that aren't needed. Can we improve Government's use of tax dollars - absolutely, but that costs money - added auditors for example to weed out waste and corruption. I don't want Government to increase at all and I'm not so sure it has under this Administration (setting myself up for a Fox news video with no facts/specifics, but I bet it's coming!!!). Last shot - Tea Party wants to cut spending so they shut down the Government for no good reason and cost the Government and the private sector billions - so much for their fiduciary responsibilities.

[indian82]

No wonder Washington can't get anything done if it's anything like this board. For the most part, we have similar goals, but opposite ways to get there. I think my pessimism just skyrocketed.

[Deleted]

Well without the government it looks like MP's world would come to a screeching halt.

[psycholojets]

No just our economy not the world. Actually if our economy goes belly up the world is in deep shit.



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[thefan]

It is impossible to govern a country of 300 million people without some waste/fraud/corruption. We can't do it in much smaller New York, or some of our local communities. I would like to see the politicians convicted serve harsher penalties and have their pensions stripped. Shaming them in public doesn't work, because some of them have no shame, and others don't accept their guilt. Taking their money may be the only thing they'll fear.

[glen]

Fan - you're right but the bigger the gov't the more waste and abuse.