Comments for Palmetto State Park opens, sort of at http://www.theind.com , comment 1 to 11 out of 11 comments http://www.theind.com Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:03:51 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.theind.com/news/indreporter/7032-palmetto-state-park-opens-sort-of#comment-11014 I would agree that entitlement spending is the other elephant in the room (next to military spending) and certainly needs reform and downsizing. Government seems to be encouraging dependency as part of the "welfare/warfare state" that Ron Paul describes. I'm not very well versed on all the aspects of welfare. We need some kind of safety net including unemployment payments for a limited time with strict rules. Basically, if you are able to work then you should work, or at least should not live on government checks (other people's money). Disabled people need help too, if they cannot sustain themselves. The elderly is a tricky situation. Ideally people should be able to build a retirement fund, but that's difficult when it has to rely on a totally corrupt Wall Street mafia in bed with its regulators and the Federal Reserve and Treasury. The Dept. of Energy was created to get us off of dependence on foreign oil after the oil crisis of the 1970's. Obviously that hasn't worked so well, and we can't drill our way to independence since we use much more than we have the reserves for. If that Department was truly working toward energy independence through rapid development of alternative energies, then I'd feel much better about it. But, like most other federal entities, they seem to perpetuate the crony corporatism that plagues our government. I could continue this conversation with you, but the comments section on Palmetto State Park is hardly the appropriate place. I think you and I agree on the fundamentals of restrained spending and limited federal government. I'd say eventually abolish the income tax (which goes to the Fed to pay interest on the national debt, I believe) and abolish the Federal Reserve. Fiat currency and fractional reserve lending--tenets of central banking and Keynesian economics--should never have been implemented. Decentralize the banking system and respect states' rights, while keeping watch over basic rights to life and liberty including the separation of church and state. But most importantly at this juncture, we have to separate corporatism and government. I believe the single most important problem is the influence of money on government, which encourages expansion, loss of liberty, and drains wealth from the middle class. The military budget wouldn't be so big if the military-industrial complex didn't make so much money from making war. We would have a better food system based on localized farming and healthy food (like it used to be) if giant agribusiness didn't get billions in federal subsidies every year, and Monsanto weren't allowed to patent life forms and systematically crush its smaller competitors. Centralization, monopolization, expansion - these things benefit the sick marriage of giant corporations and government. - Resident Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:11:28 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/indreporter/7032-palmetto-state-park-opens-sort-of#comment-11012 Resident -- So you concede that government has gone too far. If you think the military has gone too far, then surely you can see how welfare, social security, and medicare are also unconstitutional. I would cut the military budget in half tomorrow. I would also eliminate social security and medicare for all workers below the age of 40. I would end the Dept of Commerce, Education, and Energy. I would slash both Congressional and Executive branch employees in half. I would completely eliminate half of the clandestine services, leaving in place the NSA and the CIA on much reduced budgets. Do this tomorrow, leave taxes right where they are -- that's right, no tax cuts until the debt is paid -- and have Congress order the Treasury/Federal Reserve to pay down debt/buy back bonds and notes with the surplus. If the market were unwilling to sell the bonds back, which is possible with a strong fiscal policy in America again, then the Fed/Treasury would have to buy gold/platinum/palladium/oil or some other hard commodity of certain value with the surplus. How does that sound to you? - ragin_cajun Tue, 05 Oct 2010 14:09:35 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/indreporter/7032-palmetto-state-park-opens-sort-of#comment-11010 Sorry to but in on citizen. "However, out of your list, "the US military, the CIA, the FBI" are what our government uses to "punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations;"" Hmm, having 700 military bases in 130 countries, invading and occupying two countries, spending $650 billion a year on military would make the Founding Father turn over in their graves, I wager. It's gone way beyond protecting the homeland. And the CIA, beginning with the overthrow of a democratically elected government in Iran in 1953, continuing on with creating and supporting bin Laden in the 1980's, and so on, hasn't really protected the law of nations either. In fact, it's violated them. And the FBI didn't really follow the law in going after political opponents under Nixon, and was caught red-handed using anti-terror laws for doing the same thing under Bush. Any discussion of reforming government and reducing spending must include the outrageous spending and disregard for law and decency that our military and intelligence apparatuses currently wallow in. - Resident Tue, 05 Oct 2010 12:20:41 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/indreporter/7032-palmetto-state-park-opens-sort-of#comment-11005 citizen -- This is a very old question. the amount of government a society needs is a precarious balance. too little government, and backslides into barbarism. too much government, and society backslides into democide. luckily for us, a group of very well educated, well read men created a blueprint that explains exactly how to strike that balance. for those of us who are interested, we can read their writings and debates to see how they arrived at this solution. this blueprint for government is the US Constitution, and following it brought about the greatest, most free, most technologically advanced, most virtuous nation the world has ever seen. some of the things that document says government should do is to establish "post roads" and "raise and support armies". so you're right we should shut down " welfare, social security, medicare" because they are corrosive to the souls of free men. However, out of your list, "the US military, the CIA, the FBI" are what our government uses to "punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations;" You see, this Constitution is pretty clear if you read it and apply it. Does any of this sound unreasonable to you? - ragin_cajun Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:47:51 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/indreporter/7032-palmetto-state-park-opens-sort-of#comment-11000 Walter, you can print the one you want. Thanks. - The Original Northsidian Mon, 04 Oct 2010 21:32:02 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/indreporter/7032-palmetto-state-park-opens-sort-of#comment-10999 Let me try again. Citizen, I never said stop paying taxes! I said it was time for the politicians to stop taking credit for what your taxes and my taxes pay for. I said when will the politicians stop taking credit for taxpayer funded projects. I said they use our taxes to get re-elected. And I said "How long will we let this $@## go on!" Stop sucking up to the politicians, it is unhealthy!! - The Original Northsidian Mon, 04 Oct 2010 21:31:17 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/indreporter/7032-palmetto-state-park-opens-sort-of#comment-10997 Citizen, I did not say quit paying taxes. I said for the politicians to quit taking credit for the things you and I pay taxes for. I refuse to let you spin on me. Now go to church and ask forgiveness! Sucking up to politicians is unhealthy!! - The Original Northsidian Mon, 04 Oct 2010 20:25:41 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/indreporter/7032-palmetto-state-park-opens-sort-of#comment-10974 I'll be visiting. Thanks for your persistence and recognition of the need to preserve habitat in Louisiana, Mr. Angelle. Hopefully conditions will improve and the right people will get on board for this place to stay open. - Resident Mon, 04 Oct 2010 13:16:33 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/indreporter/7032-palmetto-state-park-opens-sort-of#comment-10968 Your right Northsidian, we should just shut everything that the government does down and quit paying taxes. Here is a list of things we should shut down: welfare, social security, medicare, the US military, the CIA, the FBI, the Department of transportation. Heck the list goes on and on. Everyone should be personally responsible for keeping up their share of the infrastructure. You know, like you get 100ft of highway on I-10 and you are responsible for making sure the grass is cut, the pot holes are filled and the lines are painted. Oh and you have 10 feet of grass to keep cut in the public park and don't forget that hallway in city hall, yea... you get to vacuum it once a week. Yea this whole civilized society thing is for the birds. How long will we let this go on? - citizen Mon, 04 Oct 2010 02:46:40 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/indreporter/7032-palmetto-state-park-opens-sort-of#comment-10960 Public Private Money? Everything in this state is funded by public/private money. IT IS CALLED TAXES!! I am always amazed how the politicians stand for pictures after using taxpayer funds. They use your taxes and mine only to get re-elected. It is time they give credit to US (THE TAXPAYERS)!! How fricking dumb are we? How long will we let this $@## go on!! - The Original Northsidian Sat, 02 Oct 2010 16:26:47 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/indreporter/7032-palmetto-state-park-opens-sort-of#comment-10944 What the....? - woody Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:39:13 +0100