...

 bk>>  I want it to be military service. A "term of
service" leaves too
 bk>>  may opening for unreal service. The need to be willing to put
 bk>>  themselves on the line.

 DD> Sort of disagree. Nothing wrong with a "peace corps" type
 DD> service. Done this way - a (future) citizen offers himself
 DD> for service, listing his preferences of things to serve as.
 DD> But, if the gummint has no need for spoon sorters at the
 DD> beach in Malibu the (future) citizen might wind up in the
 DD> military.

 DD> This would offer those with physical impediments - blind,
 DD> deaf, amputee, paraplegic, etc. a chance to serve their
 DD> country and *earn* their right to vote. OTOH, basic

 Even they can fill some slot in the military.

 DD> military training should be required of all who are
 DD> physically able ... using the Marine Corp's philosophy that
 DD> everyone is a rifleman first and a (whatever) second. Those


 DD> who have gone through the training would then keep their
 DD> basic weapon for the rest of their lives ... ready to
 DD> spring to action at a moment's notice. Latter day Minute
 DD> Men as it were.

 bk>  Even conscientious objectors can serve.

 DD> Yup.

 bk>>  And it should not be a pre-requisite for voting, but simpley
 bk>>  required.

 DD> Nope. There should be some extra (potential) reward for
 DD> putting your arse on the line. Those not serving and just

 What I said, required, not optional.

 ...

 DD>> That, coupled with a two term limit for *ALL* elective
 DD>> offices would help ensure that this noble experiment in
 DD>> which we are enmeshed will continue ... at least long

 bk>>  The two term limit sounds good, and I used to favor term limits.
 bk>>  Though I favored a time limit, not a term limit. Twelve years
 bk>>  for congress, six for president and VP.

 bk>>  After I saw the disaster term limits caused in Michigan I got to
 bk>>  doubting the principle. As the Toledo Blade's ombudsman, who is
 bk>>  in Michigan and a prof at a journalism school there, as well as
 bk>>  a long time journalist wrote, when the Michigan budget was
 bk>>  practically impossible to balance there was not one single
 bk>>  member of the legislature who had been there just 6 years before
 bk>>  when a lot of those programs and tax cuts had been voted in.

 DD> So what? If they were responsible and in tune to the needs
 DD> of the job they should have done what was necessary and
 DD> screw the special interests and their lobbyists.

 If they were. Most of those running for short terms like that
 are single issue or limited issue politicans. Get what they want
 and screw the rest.

 bk>>  Nobody was responsible for the looming disaster. Nobody was
 bk>>  facing responsibility for fixing anything they passed in that
 bk>>  legislature.

 DD> My state (without term limits except for those imposed by
 DD> the U. S. Attorney) is facing a budget crisis. And none of
 DD> the politicos are will to even utter the word "taxes". It's

 This is a situation few alive have ever seen before.

 ...

 DD> I don't like taxes any better than anyone else. But, hell,
 DD> I don't like paying bills either. I do, however recognise
 DD> the needs to do so ... and if it takes a tax increase, then
 DD> gaddmit raise the bleeping taxes.
 DD>> enough for our descendants to pay off the huge bills the
 DD>> Bushies and the Obamites have run up.

 Go back to Reagan. Remember, half the debt Bush left Obama was
 built up before he took office.

 ...

 bk>>  If we tip over into depression the economy will contract
 bk>>  significantly. A 30% contraction in GDP would mean the debt load
 bk>>  would instantly jump to 128% of GDP. A 50% contraction would
 bk>>  jump the debt to 180% of GDP. I doubt any country has ever
 bk>>  survived a debt load like that.

 bk>>  And we can't even start a war to get us out of it.

 DD> Ain't no easy answers, are there?

 In right wing fantasy land.


BOB KLAHN bob.klahn{at}sev.org   http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn

... Sarah Palin - Governor of a state with a population less than Columbus Oh.
 * Silver Xpress V4.5/P [Reg]
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5a