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Region: Libertatem

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Miri Islands wrote:I keep seeing lefty candidates say they want the government to fix the problems with expensive college and health care and they want to spend more to fix it. On the other hand we have libertarians and small government conservatives saying that the government is the problem yet neither really go into detail as to how to fix it. How would you go about fixing these two problems in specifics

Get rid of government loans, grants, and privatize all public colleges. With no guaranteed customers provided by the FSA, colleges will be forced to actually charge market rates. Student debt will go down and the problem will be solved within a decade.

The only reason college is so expensive is because they know the government will end up subsidizing the cost of a large part of the loans. Without government aid, most people wouldn't go to college, so when you take out the aid, the colleges, still wanting that sweet sweet moolah, will lower their prices to reasonable levels.

This would also go a long way to getting rid of the brainwashing effect colleges have. With a lack of guaranteed funding, disciplines would have to compete to receive funding. It's not hard to see that Chemistry and Biology would beat out Queer and Women's Studies, or at the very least, those diciplines would have to make their reserch more credible to get funding.

Miencraft, Pevvania, Narland

We need a final call for the consular elections. So far I have

First consul:

Tupolite

Skaveria

Second Consul:

Highway Eighty-Eight

Third Consul:

No one yet declared. I guess I will throw my hat in again.

Is there anyone I have missed or who would like to enter the runnings?

Skaveria wrote:

This would also go a long way to getting rid of the brainwashing effect colleges have. With a lack of guaranteed funding, disciplines would have to compete to receive funding. It's not hard to see that Chemistry and Biology would beat out Queer and Women's Studies, or at the very least, those diciplines would have to make their reserch more credible to get funding.

Chemistry and Biology already beat out Queer and Women’s studies at like any university. Besides, the whole “x degree” can’t get you a job is just BS. I thought that way until I talked to a number of councilors who explained that you aren’t just getting a degree to be an expert in the field you’re studying, you’re getting the skills that come with it. History and other humanities majors often go on to work in the private sector because they’re extensively trained to look at data and trends and apply them while most job training can just be done before starting work. It really is a myth that only certain degrees are worth getting.

Jadentopian Order wrote:Chemistry and Biology already beat out Queer and Women’s studies at like any university. Besides, the whole “x degree” can’t get you a job is just BS. I thought that way until I talked to a number of councilors who explained that you aren’t just getting a degree to be an expert in the field you’re studying, you’re getting the skills that come with it. History and other humanities majors often go on to work in the private sector because they’re extensively trained to look at data and trends and apply them while most job training can just be done before starting work. It really is a myth that only certain degrees are worth getting.

Well a degree in an irrelevant topic still beats no degree at all, because it still shows you're able to apply yourself to a long-term goal and succeed, but I was more referring to the amount of funding the courses receive. With the excessive grants taken away, each discipline will have to step up their game to get funding. That means the humanities department will be forced to not be an indoctrination factory to maintain the credibility needed to get funded.

Opinion: If you use the laugh reaction when somebody makes a completely valid point, you suck.

Pevvania

Miri Islands wrote:I keep seeing lefty candidates say they want the government to fix the problems with expensive college and health care and they want to spend more to fix it. On the other hand we have libertarians and small government conservatives saying that the government is the problem yet neither really go into detail as to how to fix it. How would you go about fixing these two problems in specifics

Going off what Skaveria said, the research arm of the Federal Reserve found that 60% of the increase in tuition over the past forty years is directly attributable to the government's dispersal of Pell Grants. The government gives these grants to college kids to offset tuition, but colleges respond by raising tuition knowing that students are able to spend more, leading to the federal government increasing Pell Grants. It's a positive feedback loop that has inexorably worsened, and perhaps caused, the problem we see today.

Radically reducing the role of government in education would be a great step towards market equilibrium. It's going to be hard and unpopular at first, but yes, we should privatize most schools and massively reduce government financial aid. This would act to re-balance the education system, likely lead to decreased enrollment and smaller salaries for college lecturers, but reduce the cost of college radically in the long run. Perhaps the biggest positive impact would be on the labor market, where a college degree would be far more valuable.

Narland, Skaveria

Also, the unintended consequence of "free education" is a dangerously overeducated populace. In my former home the UK, college was 'free' for decades, until it became clear in the 1990s that too many people were going to college, which was harming the labor market and the very value of the degree. It took a centre-left government to introduce tuition fees to combat this problem, which has actually been quite successful.

I agree with what Pevvania has typed. Also,

In the United States a Constitutional responsibility of the state (Ordinance of 1789, every State constitution) is to oversee the "education and morality" of its Citizens. States like Idaho have land grants that set aside land and physical plant (e.g., buildings) revenue Every year or so the Citizen goes to the polls to vote as to how much of on increase on the lien on his property to support x schools.

Unfortunately, every State has gone nuts with taxation in sales taxes, payroll, taxes, sin taxes, lotteries, etc) to not just providing a place for universities to meet but controlling and managing the faculties, curricula, textbooks, and even the students themselves. Returning to financing the buildings, lab materiel, necessary tools, and maintenance costs through taxation; and returning the responsibility of costs for faculty, curricula, and student expenses back to the student body for self-governing deliberation themselves would be a good start in addition to what Pev has already typed.

Pevvania wrote:Also, the unintended consequence of "free education" is a dangerously overeducated populace. In my former home the UK, college was 'free' for decades, until it became clear in the 1990s that too many people were going to college, which was harming the labor market and the very value of the degree. It took a centre-left government to introduce tuition fees to combat this problem, which has actually been quite successful.

I'd say it's not a wholly bad thing to have a highly educated population. People treat college as a means to attain jobs, and that's true, but the true value of a liberal education, and I mean liberal in the classical sense, is to learn to critically think, to be able to articulate oneself. If every man were able to clearly articulate what he knows to be true, he'd be an unbelievable force for good. Not to sound too Petersonian, but I am a huge fan of his work.

Miencraft, Narland, The United States Of Patriots

Skaveria wrote:I'd say it's not a wholly bad thing to have a highly educated population. People treat college as a means to attain jobs, and that's true, but the true value of a liberal education, and I mean liberal in the classical sense, is to learn to critically think, to be able to articulate oneself. If every man were able to clearly articulate what he knows to be true, he'd be an unbelievable force for good. Not to sound too Petersonian, but I am a huge fan of his work.
I like Jordan Peterson. He is a clear thinking Liberal who does not excoriate Conservatives (American sense) just for being conservative. He has my respect.

____

Critical thinking people with access to the facts in order to make decisions for themselves is an integral part of self-government. Beware those who merely want you just smart enough. Repudiate those who want you just smart enough to do what they want but not smart enough to think about it otherwise.

____

I expect education as teaching/learning to be:

1. literacy through a body of literature (reading),

2. communication skills through the grammar and syntax of one's language (writing), and

3. knowing how to figure things out geometrically, temporally, spatially, and quantitatively (arithmetic);

->by being given full and complete access to all the tools of logic, reason, and cogency as early as capable

->for the exploration, experimentation, and interaction of the individual with oneself, others, and the world around him/her in art and science

->to become apt to teach, autodidact, and love lifelong learning the degree that one is able

to the end of creating:

1. self-sufficient (that is is skilled in a trade, occupation, vocation, profession, or enterprise),

2. freethinking (in the proper sense - can think and reason for oneself ),

3. capable (self-governing individuals who can order their lives to the best of their ability happily and productively)

4. emotionally mature (it is unbelievable that emotionally mature has to be inserted)

adults who function without harm to themselves or the lives, liberties, and properties of others (by respecting the life, liberty, and (justly gained) property of others in extreme liberty and full equality under Law).

This of course requires the teaching of Civic Virtue as an academic discipline as part of Classical Education (introduced by our Founding Fathers) distinct and opposed to jingoism (a tendency of the right) and state worship (a tendency of the left) that some Classical Education models do not include. Some private academies and many home-schooled families still endeavor to accomplish this model of education, but the pubic school system it seems will never return to it without a thorough reformation/restoration.

The United States Of Patriots, Skaveria, Miri Islands

I only just now realized I have the second lowest political freedoms in the region. Funny part is I still have free press and right to protest so I have room to improve

Post by Highway Eighty-Eight suppressed by a moderator.

Highway Eighty-Eight wrote:Not sure what the last part means.....

They're going for a benevolent dictatorship, so they want the elimination of all political freedom, but extreme freedom in every other aspect.

Post by Highway Eighty-Eight suppressed by a moderator.

Highway Eighty-Eight wrote:Well, I suppose, if we're being nonsensical... I suppose we could... "improve".

That was the joke

Post by Highway Eighty-Eight suppressed by a moderator.

Highway Eighty-Eight wrote:You're actually third place for least politically free. Beat by whoever own the puppet nation Amalickiah, and then Tupolite, our pet fascist.

Darn I think allowing racist performances rose my political freedoms

I will open the poll for first consul at midnight tonight, mountain time. The candidates are:

Tupolite

Skaveria

The poll will be open for 24 hours.

Rateria, Highway Eighty-Eight

Jadentopian Order wrote:That bothers me for the simple reason Kid Rock sucks

Mission accomplished

Starting the poll a bit early so i can actually sleep tonight

Highway Eighty-Eight

I want to address my rampant income inequality but it seems like the only way the game will reduce it is by embracing socialist policies like welfare or a "progressive" income tax.

Just to add to this, I crushed a separatist movement and my political freedom went up. Nation states really doesn't make sense sometimes

Narland

New poll in Zentari, come and vote!

https://www.nationstates.net/page=poll/p=146842

Rateria

Miri Islands wrote:I want to address my rampant income inequality but it seems like the only way the game will reduce it is by embracing socialist policies like welfare or a "progressive" income tax.

Just to add to this, I crushed a separatist movement and my political freedom went up. Nation states really doesn't make sense sometimes

Sometimes I think that NS political freedom means the freedom within the confines of soft despotism. Bound to be made to feel free as long as one stays on the "generous" but short leash of the somehow innately benevolent state.

"Feel free!" -- Number 2, Enabler to Number 6, Prisoner The Prisoner, McGoohan and Markstein

baha :D I got pranked for a couple of minutes by a search engine result HuffPost article. In the article Dr. Robert Epstein was struck and (implied) killed by a Google View autocar. The articled states that it was an "ironic" accident by no fault and due to a poorly written algorithm.

IRL, Epstein is currently testifying to Congress about how Google has been using psychological marketing techniques on undecided voters using Google services to sway elections.

Some of the weirdness in the article I chalked poor journalistic lack of skill. I was starting to wonder if concern was warranted as this article is just too weird to be taken seriously. By the end it was apparent the article was a satire and noticed it was written in 2014 (when he first raised concern).

Thank you for not voting for the fascist

Rateria, Miri Islands

I have a pit in my stomach watching live feed of the myriad of Hong Kong protesters waving American flags and singing the Star Spangled Banner in hopes USA will intervene in defiance of their PLA taskmasters. I wish America was the Free Country that Hong Kongers think we are. I hope we can once again become that free -- the challenge to the next generation I suppose -- to throw off our "professional administrative state" taskmasters shackled upon us by Progressivism in the 20th Century by ignoring Constitutional Doctrine (ignoring separation of powers, usurping liberty etc.) so that we can by example truly be that shining City on a hill.

The New United States, Rateria, Miri Islands

Post by Highway Eighty-Eight suppressed by a moderator.

Highway Eighty-Eight wrote:Jack Chick: Clearly the genius of the millennium.

I'll trade you a "Dark Dungeons" in any condition for an only read once "First Bite," a slightly torn to shreds "Unwelcome Guest," and a regular version "Psyduck" card.

Highway Eighty-Eight

Thank you all for my votes, and I wish Tupolite the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Narland, The New United States, Miri Islands

Post by Highway Eighty-Eight suppressed by a moderator.

Highway Eighty-Eight wrote:I don't.

Skaveria wrote:Thank you all for my votes, and I wish Tupolite the best of luck in his future endeavors.

No need to be kind to the fascist

Jadentopian Order wrote:No need to be kind to the fascist

There's even less need to be childishly hostile.

"Love your enemies..."

Miri Islands

When’s the next part of the election?

Jadentopian Order wrote:No need to be kind to the fascist

come on man don't be cringe

Miri Islands

The States Of Balloon wrote:come on man don't be cringe

Dude fascism is like, so cool.

Venomringo

Jadentopian Order wrote:Dude fascism is like, so cool.

Hating fascists for being fascists is so cool

So when are we updating the consulate positions?

Miri Islands wrote:Hating fascists for being fascists is so cool

Now you're getting it

Rateria wrote:When’s the next part of the election?

As Miri Islands has filled the gap for the third consul, both he and Wilhelm will run unopposed for their seats. Congratulation to all and good luck.

Jadentopian Order wrote:Now you're getting it

The best outcome for people who are fascist is for them to deradicalize, abusing them won't accomplish that. To extend an analogy: hate the ideology, love the ideologue. obviously some people are beyond reform and pose a more existential threat to us. Terrorists would fall under this umbrella. But sorel is hardly a threat to anyone. He is much more of a disillusioned larper than a potent threat.

Jadentopian Order wrote:Now you're getting it

You missed the sarcasm

Post by Highway Eighty-Eight suppressed by a moderator.

Miri Islands wrote:You missed the sarcasm

I got the sarcasm I was just purposely ignoring it lol

Venomringo

Post by Highway Eighty-Eight suppressed by a moderator.

Highway Eighty-Eight wrote:New Recommended reading: Ur-Fascism

https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/umberto-eco-ur-fascism

Thanks for sharing the link. It is well worth the read.

One of my (old) acquaintances growing up was a woman who had been raised in a Fascist creche being taught to worship the eternal state. Hymns and worship services were sung to harbingers of the 1000 year reign of glory -- Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito. She was 16? when she watched from a window the supposedly indestructible Mussolini hanged, and her world came crashing down. Everything she had been taught was a lie. We lost touch in the 1980s. Her name was Francois, and I have been trying to track down her family for some of the speeches she gave about Fascism. If anyone knows please let me know.

Jadentopian Order wrote:I got the sarcasm I was just purposely ignoring it lol

jokes on you, I was only pretending to be retarded?

Muh Roads, Miri Islands

The States Of Balloon wrote:jokes on you, I was only pretending to be retarded?

The joke's on you pal cause I really am retarded

Miencraft, Rateria, Highway Eighty-Eight

Post by Highway Eighty-Eight suppressed by a moderator.

I got the banner for building an extremely large military but I fell to compulsory consumerist state because I reinstated prisons

Highway Eighty-Eight wrote:I would, of course, not wish a fascist luck in his future endeavors. I feal like that would, in the non-existent chance that such wishes actually accomplish something, be counterproductive.

How did you get that from my post?

The purpose of my post is about the best tactics for deradicalizing fascists. nothing at all about wishing them good luck. Unless you are only talking about mill's post. In which case that is irrelevant to what I said as it was jadens comment that I responded to not his.

If any of my friends on the left would like to see more evidence of liberal media bias, look no further than this article: https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/461330-trump-approval-dips-among-republicans

'Trump approval dips among Republicans' (!!!)

...from 85% to 83%, in a poll with a margin of error of 3.1%. So that's an utterly worthless statistic. If a poll change is within the margin of error, it's statistically insignificant. The headline also doesn't mention that his overall approval rating is up by 1 point, and up 3 points amongst independents. But again, these are all within the margin of error, which of course the "journalists" neglect to mention.

Miencraft, The New United States, Stiltusgibberum

So if I'm not mistaken, the consulate now consists of myself, Miri, and Wilhelm? When will the page be updated and Miri and myself given access to the Consulate chat in the discord?

The New United States

Post by Highway Eighty-Eight suppressed by a moderator.

Thank you, Libertatem, for allowing me to hold the office of third console. I will faithfully perform my obligations in accordance to the values of the region and within the confines of the Constitution. Death to Communism!

Narland, The New United States, Rateria, Skaveria, Highway Eighty-Eight, Stiltusgibberum

Miri Islands wrote:Death to Communism!

Hear, hear!

Muh Roads, Rateria, Miri Islands, Stiltusgibberum

Post by Highway Eighty-Eight suppressed by a moderator.

Highway Eighty-Eight wrote:Thought the Communists already killed it?

Call me liberty prime but Communism is the very definition of failure

Pevvania, Republic Of Minerva, Muh Roads

Miri Islands wrote:Call me liberty prime but Communism is the very definition of failure

I can see that point. Methinks, failure is when you stop trying. Call me Fawkes, but doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result (mainly for it to work this time around) seems more like the definition of Communism. :)

***I was going to type, 'Call me Crazy Earl,' but wanted to keep it in the franchise.

Miri Islands

Fascism and communism are bad. These have been our central tenets for many years.

Narland, Republic Of Minerva, Muh Roads, Rateria

Humpheria wrote:Fascism and communism are bad. These have been our central tenets for many years.

virtue signaler

Pevvania

Post by Highway Eighty-Eight suppressed by a moderator.

Highway Eighty-Eight wrote:In case anyone noticed, cares, or was otherwise had any interest in it, the Consulate has decided, following discussion, to remove the Eco-Friendly and Feminist, and add the tags Egalitarian and National Sovereignist.

The decision to remove the Eco-Friendly and Feminist tags was made after a vote. Consuls Skaveria and Miri Islands voted in favor of removal, Highway Eighty-Eight against. The reason for removal was the belief of the two Consuls that the tags had Left-Wing connotations, and didn't reflect the beliefs of the region. The dissenting opinion being that the two tags adequately represented the views of a large and active portion of the region and its citizenry.

The addition of the Egalitarian was decided by a 2-1 vote, Highway Eighty-Eight dissenting. The opinion of those in favor of change being that it would be an adequate replacement of the Feminist tag, and better expressed the views of region.

The addition of the National Sovereignist tag was decided 2-1 with Highway Eighty-Eight dissenting.

Additionally, the removal of the Social tag was discussed, but was dropped when both Skaveria and Highway Eighty-Eight abstained.

Glad to see my tax dollars being put to good use.

Post by Highway Eighty-Eight suppressed by a moderator.

Libertarians: I oppose Trump because of his protectionist trade policies and restrictions on immigration

Also libertarians: I love Coolidge

Zurkerx, Skaveria

New poll in Zentari, come and vote!

https://www.nationstates.net/page=poll/p=147102

Rateria

Highway Eighty-Eight wrote:In case anyone noticed, cares, or was otherwise had any interest in it, the Consulate has decided, following discussion, to remove the Eco-Friendly and Feminist, and add the tags Egalitarian and National Sovereignist.

The decision to remove the Eco-Friendly and Feminist tags was made after a vote. Consuls Skaveria and Miri Islands voted in favor of removal, Highway Eighty-Eight against. The reason for removal was the belief of the two Consuls that the tags had Left-Wing connotations, and didn't reflect the beliefs of the region. The dissenting opinion being that the two tags adequately represented the views of a large and active portion of the region and its citizenry.

The addition of the Egalitarian was decided by a 2-1 vote, Highway Eighty-Eight dissenting. The opinion of those in favor of change being that it would be an adequate replacement of the Feminist tag, and better expressed the views of region.

The addition of the National Sovereignist tag was decided 2-1 with Highway Eighty-Eight dissenting.

Additionally, the removal of the Social tag was discussed, but was dropped when both Skaveria and Highway Eighty-Eight abstained.

Is there a tag for Anti-Social? :)

___

Funny how NS has tags for Monarchy, Democracy, and Oligarchy but nothing for Republic. There is a Federalist tag.

___

I am not so much a National-Sovereignty-ist as a Non-Globalist (whether by city-state, country state, nation state, or federal state). With hundreds of states on a globe is a hundred ways to do it better vs a hundred ways not to do it. With a sole Globular State there is no peerage examples to learn from. Once it fails it fails for everyone.

I wrote Roddenberry (several times regarding different things) as a kid about my observation, but that time all I got was a Star Trek fan form letter in reply. :( He did respond to the point in American Atheist Magazine, but was way to optimistic about the human condition.

Trump is more libertarian than he gets credit for. That being said he shouldn't get credit for being very libertarian.

Pevvania, Narland, Skaveria

The United States Of Patriots wrote:Trump is more libertarian than he gets credit for. That being said he shouldn't get credit for being very libertarian.

I've always considered him more libertarian than the average Republican. He said he wanted marijuana legalization to be a state issue, he was the first Republican to stand behind a rainbow flag, an act that he surely knew would have ramifications with evangelicals, but he did it anyway. The deregulation and tax cuts are great too.

The only things he needs work on are free trade, which I was under the impression he supported when I voted for him,

the 2nd ammendment, he can't keep letting the Democrats guilt the Republicans into guilting him every time there's a mass shooting,

and the frivolous executive powers, like executive orders and banning petty stuff like vapes.

To be fair, a lot of his executive orders were to get rid of previous executive orders from Obama, but he's surpassed that by far now.

Also, I'm 90% sure this vape ban is because Melania caught Barron in the bathroom with a juul. (Steven Crowder's joke, not mine)

Pevvania

Skaveria wrote:I've always considered him more libertarian than the average Republican. He said he wanted marijuana legalization to be a state issue, he was the first Republican to stand behind a rainbow flag, an act that he surely knew would have ramifications with evangelicals, but he did it anyway. The deregulation and tax cuts are great too.

The only things he needs work on are free trade, which I was under the impression he supported when I voted for him,

the 2nd ammendment, he can't keep letting the Democrats guilt the Republicans into guilting him every time there's a mass shooting,

and the frivolous executive powers, like executive orders and banning petty stuff like vapes.

To be fair, a lot of his executive orders were to get rid of previous executive orders from Obama, but he's surpassed that by far now.

Also, I'm 90% sure this vape ban is because Melania caught Barron in the bathroom with a juul. (Steven Crowder's joke, not mine)

The part of Trump with which I disagree (a more pervasive and somehow more efficient medicare/social security system, federal funding of local and States' infrastructure), are/were blocked by hostile "moderate" GOP and every Democrat in Congress. He did sign that atrocious spending bill. Democrats are willing to cut of their noses to spite their collective faces in refusing to work with him on Democrat policy that they agree. Had Congress worked with Trump, he would be much less praiseworthy.

Skaveria wrote:The only things he needs work on are free trade, which I was under the impression he supported when I voted for him,

Trump, I believe, views free trade as an end goal. We live in a world of states that will do anything to ensure that their economies, and the rent-seeking voting blocs that live within them, are 'taken care of'. Free trade has to be equal and fair on both sides, and we have really not seen that in practice. Dozens and possibly hundreds of nations use subsidies, currency manipulation and indeed tariffs of their own to prop up their own economies. Trump is leveling the playing field by using tariffs as leverage, and by doing so can (and has, in many cases) bring down trade barriers on both sides. This is why Ron Paul called NAFTA 'managed trade' and called for its repeal.

And at a geopolitical level, I think it's absolutely necessary we confront China using any means necessary, because it's clear if their actions (both political and economic) continue unabated, they will replace America as the world's superpower.

Skaveria wrote:To be fair, a lot of his executive orders were to get rid of previous executive orders from Obama, but he's surpassed that by far now.

The Trump Presidency should lay bare to the left the danger of expansive executive authority. It grew to monstrous heights under Bush and grew even further under Obama. When we protested this would lead to adverse consequences, we were dismissed as "conspiracy theorists". But now that Obama's "pen and phone" presidential model has been taken to new heights under Trump, will Democrats learn their lesson? I doubt it. They just want the right dictator in power.

I do think, though, that Trump has weakened federal power on net.

Narland wrote:The part of Trump with which I disagree (a more pervasive and somehow more efficient medicare/social security system, federal funding of local and States' infrastructure), are/were blocked by hostile "moderate" GOP and every Democrat in Congress. He did sign that atrocious spending bill. Democrats are willing to cut of their noses to spite their collective faces in refusing to work with him on Democrat policy that they agree. Had Congress worked with Trump, he would be much less praiseworthy.

You and others may disagree with me, but I actually agree with a program to improve American infrastructure. I think one of the few roles the government should play is facilitating commerce and greasing the wheels of the economic machine. I would like to see privatization of poorly-performing government authorities and infrastructure networks, and of course widespread deregulation to cut through odious planning and labor laws that can delay infrastructure projects for years on end. But I also think some grants from the federal government will be necessary to start some of these projects, which will mean a lot of federal dollars spent on improvements and construction. Am I wrong?

"Marxian exploitation is the exploitation of people's lack of understanding of economics." - Robert Nozick

Narland, The New United States, Miri Islands, Wyattish

I think we generally agree on many things (such as deregulation, living within budget, real money, honest banking, privatization, limited government etc) but disagree on the particulars of returning to Constitutional governance.

I am a strong Federalist (generic definition), such that each jurisdiction should be responsible for and is more likely to care for its own stuff (infrastructure) when that infrastructure is in control of the persons most directly utilizing it, either as a public utility benefiting those citizens directly (who own the controlling interest through enfranchisement), or competitive private contractor(s) (also controlled in the aforementioned process). Privatization at the most local jurisdiction prudent is my preference.

We don't need Federal monetary grants to do that. We just need the government to get out of the way. IMO the best government grant is when the government does get out of the way for the People rise to the occasion to do what they do best as self-governing individuals. The Fabian Socialist "rational professional administrative" bureaucrat state has, is, and continues to fail us -- as it was meant only to be a tool for Socialist transformation. It must be dismantled and there deeds to be a return back to Lawful governance.

An argument can be made for Federal maintenance of coastal waterways, postal roads specifically, armories, and such, but not for our local, state, and national roadways in general, and nothing for cities, ranches, farms, and individuals in particular unless they are in a duly constituted Federal Service (except for Washington, DC and infrastructure in the Federal Territories and Trusts). The only thing I want to see from the federal government is to progress to spending and consuming less than 5% of the GDP/GDI without destroying the Navy and National Guard effectiveness (as an idealized target, not as a hard target).

As someone who was raised on a ranch, and as part of communities that built and maintained our own roads (its not that difficult, and better quality better engineered roads can be made/maintained at a fraction of the cost), I will personally attest that we can do it better than some nameless, faceless bureaucratic highway district or transportation department that has no interest in the communities they supposedly serve and in many cases no understanding, nor direct engineering skill/expertise in roads allocated to the department that they oversee.

Narland wrote:

Couldn't some infrastructure projects be justified by the interstate commerce clause? And I do totally agree about a return to federalism and constitutional adherence; I am thinking with my consequentialist hat on this one.

Taxation is theft

Miencraft, Narland, Republic Of Minerva, The United States Of Patriots, Skaveria, Highway Eighty-Eight, Stiltusgibberum

Post by Highway Eighty-Eight suppressed by a moderator.

Muh Roads wrote:Taxation is theft

In other news water is wet

Skaveria

Post by Highway Eighty-Eight suppressed by a moderator.

Muh Roads wrote:Taxation is theft

Did you know that the sky is made of air?

Muh Roads

People have already said it, but no way in hell, or on gods green earth, a condemnation of TRF would pass.

Rateria

Skaveriafor the sake of the region edit your pretitle so the 'territories' in 'Confederate territories', is capitalized.

Skaveria

New Tampa wrote:People have already said it, but no way in hell, or on gods green earth, a condemnation of TRF would pass.

TRF is a name I haven’t heard in a long time, jeez.

Rateria, Venomringo

New Tampa wrote:Skaveriafor the sake of the region edit your pretitle so the 'territories' in 'Confederate territories', is capitalized.

Good catch, don't know how I've missed it for this long.

Pevvania wrote:Couldn't some infrastructure projects be justified by the interstate commerce clause? And I do totally agree about a return to federalism and constitutional adherence; I am thinking with my consequentialist hat on this one.

***Note: rewritten slightly***

No, because the Commerce Clause is deliberately misconstrued, misuded, and abused by those who want to destroy the federal checks and balances that constrain government from infringing upon peoples' rights both natural and civil. It stops us from doing for ourselves to the point that we, the people cannot make the best financial decisions for their own livelihood in trade and commerce unless submitting utterly to that abuse and misuse by a detached political/bureaucrat class that that very Constitution is meant to stop. For the last 100+ years they (bureaucratic administrative state circa 1913 onward) have consistently shown to not have any individual person's interests at heart unless that person plays their political reindeer games by greasing the appropriate financial wheel of the respective controlling interests of that extra-constitutional (i.e. unauthorized) dept / division / admin / bureau.

Should I grow 14 acres of wheat locally to sell to a local miller or farm co-operative it at that point becomes no longer my business (literally and figuratively and is no business of the Federal govt). But some of those grains, they say, may end up being sold to a baker across state lines (oh noes!) -- it is still none of my business, and should not be the business of the Federal Govt if the Constitution were not debauched by misconstruing the Commerce Clause. But wait, there's more: Those despicable grains, they say, could then conceivably be baked into bread by a baker and end up in Canada or Mexico (the business of the bakery, not my own, and except for fraud, coercion and not following the Congressional Statutes at Large regarding Commerce) is still none of the Federal Govt business). But by their Byzantine "logic," because a piece of grain that I once owned may conceivably end up outside the US, I am potentially engaging in interstate and or international commerce and therefore must submit to their supposed "Federal" misapplied authority. This fraudulence is beyond the scope of what even the most nationalistic of the Federalists would have even dreamed of being attempted.

Misconstruction of the Constitution encourages vague and arbitrary lawlessness such as violation of rights under the color of authority, most certainly; innumerable misprisions of felony, and no fear of even committing sedition against the States and People whose Constitution they were sworn to uphold. "Administrators" are not punished regularly and swiftly for their malfeasance but are protected by such fraud and grow to harass and harangue the otherwise law abiding citizens who are capable of governing their own lives in trade and commerce with others doing same. This to the point of making up ordinances that tax and jail (again otherwise law-abiding) productive citizens and robbing them of their justly earned money and property.

The commerce clause was meant for the Federal government to regulate (means to make regular - the opposite of control and restrict) trade and commerce of the several states with the nations at large so that no one natural (and later artificial) person from any particular state engaging in commerce was denied their right to engage in trade and commerce or otherwise restricted for doing so. But hey, we get to use the freeways and bridges meant to get Federal Troops from one coast to another quickly (and every stop in between) by the gracious permission of the deep state with unconstitutionally (unlawfully, unjustly) allocated taxpayer dollars in the despotic trade-off.

TLDR; No! :)The Constitution is a cage to stop despots from using government as an excuse to tyrannize the Citizenry -- having an elastic bar on a cage with a hole that lets govt out to tyrannize the People is bad no matter what good thing they do with it. The Commerce Clause has been twisted beyond belief and is used it continuously to harass, suppress and in some cases jail those of us (otherwise law-abiding citizens) who would otherwise be engaged in (lawful) trade and commerce as individuals and entrepreneurs in favor of corporations that can afford to lobby congress, send hither forth a battery of lawyers to contest bureaucratic decree, and grease the wheels of incumbents' political machinery.

Miencraft

Post by Highway Eighty-Eight suppressed by a moderator.

How do the N day games work

Rateria

Post by Highway Eighty-Eight suppressed by a moderator.

Highway Eighty-Eight wrote:Well, to summarize: the Commies genocide us.

If we try alone, we definitely will. Which is why this time I encourage people here to join a multi-regional coalition. I believe one of our embassies, The League of Conservative Nations or Conservative League, had an anti-communist N-day group going last time, so I encourage us to join with them.

Republic Of Minerva wrote:If we try alone, we definitely will. Which is why this time I encourage people here to join a multi-regional coalition. I believe one of our embassies, The League of Conservative Nations or Conservative League, had an anti-communist N-day group going last time, so I encourage us to join with them.

I agree, the conservatives at the very least say they want small government

Calling all Federation Of Conservative Nations embassy region members! Saddle up, the Army of Freedom is riding again in the upcoming N-Day⁴!

Join the forum thread here: https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=472515

Sign up on our Discord here: https://discord.gg/d2J4Tmy

We need every soldier to defeat the Communist foe with our nuclear strike force!

For Freedom!

New Waldensia

Republic Of Minerva

Post by Highway Eighty-Eight suppressed by a moderator.

I always ignore N-day myself. It's not like it actually affects anything, just a bit of fun, and we all get to live out our fantasies of nuking our political opponents...

Let me get this straight...

Biden goes on a Council of Foreign Relation public forum broadcast live on C-SPAN -- the CFR no less. He boasts to the host, the audience, and the world that when VP he committed an impeachable high crime (extortion). He not only does this as VP but calls on the Office of the President itself to see this extortion through, namely thwarting Ukrainian state investigation of a corporation his son, Hunter Biden was on officer. He threatens to withhold 3 billion american dollars in US Securities unless the Ukraine fire the state prosecutor that stops the investigation.

Trump in the capacity of his office does what all Presidents since reliable international phone connections do -- He calls the head of state of Ukraine, in this case to inquire of Biden's felonious boast. No one authorized to listen in on the call in the situation room and neither Trump nor the Ukraine leader considered said call to be beyond routine. The Ukraine leader when asked specifically indicated nothing in that call was untoward.

Yet, Congress today is announcing yet another call for an impeachment investigation of Trump on yet another nameless, baseless accusation. Impeachment by an alleged whistle-blower over a phone call he didn't hear, based on a transcript he's not read, from a document Congress hasn't seen. They are accusing him of the very thing Biden boasted (extortion). But they are not the least bit interested in having the DOJ investigate a conviction of Joe Biden on Joe Biden's very own confession.

The history of the Trump administration is the history of his enemies accusing him of doing and being the same things they themselves have shown to be involved in -- racism, collusion, high crimes, ad nauseum. Where does it end? Is Pelosi and cadre that deranged (destroy the Democrat party and the Country if need be just to get Trump) or are they maliciously trying to incite civil war by overthrowing a duly elected officer of the United States? Maybe both?

Skaveria

Happy 228th Anniversary of the signing of the Bill of Rights thus establishing it and the Constitution of the united States as the Supreme Law of the Land.

Preamble

THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.

Amendment 1

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment 2

A well-regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.

Amendment 3

No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment 4

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment 5

No person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.

Amendment 6

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor; and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

Amendment 7

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States than according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment 8

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment 9

The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment 10

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

Rateria, Highway Eighty-Eight

Narland wrote:Constitution celebration

https://youtu.be/cUWyODR1_sA

Narland

Muh Roads wrote:https://youtu.be/cUWyODR1_sA
One of the party tracks I generally try to have sneaked in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U13xOvDa19U

Stayin' Alive In The Wall (Pink Floyd vs Bee Gees Mashup) by Wax Audio. The only way I can listen to the Bee Gees is with Pink Floyd tracked in. :)

Narland wrote:The only way I can listen to the Bee Gees is with Pink Floyd tracked in. :)

I swear we've had this discussion before but this is slander.

As for Pink Floyd, my most controversial music opinion is that they were better with Syd Barrett, and generally just better before DSOTM.

Rateria

Pink Floyd was revolutionary in the seventies, unfortunately now, it's just music kids listen to when they're first getting into drugs.

"Alright bro, you get the stuff? Let's do this! I found this old record in the attic, it's so trippy bro!"

Post by Highway Eighty-Eight suppressed by a moderator.

Assembled with Dot's Region Saver.
Written by Refuge Isle.