The Paddock

What would BIgtyrone get us?

Inflation at an outrageous rate (incrasing minimum wage and taxing outsourcing)

I actually agree with you about the food issue. I'd also submit that people who receive food stamps can't buy gripos and soda with food stamps. Only healthy foods.

The poorer you are the more likely you are to be obese and have chronic ilness. If you are poor the government pays for your healthcare. If you are poor, the government buys your food. So what should we do? If you are on food stamps, you have to eat healthy.

A middle class that doesn't exist anymore and an upper class that keeps job here instead of giving them to other countries that use children and pay them slave wages for profit?

Pot definitely should be legal but if wouldn't do any good if Big Pharm got a hold of it. Its more safe and effective as a pain killer and Anti Depressant than anything they've ever produced. Oh so is vagina.

It's not oversimplified. It's just not that complicated. Does China have huge tarrifs? What's wrong with levelling the playing field? Employees make a company run. Why should they be paid a wage they literally can't live on without state assistance while the owner lives in luxury? This country is becoming an Oligarchy.

I don't think big pharm would be involved. I mean they aren't in cali and all the other states that have legalized medicinal marijuana. It also helps with appetite for those on chemo or any other reason they have no appetite. Also good for glaucoma. A recent big study said that not only does marijuana not hurt you but that it actually helps lung capacity. They figure it's because of all the holding in of the smoke that strengthen the lungs. Not a joke.

china doesn't have high tarrifs on our exports, namely our agriculture products.

And yes, you are oversimplifying. Our economy is transforming.

The best economies in the world have the most educated people in the world. In the 50's and 60's our economy was based on manufacturing and the jobs were based on the strength of your back and not on the ability to think.

Now we've got an economy in which the educated are thriving and the undeducated are suffering. Unemployment for people with a college degree is less than 4%. Those with a 2 year degree or technical degree less than 6%. Those with no post high school training 11% and those with no high school diploma 15%+.

It's not about trade policy it's about workforce. Our government (republicans and democrats) have created an education system that has no accountability. We consider teachers as entitled employees and refuse to hold them accountable for the results they produce. We allow kids to drop out of school at age 16. When that happens they become a drag on our economy.

Our issue in america isn't a trade issue (there are some nuances about currency manipulatino) it's about having a lazy workforce that has not adjusted to the "mind" economy.

Ask top HR managers. They'll tell you in a heart beat that they can't find good workers. They can find "people" but they can't find people who can think or who can pass a drug test.

I agree, if you buy your own food, government should not be involved in the process. But if I'm buying your food and healthcare for you, I should sure as hell do everything in my power to make sure you eat healthy so I don't have to pay treat you for diabities, heart disease etc... Chronic illnesses like the one's i just listed are preventable 90% of the time with a healthy diet.

90% of the food people eat who are on foodstamps come from foodstamps. Go in the grocery store at the first of the month and notice all the folks swiping the american flag card. Notice what's in their shopping carts. It's not wheat bread, lean meat and veggies.

It's bags of chips, soda, white bread and high fat meats.

We regulate what can be purchased with wic. We can do the same with foodstamps.

In terms of why people like Carl on the far left and others on the far right control our government? It's simple. Closed primaries. Independent thinkers like you and i get shut out of the candidate selection process. We are not valuable until the general election once the exteremists have been chosen by the extremists. See Rand Paul as the prime example. (no offense if you like him) Trey Grayson was about as "down the middle" as they come and would have destroyed Jack Conway yet the closed primary system gave us Paul because independents and conservative democrats couldn't cross over and vote Grayson.

I agree, we need to give independent thinkers a voice in our country. Personally, that's why I like Romney. His record proves that he's pragmatic. He was highly effective in working with an 85% democrat legislature in Mass. He has common sense. While not as articulate as Clinton, they are both pragmatists.

All valid points. We just have to agree to disagree on health food stamps, because it would never work as you and I would hope for. We would have more people finding ways to mooch off the tax payers. We would have more people on food stamps eating better than those of us who work to feed our own family... just like many of them now have nicer cars, fancier cell phones and bigger HD flat screens in their their nicer homes. I would much rather have a plan that would motivate people to get off of food stamps... not encourage it. We will always have the legitimate and deserving needy, who will require such assistance... but we need to promote a prosperous economy to encourage people to be more independent and willing to work for a living (not to mention... self-esteem, self-pride and self-worth).

Yes... and it's scary. People are either too ignorant or simply don't give a shit... about the fact that our current Administration is taking strategic steps to make more and more people big nanny dependents. When they go as far as to actually "promote" food stamps and explain how every day, hard working average people can achieve food stamps... then, everything that America once stood proudly for will soon be lost.

What's even worse and more pathetic, is the fact that government is paying for these manipulating, enticing ads with OUR DAMN MONEY!!!

Carl isn't on the far left. Left, but I'm not a communist.

Well it's according to a person's definition of Socialism. Many think anyone that thinks the government can provide a service is a socialist.

socialism (ˈsəʊʃəˌlɪzəm)
— n
1.Compare capitalism an economic theory or system in which the means of production, distribution, and exchange are owned by the community collectively, usually through the state. It is characterized by production for use rather than profit, by equality of individual wealth, by the absence of competitive economic activity, and, usually, by government determination of investment, prices, and production levels.

This definition does not describe what I'm in favor of. Competition fuels an economy. I'm not for making everyone have the same salary. I just want the rich to pay their fair share. I want those that make over 250K a year to go back to the tax rate before the Bush tax cuts. That doesn't make me a socialist. Wanting universal healthcare also does not make me a socialist. If universal healthcare makes a country socialist than every country in the industrialized world other than us are socialists. There is no such thing as one pure and true 100% system anywhere in the world. And if they were they would be the poorest. I'm not a socialist. I'm not anywhere close to one actually. I also don't believe socialism is evil either.

If this conversation was in person I'd do an angry fake german thing like hitler and at the end i'd calm down and say "I'm not a socialist".