If you were in charge...

POSTED BY: SoupCatcher
UPDATED: Tuesday, May 3, 2005 08:30
VIEWED: 14890
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CHRISISALL

Tuesday, April 12, 2005 6:43 PM

I can live with all that, Connorflynn.

Chrisisall

PIRATEJENNY

Wednesday, April 13, 2005 5:51 AM

I would start off with a basic standard of living for everyone that would be acceptable...I would eradicate homelessness , I believe they have a simular program in Germany!!

recycling would be mandatory..or you would be fined.

Universal healthcare

and I defintely like the idea of not for profit insurance companies

I would definetly make some changes to the education system, teaching children another language at an earlier age is a good one.I would put that into place as mandatory teaching

enviromental classes would be a regular part of the curiculum so would computers and techical classes starting from an early age

government would be a regular part of school curiculum that was on going along with math science , computer, language, eviromental

state run University would be free to anyone who was qualified to go

anyone who didn't pass or didn't want to go to unvirsity could go into a trade

you would have to take a standard test before you were allowed to vote

I would defintely legalize drugs and prosittution, with madatory controls and it would also be a regular part of school curiculum, teaching about the ill effects and problems that drugs cause this way..people would grow up with an understanding of just how harmful drugs are!!

CONNORFLYNN

Wednesday, April 13, 2005 1:53 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by piratejenny:
I would start off with a basic standard of living for everyone that would be acceptable...I would eradicate homelessness , I believe they have a simular program in Germany!!

recycling would be mandatory..or you would be fined.

Universal healthcare

and I defintely like the idea of not for profit insurance companies

I would definetly make some changes to the education system, teaching children another language at an earlier age is a good one.I would put that into place as mandatory teaching

enviromental classes would be a regular part of the curiculum so would computers and techical classes starting from an early age

government would be a regular part of school curiculum that was on going along with math science , computer, language, eviromental

state run University would be free to anyone who was qualified to go

anyone who didn't pass or didn't want to go to unvirsity could go into a trade

you would have to take a standard test before you were allowed to vote

I would defintely legalize drugs and prosittution, with madatory controls and it would also be a regular part of school curiculum, teaching about the ill effects and problems that drugs cause this way..people would grow up with an understanding of just how harmful drugs are!!

Just out of curiosity what would that "Basic Standard of Living" mean exactly? In China and the old USSR and North Korea, they have a Basic Standard of Living LOL. Everyone is poor except for those that are in power.

I think for centuries people have hoped for a perfect Utopian society. It will never happen.

The elimination of Homelessness is pretty interesting too. How exactly is Germany doing this? Is it by forcing them to move to other countries or locking them away in hospitals? Just curious hehe ;)

Most of the other stuff is interesting. Totalitarian maybe..but interesting.

PS.. In addition to the other things I posted above, If I were in Charge:

1) I'd force all fat people to watch all the skinny models be force fed Jello Pudding, McDonalds French Fries and Chicken Nuggets.

2) Kevin Federline would be banished to France. They deserve him.

3) Firefly would be played weekly and Joss Whedon would have a statue erected in his Honor.

4) T-shirts with "I'll be in my Bunk!" will be distributed free of charge.

5)The North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Il will be forced to watch non-stop, every season of the Simple Life with Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. He shall be offered a pistol so he can freely take his life when ever he feels he can't take anymore.

6) Theresa Heinz Kerry will be forced to undergo Psychological Testing.

7) Hip Hop artists will have to get real Jobs and Country Music Artists will be forced to sing happy Songs.

8) David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar will have to fight to the death. The Winner will once again be lead singer for Van Halen and they will go on a 30 year tour.

CHRISISALL

Wednesday, April 13, 2005 7:44 PM

Welcome, PirateJenny. I see you decided to visit a thread where you're not called names and made fun of 'cause you're not old. You take the abuse well. (I don't agree with all of your theories, but you're way more ON the mark than you are off of it)

Stay a while, take a rest. Save your strength before you go back to dukin' it out with them Bush-worshipers.

I'm mostly with ya Chrisisall

FINN MAC CUMHAL

Wednesday, April 13, 2005 10:32 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
McDonald's workers make 25,000/yr

No McDonald’s worker should ever be paid this much. That they are paid as much as they are is a disgrace. Minimum wage is too good for some jobs.

Education:
Uniforms would be required in all public schools.

Summer vacation will be eliminated. Students will attend school all year, with several holiday breaks, including Christmas break, which will be called Christmas break.

An athletic program will be strictly practiced. School lunches will include only healthy foods.

All students will be required to use the words "Sir" or "Ma'am" when addressing their teachers or elders.

The Pledge of Allegiance will be required to be cited at the beginning of every school day. Children must stand and place their right hand over their heart. Hats will be removed. Children may opt not to stand if they are crippled. Children may opt not to recite the Pledge if they are physically incapable of doing so, choosing not to do so will be prohibited.

The Pledge of Allegiance may include the words “under God” or not, to be decided by the legislators of the individual states. The courts, including federal courts, will be stripped of hearing any more ‘under God’ cases by academic fruitcakes with too much time on their hands. In fact, academic fruitcakes will pretty much be striped of bringing anymore “lets-change-the-law-of-the-whole-fucking-country-because-I-somehow-have-decided-that-I-should-have-the-right-to-tell-the-whole-country-how-to-think” cases.

Prayer will be allowed in public schools for any religion when and where it does not interfere with classes. “Feeling left out” will not be an excuse for religious intolerance.

A strict curriculum will be established for students in public schools. At the end of the year a passing grade on a comprehensive test administered by an independent firm will be required to pass. This curriculum must include mathematics up to calculus, science with an emphasis on physical science; world and American history without input by academic fruitcakes; finance and economics, as well as English rhetoric, grammar, vocabulary, literature etc. A foreign language will be optional but encouraged. This is not an exhaustive list.

Public school teachers will be paid based on how well their students do on these tests. Also public school teachers will be required to recertify every year by taking their own comprehensive end of the year test administered by an independent firm. Teachers who fail this test will lose certification and will be placed on a 3-month probation pending the adequate completion of a new test. Failure to pass said make-up test will result in loss of teaching license and job for one year after which the former teacher may seek recertification. Losing certification three times will result in permanent revocation of license. The former teacher may appeal once.

No person or persons working in a non-teaching administrative capacity within the public school system to include principles, vice-principles, members of the board, etc, will be paid any higher then the teachers.

All American families with public school age children will be supplied a voucher for each of the children to be redeemed for one year of public or private education.

Private schools will not be subject to the above requirements.

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Qui desiderat pacem praeparet bellum.

CHRISISALL

Wednesday, April 13, 2005 11:04 PM

Boy, you really thought this out.

And I was just thinkin', you pay McDonalds workers more, the food would be better...

The short-sighted Chrisisall

FINN MAC CUMHAL

Wednesday, April 13, 2005 11:24 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Boy, you really thought this out.

I adlibbed most of it.

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
And I was just thinkin', you pay McDonalds workers more, the food would be better...

Maybe. But is it really worth making it better?

“Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed, I will. I got spare time. But for right now, for your sake, for your daughter's sake, ya might wanna think about buying a quality item from me.”
-- Tommy Callahan

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Qui desiderat pacem praeparet bellum.

KIRIKOLI

Thursday, April 14, 2005 12:40 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:

Education:
Uniforms would be required in all public schools.

An athletic program will be strictly practiced. School lunches will include only healthy foods.

All students will be required to use the words "Sir" or "Ma'am" when addressing their teachers or elders.

The Pledge of Allegiance will be required to be cited at the beginning of every school day. Children must stand and place their right hand over their heart. Hats will be removed. Children may opt not to stand if they are crippled. Children may opt not to recite the Pledge if they are physically incapable of doing so, choosing not to do so will be prohibited.

Though I agree that summer vacation is an antiquated idea, I'm curious as to why you think the rest of it is necessary.

Quote:
The Pledge of Allegiance may include the words “under God” or not, to be decided by the legislators of the individual states. The courts, including federal courts, will be stripped of hearing any more ‘under God’ cases by academic fruitcakes with too much time on their hands. In fact, academic fruitcakes will pretty much be striped of bringing anymore “lets-change-the-law-of-the-whole-fucking-country-because-I-somehow-have-decided-that-I-should-have-the-right-to-tell-the-whole-country-how-to-think” cases.

"Academic fruitcakes" aside, how do you justify forcing one deity, however popular, on an entire population? The words "under God" are, at best, a symbol of religion dictating its morals and rules on a diverse population...indeed, the major religions deciding that they "have the right to tell the whole country how to think". Most (except maybe a few who do have too much time) would not make an issue of a few words that mean little if it wasn't just one of many larger issues. So I could appreciate your rule only if it has a counterpart that protects the "fruitcakes" as well.

Quote:
A strict curriculum will be established for students in public schools. At the end of the year a passing grade on a comprehensive test administered by an independent firm will be required to pass. This curriculum must include mathematics up to calculus, science with an emphasis on physical science; world and American history without input by academic fruitcakes; finance and economics, as well as English rhetoric, grammar, vocabulary, literature etc. A foreign language will be optional but encouraged. This is not an exhaustive list.

I wasn't aware that world and American history had input by "academic fruitcakes". Please clarify.

Also, who will set the standards of the tests? The independent firm? Will the entire curiculum be geared toward this test and then how will you deal with the problem of rigid structure on developing creative and intuitive thought?

Quote:
All American families with public school age children will be supplied a voucher for each of the children to be redeemed for one year of public or private education.

I don't follow your reasoning. Is this voucher good for either/or? How would paying for one year help except that all students will experience one year of private education (as it is more for your free coupon) and the private schools will be overrun? Where will this money come from and why do people who can afford school require one free pass?

Nice quote, btw.

FINN MAC CUMHAL

Thursday, April 14, 2005 1:56 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Kirikoli:
Though I agree that summer vacation is an antiquated idea, I'm curious as to why you think the rest of it is necessary.

Discipline, health, teamwork, self-confidence.

Quote:
Originally posted by Kirikoli:
"Academic fruitcakes" aside, how do you justify forcing one deity, however popular, on an entire population?

Students will be free to believe in whatever deity they choose or none at all. The state however should be democratic in its administration.

Quote:
Originally posted by Kirikoli:
I wasn't aware that world and American history had input by "academic fruitcakes". Please clarify.

A full treatment would be well outside of the scope of this discussion, and probably this board, but I’ll quickly summarize a few points I personally have noticed: The supposed smallpox genocide of Native Americans. The supposed racism and religious intolerance of early American settlers. The Founding Fathers were supposedly not Christian. Constantine didn’t make Christianity a Roman Religion or if he did he did it purely for “political” reasons. The Crusades were fought by evil Christendom against apparently fuzzy and wholesome Islamic invaders. Fruitcake Academia is awash with speculative history, which while often not widely accepted among the non-Fruitcake Academics, still finds its way into the broader spectrum of American popular culture. I’m not an historian, but I see the same thing happening in my own field, (e.g. global warming) I don’t doubt that any of this would make for good discussion at the top level of the debate, but not at the bottom, where this kind of speculative stuff only serves to confuse the issue. Teach the basics first, leave theory for college.

Quote:
Originally posted by Kirikoli:
Also, who will set the standards of the tests? The independent firm? Will the entire curiculum be geared toward this test and then how will you deal with the problem of rigid structure on developing creative and intuitive thought?

Standards will be set by government appointed administrators. And I’ll happily accept rigid structure in place of stupid, unruly and often dangerous public high schools.

Quote:
Originally posted by Kirikoli:
I don't follow your reasoning. Is this voucher good for either/or? How would paying for one year help except that all students will experience one year of private education (as it is more for your free coupon) and the private schools will be overrun? Where will this money come from and why do people who can afford school require one free pass?

1. yes

2. huh? I don’t think I completely understand where you’re going with this question, but private schools will adjust.

3. Where does it come from now?

4. Do we we give tax money back to people who don’t have children or who currently afford to send their children to private schools?

Quote:
Originally posted by Kirikoli:
Nice quote, btw.

Thank you.

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Qui desiderat pacem praeparet bellum.

KIRIKOLI

Thursday, April 14, 2005 3:46 AM

Quote:
Discipline, health, teamwork, self-confidence.

While healthy food is a given, the other things that you listed don't logically lead to those qualities in a person, as I see it. It seems to me that uniforms and formal address of elders is designed to encourage discipline; however, as they are designed only for that reason and transperantly so, rather than creating discipline it would encourage students to a) rebel within the system or b) be more rebellious outside the system just as many children loathe the reason "Because I said so" from their parents. It does not encourage self-confidence, in my opinion, as it suggests mistrust on behalf of the elder. In the case of uniforms, it denies the right to individuality (which is not the same as the right to wear obnoxious and/or offensive clothing) and in the case of address, it further distances the students from those who are expected to reach them on an intellectual level, which can be a very personal, very passionate thing.

Furthermore, it never gives the student the chance to learn respect for themselves (often seen through choice of clothing) within a place filled with judgemental peers.

I can tell you from personal experience that an athletic program doesn't not inspire any sort of teamwork in those who are forced to participate. The health factor is important; however, I would not place this above any academic needs of any student. If the athletic program is worthwhile enough, I believe the students will volunteer to participate and be much more active for it, creating self-confidence in that they are doing something they wish to do, rather than being forced to do something in a way that creates a mentality that they are more likely to fail with and thus lowering their self-confidence.

As to the Pledge...I believe forcing anyone to say the Pledge, much less small children, goes against everything this country should stand for. Pride must be earned, not forced and I believe something so small as being denied the
right to express your pride in your country when you so choose leads to a lot of bitterness.

Quote:
Students will be free to believe in whatever deity they choose or none at all. The state however should be democratic in its administration.

The point is not whether or not the administration should be democratic but that the administration should have nothing to do with it. The 1st amendment, as you well know, guarentees the freedom of religion (AND the freedom not to have any religion at all). By granting the administration (a representative of all people) the right to incorporate religion into its symbols, its leaders, and its laws on the basis of a majority rules mentality violates the very point of having a government of all the people, not to mention the rights of the minority.

Quote:
A full treatment would be well outside of the scope of this discussion, and probably this board, but I’ll quickly summarize a few points I personally have noticed: The supposed smallpox genocide of Native Americans. The supposed racism and religious intolerance of early American settlers. The Founding Fathers were supposedly not Christian. Constantine didn’t make Christianity a Roman Religion or if he did he did it purely for “political” reasons. The Crusades were fought by evil Christendom against apparently fuzzy and wholesome Islamic invaders. Fruitcake Academia is awash with speculative history, which while often not widely accepted among the non-Fruitcake Academics, still finds its way into the broader spectrum of American popular culture. I’m not an
historian, but I see the same thing happening in my own field, (e.g. global warming) I don’t doubt that any of this would make for good discussion at the top level of the debate, but not at the bottom, where this kind of speculative stuff only serves to confuse the issue. Teach the basics first, leave theory for college.

Thank you for clarifying. I have noticed in schools in particular that history is taught in black and white,

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