How to Fix Our Economy
Here's mine:
First and foremost, we have to get off of foreign oil as soon as possible. We need to invest (spend) in the other options, ie solar, wind, natural gas, clean coal, etc.
This also includes investing in ways to save energy by perfecting insulation, windows, building design, etc.
We especially need to reduce our need for oil from the Middle East IMMEDIATELY, which I believe is 25-30% of the oil we import. We can convert cars to compressed natural gas and the logistics of supply in just a few years, like we did when we switched from leaded to unleaded gas, but with much more urgency.
As soon as we can eliminate all dependence on foreign oil, we will save $700 billion a year.
Next, we need to drastically cut out military, including bringing our troops home from Iraaq ASAP. I don't want to hear "surrender", "defeat" or "cut and run". The truth is, our troops already WON the war. They did what they were sent there to do, eliminate weapons of mass destruction and liberate Iraq from Saddam Hussein. Quit changing the rules for our troops. We won. Let's come home.
The biggest threat to America isn't some other country, it's our own economic situation.
Also, if we eliminate our need for mid-eastern oil as suggested above, we don't need as much of a military presence in the Middle East.
Bringing our troops home from Iraq saves another $120 billion a year.
We also need to cut our over-all military budget in half. We would still be spending more on the military than any other country in the world. But, we need to understand that half of our military budget doesn't even go to defending our COUNTRY, but rather to protect the assets of American big business abroad. Let big business pay their own way.
The military budget also need to be used to finance our manufacturing infrastructure. How can we, as a country, have a strong military when we no longer produce anything and are dependant on China and other Asian countries to make our stuff?
This is not only bring jobs back home, but it is something we MUST do if we truly want to have a strong national defense. And this should be a big part of the military budget.
Next, we need to legalize drugs, including marajuana, cocaine, and opium. These drugs will be taxed, with the revenue generated going directly to drug treatment programs. Anyone that wants to get off drugs will be guaranteed of having a place to go for help. I don't want my money going to crack heads treatment. Let the crack heads pay for crack addiction treatment.
This will eliminate millions of prisoners and save $billions from our legal system, plus free many people from prison who are nothing more than addicts. Legalizing drugs would also put a big dent in street gangs, just as it did to the gangs that profited from alcohol prohibition.
Before the 1910's, drugs were considered "vices", not "crimes" and the US Supreme Court took the stance that what someone put into their bodies was their own decision and not one the governement should make.
However, this changed in the 1920's. At that time, cocaine, alcohol, heroine, and later marajuana, became illegal.
Here's what's interesting...Once alcohol became legal again in the 1930's, use of legal drugs such as alcohol and tabacco declined. Use of the illegal drugs rose.
Let me repeat:
Illegal drug usage = Increased
Legal drug usage = Decreased
In the 1930's about 75% of the adult population smoked cigarettes and drank regularly. Now, it's closer to about 22%.
Contrary to popular believe, legalizing drugs REDUCES their use. It allows for tax money to be generated and the problems treated.
The choice is really simple, either drug users can give the money to the US, or they can give it to gang members/drug cartels.
Next, we need Europe to understand that we are their friend, not their enemy. The euro was created, in part, to reduce the US's econnomic position and weaken us as a super power.
Let's look at reality...Wester Europe/UK and the US are in deep trouble. And, the countries with big stashes of money are China, Russia and many Middle Eastern countries.
Think about this...In 20 years, the rich Western countries are now poor, while China and Russia are lending everyone money. What the hell happened?
Instead of fighting each other through politics, we need to come together and find solutions.
It costs more to put a person in prison for a year, than to give them a 4 year education. Let's take the non-violent drug addicts that are in prison for only drug use and give those that have the aptitude educations and jobs in the tech and energy fields, using the money created from legalized drugs.
We can't keep giving our money away for oil and products. History shows that spending too much on military is BAD for national security. See the "Great Wall" which was a total military failure, or how Willam the Conquerer won at Hastings, but then spent so much on castles, he couldn't field an army a decade or two later. Or more recently, see the USSR the spent so much of their GNP on the miliatary, that they could no longer function.
In general, the US needs to quit being an economy built on credit and barrowing, and instead return to what made us great, and that is to start producing again. We need to manufacture technology products, software, hardware, energy technology, etc. And, we need to train people in these jobs.
Instead of being a critic, please offer your own suggestions...
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Patricia Brucoli
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