Real policy questions for liberals.?

Question

Here are a list of policies, and I want to hear what the liberals plan for each one of them are without bashing me or blaming bush or the republicans. Give me your ideal plan.

1. illegal immigration
2. taxes
3. war on radical islam
4. social security, and other broken entitlement programs
5. the role of government in people's lives.

Please give me serious answers.

i want to see some substance here, give me reasons for your beliefs. By the way, how can you claim social security is not broken. It's in crisis mode right now.

Answer 1

Okay--but fair warning--I work as a policy researcher.
1) We have 12 million illegal immigrants--and the notion that they can be deported is nonsense. We need a guest worker program (permanant) and a (limited) amnesty program--the latter only for those who a) actually work (plus dependants) and b) are otherwise law-abiding. This should NOT include automatic eligibility to start the process of becoming a citizen
2)taxes--I have no proplem with the tax cuts, per se. But the spending HAS to come down, or we will have to have higher taxes.
3)The "war" is against terrorists--not Islam. And step one is get out of Iraq. Step 2 is get serious about Afghanistan--which is where al-Qaida is and where we should have focused our efforts in the first place. And start dealing with the root causes of the poverty and hoplessness in these countries that make them a breeding ground for terrorism. That means investing (not just handouts) in the people. And I do mean in the people of the region--more waterfront luxury hotels on the Beruit waterfront is not going to reach the people we need to reach. Hospitals, agriculture, health care, sanitation,etc.--we either start spending money on that--or resign ourselves to more 9/11s.
4)Complicated. Social security is a special case--because it isn't an entitlement program--everyone pays into the system. But --and this will surprise you--I think the only long-term solution is going to be some form of individual accounts. The version proposed by Bush earlier won't work--but the idea of a shift to accounts that are individualized is sound. Other entitlement programs are, in many cases, necessary--but they are plagued by an unbelievable amoount of waste (this is one of the specific areas I research). And to be blunt, the main area of waste (esepecially Medicare/Medicaid) is that these programs have become feeding trough for private corporations--to the tune of tens of billions of dollars a year.
5)Both the right and the left need to clean up their acts when it comes to telling people what to do or poking their noses into peoples lives. On one side, this spying on Americans has to stop. Period--that is critical to our survival as a free society--read your history. But the left needs to stop with the endlesss calls for surveillance--cameras in schools, shopping centers, on our highways, etc. And with mandating peoples personal behavior, whether its smoking, eating, etc--that is the individuals own business. And both sides need to stop trying to control peoples social behavior--whether its ridiculous "sexual harassment" carried to the point of the absurd--or trying to persecute gay people who are not bothering anyone, etc. On this last point (government in people's lives), I'mnot a liberal, I'm a libertarian--the government needs to butt out.

But you missed two other policy issues that are critically important--the environment and education--
Environment--the verdict is in and climate is real--and caused by humans--and serious. This is not subject to debate--those facts are not political and never were. What we decide to do about it is. It's going to take a combination of government regulation and market response--and we are finally getting the former. The market (in the form of new technology development) is way ahead of the curve on this one. But that in turn is going to spell the end of the fossil fuel era. Its simply not going to be able to compete with new forms of energy in a few years--even without factoring in the environmental issues.
Education: the latest "National Report Card" is in--and the US educational system gets an F. Achievement levels among high school seniors in math and science continue to fall--and the US, once #1, is now 17th among 22 industrial nations. Yet--supposedly--these students are taking harder courses and getting higher grades. Conclusion--school systems and teachers are watering down the courses--and inflating grades. Not that anyone in higher educationdoesn't already know that--this is just more proof. Fixing that will take some major reforms--starting with dumping "No Child Left Behind." The program does not work--its part of the problem. The focus must be changed to upgrading course content--not on endless standardized tests--and on accountability in education. And--among other things--stopping nonsense like "intelligent design." We need to teach science in science in science classes--if you want philosophy--put it in a philosophy class. But the key is that schools have to be held responsible for their actions and student outcomes. "No child left behind" was supposed to do that--but does not--it punishises the students for the schools failures (among its other fatal flaws).

Answer 2

1) Increase security at our borders, Enact stiffer penalties for those who enable them, Do not allow them to receive any type of public assistance.
2)Tax everyone at a flat rate, Close loopholes used by people and corporations to evade paying their fair share.
3)Find Osama, realize that the majority of Islamic people are not terrorists.
4)Social Security should be for those who paid into the system and need the help, Our welfare system should institute a minimum income requirement so people who do not want to work do not get subsidized for it( Exception to income requirement for those that are truly unable to work).
5) The governments job is to provide a safe enviorment for its citizens, It should promote equality for all, The government should have no role in religion, The main job is to protect and serve the citizens.

I am an American first, and a liberal second. If the federal government would get off their Republican and Democratic a**es respectively these problems could all be solved. There are no easy answers, but until the partisanship ends and we all work together this country will continue as it is.

Answer 3

1. Illegal Immigration: I would talk a mean game and do absolutely nothing about it.
2. Taxes: I would cut taxes and let the country bleed dry.
3. War on Radical Islam: I would wait for an attack on our own soil and use that as an excuse to attack a country that had nothing to do with it.
4. Social Security, and other broken entitlement programs: I would try to get as much money into tthe stock market to help my other rich friends get richer, and then cut programs that help people.
5. The role of government in people's lives: I would implement programs that erode the very fabric of the Constitution.

In other words, I would not change a thing. We are so much better off then when that Clinton was in the White House. I mean being respected in the rest of the civilized world really sucked. It is so great when North Korea and Iran laugh at us because they know we cannot do anything to them. This feeling of security is so reassuring.

Answer 4

1. illegal immigration
Anyone found in this country should be questioned. They should be registered for SS (with a $0 balance, they have to earn it like everyone else) and issued a green card and required to report on a regular basis to the immigration office. They should from that point forward be required to pay taxes. The company that hired them when they were illegal, should be fined $20,000 per occurance plus back SS and payroll witholding (we questioned the illegal, remember?
2. taxes
Repeal tax breaks for individuals with over $200,000 income. I'm talking about those loophole breaks that common citizens can not take advantage of. Institue a stupidity tax, (95% on the golden parachutes of executives who are sacked from poorly perfoming publicly heald companies, the proceeds to be placed in the SS fund)
3. war on radical islam
Profiling. Visitors from Islamic countries severely limited. Engineering and science student given particular attention. All people returning from an itinerary involvfing Islamic countries heavily questioned o entry, anbd that includes US citizens. They can't attack us if they can't get in. Bring the troops home and put them in the airports and sea ports. Use the military to inspect every single container coming into this country (that ought to fix the drug problem too.
4. social security, and other broken entitlement programs
Use the increase taxes fro #2 above to re-fund SS
5. the role of government in people's lives.
Peoples personal lives are their own affair. We have more important things ot consider (see all above) to consider besides what people do i their bedroom and their home, as long as it's not building a bomb.

Answer 5

1. Secure the borders or build a wall.
2. Cut out pork spending completely.
3. United Nations
4. Increase the age limit from 65 to 82
5. Get rid of the Patriotic Act.

Thumbs down all the way up. If you want serious answers why the negative reviews. If any of them could be fixed don't you think that they would regardless of political party. Nobody wants these issues unresolved.

Answer 6

1. moot http://www.freedom.org/naugreen2/player.html

2. I hate taxes but we are going to have to get out of debt, and along with restraining spending, we are going to have raise some taxes, only on the highest incomes.

3. Bush has made this so bad with the Iraq mess, it is not easy, as the Global Terrorism report suggests. But, our government has been meddling in the Middle East so arrogantly, starting with toppling the Iranian Prime Minister in 1954 http://www.globalpolicy.org/empire/history/2000/0416ciairan.htm
supporting Mubarek, Saddam, the Saudi Royal Family, Israel even when she is wrong, etc, bribing leaders, supporting Al Qaeda when is suited our interests in Afghanistan, it goes on. It is time we considered an alternative strategy if there is any hope to getting along with the people in the region.

4. Social Security has been raped, sacked and piillaged by the irresponsible scum bags in both parties who did not mind stealing all the money, put into SS for future benefits, and usinng it for their day to day play money. Now it is broke, for all practical purposes. I don't know what we can do with it.

5. Government has no role to play in peoples lives as individuals. The only role for govt. is what happens when we interract with each other, like which side of the road do we drive on. We are the govt., and we need to insist that govt only do what we all deem necessary. We gave up that right long ago when we all stopped participating in govt. leaving it to the jackals who were only too willing to take it over. We have only ourselves to blame for this mess. Let us all work together to get our govt. back where it belongs, out of the bedroom and back on the streets.

Answer 7

1. Enforce illegal immigration laws and crack down hard on companies who hire illegal immigrants in secret. (Wal-Mart for example.)

Hire more border guards and beef up our security along the border. (And please...that 700-mile border fence idea? The one Bush signed with ZERO FUNDING attached to it? It was a statement by the President and symbolic one which said: "Boy are people sure are stupid these days to believe everything I say and do here today.")

2. Tax the hell out of the rich and stop shifting the tax burden to the poor and middle-class. Why should there be a free ride for these knuckleheads?

3. Stop funding Israel. Stop funding Islamic militant groups like Al-Qaeda which later turned into our enemies in the 80s. (Well, you know, Reagan HAD no choice in that matter. I mean, he was up to his neck in that Iran-Contra affair after all...?)

Otherwise, stop stooping down to the level of radical Islam by imitating what they do: i.e.: Torture, murder, rape, killing of innocent men, women, and children...

Wait. You guys can't stop doing that...my bad!

After all, what's good for the goose is good for everyone else, right?

4. Fix Social Security and other entitlement programs? How about putting all that money Bush took from the lock box to fund his stupid little "imperialist" wars and tax cuts for the rich?

(Oh, and that idea for privatizing SS? Oooh! That was a no brainer! Steal the money from the poor and the elderly, and give it all to Wall Street and the rich in the guise of an "investment" ponzi scheme! How STUPID do you take us for? It's been no secret amongst the political circle that the Republican Party has been dying for years to KILL Social Security since its inception back in 1935.)

5. The role of government in people's lives? I would like it if they didn't spy on me illegally thank you very much.

But Bush can't help himself to 200 million people's private lives and records. He thinks everyone who isn't with him is...come on...?

Say it with me: A TERRORIST THREAT.

Even those within his own party.

The man has no principles. None whatsoever.

Answer 8

first off... these are 5 HUGE issues... and to group them all in together into one question... so, I won't go into details... since it would be huge...

but, just me...

1. illegal immigration... first, cut off all government aid... we can't afford it and they are not citizens... second improve security along the border... more troopers... but overall, we've had illegals for the past 50 years... this is not anywhere near the biggest problem facing America right now..

2. what about them? keep them as low as possible but provide needed services...

3. war on terror... go after Osama, first and foremost... he's the only one that's attacked us for the past 20 years... focus on him... worry about the rest after that... SIDE NOTE: and you kill Osama, you don't have to worry about al-queda taking over Iraq anymore and they can sort their stuff out themselves...

4. cut out the abuse... and make harsh laws that deal with abusers... but I think that there are needy people out there that do deserve a hand up... not a hand out... I also am a big supporter of a government basic skills training programs (like masonry and childcare, for example)... maybe even make it mandatory to receive welfare you take a skills class in most circumstances so you are "teaching a man to fish"...
and don't let government get into the social security funds... they keep borrowing out of it...and have for years... don't think they've ever paid it back... that's a big part of the crisis...

5. (I'm a more libertarian liberal) so I think that it should stay out of people's lives... even let the gay people marry if they want... and people have abortions if they want... and folks smoke weed if they want... and have guns if you want... I'm not big on the restrictions part... I also say leave it up to businesses if they want to cater to smokers or not (as I understand it, many actually see an increase in business after they ban smoking... free market solves that one... who knew?)

of course this is a basic, really fast glaze over these issues... and granted, I don't side with liberals on them all... but I'm more liberal than conservative when you start splitting hairs

Answer 9

1. Stop employment of illegals - no jobs, no problem.
2. Keep them steady for the lower and middle class, roll back the cuts on the rich. Tax businesses evenly across the board - no more special deals for the ones with the big dollar lobbyists.
3. Protect the USA first. Checks at the borders, and at the ports. The airlines coming in are already good. Stop using the US military to swat flies. Treat it as a criminal problem - not as a "war".
4. They aren't broken, they will work it attended to. Sorry but you'll have to pay for what was promised to people, as we will to you too.
5. Keep the government out of private lives as much as possible, but uphold the constitutional principles.

Answer 10

1. real immigration patrol, not cutting back on budgets and ignoring the situation.
2. MORE taxes. Unpopular huh? Well someone has to start paying back to deficit. Cons say it themselves, freedom isn't free.
3. Important issue, work closer with NATO and Egyptian SS. Please tell me - WHY cut communications with Syria and allow Israel to bomb out Lebanon? Modern Islamic terrorism unfolded in the 1970's solely because of US involvement. Withdrawing but operating covertly would be a much more effective tactic. Arabs are dumb*asses, they won't shoot at what they can't see.
4. MORE. Welfare with no discrimination. Even thugs on free cash won't turn to crime and put others out of business, or turn to drugs. Mandatory community voluntary work or military. Give people a future, not 'words of wisdom'.
5. Responsibility. This is not the 1800s anymore.

Answer 11

No, liberal are not like republicans in that manner. Just think Joe the Plumber didn't lose a childs life, unlike Cindy Sheen who republican love to use as an example.