I am a 24 year old male. I am currently getting out of the military for combat-related injuries. I was born and raised in rural Michigan and own a house on the West side of the state near Lake Michigan. Just some background. I don't have a lot of post-high school education and probably never will. I was a helicopter mechanic and crew chief in the Army and served two overseas deployments. I wish for a united states that is modeled closely to how I interpret the constitution. Small federal government that doesn't dictate the can's and can'ts of the everyday person. Much more state control over the issues that concern regular folks. These issues should be voted on by the residents of the state. If you are an environmentalist that thinks that gasoline is evil, move to a state that enacts laws that line up with those views (California??). If you like to carry a firearm with you everywhere you go, move to a state that allows that (Texas??) State taxes would be based on the needs of each individual state. Those that want universal health care and enormous welfare programs will pay higher taxes for that. Those that don't want those things should move to states that don't have them and therefore not have to pay incredibly high taxes and not benefit from them. Federal taxes would be just high enough to maintain those programs that we as citizens decide are neccessary. Things like the military and the FBI and whatever else we all decide on. There's more to it than that but let me know if anyone else thinks like I do.

Thank you for your service.

You deserve more than just applause.

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excellant post but all the welfare bums will be here in Maine OMG

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Aint but three things in this world thats worth a solitary dime,
But old dogs and children and watermelon wine.
Tom T. Hall
http://www.obamatruth.org/

I think it's an excellent concept. Imagine how the economies of different states might turn out in a few years. What would happen to a very liberal state once it enacted high taxes, massive entitlements and legalized drugs?

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Order without liberty and liberty without order are equally destructive. - Theodore Roosevelt

Oh, I don't know. Maybe they would have a problem with homeless people wandering their streets and illegal immigrants streaming across their southern border. Maybe their political system would be thrown into disarray due to all the referendums, recalls, and initiatives. Maybe they would have a problem with affording healthcare and have to tax the people even more. Maybe they would turn away much of their business due to over regulation. Hmmm... I wonder if this has ever happened before....

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Wow!! I really thought i'd get beat up over this one! I'm glad to see that there are people out there who see how overcomplicated things have gotten. Another part of "My America" would totally change the way politicians were compensated for the service they provide. They don't call them public servants for nothing!! Politicians caught voting against the promises they make while campaigning would be relieved. Same goes for those catering to special interest groups. You want to go to dinner with some CEO?? You pay the (*)(*)(*)(*) bill. I'd hate for a $80 steak to be clouding your mind the next day when your making decisions that effect your constituents. Campaign finance reform would be simple. Individuals can donate no more than 10% of their annual income to your campaign. Corporations and special interest groups can't donate a dime. Again, I don't need the people representing me to have a softspot for some environmentalist that has more money than brains when they're deciding on a bill that would effect my right to hunt or fish. Contracts for government projects can not be bid by companies that have ANY ties whatsoever to the politicians involved in the project. Basiclly, bribes are a no-no. We should just call it like it is. Let's get back to the days when people ran for public office because they wanted to make a difference in their community, not form business allies and enjoy perks 90% of us will never be wealthy enough to expierience. The argument I get around the campfire when I say this to friends is that if it were like that, no one would run. I disagree. I would. I think there are a lot of people who are so fed up with the socialist downturn our country has begun to take that the chance at making a difference for their children is motivation enough. Any thoughts???

I'd vote for ya.

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Order without liberty and liberty without order are equally destructive. - Theodore Roosevelt

Me as well

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For real coverage of the Iraq war see
http://michaelyon-online.com/

Conan! What is best in life?
To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women

Did they look like psychos? Is that what they looked like? They were vampires. Psychos do not explode when sunlight hits them, I don't give a **** how crazy they are!

You advocate the devolution of power to individual states - soiunds OK on some fronts but look at the reasons for doing this in some detail.

Devolution favours Big Private Corporations who can then battle for favourable tax breaks and slack environmental laws etc by getting states to fight amongst eachother.

Big Business finds it a little harder to take on Congress - althought its not a problem for the VERY BIG corporations and their lobby groups etc.

Why would you wish to devide the USA into a bunch of individual states that can be far more easirly controlled and manipulated by private;y run corporations?

Do you want the US military forces or NASA to be run on a state level?

Devolution is a tool that favours the rich and powerful privtae corporations who only answer to a select group of shareholders.

Remember these big businesses always claim to have the support of their shareholders but if you look at the shareholder distribution you will see that about 70% of the shares are owned by the top 20 shareholders who are mormally other private companies, banks and finanacial institutions.

Its typical for big corporations to have a handful of individual shareholders controlling 50% of the shares (and therefore have majority control of what the company decides to do)

It would be like having a political voting system that values a person's VOTE differently depending on income or postcode - YOU WOULDNT WANT THAT - but that's what you have in the STOCK MARKET and the corporate running of the economy.

It was not designed that way, it took almost a century of litigation and coercing Congress to GIVE corporations the same rights as individual citizens, AND now its too late.

The USA reaps what it has sewn - good luck with the upcomming socio-economic collapse

Arm yourselves so that you can get food and water for your families

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Supreme Executive for the I.S.S.F