There are a some things we should do because facts, logic, reason, and circumstances all point us in that direction. And yet, we don't do these things. And there is no rational reason not to do these things. We just don't. And it's stupid.
Number 1 - Stop printing dollar bills, and switch to dollar coins. This will save the federal government more than $500 million per year. Yet people have a stroke when you suggest this. Why?
Number 2 - Adopt Cap and Trade for all pollutants. Industries screeched like drowning cats in the 1980s and 1990s when these limits were enacted for sulfur and nitrogen pollutants. And yet, they work. Emissions of capped pollutants were reduced enough that one rarely even hears the phrase "acid rain" any more.
(BTW - this is a basic free-market solution to prevent polluting industries from externalizing part of their costs of production. See, pollution is part of the overhead or cost of production. When it is emitted into the soil, water, or air, without charge, the industry is avoiding this cost by shifting it onto society. It is part of the cost of production to take care of emissions. NOT requiring them to pay for this is a form of corporate welfare.)
Number 3 - Standardize primary and secondary education standards and curricula nationally. Did you know that the Texas schools just dropped Thomas Jefferson from the featured list of "influential enlightenment figures" in its history books? Yes, the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence was apparently not important enough, or rather, he was too strong an advocate for separation of church and state. And they included Phyllis Schafly (a right wing religious activist) in the history book. And some states are including creationism in their science texts. I call this the "hillbilliazation of learnin'." We need national standards to protect these idiots from their own ignorance. We have to save the children from their cousins/parents!
Number 4 - Stop smoking cigarettes. Really. It's stupid, it stinks, and it kills you. Just stop. Also, it really stinks. At the very least, we should STOP SUBSIDIZING TOBACCO GROWERS! That is just fucking moronic!
Number 5 - Legalize marijuana, and tax it. Can we stop pretending that pot is going to destroy our society? Our last 3 presidents all smoked it, and we know that 2 out of three of them were not damaged by it. The biggest problem we'll face is eating too much junk food and being too mellow. And just think of the revenue! $$$$$ (This entry will be reiterated in a future blog titled, "5 Things That Are Going to Happen, So Get Used to It.")
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