What should a US president do now?

[Shimdidly]

I hear everyone talking about how lazy/apathetic/deaf Obama is to the present situation, like he's supposed to don his superman suit and solve the world's problems for everyone. Don't take this the wrong way. Obama is an awful president, just like Bush, Clinton, and so on. But I find this a principally incorrect criticism. In an ideal world, a president isn't there to send taxpayer money or troops to other nations. The proper thing is for individuals to voluntarily give of their service and substance. Therefore, if Obama is doing these two things, he is doing all he can (and should be doing):

1. Encouraging people to help
2. Giving of his time and money to help, himself

EDIT: I was mainly referring to the present Libya and Japan situation, although there have been some great and insightful posts about the role of a president in general. I was just trying to say that (just as Ezra Taft Benson was quoted as saying in a post) the role of a president is not meddling with foreign affairs. Media outlets saying that it's because Obama doesn't have "leadership skills" is a major distraction and not to mention deceptive. Obama is going to do whatever the real power-structure behind him wants him to do.

[edzachary]

Are you kidding me?

His job is to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. That means when he sees a country turn its guns, tanks and jets on his citizens who are demonstrating against their government he protects them. He condemns the killing. He warns the evil dictator and then he goes in and pops him in the knee cap. Violence against the innocent isn't acceptable anywhere in the world. That's why we went into Kosovo. He's allowing Rwanda all over again in the Middle East. His foreign policy has been an epic diaster all over the globe. Never have we had a standing with the world as we do right now.

As far as Japan goes he needs to show a worried public that he is in tune to their concerns. When a member of his administration creates mass confusion with an off-the-cuff remark that causes a run a medicine he should stop the music and set the record straight. He is the authority.

As the protests happened in Wisconsin he needs to stand up, one way or the other for what is right. He did nothing for fear of upsetting one block of voters or another.

The deficit: sheesh, can he get any more out of tune with the times? People are suffering and they want the government to adopt the same kinds of measures they have to adopt in their own personal lives where costs are higher and income is less. He needs to stand up and do the right thing. He's done just the opposite -- he's spending contrary to the will of the people.

Let's see, what else?

Education. Stand up and say "enough spending" and find other solutions (never, ever, going to happen).

Healthcare: admit there are concerns that need addressing and actually hear them.

Oh, he can open up the gulf again and get oil flowing. He can entertain debate about domestic oil production. He can show us who are all having our personal economies ruined by dependence upon foreign oil some respect and address the issue.

The list goes on and on and on. I'm certain others here can and will add to it. He should stop vacationing, stop the endless golfing, stop the blabbering about inane issues from bullying to obesity.

[7cylon7]

He should resign for not being a US citizen.

[waking]

Dang, cyclon, you beat me to it. I would add, resign because he' s the worst President ever. Seriously, he could atleast not golf and go on 6 vacations a month, and have nightly parties at the WH(at taxpayers expense) while the world is in crisis. HE could make a statement, daily(although I would cringe everytime I would see it) on what our military and humanitarian efforts he has ordered are doing, and give encouragement to those in Libya out in the streets. People want to see a leader, not a partier.

[1984Orwellherenow]

Are you kidding me?

His job is to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. That means when he sees a country turn its guns, tanks and jets on his citizens who are demonstrating against their government he protects them. He condemns the killing. He warns the evil dictator and then he goes in and pops him in the knee cap. Violence against the innocent isn't acceptable anywhere in the world. That's why we went into Kosovo. He's allowing Rwanda all over again in the Middle East. His foreign policy has been an epic diaster all over the globe. Never have we had a standing with the world as we do right now.

As far as Japan goes he needs to show a worried public that he is in tune to their concerns. When a member of his administration creates mass confusion with an off-the-cuff remark that causes a run a medicine he should stop the music and set the record straight. He is the authority.

Uhh ooh, dudes, you're not toting the party line. I smell backlash a comin'.

Dudes, LDS prophets support the Monroe Doctrine, but dudes, if you're crafty enough you can trick yourself into thinking that means diggin a hole to the Antarctic or colonizing the moon's "promised land". After all, dudes, Brigham Young did say there were dudes up there, dudes. Dudes, scripture means whatever some people want it to mean. Ya know, dudes?

[durangout]

Have you ever heard the phrase (I'm paraphrasing) Rome burnt while Nero fiddled. In this case is should say while he picked his bracket for the Sweet 16.

Please re-think your question and resubmit it.

btw BHO isn't in the same league as GWB (no I'm not a Bush-lover, I didn't vote for him the second time and he wasn't a good president). BHO is just so bad he makes Carter look OK by comparison.

[edzachary]

Uhh ooh, dudes, you're not toting the party line. I smell backlash a comin'.

Dudes, LDS prophets support the Monroe Doctrine, but dudes, if you're crafty enough you can trick yourself into thinking that means diggin a hole to the Antarctic or colonizing the moon's "promised land". After all, dudes, Brigham Young did say there were dudes up there, dudes. Dudes, scripture means whatever some people want it to mean. Ya know, dudes?

Dude, I wish I understood even half the time what you were talking about.

[patriotsaint]

Are you kidding me?

His job is to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. That means when he sees a country turn its guns, tanks and jets on his citizens who are demonstrating against their government he protects them. He condemns the killing. He warns the evil dictator and then he goes in and pops him in the knee cap. Violence against the innocent isn't acceptable anywhere in the world. That's why we went into Kosovo. He's allowing Rwanda all over again in the Middle East. His foreign policy has been an epic diaster all over the globe. Never have we had a standing with the world as we do right now.

Are you kidding me?

Ezra Taft Benson Said it better than me:

"There is one and only one legitimate goal of United States foreign policy. It is a narrow goal, a nationalistic goal: the preservation of our national independence. Nothing in the Constitution grants that the president shall have the privilege of offering himself as a world leader. He is our executive; he is on our payroll; he is supposed to put our best interests in front of those of other nations. Nothing in the Constitution nor in logic grants to the president of the United States or to Congress the power to influence the political life of other countries, to ‘uplift’ their cultures, to bolster their economies, to feed their people, or even to defend them against their enemies.” (Ezra Taft Benson, America at the Crossroads, August 30, 1969.)

What should the president be doing?

1. veto every piece of unconstitutional legislation
2. End our foreign wars of aggression and bring our troops home.
3. Eliminate every federal department not authorized by the constitution (DHS, TSA, Department of Education, EPA etc) so these responsibilities can go back to states where they belong
4. Stop using executive orders or signing statements to thwart the will of the people

There is much more, but these four items would be a great start to fixing the ills our country is experiencing....financial and otherwise.

[1984Orwellherenow]

Dude, I wish I understood even half the time what you were talking about.

Ahh, shucks dudes. Thanks! :ymblushing:

[edzachary]

The President is having quite a day.

He lost both Hillary Clinton and Joan Baez today. That takes some doing!

http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/03/17 ... llary-2-2/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1 ... vist_.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[sbsion]

only help with Non-debt funds.................hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm )

[Fiannan]

Sorry, but if a radiation clould were headed to Moscow we KNOW Vladimir Putin would not take time to give an interview to ESPN about basketball and then plan a trip to go party in Rio.

Even Charlie Sheen would know better than that.

[Spence]

The President is having quite a day.

He lost both Hillary Clinton and Joan Baez today. That takes some doing!

http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/03/17 ... llary-2-2/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1 ... vist_.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Him losing Hilary is a good thing. She wants the US to commit and act of war against yet another sovereign nation. Obama is waffling. Better waffling than him deciding to sucker us into another war.

[durangout]

[quote="patriotsaint
What should the president be doing?

1. veto every piece of unconstitutional legislation
2. End our foreign wars of aggression and bring our troops home.
3. Eliminate every federal department not authorized by the constitution (DHS, TSA, Department of Education, EPA etc) so these responsibilities can go back to states where they belong
4. Stop using executive orders or signing statements to thwart the will of the people

There is much more, but these four items would be a great start to fixing the ills our country is experiencing....financial and otherwise.[/quote]

This is change I can believe in (Sorry for the improper grammar. Just copying their slogan).

[SwissMrs&Pitchfire]

"What should a US president do now?"

Well, well, well... with the help of the other branches of government I would:
abolish the income tax and replace it with a phased in tariff system that levys a tariff on any and all imports that compete with U.S. made products until there is a shortage and then they are eliminated until the U.S. production resumes. Always keeping import prices higher than domestic ones.

I would eliminate the vast majority of Federal programs and restore the balance between the Fed's and State's rights (making them equal in power). I would restore the Constitutional provisions for Presidential elections and open a constitutional convention for the removal of just about every amendment post-10 (I'd keep 18).

I would de-fund overseas military installations and shut down our offensive wars.

I would open up citizenship to any and all who meet the requirements without caps and quotas.

I would repeal Roe V. Wade

I would restore the Christian foundation of our government.

I would restore a sound money policy without inflation/deflation (not going to get into the specifics of that here).

I would use the tariffs to pay down the National Debt.

I would make futures and derivatives illegal. Though I would allow non-trade-able futures contracts.

I would totally and completely eliminate national secrecy on any and all issues (yes including national security).

I would eliminate redundant agencies and programs (no FBI, Treasury Cops, INS, Homeland Security.........)

I would end all subsidies, preferences, and the like.

I would instruct the justice system to hold any and all accountable for every harm they commit without exception.

I would open up our national resources to wide spread small scale extraction with positive accountability. That would include rescinding all resource grants (fishing IFQ's, large scale mining outfits etc...).

I would close up all nuclear plants and ban the things until someone can figure out a no harm storage option for spent fuel.

I would stop off shore drilling until inland oil fields petered out.

I would retain the mineral rights and only grant conditional leases for natural resources.

I would settle up Federal lands through homesteads with strict rules for proving up, as intended by the founders and persuade local municipalities to encourage urban sprawl and discourage the growth or retention of cities.

I would make property taxes (of any kind) illegal.

I would outlaw genetic engineering and GMO's and seize the assets of Monsanto until total and complete biological remediation has been made.

I would eliminate the public school system and replace it with an expanded National Library.

I would end any and all copyright protections. If you want to grant ownership over ideas then give the grants to He whose they are.

I would encourage cooperation instead of competition.

I would eliminate or totally revamp the regulatory agencies.

I would do away with term limits.

I would eliminate the national highway system.

I would eliminate any and all "prove you're not guilty" crimes. No drivers license needed, no registration or insurance. No building codes etc... Prove harm and quantify it in court and your cause will be made right. Short of that, learn to get along or buy a huge property and hide away in the middle of it far enough so your neighbors can't bother you.

I would rescind all firearms laws.

I would change police powers to process/paper servers. Police would, if needed organize posse's of ordinary citizens to enforce the laws.

I would empty the prisons by justice (widespread use of the death penalty for basically all violent crimes) and by mercy (no long term jail time for anything. I would rely on social pressure to work it's loving charms on the bad. Prisons would only serve to bring about restitution by work.

I would finally make the switch to the metric system.

I would drastically reduce compensation of representatives.

I would move out of the White House and use it for formal functions and not my home.

I would move the nations capital to Kansas.

I would undo any and all international alliances/trade agreements.

I would encourage mothers to return to the home.

I would encourage fathers to return to the homestead.

I would do away with passports and demilitarize the border as soon as possible (like it used to be).

I would make peeing birth control (and other medications) into the water systems punishable by fine to fund the cost of their removal (no more intersex fishes). Ie. encourage municipalities to judicially demand that restitution. What would happen is that everyone who used meds would have to filter them out on their end instead of flushing them down the line.

No more endowment for the arts.

And then some...

[edzachary]

Looks like Obama got what he wanted: the UN has decided where he could not. Now all the world knows we're going to bomb Libya. His brilliance is inescapable.

[Like]

[1984Orwellherenow]

Well, well, well... with the help of the other branches of government I would:
abolish the income tax and replace it with a phased in tariff system that levys a tariff on any and all imports that compete with U.S. made products until there is a shortage and then they are eliminated until the U.S. production resumes. Always keeping import prices higher than domestic ones.

This would be the end to the USD world reserve currency status, cause a trade war that would lead to millions and millions of deaths, and cause the crash in the dollar that so many on here are worried about. Dudes, some are willing to say this price is worth it. Are you, dudes?

[Shimdidly]

"What should a US president do now?"

Well, well, well... with the help of the other branches of government I would:
abolish the income tax and replace it with a phased in tariff system that levys a tariff on any and all imports that compete with U.S. made products until there is a shortage and then they are eliminated until the U.S. production resumes. Always keeping import prices higher than domestic ones.

I would eliminate the vast majority of Federal programs and restore the balance between the Fed's and State's rights (making them equal in power). I would restore the Constitutional provisions for Presidential elections and open a constitutional convention for the removal of just about every amendment post-10 (I'd keep 18).

I would de-fund overseas military installations and shut down our offensive wars.

I would open up citizenship to any and all who meet the requirements without caps and quotas.

I would repeal Roe V. Wade

I would restore the Christian foundation of our government. * I'm not sure what this would entail, so the blue is more like a visible question mark.

I would restore a sound money policy without inflation/deflation (not going to get into the specifics of that here).

I would use the tariffs to pay down the National Debt.

I would make futures and derivatives illegal. Though I would allow non-trade-able futures contracts. * Again, this is something I don't completely understand. If futures and derivatives have an inherent fraudulent nature to them, then that would make sense. Would they still exist if we were back on the gold standard though?

I would totally and completely eliminate national secrecy on any and all issues (yes including national security).

I would eliminate redundant agencies and programs (no FBI, Treasury Cops, INS, Homeland Security.........)

I would end all subsidies, preferences, and the like.

I would instruct the justice system to hold any and all accountable for every harm they commit without exception.

I would open up our national resources to wide spread small scale extraction with positive accountability. That would include rescinding all resource grants (fishing IFQ's, large scale mining outfits etc...).

I would close up all nuclear plants and ban the things until someone can figure out a no harm storage option for spent fuel.
* Sounds like an indiscriminate sweep to me.
I would stop off shore drilling until inland oil fields petered out. *Companies should be able to drill wherever they want provided they own the land and are held responsible for whatever harm is done to what isn't theirs. Inland fields would be naturally preferable in a free market since it provides easier access.

I would retain the mineral rights and only grant conditional leases for natural resources. * Sounds too BLM to me

I would settle up Federal lands through homesteads with strict rules for proving up, as intended by the founders and persuade local municipalities to encourage urban sprawl and discourage the growth or retention of cities.

I would make property taxes (of any kind) illegal.

I would outlaw genetic engineering and GMO's and seize the assets of Monsanto until total and complete biological remediation has been made. * Should be left to the market to decide whether or not people want to buy GMO food. Unless that's not what you were talking about. I agree with the rest.

I would eliminate the public school system and replace it with an expanded National Library.

I would end any and all copyright protections. If you want to grant ownership over ideas then give the grants to He whose they are.

I would encourage cooperation instead of competition.

I would eliminate or totally revamp the regulatory agencies.

I would do away with term limits.

I would eliminate the national highway system.

I would eliminate any and all "prove you're not guilty" crimes. No drivers license needed, no registration or insurance. No building codes etc... Prove harm and quantify it in court and your cause will be made right. Short of that, learn to get along or buy a huge property and hide away in the middle of it far enough so your neighbors can't bother you.

I would rescind all firearms laws.

I would change police powers to process/paper servers. Police would, if needed organize posse's of ordinary citizens to enforce the laws.

I would empty the prisons by justice (widespread use of the death penalty for basically all violent crimes) and by mercy (no long term jail time for anything. I would rely on social pressure to work it's loving charms on the bad. Prisons would only serve to bring about restitution by work.

I would finally make the switch to the metric system.

I would drastically reduce compensation of representatives.

I would move out of the White House and use it for formal functions and not my home.

I would move the nations capital to Kansas.

I would undo any and all international alliances/trade agreements.

I would encourage mothers to return to the home.

I would encourage fathers to return to the homestead.

I would do away with passports and demilitarize the border as soon as possible (like it used to be).

I would make peeing birth control (and other medications) into the water systems punishable by fine to fund the cost of their removal (no more intersex fishes). Ie. encourage municipalities to judicially demand that restitution. What would happen is that everyone who used meds would have to filter them out on their end instead of flushing them down the line. * That type of regulation would be somewhat intrusive. There would be better solutions.

No more endowment for the arts.

And then some...

I agree with all except those highlighted in red.

[SwissMrs&Pitchfire]

This would be the end to the USD world reserve currency status, cause a trade war that would lead to millions and millions of deaths, and cause the crash in the dollar that so many on here are worried about. Dudes, some are willing to say this price is worth it. Are you, dudes?

I have issues with anyone that thinks a debt based worldwide reserve currency is a good thing. It would not however lead to a worldwide trade war anymore than growing your own garden can be blamed for Walmart boycotting your farmers market. That may well occur but doing the right thing would not be the cause. You might want to read about the Smoot-Hawley Tariff act and decide whether you like Reed Smoot or not. Likewise it would not crash the dollar, that's fundamentally absurd as it assumes the regulation and operations of the USD remain the same. At any rate I could spend years literally articulating the fine points of each line, but in the end you either get it or you don't and there are much larger issues to debate endlessly.

[SwissMrs&Pitchfire]

Derivatives and futures are gambling which would also be illegal.

[SwissMrs&Pitchfire]

Natural resource ownership is a big deal and should not be privatized into the hands of the inevitable few. If you support that, then you support the mistakes of parents binding their ancestors to slavery.

To put it simply:
If you and I and another washed up on a small island and the only food source available to us was coconuts. Should I be able to gather them all up upon arrival and only give you some if you will do what I say? Why or why not? By rights I attached my labor to them and they became mine. To bad you didn't think quicker!

In reality a much better model is holding natural resources largely in common from which any man may exalt himself so long as he does no harm and causes no loss to the rest of society who has equal rights to exalt themselves (as do their children) from those same common resources. "It is not given that one man should posses that which is above another, wherefore the world lieth in sin."

This is the Zion model of stewardships that may or may not become inheritances. It is the only way to prevent massive inequities upon future and present generations.

Locking up the resources? Hardly, it would open them up to development, while discouraging the inequalities of wealth distribution we currently see.

[SwissMrs&Pitchfire]

The rest are really arguments in how to hold offenders of others rights accountable hence trivial at present. The important thing is to do it in a manner that does not in execution further violate real rights.

[SwissMrs&Pitchfire]

I would also do away with corporations and make individuals accountable for their acts in any and all instances.

[1984Orwellherenow]

This would be the end to the USD world reserve currency status, cause a trade war that would lead to millions and millions of deaths, and cause the crash in the dollar that so many on here are worried about. Dudes, some are willing to say this price is worth it. Are you, dudes?

I have issues with anyone that thinks a debt based worldwide reserve currency is a good thing. It would not however lead to a worldwide trade war anymore than growing your own garden can be blamed for Walmart boycotting your farmers market. That may well occur but doing the right thing would not be the cause. You might want to read about the Smoot-Hawley Tariff act and decide whether you like Reed Smoot or not. Likewise it would not crash the dollar, that's fundamentally absurd as it assumes the regulation and operations of the USD remain the same. At any rate I could spend years literally articulating the fine points of each line, but in the end you either get it or you don't and there are much larger issues to debate endlessly.

Issues... lol. You can fool yourself all you want, but you clearly do not understand how markets and world trade works. But it's all good, dudes, bad fundamentals lead to bad results more often than not. Lemme point ya in the right direction and get that foundation set up square and plum. I got meself a great modern analysis. Dudes, read Barry Eichengreen's work. It'll give ya all the straight arrows ya need, dudes.

Your suggestion would cause a crash and any professional worth his salt knows this. It's the armchair economists with zero professional training and a couple one trick pony's who say it would not.