Politics: What would you do....

[flippy]

I was reading something about how good and bad leaders are the same. They're both people that take big risks for big results. If their big ideas pan out, they are judged as good. And if they don't they're thought of poorly.

I do think Obama is a good example of that concept. He took a big idea that no one's been able to pass in universal health care. But he screwed it up a bit due to his lack of management experience.

As a result, people prefer to choose the safe route instead. Pick the safe guy. And we end up with less risk and less reward, but also less downside.

At the end of the day, it's the collective psyche that's to blame. Because collectively we're risk averse. So the guy off the deep end like a Ron Paul never stands a chance to overcome the psyche because he's too risky.

It's almost like we need candidates to lie to us and do the opposite. You can't make decisions by committee. If we did everything collectively, innovation would cease to exist.

But there's no opportunity to take big chances in gov't. It's not even who we pick as much as we prevent them from doing what they want to do. That and the parties/alliances hold everything back and will prevent any big idea from coming to be.

[Djfan]

Flip, we need more death penalty, not less.

[flippy]

Flip, we need more death penalty, not less.

How about whoever wants the death penalty has to do the execution, handle the burial/funeral service, and talk to the family afterward. Death Penalties, Wars, Etc. are something I'm glad I don't have to deal with in real life. I hate any kind of pain and suffering. I'll just stick my head in the sand on this one and try to protect my innocence.

[Djfan]

How about whoever wants the death penalty has to do the execution, handle the burial/funeral service, and talk to the family afterward. Death Penalties, Wars, Etc. are something I'm glad I don't have to deal with in real life. I hate any kind of pain and suffering. I'll just stick my head in the sand on this one and try to protect my innocence.

Honestly, I would be the executioner with no hesitation or remorse. I don't want to be the tax payer supporting these slugs for the rest of their lives. Some things warrant a harsh response - Sandovsky (sp?), rapists, etc. No apologies, no regret, just the fact.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

How about whoever wants the death penalty has to do the execution, handle the burial/funeral service, and talk to the family afterward. Death Penalties, Wars, Etc. are something I'm glad I don't have to deal with in real life. I hate any kind of pain and suffering. I'll just stick my head in the sand on this one and try to protect my innocence.

Notably, there is no shortage of God-fearing patriots who clamor to volunteer to do just that. But under your paradigm, they may not be so quick to do so if they also have to do the "hard" stuff, like handle the burial/funeral arrangements, not just the "fun" stuff like pull the trigger.

[flippy]

Honestly, I would be the executioner with no hesitation or remorse. I don't want to be the tax payer supporting these slugs for the rest of their lives. Some things warrant a harsh response - Sandovsky (sp?), rapists, etc. No apologies, no regret, just the fact.

I always feel bad for the people who would be the ones deserving of the death penalty because they're clearly mentally ill, mistreated, abused, etc. in some form or fashion. I've decided to try my best to think of adults that make mistakes the same way I look at kids that make mistakes. I don't have a problem with removing these people from the rest of society and help them if we can. And if that requires tax dollars, so be it. There are some people in this world that will never figure out life and that we'll need to help. Those on death row fall into that category in my mind.

On the flip side, I don't want to pay taxes to support imprisoning other "criminals". Look at how many people are in jail for illegal drugs. It's insane. Just legalize drugs like alcohol. Not only can you make money on the taxes of drugs if legal, but also you can eliminate costs of maintaining prisons. We could shut down a lot of prisons and make more than enough money in the process to support the prisons for violent/"real" criminals. So we would need any of your tax dollars.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

I always feel bad for the people who would be the ones deserving of the death penalty because they're clearly mentally ill, mistreated, abused, etc. in some form or fashion. I've decided to try my best to think of adults that make mistakes the same way I look at kids that make mistakes. I don't have a problem with removing these people from the rest of society and help them if we can. And if that requires tax dollars, so be it. There are some people in this world that will never figure out life and that we'll need to help. Those on death row fall into that category in my mind.

On the flip side, I don't want to pay taxes to support imprisoning other "criminals". Look at how many people are in jail for illegal drugs. It's insane. Just legalize drugs like alcohol. Not only can you make money on the taxes of drugs if legal, but also you can eliminate costs of maintaining prisons. We could shut down a lot of prisons and make more than enough money in the process to support the prisons for violent/"real" criminals. So we would need any of your tax dollars.

Not going to happen. The prison lobby is HUGE ( http://thinkprogress.org/justice/201...try/?mobile=nc ) - if as a legislator you don't vote for stiffer prison fines (so as to fill their prisons so they can build more ... because we need them!), your next opponent gets a WHOLE lot of money from those guys and you can pack it up in November for a real job (maybe as a lobbyist!).

[RuthlessBurgher]

Make all gov't jobs volunteer jobs with no pay or benefits.

Are you talking about just those who hold public office, or are you actually talking about all government jobs, such as volunteer policemen, volunteer public school teachers, volunteer prison guards, volunteer judges, volunteers to maintain interstate highways, volunteer military, etc.? I realize that many places are able to survive with volunteer firefighters, but how are the people who choose to do these important jobs supposed to feed themselves, house themselves, obtain healthcare, etc. if they receive no pay or benefits whatsoever for this undertaking? Is there an army of independently wealthy good samaritans out there that I am unaware of?

[RuthlessBurgher]

7. What if they had a separate vote for the Prez and VP. We could mix and match. Obama and Ryan could end up together for example? Why do we vote for a ticket? Or how about the loser becomes the VP and you don't even need a VP on each ticket. You end up with Obama/Romeny if Obama wins and vice versa.

Wouldn't that make it more likely that some psycho uber-Republican whackjob would assassinate the hated Democrat president just to get their preferred Republican V.P. in the White House (or vice versa with a psycho uber-Democrat whackjob assassinating the hated Republican president, of course).

[Djfan]

I always feel bad for the people who would be the ones deserving of the death penalty because they're clearly mentally ill, mistreated, abused, etc. in some form or fashion. I've decided to try my best to think of adults that make mistakes the same way I look at kids that make mistakes. I don't have a problem with removing these people from the rest of society and help them if we can. And if that requires tax dollars, so be it. There are some people in this world that will never figure out life and that we'll need to help. Those on death row fall into that category in my mind.

On the flip side, I don't want to pay taxes to support imprisoning other "criminals". Look at how many people are in jail for illegal drugs. It's insane. Just legalize drugs like alcohol. Not only can you make money on the taxes of drugs if legal, but also you can eliminate costs of maintaining prisons. We could shut down a lot of prisons and make more than enough money in the process to support the prisons for violent/"real" criminals. So we would need any of your tax dollars.

Sorry Brother. We are on the extreme opposite political end of things. I have no sympathy for a person who makes a choice and has to live with it.

The guy "in this world that will never figure out life and that we'll need to help" who was a convicted rapist, then released because we are too sensitive to support "real criminals", was the slug who raped and murdered my sister in 1984. My family celebrates such enlightenment every Thanksgiving, as we remember the one where she went missing for four days, until her naked and mutilated body was found by a man walking his dog.

Merry Christmas to us, huh?

Society has a moral obligation to protect itself from those who damage it's security by their own choices. It is not doing so any longer, due to this kind of progressive crap you are proffering. It is short sighted nonsense. Don't give me the "death penalty is no deterrent" BS, since these dirt bags use the issue of threat to get their victims to cooperate with their crap. It's the language that they speak. It does work. Until you can find a way to prove what crimes DIDN'T happen, there is no logical basis for such a conversation.

Call me. I'll throw the switch, pull the trigger, or drop the trap door, then go off to a BBQ and laugh with my buddies without any problems. Then I'll tell the families who are no longer victims, or never became victims, that they are welcome.