Poll: Which solution would you prefer?

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  1. #1
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    Study: The Average Americans Opinion Regarding the Economical Issues in the US

    Hello, folks! So, my friend has got this thing for school, in which she is interested in the average american's opinion regarding the economics.

    Concerning the current economical state of the US, what can kind of method can the government employ in order to adress the crisis in a more efficient manner.
    a) Employ controlled socialism (not communism people!) with raised taxes as well as controlling the profits of the large companies.
    b) continue on the same track, with some government interference.
    c) Try the Laissez-fair approach -- (A policy of non-interference by authority in any competitive process)-- and leave the market completely free, with no interference whatsoever, and let the issue run its course, and possibly solve itself.
    d) Other (Write what you think)

  2. #2
    The Unstoppable Force DeltrusDisc's Avatar
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    I voted a, for socialism response.

    However, what needs to happen, is the government needs to realize where tax money is being wasted.

    1 - Politicians get paid WAY TOO MUCH for the little work they do, on top of their amazing benefits and pension. Cut this shit down by like, oh, say, 50%?
    2 - Military spending needs to be chopped severely, however I think soldiers (both enlisted and officers) should be paid more with better benefits.
    "A flower.
    Yes. Upon your return, I will gift you a beautiful flower."

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    Quote Originally Posted by mmocd061d7bab8 View Post
    yeh but lava is just very hot water

  3. #3
    You can't get the average Americans opinion here since there's a heavy leftist bias here, and non Americans can take the poll.


  4. #4
    Brewmaster soulcrusher's Avatar
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    I voted D. lots of people having a tough time atm in America but for some reason you keep wasting your money on foreign interventions and the miltary. USA is still the only super power regardless of what people say about china. step back and spend the money on americans first. Iraq, Afghanistan no doubt Syria and Iran next year. soon the USA will be broke and then it will all come home to roost.

    what happened to the country that everyone used to love, of rock n roll, coca cola etc.

  5. #5
    We also need to cut entitlements and stop inflation through the fed. Even if we eliminated ALL military spending we still be spending more than we earn.

  6. #6
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    If I were American, I'd vote for A. I'm not though, so I'll refrain from affecting your poll results.

    Personally, I think the US would be a lot more economically secure if tax increases weren't such an unthinkable concept. With a bit of tax increase (progressive), the government wouldn't have to borrow so much from foreign sources and the debt issue would become more manageable. But, increasing taxes is still such a massive no-no because a perceived increase in federal influence/power, even now, seems to be viewed as a sign of impending Stalinism (or what the average uninformed commentator labels "Communism" or "Socialism").

    I think having a nationalised bank, rather than the privately run Fed would be helpful too.
    Last edited by mmocf558c230a5; 2012-12-02 at 10:40 PM.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by soulcrusher View Post
    I voted D. lots of people having a tough time atm in America but for some reason you keep wasting your money on foreign interventions and the miltary. USA is still the only super power regardless of what people say about china. step back and spend the money on americans first. Iraq, Afghanistan no doubt Syria and Iran next year. soon the USA will be broke and then it will all come home to roost.

    what happened to the country that everyone used to love, of rock n roll, coca cola etc.
    Our culture hasnt changed at all. It's just a bad foreign policy and the refusal to keep out economic house in order. Those ntitlements that were set up so long ago are unsustainable.

    ---------- Post added 2012-12-02 at 10:40 PM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by Baiyn View Post
    If I were American, I'd vote for A. I'm not though, so I'll refrain from affecting your poll results.

    Personally, I think the US would be a lot more economically secure if tax increases weren't such an unthinkable concept. With a bit of tax increase (progressive), the government wouldn't have to borrow so much from foreign sources and the debt issue would become more manageable. But, increasing taxes is still such a massive no-no because a perceived increase in federal influence/power, even now, seems to be viewed as a sign of impending Stalinism (or what the average uninformed commentator labels "Communism" or "Socialism").
    I think having a nationalised bank, rather than the privately run Fed would be helpful too.
    Pt2

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucoP4-06O7M

    You're right about the fed though. It needs to go. Central planning is bad but congress would still be way better than the unaccountable federal reserve.
    Last edited by Raidenx; 2012-12-02 at 10:42 PM.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Raidenx View Post
    You can't get the average Americans opinion here since there's a heavy leftist bias here, and non Americans can take the poll.
    Well, regarding your video... please note that most of Europe is doing the complete opposite right now. They're lowering their debt. But look where it has gotten us, our economies aren't doing very well.

    However, I think what we do in Europe is the better option for the long run. It might suck now, but it gets better later.
    The US chooses for a temporary solution without thinking about the shitload of debt they're never going to be able to pay back. It will bite you in the ass in the long run. Essentially all the US does is shove the problem unto later generations, they're not fixing anything they're just ignoring the problem.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Hardstyler01 View Post
    Well, regarding your video... please note that most of Europe is doing the complete opposite right now. They're lowering their debt. But look where it has gotten us, our economies aren't doing very well.

    However, I think what we do in Europe is the better option for the long run. It might suck now, but it gets better later.
    The US chooses for a temporary solution without thinking about the shitload of debt they're never going to be able to pay back. It will bite you in the ass in the long run. Essentially all the US does is shove the problem unto later generations, they're not fixing anything they're just ignoring the problem.
    You're right about the second part, but what works for one country may not work for another. There are literally thousands of variables to consider. The fact is that increased spending and taxation doesn't grow the economy here. It's usually the opposite. Our greatest periods of growth were during low taxation free market periods. Of course cutting spending and taxes hurts Europe when they are built on mostly socialist economies.
    Last edited by Raidenx; 2012-12-02 at 11:07 PM.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Raidenx View Post
    You're right about the second part, but what works for one country may not work for another. There are literally thousands of variables to consider. The fact is that increased spending and taxation doesn't grow the economy here. It's usually the opposite. Our greatest periods of growth were during low taxation free market periods.
    what does your tax dollars pay for in america? im curious to know

  11. #11
    High Overlord Shadowmeld's Avatar
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    I voted B. I think C is fairly silly, and without government we would have a whole lot of Walmarts taking over everything. There needs to be some government intervention, and I figure the top tier economists currently working on the job are most likely smarter on this matter than I am. So, having a little faith in my country, I will agree to their choices for now.

    But, so also agree a raise in tax should probably happen. We are struggling as a country, so we need to all pitch in an extra hand in order to pull us back out. In addition, I think we need to stop retiring so damn soon. People only work as long as they were in education (plus or minus a few years, but you get the point). Retired people can often still work and do a fine job. I think in terms of health, it would also be hugely beneficial to continue working until a much later age (retiring to nothing is nothing short of an unhealthy diet for the brain). Possibly we could encourage a partial retirement for an extra 10 or so years, where the given person only works half time or something of the sort.

  12. #12
    Most people want to control the profits of companies?

    What the fuck is that bullshit?

    ---------- Post added 2012-12-02 at 11:20 PM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by undercovergnome View Post
    what does your tax dollars pay for in america? im curious to know
    Mostly old people and the military.

    I'd like to cut some defense spending.

    I've said this 1000 times. If you raises taxes on the top 10% such that they pay out 35% of their AGI (as opposed to the 18% they pay now) we'd receive an additional $570-$600 billion in tax revenue each year.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Raidenx View Post
    You can't get the average Americans opinion here since there's a heavy leftist bias here, and non Americans can take the poll.
    +1, heavy left wing bias and a lot of Europeans. I went C, keep Socialism out of America, we are a Republic and should stay that way. If you want Socialism, go to Europe, they already have it there.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by undercovergnome View Post
    what does your tax dollars pay for in america? im curious to know
    A lot of things, mostly waste....

    I like roads though.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Raidenx View Post
    You can't get the average Americans opinion here since there's a heavy leftist bias here
    Is there a poll somewhere that counts who's left and who's right?

    keep Socialism out of America, we are a Republic and should stay that way. If you want Socialism, go to Europe, they already have it there.
    Sorry to burst your bubble but US already has socialism.

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Rocko9 View Post
    +1, heavy left wing bias and a lot of Europeans. I went C, keep Socialism out of America, we are a Republic and should stay that way. If you want Socialism, go to Europe, they already have it there.
    And seeing as the Eurozone recently fell back into a recession, I don't quite think their system is working.

    The right answer is C. Let the free market do it's job. The US Federal Reserve is illegal (monetary policy is the job of congress) and not working. Bernanke has created each bubble (housing and mortgage bubbles) and both have popped and caused drastic drops in the economy. On top of that the US government has too many regulations. The US government taxes far too much and spends even more than what the steal from the people. The $17 Trillion isn't the scary part; the $227 Trillion worth of interest that those loans will accrue is scary, and our generations and those of our children and our children's children will being paying for these mistakes.

    So does socialism work? No. Does the current US system work? Hell no. Does Keynesian economics work? NO! And Bernanke is a student of the Keynesian philosophy and has failed over and over again. The Austrian school of free market economics seems to work as the school has predicted every bubble and following failure of the economy. Free Market/Laissez Faire is the way to.

    And whoever said the free market leads to monopolies is silly.

  17. #17
    Legendary! Collegeguy's Avatar
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    Maybe if you had created a public poll, I would have some faith in it.

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Linkedblade View Post
    And seeing as the Eurozone recently fell back into a recession, I don't quite think their system is working.

    The right answer is C. Let the free market do it's job. The US Federal Reserve is illegal (monetary policy is the job of congress) and not working. Bernanke has created each bubble (housing and mortgage bubbles) and both have popped and caused drastic drops in the economy. On top of that the US government has too many regulations. The US government taxes far too much and spends even more than what the steal from the people. The $17 Trillion isn't the scary part; the $227 Trillion worth of interest that those loans will accrue is scary, and our generations and those of our children and our children's children will being paying for these mistakes.

    So does socialism work? No. Does the current US system work? Hell no. Does Keynesian economics work? NO! And Bernanke is a student of the Keynesian philosophy and has failed over and over again. The Austrian school of free market economics seems to work as the school has predicted every bubble and following failure of the economy. Free Market/Laissez Faire is the way to.

    And whoever said the free market leads to monopolies is silly.

    This. Free markets made America the biggest economy in the world. All the evidence proves Keynesianism doesn't work here. True free markets work, not that socialism infused crony capitalism nightmare in Washington. I'd like to see republicans put their money where the mouths are and actually be for the free market , unlike their champion Ronald Reagan who screwed it all up. Socialism didn't triple the wages of the average person and reduce poverty by 60% in a decade.

    ---------- Post added 2012-12-02 at 11:44 PM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by zorkuus View Post
    Is there a poll somewhere that counts who's left and who's right?


    Sorry to burst your bubble but US already has socialism.
    Non Americans (of which most are socialis leaning europeans) can vote and most Americans here fit into the leftist demographic. Socialism is the reason the US is having problems. The only socialist program that should be successful is social security. All the other are bankrupting us. Having a fuckhuge military doesn't help either, but it's only part of the problem. The federal reserve also needs to go

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Linkedblade View Post
    And whoever said the free market leads to monopolies is silly.
    Counter argument: industrial revolution.

    And you have to take into consideration that it wasn't a completely free market during that period, there was some government control. Imagine how bad it would be without none whatsoever.

  20. #20
    I wouldn't have such a hard time with Laissez Faire if it didn't shit all over the environment. If everyone is cutting costs like crazy, the natural response is to dump your waste in the cheapest way possible to compete. With no regulation, and no tax on companies to pay for the cleanup, how do free-marketers propose we keep our land from deteriorating?

    Anyone heard of the Cuyahoga river? It used to catch fire semi-frequently because of all the chemical waste. Businesses cannot he trusted to do what is best for the public good when they must compete in the free market. Environmental costs would soon outweigh the potential economic benefit of eliminating government deadweight.
    Last edited by Dhurn; 2012-12-03 at 12:11 AM.

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