For all Americans (and anybody else who's feeling helpful)

[KissMeDeadly]

Alright, so, let's be blunt here. The United States of America is falling the fuck apart. I think we all know what I'm talking about here. Economically, culturally, and educationally, we're kind of sucking right now.

I know too many Americans who acknowledge this, but instead of saying, "Yeah! I should get active and attempt to help fix it!" they say, "FUCK THIS PLACE ENGLAND IS SO MUCH BETTER OHMYGOD I'M NOT AMERICAN CAUSE MY GREAT GREAT GRANDMA IS IRISH AND THAT MAKES ME IRISH TOO OHMYGOD"

So, lets here at Gnet attempt to think of solutions for the country, you know, just for funsies.

Here's how we should do it: You got a problem with the way the good ole' US of A is doing things? Point it out, and make a suggestion about how you would fix it.

I'll start with something that is probably too complex and large for me too fully comprehend. The economy.

Now, I'm not exactly an expert, but it seems to me that returning actual industry to the United States would be a major help. So, instead of buying all of our clothes from China and having India do our tech support....why don't we just do it?

All the new (or, more often, re-opened) factories would open up thousands of jobs in every state. This, of course, isn't as easy as it sounds, because corporations find it much cheaper to use Chinese folks with their sweat-shop labor as opposed to our adults who require a minimum wage, and days off, and food, and all that good stuff.

I would suggest fixing this by removing the rights of a corporation. In the United States, a corporation has the same rights as a citizen, and is counted as such. I don't know if it's like that in other places, but regardless, I think we should strip this away. A Corporation is not a single entity, and it should no be treated as such. It is also not a person, and so it should not be treated as such either.

This way the government could get a little better grip on said corporations, and regulate them much better. I know it sounds a little scary to some people, giving the government more control, but honestly, a government is there (or should be there) to do anything and everything to benefit the people it governs. If it's OK to drop bombs on innocent women and children in sandy countries, then damn it, it should be OK to tell Wal-Mart to cut its shit the fuck out, and actually back it up as opposed to suggesting it and hoping that it'll listen to you.

[KontanKarite]

I've been thinking about ways or thoughts as to how it could be done. The only thing I could actually think of is requiring American companies that outsource their work to other countries be REQUIRED to pay those workers in the other countries a wage that is EQUAL to American minimum wage and that they are required to extend to foreign workers the same treatments that American workers get.

Basically, if a company wants to be an American company, then I feel that they should be bound to our laws FIRST and that their practices overseas should mirror what they would have to do in the states.

Basically, I find that if this were to happen, it would force them to realize that in the long run, it's cheaper to hire Americans.

[ART]

Does not compute. As there are plenty of companies that are not American, and which you thus cannot control through legislation in America.

Now, the easy way to handle the problem is to put massive toll fees on anything you guys import. Of course, then everyone else would do the same on goods produced by you. In all honesty, given the balance of import/export you have now this would probably be good for your country, if not for your export oriented companies.

The only other option you have is to invade China, something that historically has never ended well.

[donmara]

KissMeDeadly:


Look, we live in a globalized economy. At this point, any business whether in the U.S or in India, could care less about the well being of their citizens. They're goal is to make as much money possible while expanding their business, even if this entails exporting labor elsewhere.

If you dissolve the corporate entity, that will not solve anything. A corporation is simply a bond between big business and government. Even without government support, large businesses will still emerge and their agendas will always be the same: Profit and expansion.

[KissMeDeadly]

Originally Posted by donmara

KissMeDeadly:


Look, we live in a globalized economy. At this point, any business whether in the U.S or in India, could care less about the well being of their citizens. They're goal is to make as much money possible while expanding their business, even if this entails exporting labor elsewhere.

If you dissolve the corporate entity, that will not solve anything. A corporation is simply a bond between big business and government. Even without government support, large businesses will still emerge and their agendas will always be the same: Profit and expansion.

Nilly naysayer over here

Well then, what do you suggest? Or do you not have any? Or, perhaps, you actually support this kind of behavior? It's people like this that do absolutely nothing to help solve these problems, instead, they bitch and complain.

[donmara]

Originally Posted by KissMeDeadly

Nilly naysayer over here

Well then, what do you suggest? Or do you not have any? Or, perhaps, you actually support this kind of behavior? It's people like this that do absolutely nothing to help solve these problems, instead, they bitch and complain.

It depends on what you think its an issue.

If you want jobs to come to the U.S, then you need political pressure to ensure corporations dont outsource or export labor abroad. But then again if you do this, most of your posessions wouldn't be so cheap as they are now since the labor force in the U.S and all industrialized nations abide to law mandating minimum wage, work place regulations, benefits, overtime pay, 8 hour schedule, etc.

For capitalists this is a non issue, since they contend jobs will eventually emerge so long the market is not hampered.

[Ben Lahnger]

How about we address problems a little closer to home.

"We want to make sure we never wind up facing the sorts of choices that Greece now faces ... Everyone always wants the deficit to be addressed but they're against everything you could do to address it. " - Peter Orzag, Director, Office of Management and Budget

He said this to Reuters upon the announcement that the U.S. deficit is about four times what it was this time last year.

This is largely due to the economic bailouts. But those were unavoidable as part of the successful steps that were taken to prevent this economic downturn from being much worse than it is. Because it COULD have been much, much worse.

15 years ago the total of the assets of the 6 largest banks in the U.S. was 17% of the Gross Domestic Product. Today the total of the assets of the 6 largest banks in the U.S. is 63% of GDP. That gives me a better understanding of "Too Big To Fail" and why we desperately need financial reform that doesn't set these banks up for bailouts if they screw up again.

As we speak, the U.S. Senate is debating and voting on Wall Street reform. I tried to call but was unable to get through, so I used the contact form on their websites to email my two Senators. WEBSITE

This is the message I sent: "As the U.S. Senate is debating and voting on Wall Street reform, I'm writing to urge the Senator to vote to let states play a role in consumer financial protection and not to let the big banks avoid state rules and enforcement. Every other industry is subject to state rules and enforcements, and banks shouldn't be different. Thank you for your time and attention."

By the way, long term planning, such as speculating about laws you might think should be passed, have two obstacles. 1) They may take too long to process for our immediate needs and 2) 75% of Americans currently distrust Washington, so they're likely to be in a "throw the bums out" kind of mood when elections come around this fall, Democrat and Republican alike. Any long term planning may have to reboot at that point.

[donmara]

I dont know how the U.S is going to cope with its deficit. Its just too much. I think their gonna have to default eventually.

[gothicusmaximus]

This thread is lolz.

[Apathy's_Child]

Magic beans for every family - it's the only way. Of course, thanks to our corrupt political system, we all know it will never happen.

[alchemie]

Good luck with that. They don't listen to any of us anymore. Isn't that obvious?

[Saya]

Abortions for some, miniature American flags for others!

[d0p3y]

How about this. Stealing the natural resources from other countries and bombing the shit out of anyone who does'nt like it...

[CptSternn]

Nationalise the banks.

[Ben Lahnger]

Sternn, it took some doing, but that was the most moronic thing that has been posted in this thread. Especially coming from someone who has found a way to say something negative about every U.S. action I've ever seen you comment on; after all that, you'd trust the U.S. government to be in charge of the banks?

[KissMeDeadly]

Originally Posted by CptSternn

Nationalise the banks.

facepalm.jpg, etc, etc..

[CptSternn]

Originally Posted by Ben Lahnger

you'd trust the U.S. government to be in charge of the banks?

Yes.

I support nationalising many industries, but the best way to start is to nationalise the banks.

[d0p3y]

TAX the bastards!!!!!!

[HellSide_Oso]

I've been getting involved inlocal Tea Party events ... I've never seen or heard racist BS at them. Not all Tea Partiers are Conservatives or white. I maybe white but I'm a Libertarian & saw several asians & native Americans & Latinos at the events & even Punx at the events supporting them. I hate both parties , the status quo won't change until enough people stop blindly supporting the big two parties & the growing socialist nanny state.

[donmara]

Originally Posted by d0p3y

How about this. Stealing the natural resources from other countries and bombing the shit out of anyone who does'nt like it...

Why how barbaric of you. There are other more civilized ways to acheive such outcomes. We simply lend a bunch of money to sick and poverty stricken countries through any of our 3rd party financial institutions (preferably the IMF), then ramp the interest rates leading target governments to an endless cycle of inescapable debt to which the only remedy is the selling of their natural resources to our corporations.

[Alan]

Originally Posted by HellSide_Oso

I hate both parties

So you go to an astroturf farce, engineered by one of the said parties.
That's grand.

[d0p3y]

Originally Posted by donmara

Why how barbaric of you. There are other more civilized ways to acheive such outcomes. We simply lend a bunch of money to sick and poverty stricken countries through any of our 3rd party financial institutions (preferably the IMF), then ramp the interest rates leading target governments to an endless cycle of inescapable debt to which the only remedy is the selling of their natural resources to our corporations.

or that... too.

AND bomb the Sh@t out of anyone who doesnt like it. ^__^

[ape descendant]

We need to end the war on drugs, regulate and tax them.

That way we're no longer spending billions of dollars on a battle we can't win, that has rules and provisions that make every one a looser.

Marijuana alone is practically begging to be a giant multifaceted industry. Hemp alone could prove to be quite useful in the making of paper, clothes and plastics just to start with. And that doesn't even begin to touch the business and taxation possibilities with the flower itself.

[Joker_in_the_Pack]

Originally Posted by ape descendant

Hemp alone could prove to be quite useful in the making of paper, clothes and plastics .

I wouldn't be remotely surprised if that's why it's being kept back.

[Saya]

Originally Posted by Joker_in_the_Pack

I wouldn't be remotely surprised if that's why it's being kept back.

I read in a Bathroom Reader once that the logging and paper industries were the ones who lobbied the most to make weed illegal.