Comments: If we play small ball, we will lose.
Spengler points out a hard problem. How to make your nation great, when it's not in your government's job jar? And even if it was, our government is so incompetent and corrupt that it couldn't do it anyway. Science is corrupted and politicized now, so don't give those guys any money either.
Look, our FedGov is supposed to keep the laws so that businesses and commerce can flourish. ALL Governments are spectacularly, venally, evilly, bad at investment. Ours is worse right now. If our country is to be great, it has to be because We the People are doing great things, and the government is keeping the peace with our neighbor countries, and providing a fair rule of law at home, that enables our Liberty.
Well, We the People aren't great. We seem to be preparing to abandon the rule of Law and the Blessings of Liberty, and getting ready to install a tyranny and f'over our countrymen, who we don't like what they are doing and how they are doing it, and we will not tolerate any resistance from the slaves and mundanes and dirt people, deplorable and irredeemables. You know, the people who work and get things done and want to be left alone. The only thing they will get is a .25 ACP to the back of the skull and a ditch to lie in.
There is a model that can and has worked spectacularly well. The American Colonies. Granted royal charters, agreements between the King's government and the joint stock companies, rights and obligations of both parties. You want to get people excited, tell them you really are moving to Mars and not coming back.
Whatever you do, don't put the government in charge of anything. They'll f'it up. Don't put the scientists in charge, they'll f'it up. They'll take all our money and piss it away on themselves and produce nothing of value.
Create an enabling framework where the internet gazillionaires can fund the engineers and farmers and builders to found and sell colonies. We need Scotty and Bones and the Ferengi, leave Kirk and Spock behind.
When people are scrapping for their lives in the cold cruel Martian world, all the modern nonsensical horseshit will be stripped away. You do what works, and you do it now, or the universe recycles you.
Posted by John A. Fleming at October 26, 2016 2:11 AM
John Fleming is right.
Because morality and justice have left the building the only way to reign in the out of control gov't is to STOP the access to free money. This will require YUUGE movement by enormous outside influences all at once. This movement keeps creeping closer and closer and it's only a matter of time before the whole thing comes to an almost instant stop. I've read that all banks will be insolvent in less than 4 hours after the hammer falls.
In round 2, if that is the way, the new constitutions 1st amendment will dictate the gov't has no authority to borrow money and will levy steep and immediate penalties for attempted infractions.
"No one gets to borrow money on my behalf."
--gs, 2099
Posted by ghostsniper at October 26, 2016 4:43 AM
I believe the word for which you are searching is secession by which one leaves the worthless behind and take only the parts that work and those he work.
It doesn't sit well with the shiftless and the power brokers for that removes their life support.
This time is radically different from the War of Northern Aggression.
Posted by Vermont Woodchuck at October 26, 2016 8:35 AM
Trampling out the trash in a practicable way:
1. Terminate duplication of function among our government agencies. Consolidate the many agencies into much fewer non-duplicating and non-duplicitous entities.
2. By law, mandate budget reductions of 10% per year (in 2016 dollars )in all remaining agencies,
until budgets are reduced by 50% from 2016 levels.
3. No new laws, rules, statutes, etc. to be allowed by federal agencies. Congress must detail the rules to be enforced, BY CONGRESS, and to specify how the funding will be obtained, and what the annual funding limits will be. See point 5 below and adapt to federal government.
4. By law, eliminate and sunset federal government employee unions/organizations so that we cannot be held hostage via strikes. No new government employees may be unionized.
5. At the State level, ruinous pensions and salaries must be controlled to prevent ruinous taxation of residents. Hanging of those responsible for deliberate mismanagement of public funds and self-aggrandizement, should be established. Bounties should be offered for those exposing the government miscreants.
6. Limit immigration to those who can be vetted on a par with the vetting that a CIA candidate undergoes. Make suitable allowances for young children. Vet for religious beliefs in conflict with our Constitution and Declaration of Independence.
I'd add to the list but I hear the sirens approaching now. Forget Code Red; Code Ultra-violent may be in the offing. Gird your loins and those of any one near you that permits you to do so.
Posted by Howard Nelson at October 26, 2016 4:09 PM
Excellent thoughts,one and all. Gives me hope. I'd like to add one thing: No more electing Cat Ladies to public office,anywhere,anytime. Period.
Posted by Nori at October 26, 2016 5:03 PM