The Economist August 6, 2011 Print Edition Cover

[cieldumort]

Comments

[merccom]

this poll sucks. how about an option where we call the entire military home, raise the retirement age, end national healthcare, reform disablity, reform medicare/medicade, end a significant portion of the fedgovs regulatory authority in all industries(not just oil and wall street) decriminalize "recreational" drugs and release nonviolent offenders from prison.

or i guess in short not worry so much about the tax revenue side of the equation and hugely cut the tax expendature side.

[cieldumort]

I would agree with raising the retirement age, decriminalizing recreational drugs, and releasing nonviolent offenders.

[rhonan]

Better solution: restore the tax brackets to where they were under Eisenhower and eliminate all deductions for people in the top 10% of assets, lower retirement age to align with the rest of the civilized world, abolish for-profit medical insurance and institute a real national health system, slash all national security spending to 25% of current levels over 10 years, expand criminal penalties for businesses that break the law, make it much easier for workers to organize, prohibit the privatization of any government function or service, and immediately ending corporate person-hood? Social Democracy: the fastest route to a healthy middle-class known to man.

[merccom]

But if you want a "social democracy" you've got a wide array of choices over in Europe, take your pick! This is supposed to be the land of the free, the place where you could go and be left alone by the government and pursue your happiness.

[secret_ninja]

I don't see how anything he is eluding to above has anything to do with government in your business. They should also end the illegal wars and legalize recreational drugs and let out some non-violent offenders. :)