Four questions every candidate should be FORCED to answer!!!!!!!!!

[inthebrain]

1) What is economic justice?

2) What are the proper goals of a good economic system?

3) What is the reality of wealth, poverty, and class distinction in this country?

4) How do we get from this reality to something close to justice?


I would love to put the "free marketers" (AKA laisez Faire Capitalists) and some of our "reform" Democrats to the test. I would be interested to see which ones respond with rhetoric and which ones respond with real analysis.

I wonder how some of our DUers respond to these questions as well.

[FreedomAngel82]

1. Don't forget spying

[inthebrain]

2. Kick

[rman]

3. also, point out the polls that show the vast majority of Americans

want nationalized health care, - welfare etc, and ask reps why they don't represent that majority opinion, and how not representing it fits with the concept of democracy.

[DarkmoonIkonoklast]

4. a good start...

... also add "What does Article 10 of the Bill of Rights mean to you?"

[Bigmack]

5. My four questions?

1. Do you believe the earth is thousands of years old, rather than millions?

2. Do you think the US was founded on, and should be run on, Christian principles?

3. Do you believe that the US should ever use nuclear weapons on another nation?

4. Do you believe that some Americans are poor because they are lazy?

Any Yes disqualifies the candidate...

[iconocrastic]

6. #4 is worded a little broadly

4. Do you believe that some Americans are poor because they are lazy?

Everybody must know "some" who are both poor and lazy, could be just 2 people. However, the word "because" has been argued over by philosophers for thousands of years and remains a controversial notion. No semanticist would bite at that one.

[iconocrastic]

7. I'd be interested in what you have to say on the matter

Maybe you already have, I'm new here. The way you frame the question seems to indicate you have something specific in mind. Is there such a thing as economic justice in a perfect sense anywhere in the world? Some would argue that justice is a day's pay for a day's work. But not all are able to work. Also, trades pay differently. Rock stars make millions while teachers make thousands. But there lots of musicians make very little, whether playing in orchestras or garage bands.

[inthebrain]

8. The questions are pretty open ended

They go beyond the rhetoric beaten into to us regarding our capitalist system. Wehave all heard them at some point in our lives;

Work hard and you will get ahead.

Hard work will always be rewarded.

The market system is reasonability, logic and morality.

etc.

Yet there are plenty of people that produce something of value that ar not paid or underpayed. The housewife produces something of value, yet the market has decided that they should receive no compensation for their efforts. Because of this they have limited acces to clothing food and shelter.

Yet she does work hard and produces something.

Then there are people that work hard in the market and their basic human needs are not met. These are the people that clean your floors, serve you coffee, fill your gas tank, take care of the elderly so on and so forth. They produce a value service to our society yet the market sets the standard as to whether they are paid enough live.

The questions regard the health of our economic system. These are just breif examples.

[iconocrastic]

9. Ok, taking one of the points you mentioned, what

reasonable, fair measure would you propose to ensure that the housewife be adequately compensated?