[timmac]

Jesse Jackson Jr. Fix Unemployment by Changing Constitution So Every Kid Gets an iPod and a Laptop YouTube

These Democraps are sending this nation straight into the ground at a 1000 MPH..

[Cog]

The hilarity of that video is sobered by the fact he comes from the state that I live in. Yes, we are doomed if he represents current thinking in the legislature.

[crude_intentions]

Yes, we are doomed if he represents current thinking in the legislature

It's worse than that he represents the current thinking of the American public. That goverment is to be a supplier of material goods.

[Ludi]

It's worse than that he represents the current thinking of the American public. That goverment is to be a supplier of material goods.

But that was always the thinking. The government provided land and resources for settlement and development, opened the way for railroads, provided the interstate highway system, provided rural electrification, etc. Why would things be different today? Many of these large projects would not be possible today, so people may be looking for smaller material goods to take the place of the infrastructure we can no longer afford.

[crude_intentions]

But that was always the thinking. The government provided land and resources for settlement and development, opened the way for railroads, provided the interstate highway system, provided rural electrification, etc. Why would things be different today? Many of these large projects would not be possible today, so people may be looking for smaller material goods to take the place of the infrastructure we can no longer afford.

Isn't it a bit of strech to equate Rural Electrification and National highways to laptops and ipods?

[Ludi]

Isn't it a bit of strech to equate Rural Electrification and National highways to laptops and ipods?

Yes, it might be, and I think Jackson made a dopey remark, but to imagine nobody ever expected the government to supply material goods is more of a stretch - government supplied virtually all the material goods of the nation, in the form of resources and a lot of infrastructure, not to mention subsidies, etc etc. Not saying this was appropriate, just pointing out it is an historical fact.

[Outcast_Searcher]

Yes, it might be, and I think Jackson made a dopey remark, but to imagine nobody ever expected the government to supply material goods is more of a stretch - government supplied virtually all the material goods of the nation, in the form of resources and a lot of infrastructure, not to mention subsidies, etc etc. Not saying this was appropriate, just pointing out it is an historical fact.

I don't think I can go along with the idea of government supplying "virtually all" of the material goods -- just think about it -- what was the private sector doing aside from being taxed? Nothing?

OTOH, government certainly can and should provide resources. That isn't the issue. The issue is: how much? We've seen that "all various groups want" is way too much.

So now we have to choose. We have to compromise. We have to adapt and learn. Or, we have to basically die out.

I wish, given how I see people bahave, that I could be more optimistic about the choices we will make.

[Sixstrings]

Well.. *assuming* peak oil doesn't rain on our parade in the near future, laptops, netbooks, cell phones, and all electronics are actually amazingly cheap. My last desktop computer only cost me $500, I'm still pleased as punch over that. I used to sell computers back in the day, it was a cool $2,200 for a x486. My memory is a little fuzzy, but I think we sold fifteen inch monitors for $519.

So no, we don't need government subsidized electronics, the market has actually handled this one really well.

I think libraries should do more to make computers easily available to those without.. I'd be for that, there should be a stack of netbooks when you walk in to a library and anyone can grab one and sit where they want.

Broadening the topic a little.. I do feel like we're approaching a point in the information age where the Constitution is getting a little outdated, or more to the point the Supreme Court isn't doing a good job of staying true to the *intent* of the Constitution. The founding fathers would never have supported crazy shopping mall eminent domain, or an internet kill switch, or torture.

[Pretorian]

The hilarity of that video is sobered by the fact he comes from the state that I live in. Yes, we are doomed if he represents current thinking in the legislature.

you, you keep on breeding those, and free laptops will be the last thing you'll need to worry about.