From Thinking Outside The Boxe’s Sydney Correspondent: Originally I was asked to write an article questioning whether people of low intelligence should be allowed to vote. But soon after I began researching the topic I realized that there was a far more interesting question that could be explored. Now obviously it could be argued that in a country where voting is not compulsory people not interested in policy or politics would simply not vote. But the issue is not that simple. Continue reading
Government
8 Solutions to the Dysfunctional Political System in America
Submitted by Digger Cartwright
We all know that the current atmosphere in Washington, D.C. can be described as dysfunctional. I’ve been giving a lot of thought to ways that our dysfunctional political system could be fixed. Here’s what I’ve come up with. Continue reading
10 Reasons Obama Will Be Re-elected
Submitted by Digger Cartwright
•Mitt Romney—Need I say more? Going into a general election, the incumbent always has the advantage, and it’s pretty tough to beat an incumbent. To do so, the opposition needs a really strong candidate. In this case, the Republicans need a Ronald Reagan. Unfortunately, Mitt Romney isn’t that candidate. First, he comes across as an elitist…just like Obama. However, the liberal media is going to exploit Mitt Romney’s wealth and paint him as out of touch with normal Americans. Second, Romney is going to lose a debate with Obama. There’s no doubt that Obamacare will be a big issue, regardless of what the Supreme Court does. Obama will simply say that he modeled Obamacare after Romneycare in Massachusetts. That will suck the life out of the room. Look, Mitt Romney has no credibility on this issue. He was for it before he was against it. Sound like another politician from Massachusetts…John Kerry…who was also a loser. ADVANTAGE OBAMA. Continue reading
Does Any Country Really Need a Space Programme?
From Thinking Outside the Boxe’s Sydney Correspondent: The original so called ‘space race’ between the USSR and the United States was really a by-product of the cold war. It was never about mankind conquering space or getting to the moon. The importance was the prestige of doing it first. The Russians got the jump on the U.S. By putting the first man in space in 1961 (Yuri Gagarin) but the space race was won when Apollo 11 landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. It may have been a small step for man but it was a giant leap for American pride and a further affirmation that capitalism was superior to communism. Continue reading
Disaster Aid & Relief: Government Responsibility or Private Funds?
From Thinking Outside the Boxe’s Sydney Correspondent
The question of Government pouring millions of dollars into disaster relief is increasingly coming into focus as major economies face difficulties in supporting their own citizens. The seemingly endless tragic disasters that we see on the tv news has also contributed to a sense of donor fatigue. This prevailing attitude has been summed up by one individual in a petition to the UK Government who wrote: Continue reading
Symposium 2011: Is more economic stimulus needed and what form must it take to get the economy back on track?
Sydney: I don’t really know if anything more can be done. The Fed can’t lower interest rates anymore, and They’re not keen to do any more quantitative easing. The Government doesn’t really have the money to throw around either. Continue reading
Symposium 2011: What is your outlook for the 2012 presidential election? Any frontrunners in the Republican party?
Sydney: Mitt Romney looks like the standout Republican at the moment, judging by his wins in the most recent primaries. I think he is likely to win the Republican nomination over Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. He will need to pick a well credentialed running mate because Obama will be difficult to beat, especially if jobs growth continues. Continue reading
Symposium 2011: What is your outlook for the economy and interest rates? What do you perceive to be the biggest threat to the U.S. economy—inflation, interest rates, oil prices, etc.?
Sydney: The Fed recently said that interest rates will be frozen for two years so there is no real threat there. The two big threats are oil prices and the economic situation in Europe. If Iran blocks the Straits of Hormuz, our oil supply will be massively reduced and the oil price will obviously skyrocket. Continue reading
Symposium 2011: should we repeal the federal income tax? If we were to do so, how would we fund the federal government?
Sydney: No. This is a stupid idea. The nation is massively in debt as it is and I can’t see how there is any we that we could make enough changes, or introduce enough new taxes to rescue a Government that is massively in debt as it is. If anything rich people should be paying more in income tax. Continue reading
Symposium 2011: We are currently over $15 trillion in debt as a nation. What changes should be made to restore fiscal responsibility and direct the country towards a balanced budget?
Sydney: It seems that Government is way too big. There are plenty of Departments that could either improve their efficiency, or be removed altogether. Alternatively, there are clearly some Departments that should be administered by the States. There is also duplication at the moment, such as in the welfare system where both States and the Federal Government seem to be doing the same thing. Either the States need to be responsible, or the Federal Government should be. Continue reading
Thinking Outside The Boxe 