*Note: In this blog, I am referring to roundabouts meaning the circular traffic junctions, not the method used by politicians to compose arguments.*
There is absolutely no need for a red left-turn arrow. We've all seen them. You're waiting to make a left turn, and the green arrow turns to yellow, and then instead of giving you the "Left turn yield on green," it goes right to a red arrow. So you sit and wait as there is no oncoming traffic for the next 3 minutes. You seriously consider turning, but you know, deep down, that the second you do, a police officer will whip out and pull you over.
What started this train of thought, and why I'm writing about it in a political blog, is that I was bemoaning the red turn arrow to a coworker, and eventually we got on the topic of roundabouts. He hates roundabouts, while I love them. He said that roundabouts are communist/socialist because everybody else has to sacrifice so that one car can make a left turn. I said that roundabouts where individualist because you were left to your own ability to make your turn. Stoplights are more socialist than roundabouts. You have to sit at a stoplight waiting for everybody else to go, while you wait for the government to change your light back to green.
OK, so Uncle Sam isn't sitting there with a switch to change the stoplights, but someone in the government had to figure out how to regulate that intersection, and install the device to change the lights. At the micro-level, the government regulates our travel everyday with stoplights. How do they get away with it? Under the guise of public safety. Now, I'm not trying to say there shouldn't be any rules of the road. If that were the case, we'd have to go back to walking everywhere.
The problem with 4-way stops is that most people who happen upon a 4-way stop are too dumb to figure out what to do after they've stopped. This gets exponentially more complicated with an increase in the number of lanes being forced to stop. Since I paid attention in driver's ed, and since I don't drive a Prius (or another variety of small car), I know when to go, and if it's not my turn, well, my SUV clears the way pretty fast. Naturally, the 4-way stop is the preferred system of the government. They want to force everyone to be equal, so everybody should have to stop at the intersection before proceeding on with their journey. Although if they had it completely their way, only white males would have to stop at a 4-way stop and the rest of the population would have a special bypass lane.
When the 4-way stop fails, the next step is to put in some very simple stoplights. Theoretically, everyone is still equal, because on a long enough timeline, everyone will have an equal experience with catching a green light, or a red light. But then you have people who think yellow is the same as green, so the government really can't allow that to happen, so then the stoplights become more complicated. Soon they'll have lights on there that tell you when you can blow your nose. The same is true of the auto industry. They make cars that will tell you when you're falling asleep, when you're drifting out of your lane, and cars that will even stop for you.
Think of that. A car that will stop when it senses an obstacle in your path. Your first thought might be, "Well that sounds awesome." But really think about it. What if you're in a parking lot and somebody is trying to rob you? You hop in your car, and they're right in front of you. Normally you'd drive right through them, but now you can't, because your car won't let you. It's that very simple difference, between safety and control. It could be as simple as a red turn arrow that doesn't allow you to make a turn you deem to be safe, or it could be a car that takes your driving control out of your hands and leaves you a sitting duck for thugs. Of course it's all marketed as the newest, coolest technology that will help make the world a safer place, but is a world controlled by the government a safer place?
I believe that a world run by individuals is the safest place, individuals who look out for their own interests first. That's why I like to see a roundabout, because it feels like a small victory for the individual. A roundabout, to me, is the government acknowledging that the best way to control that intersection is to leave it in the hands of the individuals. No green lights allowing some to drive, no red lights forbidding others to drive, and most importantly, no red left turn signals.
© Nate Phillipps 2010
Showing posts with label socialism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label socialism. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
The Problem With Capitalism
Wherever I happen to be, I advocate capitalism. The liberals, and conservatives, forced a negative stigma on capitalism. When we are in a recession it is capitalism's fault, not over-regulation. When a company fails, it is capitalism's fault, not their poor business practices. It's no wonder that when I speak pro-capitalism, the response is invariably, "The problem with capitalism is..."
...it doesn't take into account minorities.
Capitalism takes into account everybody. Under capitalism, everybody would have an equal opportunity for success. Communism and socialism try to do away with class, race and status by employing a No Child Left Behind policy. Communism and socialism set the economic standard as the poorest citizen, and then aspire to drive everybody to that level of poverty. Communism and socialism use pity as their measuring stick. Capitalism uses ability as its measuring stick.
Nobody was created equal, at least, not in the sense the government would have you believe. My talents are different than your talents. I look different than you, I act different than you. You and I are not the same. I enjoy different activities than you. We don't make the same amount of money. What communism and socialism aim to do is to make everybody equal in the sense that we all make the same amount of money, all have the same number of cars, all have the same number of kids, all have the same job, and so on. The government believes that we are all entitled to happiness and success. That is not the American dream, and we don't have to look further than our own country to see the failings of this mentality.
When you have an economic system that 'takes minorities into account,' you end up with racism under the guise of affirmative action. Affirmative action breeds racism because it is racism. Affirmative action mandates that companies look no further than skin color when selecting their employees. Companies should only hire those most qualified for the job. They should not hire the blackest applicant, or the whitest applicant. They should hire the most-able applicant. Giving somebody handouts because of their skin color only encourages laziness and a sense of entitlement. You are entitled to what you can earn, nothing more. The concept of earning has been systematically dilluted with this concept of entitlement. Now we don't have to earn rewards, we are entitled to rewards. This mentality is being taught in our schools; you are rewarded for your faults and are told to hide your attributes.
I don't remember a time when a report came out that said America was on top in terms of world education. The No Child Left Behind act effectively hindered smart children by forcing them to advance at the same pace as the slowest children. When I was a kid, I read every book I could get my hands on. I don't remember the last time I saw anybody under the age of 40 reading a book. It amazes me how uneducated people as a whole are. It's not just that they are uneducated, it's that they don't even care to be educated. Part of this is the fault of our education system, part of it is the standards our society fosters, and part of it is the fault of those individuals who do not value knowledge.
In a truly capitalistic economy, there will be classes, there will be poor and there will be wealthy. The difference is that under capitalism, everybody has equal opportunity according to their ability, whereas under communism and socialism, everybody has a hindrance applied so that their ability matches those least-able. It's the pursuit of happiness we have a right to; we don't have a right to happiness.
...people who are greedy will continue to exploit the system and keep others down.
The first thing to remember is that currently, America is not a capitalist country. America has never been a truly capitalist country. Greed is not a bad thing, in the sense that you want to earn as much money as possible for your labor. In capitalism, corporations who employed evil practices (blackmail, bullying, shady accounting, etc.) would not be able to sustain themselves. We need to examine this on a more practical level.
Let's say you have a group 5 friends. Let's say that one of your friends is manipulative, bullying, and cheats, and you and your other four friends can't stand him because he takes advantage of you. We are going to examine two scenarios. The first scenario will be under our current government/economy here in America. To top off this evil friend's behavior, let's say that your mom absolutely adores him (either because she approves of his methods, or maybe because he is bribing her). Now, you and your friends can't stand him, and want to tell him to leave you guys alone. Before you are able to do that, your mom sits down and has a talk with you about how you should give him another chance, and that he's really a nice guy, if you could just see past his faults. She also says that if you don't get along with him, she will decrease your allowance, ground you, or take away some other 'privilege.' After the talk, you make the effort to get along with him because you love and trust your mom. Or, maybe she doesn't talk to you before. Maybe you and your friends tell this bully to go live his own life. Then he goes and talks to your mom and tells her that you have been treating him unfairly, so ultimately you are pressured into apologizing to him and giving him a second chance.
Under capitalism, you and your group of friends tell this cheater to leave you alone. Your mom doesn't say anything, regardless of how she feels, because she knows that you are an individual and can make your own choices and decisions. Or, she is still being bribed and tells you to give him another chance, but you aren't under any pressure from her because she doesn't hold any power over you (your allowance cannot be lowered because it is directly in proportion to your skill at executing your tasks, you can't be grounded because she has no right to your life, and she can't take away any privilege because that would be theft).
What happens to the bully? He ends up with no friends and nobody to bribe.
In order to be truly capitalist, there would have to be a drastic change in the mentality of our country, but I have a feeling that if we quit socialism cold-turkey and went to capitalism, that a majority of people would catch on pretty quick. In capitalism you don't get rewarded for failing, you get rewarded for achieving.
So what is the true problem with capitalism for its opponents?
The problem with capitalism is that the only person you can rely on is yourself. And that is a frightening thing for those who loath themselves, are fearful of their abilities, and embrace death. For those of us who are confident, able, and embracers of life, all we need are ourselves and the freedom to achieve.
© Nate Phillipps 2010
...it doesn't take into account minorities.
Capitalism takes into account everybody. Under capitalism, everybody would have an equal opportunity for success. Communism and socialism try to do away with class, race and status by employing a No Child Left Behind policy. Communism and socialism set the economic standard as the poorest citizen, and then aspire to drive everybody to that level of poverty. Communism and socialism use pity as their measuring stick. Capitalism uses ability as its measuring stick.
Nobody was created equal, at least, not in the sense the government would have you believe. My talents are different than your talents. I look different than you, I act different than you. You and I are not the same. I enjoy different activities than you. We don't make the same amount of money. What communism and socialism aim to do is to make everybody equal in the sense that we all make the same amount of money, all have the same number of cars, all have the same number of kids, all have the same job, and so on. The government believes that we are all entitled to happiness and success. That is not the American dream, and we don't have to look further than our own country to see the failings of this mentality.
When you have an economic system that 'takes minorities into account,' you end up with racism under the guise of affirmative action. Affirmative action breeds racism because it is racism. Affirmative action mandates that companies look no further than skin color when selecting their employees. Companies should only hire those most qualified for the job. They should not hire the blackest applicant, or the whitest applicant. They should hire the most-able applicant. Giving somebody handouts because of their skin color only encourages laziness and a sense of entitlement. You are entitled to what you can earn, nothing more. The concept of earning has been systematically dilluted with this concept of entitlement. Now we don't have to earn rewards, we are entitled to rewards. This mentality is being taught in our schools; you are rewarded for your faults and are told to hide your attributes.
I don't remember a time when a report came out that said America was on top in terms of world education. The No Child Left Behind act effectively hindered smart children by forcing them to advance at the same pace as the slowest children. When I was a kid, I read every book I could get my hands on. I don't remember the last time I saw anybody under the age of 40 reading a book. It amazes me how uneducated people as a whole are. It's not just that they are uneducated, it's that they don't even care to be educated. Part of this is the fault of our education system, part of it is the standards our society fosters, and part of it is the fault of those individuals who do not value knowledge.
In a truly capitalistic economy, there will be classes, there will be poor and there will be wealthy. The difference is that under capitalism, everybody has equal opportunity according to their ability, whereas under communism and socialism, everybody has a hindrance applied so that their ability matches those least-able. It's the pursuit of happiness we have a right to; we don't have a right to happiness.
...people who are greedy will continue to exploit the system and keep others down.
The first thing to remember is that currently, America is not a capitalist country. America has never been a truly capitalist country. Greed is not a bad thing, in the sense that you want to earn as much money as possible for your labor. In capitalism, corporations who employed evil practices (blackmail, bullying, shady accounting, etc.) would not be able to sustain themselves. We need to examine this on a more practical level.
Let's say you have a group 5 friends. Let's say that one of your friends is manipulative, bullying, and cheats, and you and your other four friends can't stand him because he takes advantage of you. We are going to examine two scenarios. The first scenario will be under our current government/economy here in America. To top off this evil friend's behavior, let's say that your mom absolutely adores him (either because she approves of his methods, or maybe because he is bribing her). Now, you and your friends can't stand him, and want to tell him to leave you guys alone. Before you are able to do that, your mom sits down and has a talk with you about how you should give him another chance, and that he's really a nice guy, if you could just see past his faults. She also says that if you don't get along with him, she will decrease your allowance, ground you, or take away some other 'privilege.' After the talk, you make the effort to get along with him because you love and trust your mom. Or, maybe she doesn't talk to you before. Maybe you and your friends tell this bully to go live his own life. Then he goes and talks to your mom and tells her that you have been treating him unfairly, so ultimately you are pressured into apologizing to him and giving him a second chance.
Under capitalism, you and your group of friends tell this cheater to leave you alone. Your mom doesn't say anything, regardless of how she feels, because she knows that you are an individual and can make your own choices and decisions. Or, she is still being bribed and tells you to give him another chance, but you aren't under any pressure from her because she doesn't hold any power over you (your allowance cannot be lowered because it is directly in proportion to your skill at executing your tasks, you can't be grounded because she has no right to your life, and she can't take away any privilege because that would be theft).
What happens to the bully? He ends up with no friends and nobody to bribe.
In order to be truly capitalist, there would have to be a drastic change in the mentality of our country, but I have a feeling that if we quit socialism cold-turkey and went to capitalism, that a majority of people would catch on pretty quick. In capitalism you don't get rewarded for failing, you get rewarded for achieving.
So what is the true problem with capitalism for its opponents?
The problem with capitalism is that the only person you can rely on is yourself. And that is a frightening thing for those who loath themselves, are fearful of their abilities, and embrace death. For those of us who are confident, able, and embracers of life, all we need are ourselves and the freedom to achieve.
© Nate Phillipps 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Taxes Feed The Broken System
The government is spending massive amounts of money. Of course, the government doesn't have its own money; it has our money. What the government does have, however, is a monopoly on force, which can be used against American citizens. One of the government's favorite channels for this force is taxation.
Nobody I know enjoys paying taxes. I enjoy it even less when the government is moving in a direction I'm not happy with, or spending money on programs I don't believe in. I'm paying into Social Security, but soon that will be bankrupt.
I also payed for people to trade in their cars to buy new cars at a discounted price with the Cash for Clunkers program. People honestly believed that the government was giving them money to buy a new car. The government may have given them the money, but you and I financed it. In the movie business, we'd be credited as producers. In the government business, we get credited as suckers.
When preparing your taxes, you need to calculate how much you earned, invested, etc. Nowhere on the form are you made aware of what your tax money is going towards. With all the money the government spends, and all the taxes they collect, you'd think that somewhere (and somewhere easily accessible) you'd be able to find what exactly they're spending it on.
Falling short of a revolution or complete economic collapse, I have a proposition to fixing taxation, as well as the whole of government. The solution? Allocate. When we fill out our tax forms, there should be a list of government programs, well, basically a list of everything the government spends money on. Next to each item on the list, there should be boxes. We, as citizens, would place a check mark in each box that was next to a program we wanted our tax dollars to be spent on. When the IRS received all the forms, they would simply go through and figure out what percentage of check marks each program got. Then, any program that didn't receive enough check marks to balance their budget, would be terminated.
© Nate Phillipps 2010
Nobody I know enjoys paying taxes. I enjoy it even less when the government is moving in a direction I'm not happy with, or spending money on programs I don't believe in. I'm paying into Social Security, but soon that will be bankrupt.
I also payed for people to trade in their cars to buy new cars at a discounted price with the Cash for Clunkers program. People honestly believed that the government was giving them money to buy a new car. The government may have given them the money, but you and I financed it. In the movie business, we'd be credited as producers. In the government business, we get credited as suckers.
When preparing your taxes, you need to calculate how much you earned, invested, etc. Nowhere on the form are you made aware of what your tax money is going towards. With all the money the government spends, and all the taxes they collect, you'd think that somewhere (and somewhere easily accessible) you'd be able to find what exactly they're spending it on.
Falling short of a revolution or complete economic collapse, I have a proposition to fixing taxation, as well as the whole of government. The solution? Allocate. When we fill out our tax forms, there should be a list of government programs, well, basically a list of everything the government spends money on. Next to each item on the list, there should be boxes. We, as citizens, would place a check mark in each box that was next to a program we wanted our tax dollars to be spent on. When the IRS received all the forms, they would simply go through and figure out what percentage of check marks each program got. Then, any program that didn't receive enough check marks to balance their budget, would be terminated.
© Nate Phillipps 2010
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