Intelligent Discourse

I think the only way to the next level is through intelligent discourse andI welcome it at any time. I am not always right, but I am always looking tolearn something. And informed electorate is a powerful one. It always shockspeople to find out that I agree that the welfare system is a waste of timeand energy, corrupt, and actually contributes to the poverty it attempts toeliminate. This I know because I have seen it first hand. It also sends themfor a loop that I disagree with affirmative action and minimum wage. Again,I have seen the negative impacts of these policies and it is difficult tothink of any of them as solutions when they create so many problems. Some ofthe challenge of our generation is to try to understand the causes ofpoverty, discrimination, and destitution and solve those, rather thantreating the symptoms (to use a tired metaphor). Although treating thesymptoms gets a lot of publicity and might get you elected, it does moreharm than good, by prolonging the suffering.I agree that the market economy is the one of the best ideas to come out ofhumankind - it works. I also believe that part of the responsibility/job ofa government "by the people"; "of the people"; and "for the people" is tolook out for the people- all of the people. This means even the ones thatare lazy and worthless to the market, because (in my mind) they have worthas a person first and worth to the market second. (This 'radical' idea Ijust expressed, by the way, is not generally accepted throughout the bulk ofhumankind - I don't know why!)When a culture (like ours) has these two primary goals, it creates adichotomy that has to be continuously reconfigured through discussion,compromise, trial, error, innovation, etc. Its kind of like a goodrelationship - people with like interests and different perspectives thathave different methods but similar goals. This also means that there has tobe a streamlined process for interacting and reacting to different issues(politics) AND a way for these issues to become strategies (laws) AND a wayfor these strategies to be implemented (enforcement).In my mind, it is time to rethink some of our processes, laws, andenforcement (and I have plenty of ideas to that affect).