What are the important issues facing the US over the next 4-6 years?

[Bob Hubbard]

I'm looking for a list of important issues, not a discussion on the pros-cons of them at this time.

For example:
- Same Gender Marriages
- Iraq Withdrawal
- Apology and Reparations to decendants of slavery.
- Crime
- Tax Reform
- Bill Clinton Memorial Dry Cleaners
-etc.

(I tossed the last in for a chuckle. Unless there is one pending, in which case I stand scared.)

What I'm looking at doing, is lining up some topics for mock-debates down the road, where a few people can do just that, debate, with the winners 'graded'. Also will be looking for pro/con debators. This is an idea I'm playing with, which will run seperately from the Study. So, for the moment, just what topics you see as important. I'll ask for more info as we go.

Thanks!

 

[Jonathan Randall]

1. Mother Nature (weather, natural disasters, etc.)
2. Fiscal Irresponsibility, both individual and national (Federal Deficit, Trade Deficit, Individual Defaults, etc.)
3. Political Corruption (Local, Congressional and within whatever Admin. is in office)
4. War Drain (Costs in both blood and treasure of foreign wars)
5. International AND domestic terrorism
6. Party line politics where one party will fight another's initiative, not based upon its merits, but simply because the other party suggested it.
7. Isolation of the U.S. from its Allies and the rest of the World (although I share the Right's scepticism of the U.N.)

 

[Martial Tucker]

A few that immediately come to mind for me, in random order:



Terrorism and/or Defense...how to best deploy our resources

Education....how to best provide opportunity WITH accountability

Crime, particularly in inner cities

Welfare vs "Workfare"



Personally, I think we face much bigger issues than gays, or apologies for sins of our great-great grandparents......( I know those were just examples, but still my opinion)

 

[Sapper6]

-future sources of energy

-withdrawl from the middle east (not just iraq)

-the future of mankind on planet earth

-new flavors of breakfast cereal (bring back Kabooms)

-gov't sponsored health care

-immigration

-the future of Kabooms cereal

-the Detroit Lions making the playoffs

yep, that about sums it up.

 

[Martial Tucker]

-new flavors of breakfast cereal (bring back Kabooms)

In particular, Count Chocula vs. Cocoa Puffs

-the Detroit Lions making the playoffs

Yes, this vs. the likelihood of you being struck by lightning while buying the winning powerball ticket:roflmao:

 

[Makalakumu]

I think we'll hear more about a peak in global oil production...as in that our global production has peaked and that it will begin to fall. Thus begins the Carbon Wars...

 

[MA-Caver]

Some of those are cute.
Some are good topics for debating.
Not a bad idea there Bob,

Off the top of my head my list would include:
1. Racism and the need to eliminate it from our nation"s conciousness.

2. The need to "invade" countries known to harbor terrorists and focus on hunting the terrorists themselves.

3. Better evac plans for cities prone to natural disasters.

4. Health care costs reform.

5. Ed-yew-kay-shun.

Uhh, that's about it for me.

 

[Martial Tucker]

4. Health care costs reform.

Yeah, I should have had this on my list, too. Possibly in conjunction with tort reform as another issue.

 

[michaeledward]

There is only one issue, that will when addressed will allow for all the other things the government could be doing.

Re-aligning the military portion of the Federal Budget to realistic and appropriate dimensions. The military is the beast that must be forced to diet.

 

[Edmund BlackAdder]

Have you blokes given up on your drug war now that you are fighting your terrorism campaign? What about repairing the damage to your reputation with the rest of the civilized world? And, can you do anything at all about the French?

 

[sgtmac_46]

-future sources of energy

-withdrawl from the middle east (not just iraq)

-the future of mankind on planet earth

Two topics, i'm sure you're well aware, are irrevocably intertwined. New energy sources will allow us to extricate from that cess pool we call the middle east. Also, world wide independence from middle eastern oil may force those regions to actually charge headlong in to the 20th century (if not the 21st).

It is oil that has allowed the middle easter nations to become what they are. Without oil, they would either be forced to embrace a modern perspective, and engage in industry and more varied and complex trade, or slide in to 3rd and 4th world tribal conflict ala sub-saharan africa. Either way, they certainly wouldn't be any sort of threat to the rest of the world.

-new flavors of breakfast cereal (bring back Kabooms)

Oh YEAH!!!!

-gov't sponsored health care

Something, though socialized medicine doesn't seem to be the real answer.

-immigration

A complex issue if we ever had one, with consequences as far reaching as any discussed.
[/quote]

 

[sgtmac_46]

Have you blokes given up on your drug war now that you are fighting your terrorism campaign? What about repairing the damage to your reputation with the rest of the civilized world? And, can you do anything at all about the French?

Our 'damaged' reputation is really nothing more than a desire of many Europeans to reassert themselves as dominate in world politics. As such, there really isn't anything to repair.

While the cold war was going on, Europe had a use for the US. They didn't need to maintain large militaries to defend against the threat of the Big Red dancing Bear, so they could afford to spend their money elsewhere, while the US took care of their defense.

When the cold war ended, Europe decided it had no further use for the US, and hoped it would simply decline and allow Europe to once again dominate the world stage politically. As the US hasn't abligingly and obediently done so, Europe declares that it's 'reputation needs repairing'...Translation: The US isn't obediently going back in it's box, and is standing in Europes way, and the only way for it to regain it's reputation with the world (translation: Europe) is to do so.

The other thing that is standing in Europes way, however, is that the British AND the French both see themselves as the natural heads of the EU.....and lets not forget Germany, though they all agree the US needs to get back in it's box and out of their way.

What those Europeans who see Americans as merely jingoistic pawns of their governments, who obediantely spout the party line fail to realize, however, is that they, themselves, are merely parroting the jingoistic positions of their own governments, who desire to see the US begin to decline to more manageable levels for their own strategic interests and aims. Realpolitik masquerading as ethical humanitarian concerns.

 

[Edmund BlackAdder]

I thought this was only for topic listings? I dare say you are a bit remiss my good man. The reputation of your nation amongst the civilized nations of this world has been taking a good many hits the last few years, though I doubt you will hear much of it. You need an independent and free press for that. The buffoon you have as President is seen as a bit of an embarrassment to you all over here. You might want to check some reliable sources.

To whomever sent me the nice message about following you into Iraq, a good portion of us didn't agree with that move, and still don't since your intelligence was wrong. Our sections however are quite stable, compared to yours. We do have more experience with Iraq however, which I'm certain helped us avoid the cock-ups you had. Perhaps we could hold our thoughts until the debate section is available? I do enjoy a good debate.

 

[jdinca]

Have you blokes given up on your drug war now that you are fighting your terrorism campaign? What about repairing the damage to your reputation with the rest of the civilized world? And, can you do anything at all about the French?

The drug war has been a stupid idea since the beginning. Kind of like prohibition was. Target the really nasty ones and do more work on prevention/rehabilitation and I think yo'll have a better result. And wasn't there a nasty terror attack in your country not too recently? I believe it's your terrorism campaign too.

Not really concerned about our reputation in the world. The US always takes hits when we have an assertive president. We took shots when Reagan was President and going after the Soviet Union. There were a number of other periods in our history when we were taking care of business for ourselves and others in the world and were resented for it also. How about focusing on how much money the US gives to charities throughout the world? We are the biggest donor in a number of global programs. How about acknowledging that 20% of the budget for that corrupt global organization called the UN comes from the US? We're not perfect by a long shot but I think that a balanced view is appropriate.

Sorry, the French are all yours. Great food, great wine, great art but the rest is your problem. We have Venezuala to deal with.

 

[jdinca]

You need an independent and free press for that. The buffoon you have as President is seen as a bit of an embarrassment to you all over here. You might want to check some reliable sources.

To whomever sent me the nice message about following you into Iraq, a good portion of us didn't agree with that move, and still don't since your intelligence was wrong.

You're right about the press. The far left wing has much too much control.

Umm, I believe that much of that flawed intelligenc came from the UK. Revisionist history already? Or lack of knowledge of the facts?

Have at thee! :duel:

 

[Edmund BlackAdder]

Well mate, I can agree about the intelligence of a Mr. Blair being flawed.

 

[jdinca]

What comes after Iraq? I don't think anybody feels that that is the end of the radical muslim issue.

Energy. The writing is on the wall. Increased domestic production is necessary but we better get it in gear and start working on viable alternatives. We're behind the curve here.

Weather. Whether global warming or a naturaly cycle, we're in for a Mother Nature butt kicking and it's only going to get more expensive.

Money, money, money. How much do I have, how much will I have, how much of it do others want and what are we going to do about those that others want to give it to who are able to work but aren't made to.

 

[jdinca]

Well mate, I can agree about the intelligence of a Mr. Blair being flawed.

Sigh. Okay, I see this is more about conjecture and opinion as opposed to reality. I guess I'll go back on topic.

Cheers! And please cool down the beer. It's one of the things the UK has going for it. :drinkbeer

 

[sgtmac_46]

I thought this was only for topic listings? I dare say you are a bit remiss my good man. The reputation of your nation amongst the civilized nations of this world has been taking a good many hits the last few years, though I doubt you will hear much of it. You need an independent and free press for that. The buffoon you have as President is seen as a bit of an embarrassment to you all over here. You might want to check some reliable sources.

I think i've illustrated the core issue with 'our repetution' among Europeans of the last few years. That this never occurred to you may be an indication of the level of free press you actually don't have. The issue isn't that the press in Europe is more free than that of the US, it's that the press in Europe is taking the European party line....being that the US needs to get back in it's box (a position supported by governments of Europe out of their own self-interests interestingly enough). So, apparently, your press is just parroting the positions of various European governments (how free is that).

To whomever sent me the nice message about following you into Iraq, a good portion of us didn't agree with that move, and still don't since your intelligence was wrong. Our sections however are quite stable, compared to yours. We do have more experience with Iraq however, which I'm certain helped us avoid the cock-ups you had. Perhaps we could hold our thoughts until the debate section is available? I do enjoy a good debate.

It wasn't our intelligence that was apparently wrong. Most of the world's intelligence agencies agreed with the ultimate conclusion...being that Saddam retained WMD.

As for having experience in Iraq, I agree. It was Britain that helped create this whole mess to start with. With Iran as well. Those who blame the CIA for the whole Shah fiasco fail to realize it was British intelligence who requested the assistance of the US to begin with in Iran. It was also the British who for over 2 centuries have meddled in the affairs of the middle east. It is also the British, and the rest of Europe, who's colonialism and imperialism led to two world wars, and the subsequence collapse of the colonialism system post World War II that has led DIRECTLY to the situation we have here.

What's more, it was the British who cobbled together the collective mass of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds that ultimately became Iraq, post Ottoman.

Lets see, who else in Europe might have a good deal of blame....Ah yes, the French. The French, who were the second biggest arms supplier to Saddam, besides the Russians of course. The very same French who lead the 'US has lost the respect of the world over Iraq' charge, but they'll never acknowledge the only reason they were upset is that they had a pretty lucrative business agreement with Saddam, that came to end with his regime. Then there's Germany, who likewise had some pretty good dealings with Saddam.

Just so we're straight on the facts.

 

[sgtmac_46]

What comes after Iraq? I don't think anybody feels that that is the end of the radical muslim issue.

I agree with you general premise, but one thing needs to be pointed out about the Saddam Hussein regime. It wasn't representative of radical Islam. It WAS representative of the kind of fascist nationalist regime that we've been trying to rid ourselves of since World War II. The Ba'athist party of Iraq and Syria are anachronisms in the 21st century. We can no longer condone them and tolerate their existence. Saddam and Iraq were never about radical Islam, they were about driving one more nail in the coffin of the national socialist phenomenon. Good riddance.

Energy. The writing is on the wall. Increased domestic production is necessary but we better get it in gear and start working on viable alternatives. We're behind the curve here. [/guote] I agree whole-heartedly. I was watching a story the other night on Brazils ethanol/gas cars that are designed to run off ethanol most of the time. We are behind the curve.

Weather. Whether global warming or a naturaly cycle, we're in for a Mother Nature butt kicking and it's only going to get more expensive.

Agreed. That we are in a warming is pretty conclusive. The cause less so. That we are going to have to deal with the consequences and repercussions of a warming climate seems pretty clear, however.

Money, money, money. How much do I have, how much will I have, how much of it do others want and what are we going to do about those that others want to give it to who are able to work but aren't made to.

In other words, same old thing, different year.