Seamaiden said:

Do you think we have a state of free enterprise in the US right now?

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I think I answered this with the 'subsidies' post, but no, I do not feel that america still is a land of 'free enterprise'.


What is economic freedom?

Economic freedom is the fundamental right of every human to control his or her own labor and property. In an economically free society, individuals are free to work, produce, consume, and invest in any way they please, with that freedom both protected by the state and unconstrained by the state. In economically free societies, governments allow labor, capital and goods to move freely, and refrain from coercion or constraint of liberty beyond the extent necessary to protect and maintain liberty itself.

How do you measure economic freedom?

We measure ten components of economic freedom, assigning a grade in each using a scale from 0 to 100, where 100 represents the maximum freedom. The ten component scores are then averaged to give an overall economic freedom score for each country. The ten components of economic freedom are:

• Business Freedom
• Trade Freedom
• Fiscal Freedom
• Government Spending
• Monetary Freedom

• Investment Freedom
• Financial Freedom
• Property Rights
• Freedom from Corruption
• Labor Freedom

The Top 10


Rank Country Overall Change
1 Hong Kong 89.7 0.0
2 Singapore 87.2 1.1
3 Australia 82.5 -0.1
4 New Zealand 82.3 0.2
5 Switzerland 81.9 0.8
6 Canada 80.8 0.4
7 Ireland 78.7 -2.6
8 Denmark 78.6 0.7
9 United States 77.8 -0.2
10 Bahrain 77.7 1.4

We are BEHIND a socialist country (Canada) and ~just~ barely above a middle eastern country(granted a very rich and 'free' country, as far as the middle east goes).

Kicking ass and taking names is Hong Kong, who has only EMBRACED the capitalistic ways a mere 13+ years ago.

It will be interesting to see the revolution in 2047 when they get 'assimilated' back into socialist China...

Underground said:

Dislike, fuck nobama. But I'm sure I'm in the minority here. I say send his ass back to kenya where it came from.

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Well given that the country was already fucked, I just thought it was time a black guy was in the hot seat, that for me was real progress. I do not think ANY of the others could have done a better job. But I know others will disagree. Thats ok.

So you are a racist? Where the color of a mans skin means more than his ideas/ideals?

Racism is rampant in the canna-communities. Why, just mention Vietnamese or southeast Asians and see what ensues. Or, Mexicans. It's pretty bad in my opinion. But, I also think that those people have never actually experienced a thing as true racism, so that colors their thinking.

Farmer Jon said:

I believe all points are valid...The difference is that necessity drives a different machine than profit does. Invention and creation are part of the human condition and this will never change. Just as man kind as a whole has the need to explore there surroundings, we have a need to see our ideas and thoughts brought to life. To touch them, to smell them, to feel them. The driving force behind the action determines the outcome. i.e a man invents the toothbrush to better his hygiene/health (necessity). Another man invents a way to mass produce this item for profit (free enterprise)...more often than not the two collide, if there was no profit in an item, it may still be created but its the profitability of said item that gets it to the masses.

Imo it has everything to do with RP, or anyone considering taking on the role of the leader of the free world....although i'm not sure a U.S president could hold that title any longer. The American machine is all but dead, and Chinese is a complex language to learn at my age.
At least theres roseta stone.
FJ

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Fantastic post, Farmer Jon, I've had my meat massaged. Two things, xiexie is thank you in Chinese, and ni hau is hello. You and I are on the same wavelength there. I use Rosetta Stone.


RM, I think it's clear that you and I have a real divergence of opinion on the role of federal government. Am I still allowed to call myself a moderate Libertarian if I don't adhere to the ideas of the purist? That was really what I was getting at when I spoke of it initially.

I still maintain that in the current condition of matters there is only justice for the rich, for those who can afford it, we've lost a lot of checks and balances in many areas to my point of view.

In the meantime, anyone else sign the petition to get him to run for pres?

no way palin all the way roflmao.! damn mexicans , and vietnamese j/p, i have many friends who are taco lovers and even some cat eaters

My ideas of the role of the federal government comes from the powers GRANTED to 'it' by the Constitution and anything NOT defined therein is left to the STATES, exactly as it should be.

Powers of Congress: Including the power to establish and maintain an army and navy, to establish post offices, to create courts, to regulate commerce between the states, to declare war, and to raise money.


That's it.

I know I have posted this before, but if you have 8 hours, Michael Badnarik's Constitution Class is something that should be taught in classrooms...



But then, maybe that would create a generation of 'anarchists' or something...


I will agree that we can disagree, but you can't implement 'partial' libertarian ideas, yet still saddle them with undo regulations. As long as someone tries to 'steer the ship and play puppeteer', It will fail and they will point the finger saying 'See Free Markets don't work!'.

Same reason why people think 'Trickle Down' economics 'don't/won't work'...

Rosetta Stone ROCKS. My GF is using it to learn Spanish for an upcoming trip to South America.

I've always thought learning Mandarin would be fun, but being fluent in Spanish would probably be more useful in my neck of the woods...

Es la misma aqui. La misma cancion. ;)

Yep. I'm like a broken record...

But only because people try to contort and mangle the framework of our founders.

I would like to leave this country a better/'free-er' place for my children, but unfortunately we having been duped for quite some time...

I'm not trying to say you're like a broken record at all. I apologize.

Well, I did say my spanish sucked right?

No recuerdo que tu dice!

Necesito mas practica!

Y yo, tambien. Siempre practicando.

RMCG said:

So you are a racist? Where the color of a mans skin means more than his ideas/ideals?

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No, I liked what he had to say, he gave (some) people hope. I stated that he was as good as any of the others, on either side, he was well liked around the world, his election gave the world hope that America could change. There were many reasons I supported him, many of them to do with the colour of his skin, and what that meant, and none to do with me being racist, but more how racism has effected America, internally and externally.

Its sort of a foreign perception verses foreign policy thing.

Its more about what's right than what's, right.

But if I am honest, partisan politics, of any flavour is wrong, inherently.

I give no more thought to the color of someone's skin than the color of their eyes.

'Hope' in one hand, shit in the other. Not much to choose from, regardless of party affiliation.


Sinn Fein.

Already pullin their tricks, [YOUTUBE]lwo0Iyrh1Zk[/YOUTUBE]

RMCG said:

Sinn Fein.

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What does that mean, or have to do with the conversation?

joeca1i said:

Already pullin their tricks, [YOUTUBE]lwo0Iyrh1Zk[/YOUTUBE]

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Those. Fucking. Bastards.

There are none so blind as those who will not see.

Bluberry said:

What does that mean, or have to do with the conversation?

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Figure an irishman talking about american politics is the same as an american talking about irish politics.

Why so, I lived in America for a long time, I am married to an American, we paid tax in America, Half of our family is from America, my children will be American citizens and we will be moving back to America next year.

Ignoring the fact that, being an open form, I am allowed to talk about whatever I want...

Dún do bheal