"When Hobbes once identified the guarantee of security as the first and most important duty of the State, he wasn’t wrong. However, the problem with this view is that it isn’t an end in itself. Security is what allows us to build a community." I was just talking to tom.paine about how the fact we are secure and stable enough for us to create state capacity and bureaucracy is itself a miracle. - forgot to finish my thought.
Beautifully said. The people yearn for something to believe in and the sooner we create a vision for such a world the sooner we can beat back this rising tide of neo-fascism
hay man, i’ve gotta seriously disagree with the first paragraph. I think Hobbes is wrong. He’s close, but not there.
He posits that” the guarantee of security is the first and most important duty of the State.
My belief is that protecting Life is the first priority of the State. It means a set of outcomes that is vastly different that the sometimes contradicting results of a security focus (eg. loss of privacy) . For example, the State could provide free quality education for every student including tuition fees from before conception to burial. All public health costs should bd paid by the government.
I think the government should provide $100 daily for every man woman and child in the USA, which can be transferred electronically or picked up in cash daily for the destitute.
I could go on and on with the benefits that Society and Government can provide. I think with every single citizen (and visitor too) has reliable stable income that they can even save.
My God - I can almost hear you screaming - how are you going to pay for it all????
Very easily actually, with a guaranteed surplus that can be sent overseas to help the plight of the people of Africa, or clean up the environment or whatever our country can do for the rest of the world as well.
Well, the simple answer is just a WEALTH TAX!!!!
10% tax on all property payable by 1 January each year. Family home and preferred individual car is excluded from assessment. But for every other property - cash in the bank, money hidden in Trust Funds, jewelry, stocks, bonds, real estate, etc. 10% must be paid by everyone except for the famiily home and cars.
In addition, there is a 100% death tax. All property goes to the state, except 1/2 should be distributed to any native peoples who have been historically displaced and otherwise traumatised.
There is only one exception for the death tax. If it is the family home and the matriarch/patriarch dies, then that house is usually not forfeit to the State. It is granted to the family if at least one of them has a foot in the house when it is inspected a month after the death. But that family would lose the house if there was no-one there for more than 12 months.
As far as I can tell, this is a new way to figure politics and the economy. Please let me know what you this of this, which I plan to turn into a book, and maybe recommend a publisher or two. I'll give you 10% of the profits if you connect me to an agent or a publisher.
Made me feel more patriotic than I've felt in years. Thanks James.
"When Hobbes once identified the guarantee of security as the first and most important duty of the State, he wasn’t wrong. However, the problem with this view is that it isn’t an end in itself. Security is what allows us to build a community." I was just talking to tom.paine about how the fact we are secure and stable enough for us to create state capacity and bureaucracy is itself a miracle. - forgot to finish my thought.
Beautifully said. The people yearn for something to believe in and the sooner we create a vision for such a world the sooner we can beat back this rising tide of neo-fascism
hey James. Greetings from jimi in Australia.
hay man, i’ve gotta seriously disagree with the first paragraph. I think Hobbes is wrong. He’s close, but not there.
He posits that” the guarantee of security is the first and most important duty of the State.
My belief is that protecting Life is the first priority of the State. It means a set of outcomes that is vastly different that the sometimes contradicting results of a security focus (eg. loss of privacy) . For example, the State could provide free quality education for every student including tuition fees from before conception to burial. All public health costs should bd paid by the government.
I think the government should provide $100 daily for every man woman and child in the USA, which can be transferred electronically or picked up in cash daily for the destitute.
I could go on and on with the benefits that Society and Government can provide. I think with every single citizen (and visitor too) has reliable stable income that they can even save.
My God - I can almost hear you screaming - how are you going to pay for it all????
Very easily actually, with a guaranteed surplus that can be sent overseas to help the plight of the people of Africa, or clean up the environment or whatever our country can do for the rest of the world as well.
Well, the simple answer is just a WEALTH TAX!!!!
10% tax on all property payable by 1 January each year. Family home and preferred individual car is excluded from assessment. But for every other property - cash in the bank, money hidden in Trust Funds, jewelry, stocks, bonds, real estate, etc. 10% must be paid by everyone except for the famiily home and cars.
In addition, there is a 100% death tax. All property goes to the state, except 1/2 should be distributed to any native peoples who have been historically displaced and otherwise traumatised.
There is only one exception for the death tax. If it is the family home and the matriarch/patriarch dies, then that house is usually not forfeit to the State. It is granted to the family if at least one of them has a foot in the house when it is inspected a month after the death. But that family would lose the house if there was no-one there for more than 12 months.
As far as I can tell, this is a new way to figure politics and the economy. Please let me know what you this of this, which I plan to turn into a book, and maybe recommend a publisher or two. I'll give you 10% of the profits if you connect me to an agent or a publisher.