What would you do? Provided you didn't have to worry about things like European or UN intervention, or reelection
If I were to gain control of the mighty Republic of Ireland, it would go something like this:
-Slash beaureacracy in the public service, and introduce more pay incentives and accountability for workers.
-Overhaul the tax system to introduce a more extreme sliding scale, which charges more tax to higher earners.
-Invest heavily in renewable energy research and development, particularly focusing on wind, wave and tidal power, for which Ireland has some of the highest potential in the world.
-Invest in public transport, health care and especially state education
-Reintroduce means-tested third level fees, whereby poorer people are entitled to free third level education (In certain courses deemed beneficial to the economy. No social studies or theology!), but richer people have to pay proportional to their wealth, up to a certain maximum limit.
-Introduce incentives for people from disadvantaged areas to continue education, including monetary assistance, and fee remission.
-Invest in better amenities for disadvantaged areas, such as swimming pools, and free sports clubs, to help minimise social problems.
-Invest in farming and food production. This is one of Ireland's traditional industries, and has an international reputation for high quality. It is one of the few things we can rely on domestically.
Why would anyone ever aspire to wealth in your dictatorship? Where would your dictatorship get the capital to keep the economy going? All you can do is redistribute what capital is already there. It could not create more.
Socialism merely distributes the wealth until everyone is equally poor. You will still have elite government leaders with their beautiful dachas on the Volga.
__________________ Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their consciences. –C.S. Lewis”
Why would anyone ever aspire to wealth in your dictatorship? Where would your dictatorship get the capital to keep the economy going? All you can do is redistribute what capital is already there. It could not create more.
Socialism merely distributes the wealth until everyone is equally poor. You will still have elite government leaders with their beautiful dachas on the Volga.
Last time I checked the Volga didn't flow through Ireland. Perhaps you are thinking of the Shannon. Nice river, but has a problem with agricultural runoff. Ask the locals before swimming.
My regime would get money from the same sources Ireland does now:
-Taxation on international corporations based here (Corporation tax would remain low, to encourage external investment)
-Traditional exports: Agricultural produce, especially beef, dairy and wool; Lead; Zinc; Natural Gas; Electronic Equipment; Pharmaceuticals; ; Tourism; Precision Engineering, etc.
-Less traditional exports: The renewable energy sector has the potential to be a major source of income for Ireland. A well-developed industry could produce far more power than Ireland would ever counsume, and the existing power transfer infrastructure to the UK and Europe could be used to export this cheaply. Also, the expertise required would make Irish renewable energy technology of high value abroad.
This government would not actually technically be socialism, as the government would not control the means of production. It would be a mixed economy, and fairly central on the generally recognised economic scale. Further to the right than, say, Norway.
**Also note that I do not approve of totalitarianism. I am a big fan of democracy, even if the Irish people have a nasty habit of continuously electing the corrupt and incompetent Fianna Fáil again and again.**
Why would anyone ever aspire to wealth in your dictatorship? Where would your dictatorship get the capital to keep the economy going? All you can do is redistribute what capital is already there. It could not create more.
Socialism merely distributes the wealth until everyone is equally poor. You will still have elite government leaders with their beautiful dachas on the Volga.
Spent wisely, tax dollars can be used to build infrastructure and develop human resources that facilitate the making of wealth.
Obviously there's a point of diminishing returns, but the same applies to letting the rich get richer and richer...
__________________ NOTE: To posts seriously comparing Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler, I respond only with pictures of cute, fuzzy animals.
__________________ The precept: “Judge not, that ye be not judged” . . . is an abdication of moral responsibility: it is a moral blank check one gives to others in exchange for a moral blank check one expects for oneself. . .The moral principle to adopt in this issue, is: “Judge, and be prepared to be judged.”
-Ayn Rand
Remind me of something someone asked Bill Buckley once:
If your woke up one day and discovered you had been elected President of the United States, what would be your first official act?
Buckley: I'd ask for a recount.
__________________ Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their consciences. –C.S. Lewis”
I'd raise a relief army, making sure each man brought twelve wooden stakes upon pain of death, and go show those Samnites who the real masters of Italy are.
I can't see my self as a dictator, but if I ever became the ruler of Saudi Arabia I'll do these things:
- a ruler can't ever choose who will rule after he die he can suggest one and he can't choose or suggest his son or someone from his family
- the people will choose the next ruler who will be called Calipha and he will rule until he die but if he was a bad ruler then he can be replaced
- I would make a council of the best scholars of Islam and every single solider and military man give his allegiance to the council and not the calipha, they have the power to remove the calipha and replace a better man
- the calipha is not allowed to own Palaces and take a lot of government’s money and he must be paid a very low salary.
- I would make a newspaper where people will have the right to write in it how bad is the calipha and describe anything they dislike about him, and the calipha have to read the newspaper everyday
- I would improve the education system and encourage researchers and scientists with rewards
- I would put true Sharia law that includes everyone even the ruler or the council not today’s bad Sharia law
- I would cut the oil off USA and some European countries who support Israel with weapons and money
- I would declare myself at war with Israel and prepare an army to free Palestine however I would never be allied with Iran or Hezbollah or Hamas as they are not Islamic and they don’t follow the Islamic teachings.
- and I'll try to destory Poverty which is easy since we have at the moment money that is more then enough for us for the next 10 years if we didn't sell any oil.
Last edited by formy; 14th September 2009 at 09:09 PM.
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