Agreed that certain things need to be strictly regulated for the sake of public interests: energy for one. It's incredibly hard on the public when certain energy resources are suddenly deregulated and the companies that supply those resources go wild. And nine-times-out-of-ten most of the extra money they make goes into the pockets of the investors and not into improvement of plants and infrastructure.
Telecommunications could use a light touch, say a set of standards that must be met - I think the FCC handles this, though, and that they do a half-way decent job. Internet, on the other hand, is Free Country and should be left alone for the most part. Malicious activity should be policed, and no more.
Gun control... I'm of the opinion that we should have whatever we'd like to have. If I want to keep a fully functional antique Sherman tank, then I should be able to so long as I can prove that I can competently and responsibly operate it and not go on a rampage with the thing. Of course, I'm also of the opinion that weapons should be registered, but not through a municipal system. The movie, Red Dawn, illustrates just how easy that is to turn against the populace. Weapon's registry should be a Federal digital database contained in two locations (one for back-up) and with a RAID system to make it difficult to get any data off the system unless you steal every single HD drive in the facility and figure out which drive matches to which. And kudos to any city/county/state that says that carrying a gun with the serial numbers filed off is a felony offense.
Education... good lord, it sucks out there. I'm not saying we all need to turn into Tiger Moms, but we seriously need to raise the bar and include early childhood education as part of the standard package. And education these days is no longer a matter of regional importance - the nation as a whole is being made to suffer for it when world-wide corporations look to countries other than the USA for skilled workers. The federal government needs to take firm control over education and make massive improvements, QED.
And on the same token: For God's sake, get the freakin' Ivy Leagues back in check! The tuition fees are out of control! A prestigious education should not be the the sole providence of the wealthy! I don't care how many grants and scholarships your throw out there, it is not enough! Nip it at the root, God dammit!
Privatized paramilitaries? Oh hell no! It's bad enough that we can barely afford our own military budgets, but now we're throwing gobs of taxpayer's dollars at people that are not guaranteed to give a rat's ass?
Also on the same token: WTF is up with government contracts? Price gouging much? Call me a socialist, but firm control must be taken of these companies that charge outlandish prices for parts that are supposed to be mass-produced. I swear to God, I wanna start up a company, call it ACME, hire on just about anyone that's been laid off from government contracts, and outbid everyone for everything just because I serve the USA and not my pocket book.
It boggles the mind that there are people that want to tear down the medical care reforms. Fortunately, the so-called 'Tea Party' Republicans are having a very hard time of it lately. Let's hope that they are always stone-walled every time they try to bring it down - we only want to see improvements, not steps backwards. Some of my favorite people on the Internet are going to be able to get insurance for the treatments they need because of medical care reforms.
And is there honestly anything wrong with keeping a sharp eye on the stock market? Sure, there's ups and downs, but this last slow-crash (fuck that 'It was a recession!' BS) could have easily been avoided if people had wised up and realized what they were doing instead of worshiping the all-mighty dollar sign.
Other than that, people should be free to do as they please. If I want to go rolling down the highway in a loud-as-the-Gods 4x4 truck, giant-ass stacks in the back exhausting a V-10 Cummings Turbo-Diesel (running on bio-diesel - I'm not that thoughtless of the environment), front end strong enough plow with a house and not have a single bit out of place, winch powerful enough to haul the Sears Tower off it's foundations, rack of assault rifles (properly secured, with trigger locks, condition four, ammo locked up as well), and about six of my best friends chugging beers in the cargo bed as they parade the latest kill we just bagged on our hunting trip... then dammit, I should be able to do it!
Telecommunications could use a light touch, say a set of standards that must be met - I think the FCC handles this, though, and that they do a half-way decent job. Internet, on the other hand, is Free Country and should be left alone for the most part. Malicious activity should be policed, and no more.
Gun control... I'm of the opinion that we should have whatever we'd like to have. If I want to keep a fully functional antique Sherman tank, then I should be able to so long as I can prove that I can competently and responsibly operate it and not go on a rampage with the thing. Of course, I'm also of the opinion that weapons should be registered, but not through a municipal system. The movie, Red Dawn, illustrates just how easy that is to turn against the populace. Weapon's registry should be a Federal digital database contained in two locations (one for back-up) and with a RAID system to make it difficult to get any data off the system unless you steal every single HD drive in the facility and figure out which drive matches to which. And kudos to any city/county/state that says that carrying a gun with the serial numbers filed off is a felony offense.
Education... good lord, it sucks out there. I'm not saying we all need to turn into Tiger Moms, but we seriously need to raise the bar and include early childhood education as part of the standard package. And education these days is no longer a matter of regional importance - the nation as a whole is being made to suffer for it when world-wide corporations look to countries other than the USA for skilled workers. The federal government needs to take firm control over education and make massive improvements, QED.
And on the same token: For God's sake, get the freakin' Ivy Leagues back in check! The tuition fees are out of control! A prestigious education should not be the the sole providence of the wealthy! I don't care how many grants and scholarships your throw out there, it is not enough! Nip it at the root, God dammit!
Privatized paramilitaries? Oh hell no! It's bad enough that we can barely afford our own military budgets, but now we're throwing gobs of taxpayer's dollars at people that are not guaranteed to give a rat's ass?
Also on the same token: WTF is up with government contracts? Price gouging much? Call me a socialist, but firm control must be taken of these companies that charge outlandish prices for parts that are supposed to be mass-produced. I swear to God, I wanna start up a company, call it ACME, hire on just about anyone that's been laid off from government contracts, and outbid everyone for everything just because I serve the USA and not my pocket book.
It boggles the mind that there are people that want to tear down the medical care reforms. Fortunately, the so-called 'Tea Party' Republicans are having a very hard time of it lately. Let's hope that they are always stone-walled every time they try to bring it down - we only want to see improvements, not steps backwards. Some of my favorite people on the Internet are going to be able to get insurance for the treatments they need because of medical care reforms.
And is there honestly anything wrong with keeping a sharp eye on the stock market? Sure, there's ups and downs, but this last slow-crash (fuck that 'It was a recession!' BS) could have easily been avoided if people had wised up and realized what they were doing instead of worshiping the all-mighty dollar sign.
Other than that, people should be free to do as they please. If I want to go rolling down the highway in a loud-as-the-Gods 4x4 truck, giant-ass stacks in the back exhausting a V-10 Cummings Turbo-Diesel (running on bio-diesel - I'm not that thoughtless of the environment), front end strong enough plow with a house and not have a single bit out of place, winch powerful enough to haul the Sears Tower off it's foundations, rack of assault rifles (properly secured, with trigger locks, condition four, ammo locked up as well), and about six of my best friends chugging beers in the cargo bed as they parade the latest kill we just bagged on our hunting trip... then dammit, I should be able to do it!