I’m not a Republican. I’m not a Democrat. Although I like to tell people I’m a Libertarian, I’m really not. I’m unaffiliated with any political party. In fact I can’t think of anything good that comes from political parties because they do just one thing, politics.
When I vote in any local or state election, I vote for the candidate who I think will do the least. Not the least of anything specific, just the least amount of everything. The perfect candidate for me would be one that would walk around kissing babies. I think we have enough state and federals. We have 200+ years of making local and state laws. That’s enough.
When I vote in Presidential elections, I tend to vote for 3rd party candidates simply because anything that might prompt strength in a 3rd party could weaken the two main parties. Otherwise, I vote for the candidate that I think will do the least.
Here is why.
Take a look at domestic car manufacturers. How difficult is it going to be for them to regain the lead in their industry ? It won’t be easy. Nor will it be easy to do in a mere 4 years. Now if its very difficult to pick the right person to turn around a major corporation, how difficult is it to pick the right President ? The car companies get to interview anyone they want. Voters typically only have choices presented to us based not on their abilities to lead or improve the country, but on their ability to get elected . And that’s not a very big list.
The 2 major parties seem to put having their party in power over having the best possible person in that position. I haven’t become a big fan of that approach.
Its not that the nominated candidates can’t or won’t be great Presidents, it’s just that we don’t really get our choice of the best candidates. But that’s not the biggest issue. That’s not why I vote for the candidate that does the least.
The reason is that the United States has gotten so big, in terms of population, diverse groups and economy, I just dint think ANYONE can truly set a course of action that is anything more than a guess.
It doesn’t matter if its a Democrat or a Republican. It doesn’t matter if its a social or economic program. Every President has his projects that he promotes and promises to implement. We see and hear all about it as its being discussed and voted on. If it passes, we see and hear about its initial implementation, but then it just becomes one more program in an awful big book of programs. Did you ever wonder how many programs have been implemented every 4 years ?
The same applies to laws. Its part of a platform. It becomes law at some point after election, then put in the legal system as one more law. I personally think we have too many laws.
Too many programs and too many laws. There are so many passed, that when something good happens in the economy, and thanks to good old American innovation something good usually does happen to the economy during every administration, that the administration gives credit to one of their programs for whatever good is occurring at the time
President Clinton took all the credit when the Internet Boom boosted the economy and let all the blame fall on President Bush when it collapsed. President Bush took all the credit as the economy grew and grew as interest rates fell, until sub prime undercut that growth. If the economy doesn’t rebound from this sub prime mess, I’m sure he will pass the blame on to the next President. In reality, neither President really had anything to do with things going right or wrong. Its the American People stupid.
This isn’t a criticism of either President, or any President, it’s a reflection of what I believe, which is that when it comes to economic and social policy the best any candidate or President can do is guess. They turn to the smartest people they trust, ask them for advice on what to do and hope it works. That’s not as big a problem when it comes to turning around or building the results of a corporation, that’s a huge problem to me when it comes to our nation.
Since most policies are just guesses, I would rather they just do nothing. There is no question their hearts are in the right place and they want to do the right thing, but the reality is that every single program that is supposed to have a major impact on our country is nothing more than a guess.
What I would love to see is a candidate who says he/she is going to start removing laws and programs. Give me a candidate who’s primary platform is to spend 4 years removing federal programs and laws. If it was a law or program worth anything the states or local municipalities will find much more creative ways to make them work.
I know its far easier said than done, but could it be any harder to remove an existing law or program than it would be to define, develop and implement another on top of what we already have in place ? Our government is so big, getting it to move in any direction is an incredibly difficult thing to do.
So if you want my vote in 2008, don’t tell me what you are going to add, tell me what you are going to remove. Tell me how you are going to simplify the government. That’s how you get my vote.
And although its not exactly in context, but i didnt know where else i could put it, I decided to post it here. This is one of my favorite all time Presidential quotes, but I’m not going to tell you who said it.
"We are not afraid to entrust the American people with
unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and
competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let
its people judge the truth and falsehood in an openmarket
is a nation that is afraid of its people."
And 1 more thing, because of the inevitable crazy comments that will come from the comment bombers from left and right websites, I reserve the right to turn off comments, quickly
Mr. Cuban, I would highly recommed researching Ron Paul. I strongly believe that you and he share many of the same convictions regarding government.
Comment by Jack -
Ron Paul wants Roe v. Wade overturned in favor of having abortion rights decided at the state level. He also is opposed to the federal courts legalizing same-sex marriages, instead, having it decided at the state level. If you\’re gay or a woman in a red state, you will be of the opinion that Ron Paul is interferring with your life. Very un-libertarian like.
Comment by Rob -
Ron Paul Is the Last remaining hope we have for this country!
It saddens me greatly to even say such a thing. But its true.
Ron Paul could greatly use yours endorsement.
Ron Paul will restore our government back to the principles that our founding fathers intended.
Comment by Troy -
Those who have brought up what they believe are negative viewpoints of Ron Paul fail to realize that he votes against many things on a Federal level because that is not the proper venue for them. Remember the majority of decisions are to be made at the state level, not the federal, or so says the constitution.
Mr. Cuban, if you want someone who wants to reduce the size of government there is only one choice and that is Ron Paul.
Comment by Sandi -
chefmac – \”Libertarian… the worst of the three.\”
Has a Libertarian ever raised your taxes or sent you or a kid in your neighborhood off to war ? Why does every third party candidate have to scratch and grovel in order to be on a state controlled ballot ? When the electoral mechanisms favor two parties and they subsequently write additional rules to quell competition it\’s no wonder why a differing candidate in a main party like Ron Paul gets the hope engines roaring. But when he\’s out of it, where will this movement/debate turn ? Hopefully not irrevocably inwards . . . vote third party. End the indifference, get active.
Comment by Eric Sundwall -
Hey Mark,
I read your blog about politics and wanted to let you know the candidate that fits YOUR criteria:
1) \”tell me what you are going to remove\”
2) \”Tell me how you are going to simplify the government\”
Two words: Ron Paul
He wants to remove the IRS, DOE, FEMA, DHS, NAFTA, WTO and all these useless organizations that do nothing but spend mucho dinero. (He said this on the Colbert Report:
)
He wants to limit big government and restore the Constitution and sovereignty of the American people.
How?
He voted against the Iraq War in 2002 unlike the rest of them and he is the only Rep. candidate that wants to end the Iraq War and bring our troops home. He\’s one of the only few candidates that\’s willing to complete the fencing of our borders to stop illegal immigration (we\’re over there fighting terrorism but the borders are wide open…hmm)
And guess what? He\’s the only candidate that voted against regulating the Internet. Now that should catch your attention.
He also placed 1st in five different state straw polls and finished 3rd here in Texas. He won 2 MSNBC Debate Polls and placed 2nd in FOX\’s debate poll: Good stuff!
Thank you very much for reading this. By the way, I think Stern should be hacked because he\’s muy estpido. 🙂
– Anson Chi, lifetime Spurs fan (j/k! lifetime Mavs fan 😀 )
Comment by Anson Chi -
Mark; Couldn\’t agree with your thoughts on politics more. My every presidential year hope is that we elect a president from the party not in control of Congress. Our only hope is that Washington remains in a coma and is unable to pass any significant legislation, because inevitably everything they do pass is a disaster. Unfortunately, we are stuck with the reality that our best and brightest people are too bright to subject themselves to midget pay, conflict on a daily basis with idiots or mediocrities at all stages of government and, last but not least, the constant scrutiny of the media. In our puritannical USA only dull, follow the rules mediocrity is acceptable in public life. Boy, wouldn\’t we all be better off with a 5X married politician, with three girlfriends, no religious beliefs and a brain capable of understanding the issues of our times.
Comment by Ted -
Mark, please consider Ron Paul, he is the most qualified candidate for president.
Comment by Tom -
Did you know that Ron Paul hates you? No? Read more here to understand what Ron Paul is REALLY about–> http://tinyurl.com/2xomwu
Comment by Ed -
Funny you used that JFK quote, I read that in a class not too long ago.
Comment by Brent N. -
My first comment ever.
Classical stand up comedy has two parts.
Premise. then Punchline.
Sir, you made laugh on this one.
For once the majority opinion is correct. We don\’t need a real president, we need a virtual president. Ron Paul only has 4 lines of code. So far he has revealed one: Follow the constitution.
Thanks for your joke. Maybe it will help initiate sanity.
Comment by tim martin -
I\’m 36. I\’ve never campaigned for any politician in my life before. I spent this weekend making signs and handing out literature for Ron Paul. Why? I fear I may never again get the chance to see a president elected who actually believes in liberty and doesn\’t sell out his ideals. The more the political establishment and media tries to suppress his message, the more I realize I\’ve picked the right candidate.
Comment by Joe Stewart -
I thought your last sentence was amusing, about turning off comments if things get too heated.
Instead, you get bombarded by positive and uplifting comments about Ron Paul. I\’m another one.
I own Ron Paul radio.com and I spent considerable amount of time researching both party\’s candidates in May. Ron Paul is hands-down the #1 choice not only for America, but the world as well.
He will stop trying to run our lives and he will stop giving certain companies unfair subsidies (cough cough OIL). Why pay taxes so the government can give it to select companies? Ron Paul understands this.
He wants to get rid of the income tax and the property tax, because in his words: \”The government doesn\’t OWN you\”.
He is hope for America… it\’ll be up to us to figure out how to get him elected
Comment by DjLoTi -
I am looking for 3 things from a candidate.
1. Simplify the system of taxation.
2. Reduce the National Debt.
3. Reduce the size of Government.
I don\’t have confidence that any of the front runners will address all three.
Comment by John Taras -
President Bush might be coached to sincerely speak those words today, but all one hears is the hollow echo of an administration that is afraid of its people.
But when President Kennedy said them in 1962, one believed them, and was lifted by the spirit of a country that was at once powerful and loved in the world.
Oh, Johnny, what have we squandered
Comment by Gary Burge -
I\’m not a Republican. I\’m not a Democrat. Although I like to tell people I\’m a Libertarian
Libertarian… the worst of the three.
Comment by chefmac -
Great post, Mark. And you are right on: Less is more is a great policy. Ronald Reagan, one the first day of office, entered his inaugural cabinet meeting and reportedly said: \”I hate taxes. I hate big government, and I hate big communism. Now, go do something about it.\”
Devil is in the details. Sound familiar?
Point is: Republican vs. Democrats, conservative vs. liberal does make a difference if only inasmuch as setting direction.
That\’s why your vote counts.
In the meantime, keep paying taxes while others say you (\”the rich\”) don\’t pay enough. That\’s the thanks you get. 🙂
Comment by CC -
>We are not afraid to entrust the American people…
I love this Kennedy\’s quote.
Comment by FSBO -
Wooo! Peter Griffin \’08!
Ron is not your messiah! Lord Peter Griffin is!
…heheheh…peter…
And now, back to your RP circle jerk fest! Don\’t forget to clean up!
Comment by Miles Prower -
Mark,
I\’ll plan on using this philosophy in your upcoming dancing with the stars performances. I\’ll be supporting the male dancer who does their best to remove themselves from the performance so we can watch the professional female. None of us want to see you and all of us want to see the incredibly beautiful Australian Kym Johnson. Lucky you!!
Comment by techguy -
Join the Ron Paul r{EVOL}ution! He is pretty much the only honest statesmen left in America. Please Google Ron Paul. He deserves your endorsement. Just look at Ron Paul\’s amazing record:
He has never voted to raise taxes.
He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
He has never taken a government-paid junket.
He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
He voted against the Patriot Act.
He voted against regulating the Internet.
He voted against the Iraq war.
He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year.
Comment by Karsten Nicholson -
I too hate the way the 2 party system is messing things up and also will vote for just about any reasonable 3rd party alternative.
But I\’m starting to wonder (and I think the Bloomberg talk made me think of this):
With these campaigns starting RIDICULOUSLY EARLY – at some point does the cost of participating in a primary start to out-weigh the benefit of being on a \”Party Ticket?\”
If you\’re going to run, and your own money is going to be a big part of your financing (Perot, Bloomberg?), are you better off letting them beat their brains in against each other and waiting?
I certainly hope it becomes an option – although it may only be one for the super-rich, which kind of sucks in it\’s own way. But anything gets gets us a real, viable 3rd option is good by me.
Comment by tvtiguy -
Great post Mark, I can say \”me too\” to a lot of your feelings & comments. I will be checking out Ron Paul after seeing so many comments in support of him as I am so sick of the way our government is functioning, especially the outrageous amounts of money we\’re spending on wasteful programs.
We\’re taking care of so many illegal aliens as well as the war and the welfare of other countries that the US is falling apart. Lets not even discuss healthcare…All I can say is that everyone should see Michael Moore\’s movie Sicko. That should answer your questions on the health of our healthcare industry. I\’ve been a republican all my life but I can say I am seriously considering switching to independent. I\’m fed up!!!
Comment by David Ward -
won no states and got no electoral votes. Bush lost the popular vote in 2000 but won because of the electoral college.
Comment by Mini storage -
Hey Mark,Its this simple, The guys with the most money call the shots ok?Anyone that is naive enough to trust what ever is told to them diserves what has happened. The general public was informed by others what was going to happen by people around them and they voted for these people anyway, When it is close they steal it outright because as I said they have the most money, I cant see where the confusion is. And if by some chance, the person decides to get a conscience, Well, thats a no brainer too. Its always been like that and unless we all stop bickering over chicken shit which is just what certain people want, that is to keep minorities and the working stiffs in this country fighting amongst each other and stay divided while the fox is raiding the chicken coop, it will never ever stop. It\’s a pretty simple method, divide and conquer, Keep them separated. In the mean time I guess we vote for the guy who is least likly to make any more enemies then we have in the last seven years. I think its time to say to others around the world. \”We were wrong, we made a huge mistake,forgive us and we\’ll try to straighten this mess out before its too late if it isn\’t already.\” People for the most part are forgiving provided you dont piss in thier face and tell them its raining AGAIN. Thanks for the thoughts.
Comment by Frankie from Lawnside -
Maybe create a better system to automate programs so they still serve their purpose, but waste less. Computers and databases made laws easier to manage, unfortunatly it\’s also easier to find gobbs of precendents to drag cases on, but overall I\’m sure technology is a big time saver. The UCC dramatically improved consumer law. I\’m sure standardizing programs among states/countries and technology can help the situation and help everyone avoid cutting social programs.
Comment by Madison Beauty Salon -
A cannibal was walking through the jungle and came upon a restaurant operated by a fellow cannibal. Feeling somewhat hungry, he sat down and looked over the menu….
+ Tourist: $5
+ Broiled Missionary:
$10.00
+ Fried Explorer: $15.00
+ Baked Democrat or Grilled Republican: $100.00
The cannibal called the waiter over and asked, \”Why such a price difference for the politicians?\”
The cook replied, \”Have you ever tried to clean one? They\’re so full of shit, it takes all morning!\”
I agree with Ron Paul……
Comment by Mary Clemente -
What you didn\’t anticipate is being bombed by the Ron Paul folks. Take a stroll around digg sometime. I give the guy credit, he sure has taken the internet by storm.
Unfortunately, I dont beleive that any one candidate is going to save us, Ron Paul or otherwise. Its not that I disagree with the guys platform, its just that the REAL problem with america is that only 20% of us show up to vote. Even a vote for an obscure candidate that doesnt stand a chance is not a \”wasted\” vote. an American who doesn\’t go to the polls at all is a wasted citizenship.
Democracy only works if we participate. The closest thing the VAST MAJORITY of our country gets to voting is sending a text in to American Idol. They are content to do nothing about their world. As a nation we are lethargic in regards to our future, and Ron Paul, can\’t change that. But you can. we can. the citicens of our country can. until we decide to, it doesn\’t really matter which politician those of us who actually care enough to practice our fundamental right choose.
Comment by Patrick -
We are not afraid to entrust the American people with
unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and
competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let
its people judge the truth and falsehood in an openmarket
is a nation that is afraid of its people.
John F Kennedy
Comment by Vash -
Everything you need to know:
http://www.ronpaulforpresident2008.com
Comment by Karl -
Mark, I believe the candidate you seek no longer exist.. The closest candidate or possible candidate to vote for is either Ron Paul or Michael Badnarik.
I\’m not sure if your familiar with either but I suggest you consider researching both of them.
Comment by Ken -
It looks like the good Dr. Ron Paul is the proper prescription for your ailment. He has been in Congress for 20 years and never voted to raise taxes; never voted for an unbalanced budget; never voted to regulate the internet; always votes to limit the size and scope of the federal bureaucracy. He has been utterly consistent in defending the market economy, entrepreneurial capitalism, and Constitutional government. The best part is that he has been so consistent, you don\’t have worry about flip-flops.
Comment by Brian Heyer -
Cool post. I started reading your blog a while back after, believe it or not, searching for info on Ayn Rand\’s philosophy, Objectivism. So, hearing you say you\’re neither Democrat or Republican makes sense.
As for everyone\’s focus here on Ron Paul, well, I don\’t know a damn thing about the guy. But I did read that he\’s anti-abortion and anti-stem cell research. That doesn\’t sound very \”libertarian\” to me.
Comment by Patrick Hillman -
I thought you were going to end it with a Ron Paul endorsement. Your post sounds just like his platform. (which is dead on imo)
Comment by Justin Y -
JFK. Do I win anything for Googling? BTW, I love how John Edwards wants to make me go to the doctor. What an ass-hat. Ditto Mitt Romney for naming his son \”Tagg\” and literally scaring the sh*t out of his dog by putting him on the roof of the family station wagon. Moron.
Comment by Brad Hutchings -
I felt the same way as you on Politics before Giuliani attacked Paul\’s foreign policy position in a debate a few months ago. Like the vast majority of other responders here I think you will agree with many of Congressman Paul\’s views.
Comment by David -
you get the feeling both paties will be happy to see the USA fall off a cliff as long as the other party is in power.
Comment by will -
I hate when people tell you they liked and agreed w/ you posts especially because so many are off the mark (no pun intended). However, I have to largely agree w/ you. I have tended to feel that republican candidates would do the least and therefore I voted for them in the past. However, in Texas, you know that the republicans are going to win anyway (at least the presidential election), so it really gives you the vote for another party that reflects your values.
As I get older I would aslo say that I\’ve become less enthusiastic about the republicans. I guess that is probably because it used to be they always had the luxury of not really having any power — they only had their principles. How quickly they were willing to trade!
Comment by scott -
What a shame that a country founded on principles of equality is bought and sold like girls on the corner.
Comment by Eric -
I have to say a very different view point but it made me think and that is what matters. BTW JFK said the quote!
Comment by Dallas -
Uhhh… I think what Mr. Cuban meant by the politicians who do the \”Least\” he didn\’t mean a candidate who wants to dismantle the American Government. And despite the inefficiency of the government, it\’s something we need to counter the demands of the few.
Besides, This talk of \”THE MARKET SHALL DECIDE, THE MARKET, THE MARKET!!!\” is one that often borders on glossolalia, and markets without regulation quickly devolve into snake oil salesmen, usurious practices and collusion and general corruption.
Markets are Gardens, they have to be grown, trimmed, not over-watered or strangled by regulation, and the gardeners have a huge impact of what they look like.
But where would we be without the EPA, the USDA, and the FDA. Granted there have been scandals and abuses in these institutions, but I\’m not ready to abandon them.
Why yes, FEMA, DHS (I\’m personally suffering from INS being rolled into DHS) have become institutions that are completely incompetent, I believe that it has far more to do with the Culture of Nepotism and idiocy that has been fostered by the last administration.
All that we\’ve been missing is Accountability. I don\’t think we need mass reforms we just really need accountability across the board.
The only real policy change I believe is needed for the good of the country is the move AWAY from employee based healthcare coverage. It encourages a system where the only way that HMO\’s can possible make money with rising health care costs is by denying service, and it constrains the job market terribly by forcing employers to pay for these exorbitant costs, and keeps choice out of the hand of the employee\’s.
Not the mention the innovation it stifles, Workers being even further forced to stay in jobs where management is horrible.
Although I favor a single payer system, I would welcome a consumer based system where the system was regulated. At the moment, Freelancing in NYC, a decent plan costs ~500$ per month for me and my wife. I looked at the cheaper plans but the deductibles are so high, and the plans cover so few conditions, that it seems like pissing money away. If we have a child, plans start at 800+/month.
Forcing employers to pay an extra $6k to $10k per employee for something that other countries don\’t have to pay for hardly helps the job market.
But I\’m not against Ron Paul, anyone as long as it\’s not Guiliani, that man looks like he\’d do anything for power.
Comment by Joseph Mastantuono -
Mark,
We disagree on most things, but I\’m going to have to say you nailed it with this post. Our government is supposed to protect and serve, not be a master.
Great post – especially on Labor Day!
Doug
Comment by Douglas Karr -
The only good Republican, is a Libertarian Republican, VOTE RON PAUL, 2008! I can\’t wait to see the look on all these out of touch people on left AND right extremities, when an entire nation/generation of people who have never bothered to vote before show up at the booths and elect Ron Paul by a landslide the likes of which have never been seen before. If I won the $300 million jackpot tomorrow, I would hand over $295 million of it to Ron Paul, and save the rest for the post-election, non-stop, coast-to-coast party train.
Comment by Tony the computer guy -
The reason you should vote for Dr.Ron Paul
http://www.invisiblepatriots.com/web2/Fed.html
The Money Masters
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-515319560256183936
Comment by Billy -
This doesn\’t have anything to do with politics, but I just heard that you are going after Fedor.
If you get him… your best play would be to put on a show in Hawaii. It is the only place where you can do a live event and hit the west coast USA and Japan (really, all of the Pacific Rim)… and those are the 2 strongest markets for MMA.
I would love to fight on a Fedor undercard. I don\’t cost too much and I can do all sorts of crazy shit.
And Ron Paul is on point.
Regards,
Matt Masterson
Comment by penxv -
i agree with many of mark\’s sentiments, but i can\’t endorse his solution. why? because his solution is merely another guess about what might solve the problem. and i know mark agrees that guessing is bad.
reminds me of my favorite h.l. mencken misquote: \”for every complicated problem, there\’s a simple solution. and it\’s wrong…\”
p.s. voting (or waxing rhapsodic) about ron paul ain\’t a solution either…
Comment by bbebop -
Ron Paul is great.. Until you look into his wacko policy pushes.
He might be perfect because he doesn\’t carry a party.. To libertarian for the Repubs and too right wing for the Dems.
So how much damage can he do?..
Can\’t be worse that Nafta Shafta and the current dictator.
Comment by Pat Crofoot -
Hit the nail on the head. We elect the best fundraiser as a rule, whose party then needs to make an impression with yet another big program.
Comment by Nick -
Yeah, Ron Paul is your man. He\’s the only one in one of the 2 major parties that is running that I\’ve heard wants to eliminate a lot of the wasteful Federal government programs and departments- IRS, Federal Reserve, Dept. of Energy, Education, and Homeland Secuirty. He wants tougher border security and to enforce immigration laws. Immediate withdrawal from Iraq and other countries where our troops are stationed which would save a lot of money. As a rich guy you\’d also probably appreciate the fact that he\’s never voted to raise taxes in 20 years as a Congressman. He is a Republican, but not a neo-con Republican like Bush, Giuliani, Romney, and McCain. He\’s a traditional, fiscal conservative Republican/Libertarian who wants to lower taxes and cut spending. He was born in the same state you were, Pennsylvania, and he currently resides in the same state you do, Texas. It\’s only a natural fit.
Comment by josh -
Mark,
As I clicked on this article in Google Reader, anticipating being the first to tell you about Ron Paul, it was a pleasant surprise to see that a bunch of people have beat me to the punch. However, I want to add to the majority consensus that you will love Ron Paul, and I hope the sheer volume of people supporting him in this post alone will give you an idea of the mass of support he\’s gaining. This is not a 3rd party candidate that you will use to throw your vote away, this is a candidate that is picking up real steam, real contributions, and is truly picking up grassroots momentum in a way that I personally have never witnessed before.
I found out about Ron Paul from comments in my blog, I hope you will do the same!
Regards,
Jason
Comment by Jason Kolb -
http://www.muckrakerreport.com/id447.html
If anybody has a moment, this is my favorite interview with Ron Paul. It\’s a great overview of his views on government.
Comment by Nick -
swarm logic.
i\’m fascinated with the concept. ants use it to sniff out the shortest routes to food and the hive, etc. birds use it to maintain formations during long flights. wild herds use it to remain together when traveling across expansive terrain.
i\’m fascinated with the concept of swarm logic.
the reason I\’m fascinated by it as it relates to human beings – is because in my experience there is a failure of that mechanism.
I support smaller federal government – but there are reasons why it\’s difficult to implement – it\’s because state, city, and local governments are inept more often than not and thus create the need for larger federal oversight.
A. Hurricane Katrina. Listening to Mayor Ray Nagin talk about the calls he put in to get help from the state and finally the feds is to ignore the fact that his administration was woefully unprepared to deal with such a crisis despite the city\’s history. Did FEMA fail? Probably. But why were so many people still in the city? Why did NO not have better systems in place to deal with such an occurrence given their geographic locale? The failure was hierarchical – with the feds taking the fall for inadequate state and city response. So to say you want smaller federal government in my estimation is to assume that state and local agencies prove themselves ready to operate with less oversight and less of a safety net.
B. Anecdote: I just turned 28, so I guess by now I\’ve seen my fair share of elections. What was interesting to me though (I live in NY – born and raised) is that there isn\’t enough invigoration for local elections. On a lark, I decided to go to a local city councilman election and vote there. Dude, I was the only person there under 65. Some old lady came up to me and escorted me to a table. Someone handed my a slice of pie and told me to sit down. I watched these old people chill and kick it. during the time i was there, not another person came into vote. In a district of 100+ thousand people, 1500 people voted for this election. Arguably, this local politician is more pertinent to the daily quality of life in my community than the President is – yet until that day I was more likely to vote in a presidential election than a local one. In this instance, the gy had been on city council for like 35 years and was so disconnected from the problems of the community as to be ineffective. LOCAL GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION NEEDS TO BE REINVIGORATED.
How this relates to swarm logic – these changes are necessary from the bottom up, not from the top down. google understands it; their hiring practices will not allow a subpar applicant anywhere near google to keep the culture productive. Once you let in weakness you can only move as fast as the slowest guy – and local governments have been playing with the federal cushion so long they\’ve become unable to operate without. You can trim the fat when cities and states prove themselves to not require that Marxian father figure that is the diaphanous federal government, not the other way around, IMO.
Comment by blyx -
Mark, I hope you take a look at Ron Paul. He\’s not perfect, but he\’s certainly the best candidate if you don\’t believe in the Federal Government trying to police the world and run the economy.
Comment by Chris Papadopoulos -
I agree wholeheartedly with your post Mark. And I assure you, so does Ron Paul. You\’re a good man.
Comment by Kurt -
man, you are DEFINITELY a ron paul fan.
as are most people, even if they don\’t know it. ron paul is the best presidential candidate in a long, long time. he is the turnaround CEO that the USA so desperately needs.
Comment by kid mercury -
\”Give me a candidate who\’s primary platform is to spend 4 years removing federal programs and laws.\”
Here you go, Mr. Cuban: RON PAUL.
(A \”crazy comment\” from a 54-year-old woman who\’s never bothered to vote before, never donated time or money to a political campaign before, but is so excited about THIS candidate, that she spends every spare waking moment working her butt off to help him get elected.)
Comment by Suzu -
Mark I really hope you go with Ron Paul! He really needs someone like you on his side. You have a platform to speak our grass roots only goes so far sir! The Main stream media is ignoring him and trying to shut him up! You could be our KARL ROVE!
This is the greatest Ron Paul video ever made!
Peace my brothers! RON PAUL 2008!
Comment by GoMavs -
I identify libertarian because it is the party with which I identify most closely. While I hope to grow the LP, I\’m a supporter of Ron Paul and came out, so to speak, on MSNBC the other day. Blind party loyalty is what got this country off track but, thankfully, the freedom message transcends party labels.
Comment by Miche -
The follow up post has to be, \”How I discovered Ron Paul\”
This guy is amazing. He\’s like Thomas Jefferson Reincarnated.
Check him out man, join the Ron Paul Revolution!
Comment by Andrew -
Nice JFK quote – and I think along the same ways – call myself a Libertarian if really pressed but don\’t really support the party in any fashion at all.
I am also disallusioned with politics to the point of almost not voting. I haven\’t gone that direction (yet). I voted for John Anderson in the first Presidential election I could vote in.
And I may vote on him in the next one. The options are not appealing. Ron Paul? I think not.
Rob
Comment by Rob La Gesse -
I\’ve been contemplating a switch to independant because I\’m tired of all the retoric and promises. Thanks for some perspective and sanity.
Comment by Jeff -
Regarding your support for 3rd party candidates – I think America ought to know more about how the electoral college and the lack of runoff voting or a ranked ballot are hindering the efforts of 3rd parties.
The existence of the electoral college prevents a 3rd party presidential candidate from winning a single state. Perot got nearly 20% of the popular vote in 1992, but won no states and got no electoral votes. Bush lost the popular vote in 2000 but won because of the electoral college. And Kerry almost won the electoral college in 2004, which would have made him a president less popular than his candidate.
And the fact that we can\’t submit our first, second, third, etc, choices for an office makes most people think that a vote for a 3rd party candidate is a vote wasted. Some speculate that if there were a ranked ballot in 1992, Bush would have won.
And now that you\’ve said a bit more about your philosophy, I understand why you favor the notion of a tiered internet. I still, however, do not understand how Jimbo Wales can reconcile being a free market Ayn Randist and then ask the government to enforce network neutrality.
Comment by Keith -
Mark, this is a desperate plea for you to come join the Ron Paul revolution. He was the Libertarian candidate in \’88 and wants to remove the government from interfering with our lives.
Stop dreaming and make it a reality:
Comment by Bryan -
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/videos/2007-06-13-colbert-report/
about 3/4 the way through…
Get rid of the Dept. of Education
Get rid of the Homeland Security
Get rid of the IRS
Get rid of the Dept. of Energy
Get rid of FEMA
Get rid of U.N.
Get rid of N.A.T.O.
Get rid of Interstate Commerce Commission
Get rid of NAFTA
Get rid of WTO
Get rid of UNICEF (very least, we could do better in charity)
Comment by Chris -
\”I want to be president mainly for what I don\’t want to do: I don\’t want to run your life, I don\’t want to run the economy and I don\’t want to police the world.\” -Ron Paul
Comment by Matt -
Mark. The answer to your question is RON PAUL. Recently quoted as saying, \”I DON\’T WANT TO RUN YOUR LIFE! I DON\’T WANT TO RUN YOUR ECONOMY!\” etc. etc. And he\’s the only candidate with a vast knowledge of Foreign Policy and Market Economics. You HAVE to check him out.
Comment by Philip Santa-Maria -
Awesome, love it. \”Less is more\” applies to politics as well, time to get real.
Comment by Mark -
I agree, you sound like a Ron Paul fan. 🙂
Comment by Grant -
This comments discussion is going to turn into a Ron Paul love-fest, as well it should. He\’s gotten me to register as a Republican and donate money to a candidate for the first time in my life. Mark, I\’m sure you\’ll love the guy.
Comment by Conor -
Absolutely, Ron Paul. I was thinking about him the whole time I was reading your post. Have you listened to him Mark?
Comment by Roger Greenlee -
Hopefully you\’re giving Ron Paul a look. 😉
Comment by Todd -