Discussion Topics by Catagory:
The categories below are followed by articles on various issues. The articles generally take a position,
but their primary purpose to provide a starting place for in investigation.
Categories:
Corporations Our Economy Foreign Policy Gun Control Health Care
Improving Democracy Political Ideology Taxation and Government Debt
Social Security and the Minimum Wage
Corporations:
Should Corporations Have independent Rights Under the Bill of Rights?
Issue addressed - Corporations are artificial entities created by legislation that grant limited in exchange for the Corporation following the rules set out in the legislation. Treating them as having the same constitutional rights as people, and therefore not subject to legislative regulation requires logic divorced from reality.
Pertinent discussion: October 21, 2019 blog https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2019/10/corporations-are-not-people.html
Our Economy:
Does a Low Unemployment Rate Mean we have a Good Economy?
Background: The President and the media cite the fact the unemployment rate is at historic lows as
proof we have a "good economy." How reliable is unemployment rate as a measure of a "Good Economy?" Pertinent Discussion: https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-good-economy-fantasy.html
Measuring our 21st Century Economy Using 18th Century Metrics - December 20, 2019
Discussing why the unemployment rate is not a reliable metric in the 21st century.
https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2019/12/measuring-our-21st-century-economy-with.html
Magical Thinking - the lack of concern over debt - December 12, 2019
The US is running all time high levels of government, business and consumer debt.
Economist and politicians see no problem with this.
Pertinent Discussion: https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-federal-reserves-magical-thinking.html
Wages are Finally Rising - Why? - January 4, 2018
Are recent modest increases in wages driven by the free market as economists claim?
Or is this due to government action with multiple states increasing their minimum wage?
https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2018/01/invisible-hand-or-government.html
Republicans, Democrats and Sailboats - March 25, 2010
Comparing the ideological approach of each party to the problems presented in designing a sailboat.
https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2010/03/republicans-democrats-and-sailboats.html
Foreign Policy
Middle East Policy - Costs and Benefits - 1/6/2020
After decades of meddling in the Middle East has the cost been worth the benefits?
https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2020/01/middle-east-policy-costs-benefits.html
Using Military Options - Balancing Timely and Wise - January 15, 2020
A suggestion to improve consultations between the President and Congress about initiating military action.
https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2020/01/balancing-timely-with-wise-in-military.html
Gun Control:
Would amending the constitution to leave gun control to individual states be achievable?
Is the best solution to leave it to individual states?
Discussion: https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2019/09/gun-control-non-partisan-solution.html
The Fantasy that Arming Civilians Will Save Life's (March 26, 2019)
History and data say the more folks have guns, the more people die from guns. Discussion: https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-fantasy-that-arming-civilians-will.html
Health Care:
Economics 101 and Health Care - February 23, 2010
Free markets are fundamentally inconsistent with the goals of health care.
Discussion: https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2010/02/economics-101-and-health-care.html
Improving Democracy:
Partisanship, Politics and Neurotransmitters - March 28, 2020
https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2020/03/partisanship-dont-become-what-you.html
Are Our Primary’s Making Us More Partisan? March 11, 2020
Discussion: https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2020/03/are-our-primarys-making-us-more-partisan.html
Could we create a less partisan Congress by changing the seating arrangements?
Background: Studies show mixing up members of different parties, instead of allowing them to all sit together
as a block produces a more cooperative and consensus building legislative body -
See survey of research in the Economist 7.27.19 at p.51
Is Economics the Best Cure for Racism
https://naj-dnomyar.medium.com/is-economics-the-best-cure-to-racism-dc24f72ac8
What Does Being Partisan Mean? - December 22, 2019 - Is reciting facts a partisan action?
Discussion: https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2019/12/what-does-being-partisan-mean.html
Conventional Wisdom - 12.7.19 -
How do we avoid allowing past generations thinking to hold back new wisdom.
Discussion: https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-curse-of-conventional-wisdom.html
The Deep State - November 24, 2019
Is the term "Deep State" meaningful?
Or is it a way of avoiding specificity to suggest something more sinister?
Discussion: https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-deep-state.html
Government Salaries - July 24, 2010
Should government employees be rewarded with better pay and benefits
than private sector employees?
Discussion: https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2010/07/government-salaries.html
Two/Thirds vote Requirements - June 1, 2010
Should legislative action be able to impose a requirement that changes to the proposal
would need a higher percentage of the vote than the original approval.?
Discussion: https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2010/06/problems-with-democrac-23-vote.html
Political Ideology:
Paying Folks More Reduces Corruption - Maybe Not (June 15, 2016) -
Overview of research discussed in the Economist magazine.
https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2016/06/paying-people-more-reduces-corruption.html
Do Presidential Debates Do More Harm Than Good? - September 16, 2015
Are good debating skills really the primary skill a President needs?
https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2015/09/voters-should-boycott-presidential.html
Facts to Determine if a Border Wall is Good Policy - (January 13, 2019)
Looking at the facts behind a divisive partisan issue.
https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2019/01/facts-to-decide-if-border-wall-is-good.html
How Can We Prevent California Wildfires? October 29, 2019
There is plenty of blame to share, but what can we do going forward.
https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2019/10/how-can-we-prevent-california-wildfires.html
Message to Independent Voters - February 9, 2010
Are you in effect voting for your worst nightmare?
https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2010/02/message-to-independent-voters.html
Taxation and Government Debt:
Conflict in the Middle East - Who Pays for it?
Analyzing who has benefited from our decades of involvement in the Middle East.
Discussion: https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2020/01/conflict-in-middle-east-who-pays-for-it.html
"Fair taxes" - Current political belief about what comprises “fair” taxes tend to favor the belief all
tax payers should pay the about the same amount on each dollar of income.
Should we instead use a criteria that focuses on producing the strongest economy?
How Rich Folks Explain the Explosion in Our National Debt
Is it because we went off the gold standard in 1972, or simply we stopped collecting enough taxes?
https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2020/01/how-rich-folks-explain-explosion-in-our.html
Selling Our Kids and Grandkids into Debt Slavery - 1/31/20
https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2020/01/selling-our-kids-and-grandkids-into.html
Speculation is Not Necessarily Investment 1/3/21
https://naj-dnomyar.medium.com/the-gamestop-debacle-2cb3cc311c66
Social Security and the Minimum Wage:
We Can Do Better: The Minimum Wage
https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2021/03/minimum-wage-we-can-do-better.html
We Can Do Better: Social Security and Retirement law
https://motrvoter.blogspot.com/2021/02/problems-in-government-social-security.html
Other topics:
Should the state regulate abortion?
What is the appropriate role for government regulation?
(Can private enterprise ever be expected to appropriately self-regulate?)
To maintain the integrity of equality before the law should Presidential Pardons either
1. Require legislative consent by majority vote to avoid undermining the law, or
2. Be invalid if attempted after the last election before the end of the Presidents term in office.
It is common practices for legislators to bury pet projects to benefit their district in large omnibus bills.
To avoid the temptation for influence trading between legislators should the law require all legislation be limited to a single subject,
or be limited to a size that can be read by the average person in 15 minutes.