Positive Things

I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this idea or not, but here goes.

I'd like to hear your ideas about things we could do to improve our country and
our standard of living. Now that the mid-term election process is over, maybe we
can come up with ideas that make things better for all of us.
Have you ever had an idea that kept popping up in your mind,about some plan
or project however crazy that when you actually thought about it seemed
feasible and good?
Maybe we could collect these ideas, catalog them, and present them to our leaders.

I'll start it off, but remember, be positive and post whenever an idea hits.

I live in southern California, and have always thought that it is an ideal place to
build the world's largest water de-salination plant. It would bring construction jobs.
We could build pipe-lines to carry water inland to the southwest, where it could be
used for irrigation, ranching, and farming. What, no droughts anymore?
It could easily become a government project, employing lots of people and
benefitting even more. Just an idea. Why not? Now it's your turn.

I think the legal age for joining the military should be 21 years of age. At that age, kids know a little more about what they want to do with their lives and are a bit more mature.

I think the age for joining up ought to be the same age as for legally buying alcohol.

There are alot of things I think could be done to better our country.

The first one would be a way to end the homelss problem.
I made a thread about it awhile back, so i won't go alot into it, but the thread can be foudn here: A Progressive Solution To Homelessness.

Basically it's just big worlk camps where homless people can go
and live, be fed and do work, and get the necessary skills needed
to go back into society with a job and all.


I'll make another post with more ideas tomorrow when I'm more
clear headed.

iori : I read your post about helping the homeless. Good idea, but rather difficult
to accomplish. Maybe if we made the camps "public works"? Strictly voluntary.
Someone needs a job, sign up with a specific public works program. Now we're
offering good paying jobs to those that want to work, and,- we're doing something
that benefits our country in some way too. Reduce unemployment, improve our
infrastructure.
I realize this borders on socialism and nationalism, but so what. Maybe it's time to
get back to doing things to improve our own country.
How about concentrating on building many more power plants, so that maybe down
the road energy could be free to everyone living here?
How about a state-of-the-art transportation system, a "people-mover", shaped like
a giant pie divided into eight pieces that wisks people and things across the country
effortlessly? If our ancestors could build things like the Golden Gate Bridge and the
Hoover Dam, why can't we build things to better our country and help future
generations?
elaine : Why not make a stint in the military mandatory for everyone? No more
volunteers, no more drafts. Everyone participates at some time in the protection
of our country?

Originally posted by SIEGE

elaine : Why not make a stint in the military mandatory for everyone? No more
volunteers, no more drafts. Everyone participates at some time in the protection
of our country?

As a matter fact I would'nt mind that, as long as the age for doing so is still 21 and up.
And as long as there is a strict time limit on how long one has to serve.

It not a bad idea.

In fact if everyone had to serve at one time or another, the citizens would be a whole lot more involved with what's going on with their government. Possibly there would be a whole lot more voters turn out for elections and a closer eye kept on who we elect. I doubt that "war monger" incumbents would be very popular.

And that would be a good thing.

[edit on 13-11-2006 by elaine]

[edit on 13-11-2006 by elaine]

Well, as someone who enlisted at the age of 17, I think that service in the military at those ages is perfectly acceptable.

The military is a wonderful place for young men to grow up and learn to take on responsibility and the maturity one gains in the military can be of value in future college studies and employment.

College is a wonderful place to grow up, too, but the responsibility placed on young men in the military is priceless and makes college frat brats look like a bunch of weenies.

Consider the fact that most of the crew of an aircraft carrier is under the age of 25 and you get some idea.



The stakes can be very high, of course, and everyone should be clear about what he is getting himself into.

[edit on 2006/11/13 by GradyPhilpott]

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott]

The stakes can be very high, of course, and everyone should be clear about what he is getting himself into.

[edit on 2006/11/13 by GradyPhilpott]

That's what my problem is Grady, I'm not sure that the young men of today are sure about what they're really getting into.

They don't realize what a committment it is till later. And then sometimes they're bitter when they see the realism of war.

The ones who are serious about it would wait till they're 21 and be less apt to regret haveing signed up.

Originally posted by elaine
The ones who are serious about it would wait till they're 21 and be less apt to regret haveing signed up.

Not really, I only know about three people in my school who are going
to enter the military, and they're set on joining and know what they'll
be getting themselves into, in fact one of them is in the ROTC.

(ROTC=Reserve Officers Training Cadets)

Originally posted by iori_komei
(ROTC=Reserve Officers Training Cadets)

That's Reserve Officers' Training Corps and if you're in high school, then it's Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC).

www.google.com...

Originally posted by elaine
I'm not sure that the young men of today are sure about what they're really getting into.

Well, that sort of goes with the territory. It's not really anything new. That coming to terms with the reality of a military contract is something that every recruit has to face during recruit training and sometimes for the duration of the enlistment. It's a lesson in life, in and of itself.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott

Originally posted by iori_komei
(ROTC=Reserve Officers Training Cadets)

That's Reserve Officers' Training Corps and if you're in high school, then it's Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC).

www.google.com...

You're right, I forgot the 'J', though maybe it's a regional thing,
because I've always heard it as Cadets not Corps.

Originally posted by iori_komei

Originally posted by elaine
The ones who are serious about it would wait till they're 21 and be less apt to regret haveing signed up.

Not really, I only know about three people in my school who are going
to enter the military, and they're set on joining and know what they'll
be getting themselves into, in fact one of them is in the ROTC.

(ROTC=Reserve Officers Training Cadets)

Well it's great if they really know what they're getting into. My suggestion to an 18 year old wanting to join would be to speak to people who are or were in the military and get them to honestly tell what it's really like during service and what happens afterwards.

That does'nt include recruiters, their job is to get you into it not talk you out of it or tell many of the "liabilities" about it.

Originally posted by elaine
Well it's great if they really know what they're getting into. My suggestion to an 18 year old wanting to join would be to speak to people who are or were in the military and get them to honestly tell what it's really like during service and what happens afterwards.

That does'nt include recruiters, their job is to get you into it not talk you out of it or tell many of the "liabilities" about it.

Well two of them come from military families, so they know
the truths of military service, that and they are pretty intelligent,
they know war is horrible, but they feel that they want to
help this country by fighting for it.

What about some kind of free medical help? Should someone die three or five or
ten years earlier than they normally would just because they can't afford the
medicine that will help them? I know, I know, socialized medicine has a bad
reputation. But so does death! And greed! How much money do the drug companies need to make? I know, capitalism at work. But what if?

I think we can make the world a better place by striping the media of its power in this country. They do as much damage by the things they do not report as when they twist a story to their agenda. The media controls elections and there is no doubt about that because if you do not pay them you do not play. Americans own the airwaves not the media so we can take them back.

About the military... People should have the choice to protect the country or go to a foreign war.. like Iraq... because don't say that invading Iraq was defending the US and the world. So if soldiers don't want to go to a foreign war, no foreign war.

Vitchilo : I like that idea too. Still think that mandatory military service would work,
but with your qualifier that they have the option to serve overseas or stay here and
serve, but serve a term no matter what.

factfinder38 : How would we get control of the media? Without violence?


What if we were to nationalize the fuel industry? All new oil discoveries would
belong to the country instead of a corporation? Imagine, the country taking care of
its own instead of a corporation just taking!

Originally posted by SIEGE
How would we get control of the media?

The media work on two interconnected bases only--ratings and profits.

One controls the media by watching or not watching.

The left seeks, unsuccessfully, to limit Fox News' impact by denigrating them and anyone who watches them. It's a good idea, but Fox is still kicking everyone else's butt.

You get the point, though. I hope.

[edit on 2006/11/15 by GradyPhilpott]

I believe that all high school students should have to perform a set amount of community service hours. At my daughter's school it gradually increased each year til during her senior year it was 35 hours. This isn't an unreasonable amount and is easily attainable. This community service could be anything as long as it benefited the community. This teaches kids to become involved and stay active participants in their community. I also believe that all of us should be more involved I believe it used to be called doing good works; doesn't have to be much volunteer at the humane society for an hour a week, visit an elder in a nursing home for an hour a week; well you get the picture. Trust me on this you will feel great and your life will be fuller. At least mine is:

[edit on 15-11-2006 by gallopinghordes]

Gallopinghordes : Great idea about community service. Should it be mandatory?

I'm into public works projects. I think this country can improve from within.
Why can't we put willing bodies to work building better flood control systems,
better highways or train track systems, tunnels, bridges, irrigation channels,
shelters, etc . . .
People who want to work, put them to work improving our country for a change.