Quote:I am a registered Independent. I lean heavily libertarian. However, I believe in some broad regulations on the federal level. Someone always wins in capitalism, hence the importance of anti trust laws. I don't remember the exact numbers, but I read not too long ago where there were something like 50 or 60 media companies that owned 90% of the market share like 25 years ago. Today there are, I believe, 5 or 6. Competition breeds innovation.
The Civil Rights Act thing is an age old question that trips up many libertarians. On one side, I am torn... I mean, how can one be in favor of freedom of speech, regardless of how reprehensible it may be, but be for the Civil Rights Act? I think the correct way of thinking for the party would be that by allowing companies to discriminate, you are restricting the liberties of the discriminated. In this case, your right to liberty trumps another's right to deny you of your liberty.
I have no issues with the federal government using funds to build/maintain interstates and other infrastructure that the nation as a whole may use.
The Department of Education needs to be abolished. I don't know how people could possibly think the federal government is doing a good job in this area. We are, or were, the richest nation on the planet with the highest standard of living, but we were middle of the pack in education... And I feel like that's generous. Let the private sector educate and bring back trade schools. Let parents/children be educated in what they feel is important and what caters best to the child's needs and not up to some standardized test which tests how well you test.
The EPA, in its current state, needs to be abolished. It's turned into a fascist oligarchy. There should be a few environmental regulations, but the EPA has gone mad. Arresting people and seizing their land because they were collecting rain water - really?
Excellent post, I agree with you in most of it as well. I don't have a problem with federal maintenance of the interstate system, however I don't buy the whole without government there would be no roads argument either.
Revoking the civil rights act isn't even a platform for the libertarian party so items really a non issue. Going forward however you can vote libertarian and know the party is not going to grow governments ability to be the moral police state.
Where I can't agree with Libertarians is education. Finland has a very successful education system, and almost no private schools. We're not falling behind because we don't have more private schools.
Everyone likes to focus on things like Education and Roads. But the fact is that government spending can be cut in so many ways because of the waste. Things that no taxpayer should want their money being spent on.
$76M to round up wild horses?
$11M on Private Jets for DOJ political appointees
$3B lost in unemployment fraud
$25B annually on maintaining vacant or unused federal properties
$20B spent in Iraq that was either wasted, stolen, or unaccounted for
$3B to resand beaches
HHS made recommendations that would save $9B annually, that congress has ignored
Lol...'keep the political discussion relevant to sports'
Quote:Where I can't agree with Libertarians is education. Finland has a very successful education system, and almost no private schools. We're not falling behind because we don't have more private schools.
Everyone likes to focus on things like Education and Roads. But the fact is that government spending can be cut in so many ways because of the waste. Things that no taxpayer should want their money being spent on.
$76M to round up wild horses?
$11M on Private Jets for DOJ political appointees
$3B lost in unemployment fraud
$25B annually on maintaining vacant or unused federal properties
$20B spent in Iraq that was either wasted, stolen, or unaccounted for
$3B to resand beaches
HHS made recommendations that would save $9B annually, that congress has ignored
It's not about private schools, it's about localizing the education effort. I'm find with "public or tax payer funded education" but it would be 100 times more efficient if done at the state or local level.
Quote:It's not about private schools, it's about localizing the education effort. I'm find with "public or tax payer funded education" but it would be 100 times more efficient if done at the state or local level.
I'm going by what FreeAgent said.
Quote:
Let the private sector educate and bring back trade schools. Let parents/children be educated in what they feel is important and what caters best to the child's needs and not up to some standardized test which tests how well you test.
Quote:I'm going by what FreeAgent said.
gotcha, I missed that part.
Quote:Where I can't agree with Libertarians is education. Finland has a very successful education system, and almost no private schools. We're not falling behind because we don't have more private schools.
Everyone likes to focus on things like Education and Roads. But the fact is that government spending can be cut in so many ways because of the waste. Things that no taxpayer should want their money being spent on.
$76M to round up wild horses?
$11M on Private Jets for DOJ political appointees
$3B lost in unemployment fraud
$25B annually on maintaining vacant or unused federal properties
$20B spent in Iraq that was either wasted, stolen, or unaccounted for
$3B to resand beaches
HHS made recommendations that would save $9B annually, that congress has ignored
Resanding beaches is usually a worthwhile expense. Having a large beach is an important part in flood defense.
Quote:Resanding beaches is usually a worthwhile expense. Having a large beach is an important part in flood defense.
And is it unreasonable to expect the people that live on the beach to be responsible for that? Why do I pay to re-sand a beach that I live over 60 miles from?
Quote:Resanding beaches is usually a worthwhile expense. Having a large beach is an important part in flood defense.
Not when the sand washes back out.
Quote:And is it unreasonable to expect the people that live on the beach to be responsible for that? Why do I pay to re-sand a beach that I live over 60 miles from?
Because paying for the rescue operation and the restoration of the infrastructure will cost you three times as much.
Quote:Because paying for the rescue operation and the restoration of the infrastructure will cost you three times as much.
I'd oppose paying for that as well, you want to live on the beach then deal with mother nature on your own. Let the insurance companies and the ones paying the premiums for those rates pay for the restoration of their homes after the ocean swallows their home.
It never amazes me how people default to government as the only source to fix anything.
Quote:Where I can't agree with Libertarians is education. Finland has a very successful education system, and almost no private schools. We're not falling behind because we don't have more private schools.
Finland has significantly better teachers and much smaller classrooms. Teachers are required to have a masters degree and only the top 10% of those with the degree are hired. Becoming a teacher is a very prestigious job in Finland. The teachers are allowed to prepare their students how they see fit as opposed to a directive. Finland has made education a high priority. They can afford to hire what amounts to college professors to teach small settings of children. In Finland, teachers are well-compensated compared to the rest of the college graduate work force. Also, half of Finland graduates high school and then enrolls in trade schools.
Finland's school system is state run, but in a way not possible for the United States to adopt. However, mostly privatizing schooling may narrow the gap.
Quote:Finland has significantly better teachers and much smaller classrooms. Teachers are required to have a masters degree and only the top 10% of those with the degree are hired. Becoming a teacher is a very prestigious job in Finland. The teachers are allowed to prepare their students how they see fit as opposed to a directive. Finland has made education a high priority. They can afford to hire what amounts to college professors to teach small settings of children. In Finland, teachers are well-compensated compared to the rest of the college graduate work force. Also, half of Finland graduates high school and then enrolls in trade schools.
Finland's school system is state run, but in a way not possible for the United States to adopt. However, mostly privatizing schooling may narrow the gap.
Amazing what you can do in a homogenous society with less population than New York City who doesn't have to worry about defense spending or illegal immigration by anti-FInnish leeches.
I bet Finland has some hot teachers.
Mostly privatizing our school system will limit who is able to get an education. It's another suggestion that is against the lower-class, and lower-middle class families that can't afford private education. And I firmly believe that a right to a <i>good</i> education is a foremost right, and I believe education is one of the most important things to a society. Limiting in any capacity the ability for someone to get an education will only lead to ruin. It's why I also support charities that are trying to bring education to Africa, rather than food and clothing.
I also think the best policy for illegal immigration is not deportation. Rather we should be going after the companies that are unethically exploiting illegal immigrants by paying them substandard wages. The idea is to remove the incentive to immigrate illegally.
Quote:Mostly privatizing our school system will limit who is able to get an education. It's another suggestion that is against the lower-class, and lower-middle class families that can't afford private education. And I firmly believe that a right to a <i>good</i> education is a foremost right, and I believe education is one of the most important things to a society. Limiting in any capacity the ability for someone to get an education will only lead to ruin. It's why I also support charities that are trying to bring education to Africa, rather than food and clothing.
I also think the best policy for illegal immigration is not deportation. Rather we should be going after the companies that are unethically exploiting illegal immigrants by paying them substandard wages. The idea is to remove the incentive to immigrate illegally.
Fully agree with your take on education. As anecdotal evidence, I was sent to a private school for K-8 and then attended public high school in Jax. Though I feel it was a good education, I found myself sorely lacking in science skills due to indoctrinating teachings. My personal lust for science kept me from falling behind and advancing past public school students in many areas and eventually falling into engineering. After experiencing both, I am not sold that the private education was strictly "better" especially not considering the considerable cost to it.
I am not so sure an entirely privatized system would drive those costs down. My parents were not poor but we did not have nice things. I did not have toys or video games like the other kids but was able to play sports and had gear as needed, if that helps shape things. My parents confided in me a few years ago that they cost nearly broke them month to month and my mother said she broke into tears when I asked to go to public school rather than Bishop Kenny because they didnt know how they would pay for it.
Quote:Mostly privatizing our school system will limit who is able to get an education. It's another suggestion that is against the lower-class, and lower-middle class families that can't afford private education. And I firmly believe that a right to a <i>good</i> education is a foremost right, and I believe education is one of the most important things to a society. Limiting in any capacity the ability for someone to get an education will only lead to ruin. It's why I also support charities that are trying to bring education to Africa, rather than food and clothing.
I also think the best policy for illegal immigration is not deportation. Rather we should be going after the companies that are unethically exploiting illegal immigrants by paying them substandard wages. The idea is to remove the incentive to immigrate illegally.
While I agree a 100% privatized and unregulated school system would make school nearly inaccessible to the poor, I believe there are many ways of combating that issue. As is, I believe it costs roughly $2000 per year per student, and I think that cost can be driven down and with better results, more focused results. I do not believe it is a God given right to receive an education. However, I believe the constitution was founded based on the principles of a well-educated populous and will fail without one.
I disagree on deportation completely. Enforce the laws and enforce the borders. If you double Border Patrol presence, again, and allow immigration agencies to enforce the laws, you'll see a significant reduction in illegal immigration. I've never seen a company exploiting an illegal for sub minimum wage in my life. That's mostly an urban myth.
i am a fan of a lot of the libertarian ideals