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[Strife26]

The main thread with my ideas on how to fix America can be found here:
http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=37645.msg612373#msg612373

This thread is dedicated to economic changes. I'm not taking economic till next year, so feel free to correct me. Keep it cleanish though.

8)   Tax Code
Massive rewrite. Start mostly from scratch and get us a nice, clean graduated income tax. IRS gets redone, make everyone pay if possible. Have some sort of Tariff based on the trade balance/imbalance (from free trade if it’s within %10 of balance or in our favor to being somewhat restrictive. Maybe a bit more in certain sectors (read cars and steel)). Harsher safety laws as well. I’m tired of killer Chinese garbage.

9)   Government Spending
Fuck pork. Find some system for getting rid of pet projects. Trial by media is possible in some cases, or some sort of petition system. I had the cute idea of allowing one third of congress to demand that certain items be subjected to public vote of a random sampling of the nation. Do I, here in fargo, want a multi-billion dollar bridge in Alaska? Get Ron Paul to right up pro/con sheets. Eventually, we’d want a political climate where it goes away by itself.
Spend cut wherever possible. Kill social security. Pay out what people have in it right now. The new social security would work something like this. You still pay the same for SS taxes. This money goes directly into a federal account with your name on it. When you retire (whatever the SS age is right now) you get that sum of money paid out over time with the prevailing interest (of government bonds, probably). If you want, you could fill out a form and request your money now (a lot of people wouldn’t bother). You could also request all of your money in a lump when you retire.

10)   Nationalization of certain industries (holy shit! Strife’s a socialist!!)
Not the traditional socialist concept. Basically, Socialistic capitalism. There are some industries that have pretty insane profit margins (read oil and drugs are robbing you blind). I’d like to see the Government more or less enter the competitive market. Capitalism is ensured, but there is a Federally run company in the arena as well. Most of the profits can go to governmental cash flow, and some of the more insane price margins can go down. The government would be allowed to ignore patent laws but only in cases where the product is being sold for a price margin of more than 9%. This would mostly be in response to being able to get mini-monopolies if you have a patent on a drug.
Falsifying financial stuff would be a MAJOR crime. Meaning massive fines, trial by media, and the rest.
Environmentally conscious drilling would be allowed in ANWAR. It would be completely run by the government though.

11)   Banking system
Reregulated. You have to find evidence that Mr. Idiot will actually be able to afford his mortgage payment. You know the state bank of Fargo? Where I keep my (limited) cash reserves? Only affected by ripples in our meltdown. They never really let their lending practices slip. Try to keep bubbles from forming as well, if at all possible.

[Neonivek]

The Problem Strife is that your dealing with American Ideolism.

You need to at least compensate for resistance.

The Banking system for example is protected by the United State's firm belief in Capitalism and that the government should have little-no say in what they can and can't do. (which has taken a big hit lately)

I doubt you can go straight to "Lets regulate it more"

Besides if Banks are making less money how will they remain competative in a global market? Won't banks without this regulation be more successful?

Note: I am playing Devil's Advocate. I am a strong believer in Government intervention especially given that our buisness laws are out of date.

[Strife26]

Ahh, but it isn't let's regulate it. It's we deregulated it and you guys screwed it all up. If the banks can ask for bailouts, then I don't see why we can't tell them what to do.

I'd also argue that the American public would have little problem with regulation of the banks after we've had an 'economic meltdown.'


The nationalization ones would be a tough sell though.

[eerr]

the problem with social security is quite literally: if we go to your system it breaks immediately.

as-is, with the current system, it breaks for my generation.

what we need is to raise the retirement age. again.

[Idiom]

Does Strife Actually get economics?

Ha. Not even economists completely understand the economy.

[Little]

Ahh, but it isn't let's regulate it. It's we deregulated it and you guys screwed it all up. If the banks can ask for bailouts, then I don't see why we can't tell them what to do.

Here is where you're wrong. If I offer you a tasty morsel of poison, would you accept it knowing it's poison? The American people took the poison, and now they're panicking as the froth and bile rises as they system starts to die.

[Neonivek]

If the banks can ask for bailouts, then I don't see why we can't tell them what to do

On the basis that the American system strongly believes that buisnesses do better with less government control.

Hense why they have buisnesses fail tons of times and even after bailouts all the American Government REALLY did was make sure they have a plan. (Which is less then a slap on a wrist... it is the equivilant of getting caught and being asked "I hope your sorry")