I didn't say abolish the government; in principal, our system works rather well (hence the increase in civil liberties and average wealth and lifespan of Americans until the last quarter of the 20th century). What we are having problems with are the excesses of corporate capitalism and a general lack of accountability by those in power.
Solutions (and who they would effect):
Strip corporations of their "citizenship" by overturning the Supreme Court decision of 1886 that made them "fictitious legal entities" - see Adbusters for a good overview; place more accountability for corporate actions on the corp's board members and officers (thus reducing corporate influence);
Enact campaign finance reform laws to reduce corporate and special interest influence (ie - bribery) of elected officials (executive & legislative branches, corporate & special interest lobbies);
Enable presidential line-item veto, in order to eliminate riders that had nothing to do with the original bill from being attached or hidden (legislative branch, corporate & special interest lobbies);
Reduce presidential power to create agencies and departments within the executive branch (ie - more Senate oversight and less power invested in one individual)(executive branch)
Enforce jury-nullification rights and judicial recusal from cases in which they have a conflict of interest (judicial branch);
Remove from office any lawmaker at any level who either introduces or votes for legislation found later to be Unconstitutional, and bar that individual from ever holding public office again (executive and legislative);
end the War on (Some) Drugs - Prohibition didn't work, either.
As for "I beg to differ that many of the laws will never be overturned", take a look at how many idiotic laws are still in the books. There is no easy way to eliminate bad laws. Perhaps a time limit should be built in (3yrs at the local level, 5yrs at the state, 10 years at the federal), and if the laws aren't renewed, they expire.
Finally, as for what I'm doing about it, I'm a member of the EFF (though I don't agree with a lot of the compromises they make), EFGA, the ACLU, I vote, and I'm on my way to a law degree (having gone back to college to finish two other degrees as well). I'm refusing to give up on what I see as encroachments on my civil liberties and freedom of speech.
PS - Yes, I can come up with a better bill than the USA-PATRIOT Act (which was written and ratified by numerous committees, btw, not a single individual)(and rushed into law)(which is part of what's wrong with it); I'd like to think that most half-intelligent Americans who know their rights could have done a better job and not made thousands and thousands of otherwise patriotic and law-abiding citizens into potential (on paper, anyway) terrorists.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: You can start in on me. (was Re: tell me) - pt 1
Date: 2002-01-23 03:54 pm (UTC)Solutions (and who they would effect):
As for "I beg to differ that many of the laws will never be overturned", take a look at how many idiotic laws are still in the books. There is no easy way to eliminate bad laws. Perhaps a time limit should be built in (3yrs at the local level, 5yrs at the state, 10 years at the federal), and if the laws aren't renewed, they expire.
Finally, as for what I'm doing about it, I'm a member of the EFF (though I don't agree with a lot of the compromises they make), EFGA, the ACLU, I vote, and I'm on my way to a law degree (having gone back to college to finish two other degrees as well). I'm refusing to give up on what I see as encroachments on my civil liberties and freedom of speech.
PS - Yes, I can come up with a better bill than the USA-PATRIOT Act (which was written and ratified by numerous committees, btw, not a single individual)(and rushed into law)(which is part of what's wrong with it); I'd like to think that most half-intelligent Americans who know their rights could have done a better job and not made thousands and thousands of otherwise patriotic and law-abiding citizens into potential (on paper, anyway) terrorists.