Recall back in the early days of the GOP hunt for the nomination when we had almost daily debates and because of those debates almost every candidate got his/her 15 minutes of fame……there were several debates that wanted people, mere mortals like me, to submit questions for the candidates via Facebook or YouTube or twitter……well I did and none of them were asked and definitely not answered…….I tried to ask question that covered a broad spectrum of issues and would give the candidates a chance to how that they were capable of governing and not just a slogan mill…..
here were my questions at different times….but feel free to jump on these if you would like…..
1–you say China is a threat to the US, why? give specifics.
2–Are credit cards good for the US…..why?
3–Should teachers K-12 be able to get enure? Explain your answer.
4–Should Americans have the right to basic health care? Explain your answer.
5–Are immigrants a net gain for the US economy? Explain.
6–Should the US Constitution be revised? Explain in detail why.
When I was selecting questions I tried to find ones that covered just about everything that the GOPers were screaming about and that would help us normal Americans try to understand what our power elites were thinking and pushing on the society…..
I will keep these and try again once we have our two opponents in the battle for the presidency…..but until then I would like to hear from my readers…….
I’m not a politician by any stretch, but I am, it seems, back in touch with my conservative pod, so let me give them a try.
1. The Chinese government is a despotic regime with a long train of human rights abuses. Their economy is rapidly growing – so much so that they are poised to overtake the United States in the coming years – and they’re using the money to grow their military arsenal. Now the United States may spend more on armed forces than any other nation, but we’re not ruled by a despotic regime with a long train of human rights abuses. China is a threat to the entire world.
2. Credit cards aid people who find themselves in a short-term financial pinch, but end up creating longterm financial problems. The lax regulation of credit card companies allows them to charge outrageous rates and prey on young people.
3. Absolutely not. Tenure potentially rewards bad teachers and punishes good teachers. This is common sense.
4. It’s often said that a “true” right doesn’t require something of another person, so healthcare cannot be a right since it requires the service of medical professionals. However, one of government’s roles is to promote the general welfare of the people. The government guards our right to be free from harm via public safety. Why shouldn’t healthcare be included?
I would add, however, that a single-payer or socialized system is not the best route to take because it removes the incentive for breakthroughs. The United States outpaces the world in medical breakthroughs by a mile precisely because our healthcare system is based on free-market principles. Will there still be breakthroughs under a socialized system? Of course. But as many? As quickly? No. And so how many people will die that didn’t have to? As many as die now from lack of healthcare? More? Probably. And how many will die because of cost-containment strategies like the “complete lives system?” As many as die now from lack of healthcare? More? Absolutely.
5. I would say the debacle in Alabama prove that assaulting immigrants is economically foolish. But that’s economics. You didn’t ask if it was beneficial to culture and identity.
6. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Terrance, BRAvO! I wish we could get such answers from politicians and yes I would say that you have recovered your conserv thought process…..
Your answers were very to the point….#5 was asked because of the economic value that the GOP seems to ignore……#6 was asked because Obama and all the remaining GOPers have said that they would be open to a revision…..
Thanx for the participation and I will be asking the presidential candidates these same questions…..