If you could effect one change in this nation, what would it be?

Other than replacing GW Bush as the President. That's a given for all of us.

I would replace the next retiree on the US Supreme Court with a liberal.

What one thing would you do to effect a change in this country?

All of it. Every hidden goody. Null and void. Start from scratch and require posting of the details in progress, NO last minute add-ins permitted.

I want to be able to get married just like anyone else.

Sick people are bad for the economy. And free higher education. Making drugs legal could pay for both. The promise of both would help eliminate drug use.

Alter the Constitution to make it illegal for a President or his Administration to declare war on another country and utilize the military against said country without the approval of Congress. Except for REAL this time. And by illegal, I mean instant removal from office and incarceration.

The Congress did approve the Iraq war.:cry:

A ridiculous resolution. The problem is that the President has the power to choose a target and force congress to vote on it, make the voting process arbitrary and often a patriotism contest. Vote for it, you're a warmonger. Don't vote for it, and you're unpatriotic. It's the ability to force votes on warfare that makes the President's level of power so frightening.

Change the laws so that corporations would NOT be able to contribute to political campaigns/parties - corporations cannot vote, they shouldn't be allowed to make contributions. Only living, breathing VOTERS should be able to contribute (and I think the $2,000/person limit is more than ample).

In America, the so called melting pot, I believe we should have more than two parties to realistically align ourselves with.

I believe America would become stronger through our government becoming more representative, if half of the House of Reps were "at large" seats of which any given party was guaranteed a percentage of the "at large" seats according to percentage of the popular vote.

I would also offer Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts citizenship if they want and don't have it.

Could you explain?

It's the way democracies which are more advanced than ours work - such as in much of Europe.

An "at large" seat in congress would not represent a geographical area, but rather a percentage of the popular vote.

For instance, the way many European democracies work: you vote for a party instead of a candidate - if a party gets 5% of the popular vote, the party gets 5% of the seats.

Applying this concept to the idea I suggest: You would cast two votes for congress: one for the person to represent your congressional district and one for the party to fill the "at large" seats.

Say you lived in CA's 8th congressional district. You could cast a vote for Nancy Pelosi to represent your geographical area, and have one vote to cast for a party. You cast your "at large" vote for the Green Party. Nationally, the Green Party gets 10% of the "at large" vote - the Green Party would internally decide who would fill the 10% of the "at large" seats in the House of Reps.

This way, more people have a voice in government - you don't have to worry about wasting your vote for an at large seat.

It's long overdue!

But the biggest threat to civilization, and the cause of much of
the current strife... is energy.

We need to launch a 100 B to 200 B a year research and engineering
project to develop and DEPLOY a sustainable, renewable energy
program. My best guess and solar / hydrogen based, but it doesn't
matter what we do, we simply HAVE to stop burning hydrocarbons and
we have to quit importing oil (or even using oil on a large scale).

Oh, and after we develop this technology, we need to give it away to
the developing nations of the world.

If I can change ANYTHING, I would like to change the level of interest that people take in their own government and have people be innately concerned about how governmental changes effect themselves and other people.

If only

That could bring about so many of these other ones!

That would change everything.

fix the pell grant - its not worth nearly as much as it was when it was created, based on inflation.

And use paper ballots, very anti-technology but the most effective.

And ban from all elective office for life, any candidate who talks of God.

In one fell swoop, a massive re-allocation of focus within the
government away from guns towards butter.

people here care more about who will be the next Apprentice than who will be our next president.

and replace our current form of government with a parliamentary system.

In a drastic way.

It would include parent ed from conception through 12th grade. The goal: to teach new parents the habits that nurture brain development, and healthy social/emotional development. It would include "mom/dad & me" infant classes through 2 years, and preschool starting at age 3. Not for academic issues; for socializing and exploring. For being curious and imaginative.

No school would ever hold more than 500 kids. No class would ever hold more than 15 kids. No politician or administrator would set policy. Ever.

Every school would have a huge library. Every classroom would be large enough for kids to spread out and work in a variety of groups as well as at their own desk. Every class would have a "garden" area directly outside a classroom door. Every class would have a set of restrooms, and an office/restroom for the teacher.

Every school would start with the same goal; to take each individual child where he or she is at, and give them what they need to achieve their personal best during the current school year. Every child would have a plan to do so. Teachers would be given plenty of non-student days to meet with parents to set up the plan and evaluate progress; a minimum of 5 times per year. Individualized curriculum for all. Adequate planning time given to teachers within the regular work day to facilitate an individualized curriculum.

No more standardized tests.

No more special funding for special groups; special funding to make sure that every child's needs are met. Whether or not they "qualify" under certain categories. Individualized curriculum for all.

A music teacher, an art teacher, pe teachers, and counselors for every school.

Local control of curriculum, methodology, etc. I mean local; parents and teachers, not administrators or school board members. No school district larger than 10 schools. Administrators' jobs to facilitate the decisions made by parents and teachers, working together as a team. Administrators don't make decisions. They enact the decisions made by the stake-holders: teachers and parents.

Very broad, general national guidelines/frameworks to set common learning goals. Designed by teachers, based on brain research. No more 16 page laundry lists of isolated skills labeled "standards" for each grade level.

That everyone would stop looking at other groups of people as the 'blacks', the 'mexicans', the 'whites', the 'gays', etc and recognize that everyone is part of the human race. If we stop looking at people from another race differently then we view people from your own race then this could lead to drastic change. We are all on this world together, I mean together. We all have to realize that and stop starting these wars because it sends a message we belong you don't. I mean why send people who usually have a wife/gf and possibly kids to go over to another country and kill people who are just like they are(wife, kids, family, etc) over a conflict between two leaders. I'll put it the best way I can, I just want to change most people's hearts and minds about other races, people with different sexual orientation, etc because in the end were all people. I would pick this over replacing George Bush as President. I wish I could explain my thoughts on this subject better but I'll just leave it at that.

ala the Autobahn.

but personally, I would like to bring about the downfall of the Republican Party.

IMO that is the most important thing there is. Children suffer with hunger more than adults -- they don't understand why they're hungry.

...that moved any of their operations overseas to "remain competitive". The phrase "remain competitive" is corporate speak for "40 billion in profits last year were not enough. Now we are going to move our operations to a place where we do not have to abide by environmental restrictions, and can bus in pools of slave labor, to squeeze a few more billion in profits out, and in the process, disenfranchise thousands of American workers from their livelihoods, and wreck the economies of several American cities".

I would get rid of that free trade crap that allows for tariff free import and export of goods, and assess a tax on each and every foreign shored factory, and make it the responsibility of the corporation to pay federal income tax for each off-shored worker. Then I would take all of those billions that would be generated as a result, and put it toward paying off Reagan/Bush1/Bush2's national debt.

Companies don't like it? Tough shit. To use a republican phrase on them-Leave. Get out, and base your operations in a third world country, and market your goods out there. You are not allowed to sell your products in the biggest market in the free world any more. Never return.

can't fuck with the Endangered Species Act.