By Tom Kando
Today, I thought I’d help you out a little bit, and give some simple answers to some questions which you may have had:
1. Should we abolish the
electoral college? YES. Why?
2. Should we abolish the Senate?
YES. Why?
No democracy should have a bi-cameral legislature. A congress/parliament only requires one legislative chamber. The other one - call it the Senate, the Upper House, the House of Lords, or whatever - is a superfluous vestige of an undemocratic past, going all the way back to ancient Rome. Such institutions are as undemocratic as was the three-fifths compromise, whereby the slave population counted for three fifths of the white population, or the poll tax, which was a pre-condition for voting. What part of equality don’t you understand?
3. (Of relevance to the current
debate about the “fiscal cliff”): Should taxes be progressive? YES. Why?
4. Should wages be taxed less
heavily than income from investments, capital gains, inheritance, etc? YES. Why?
5. Should Capitalism continue?
YES. Why?
6. Should we pull our military
out of most other countries? YES. Why?
7. Should Israel and Palestine
be two separate and independent states? YES. Why?
8. Should there be fewer
firearms? YES. Why?
9. Is America exceptional? YES. Why?
10. Does God exist? YES.
How do you know? Because God exists either independently
from humans, but if not, he/she
exists in their minds and in
their beliefs. leave comment here
12 comments:
2. Should we abolish the Senate? YES and NO. Why?
YES, because it should be more proportionally representative of the voters. NO, because it is an important buffer against direct representation and balances governmental decision making. a government can be too democratic. That is the problem with the US gvernment right now. It becomes dysfunctional.
3. Should taxes be progressive? YES and NO. Why?
The US has one of the most progressive tax systems in the world. But the 47% is just too much of a chunk of the population that doesn't contribute. A flat tax would be unfair but a minimum tax should be applied to a lower level of income. This of course, would only be fair if the tax payer would get something in return, which right now doesn't seem to happen.
7. Should Israel and Palestine be two separate and independent states? MAYBE. Why?
YES, Because both Israel andPalestine want to be two separate and independent states. NO, because geographically it leaves Israel incredibly vulnerable to attacks.
10. Does God exist? NO
How do you know? Because if God exists independently from humans, he would exist for everybody. But he/she only exists for some people, therefore he/she only exists in their mind. That is different from 'existing'.
SImple answers are often wrong. The Electoral College and the US Senate were created to slow down the march present in many democratic systems to rush to judgment. Read Edmund Burke about the risks of excesses.
Is anyone asking whether taxes should be progressive? Of course not - flat taxes can indeed be progressive - when individuals pay more tax as their income increases a tax is progressive.
Should wages be taxed less than investments? No - unless you want the answer to question five to be no. Come to think of it the system you describe in the prior questions is a definite NO.
Question 6 - could you tell me which countries we should pull out of and in what order and what might happen if we made the wrong decisions?
Did not the partition of Palestine which created Jordan and Israel create two countries?
Question 8 - do you understand the Second Amendment? It is a critical part of our Constitution. #9 - Is America Exceptional and is our unique history (especially as it relates to our founding) actually unique? The clear answer is yes. Every country has different histories but America is the only country that was created based on ideas. Read Madison and the other founders.
To anonymous: Good arguments!
Just one thing, about item #10: You and I spend 53 words (20 by me and 33 by you), on a debate that has been raging among philosophers for two and a half thousand years. Some of them are Plato, Thomas Aquinas, Nietzsche, Royce, William James, Durkheim, Mead, Dewey and W.I. Thomas. They wrote about things called “idealism,” realism,” “nominalism,” “materialism” and “pragmatism.” One could say that all these philosophers have been wasting their time and ours. One could say that God only exists as an idea, same as the tooth fairy. But I ain’t saying that. I am only saying that you and I had a good little exchange.
As to Jonathan, he sure takes me seriously. Of course he is right that simple answers are often wrong (see above paragraph).
Just one thing, about item #9: I have read the federalist papers and many other founding documents. I agree that the Founding Fathers represent ONE of history’s golden ages. But other countries also have unique histories and unique contributions. Reading Condorcet, Montesquieu, Rousseau and other non-Americans would be good for you.
Good debates, people. This is what it’s all about - critique, provoking thought, discussion, argumentation.
I agree. Wyoming should have no Senators!
Hi Tom,
very simple, that simple that the answers hardly contain the arguments. But I mostly agree on the answers.
I however strongly disagree on your objection to two chambers and indirect elections.
Populist movements can spread radical ideas very quickly after an incident. Especially in this digital age and society should be protected from this. Slowing democracy down is the solution for this. (In my opinion the first Chamber in Holland should have an 8 year term instead of four.)
Hi Jonathan,
Apart from your first remark I disagree on most you say.
- Progressive Taxes is s definition which means what Tom says, not what you say.
- Capitalism is possible easily with higher taxes for investments than work. Just not anarcho-capitalism.
- Question 6 becomes to long to argue, but there are several wars the US shouldn't have started. (For its image abroad and its budget deficit internally.)
- Creating a state on the basis of ideas is not unique, many communist states are other examples. It is also possible to say America is unique because it is the biggest country that got its soil by genocide on the local population.
The Dutch made there mistakes as well, big time. But to claim you are more unique than others doesn't make you look very good. China has many arguments that make it unique, but saying it is more unique than other countries is not helpful in my opinion.
I have grown tired of being divided and conquered. We blindly back one party to another as if its Superbowl Sunday.
Sadly it is not a game.
Would someone please help me create an honest forthright party, for and of the people.
Great answer on God!
www.unitednation.pro
volunteer@unitednation.pro
Tom, this was a good commentary.
"Simple Answers" was an especially good blog, Tom, because it generated a lot of good comments. I mostly agree with your answers, except in the case of questions 2.and 10. I believe that the Senate was intended to give some recourse against a "tyranny of the majority," where the less populous states (originally agricultural) are dominated by by the more populous (formerly manufacturing) states--which hold the financial power. But, instead--due to misuse of the filibuster, we got a tyranny of the minority. I believe that this can be best corrected by restrictions on the filibuster, rather than by abolishing the Senate.
In question 10., it can only be proven that God exists as an idea, and that this idea has observable consequences.
Thanks, Gene.
You take the words out of my mouth. It's called Pragmatism.
W.I. Thomas, one of William James’ fellow-pragmatists, coined what became axiomatic to us in grad school: “If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences.” This is known as the Thomas Theorem.
I love Scott’s comment (December 8). I would add, no representatives either - Wyoming gave us Dick Cheney
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