thewronghands' interview

[digitaldiscipline]

WTP takes the 2008 election. Now what?

Accountability, from the individual to the national level.

First and foremost, wholesale bureaucratic and economic flensing. Every department, every position, every program, every project - forward governance will come to a one-month standstill as every agency is made accountable, and spurious folderol is pruned, streamlined, or hacked away altogether. Once a sane and resonable core is established, desirable-to-the-good-of-the-nation projects will be reincorporated. The national deficit will be paid off before we leave office. Health care and welfare reform will be priorities.

Discrimination, of any stripe, will be frowned on, and any attempt to curtail personal freedoms or liberties will be met with an unsympathetic ear. Recent measures [I'm talking to you, "Patriot Act"] that have already been put in place will be disemboweled. Drug use will be decriminalized and subject to the same standards as OTC/off the shelf pharmaceuticals, but individuals who harm themselves or others while under the influence will not be eligible for state-subsidized health care, and will face unpleasant criminal penalties.

Stepping on the toes of the Federalists a bit, a lot of the granular regulations (for instance, gasoline additive requirements) will be homogenized at a national level; this is good for business, consumers, and the government. The states will be made more responsible for local programs.

Absolute transparency as far as donations and contributions are concerned. 503's and other lobbying groups will be severely shunted. Elected or other government officials under investigation for, or found guilty of, anything above a misdemeanor will be un-subtly told to take an administrative leave of absence, during which some soul-searching on the subject of "leading by example" will be the order of the day.

Sincere and honest, not to mention substantially less invasive, dialogue will be the order of the day when it comes to foreign policy. That said, The bynner Doctrine will be implemented; "If you hit me, I will tell you not to do it again. If you do it again, I will kick your ass."

Individuals convicted of capital offenses will be given the opportunity to commit seppuku [via their own choice of means] in lieu of state execution or life imprisonment. Their families will be presented with a token of honor and respect if this choice is made.

Casual Fridays will be the law of the land, and a National Happy Hour will be established.

What's the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for you?

This is a surprisingly hard question to answer. My parents' kicking in to help with the down payment on my house is the biggest, most obvious thing; mighty_man has surprised me on a couple of occasions.... I honestly have no freaking idea. Or maybe I'm just a clueless ingrate. ;-)

You discover your little-known Indian roots when a lawyer contacts you and informs you of your new Assam estate. The catch? Residential only. Do you move in to new palatial digs far away from your current home?

If the digs are truly palatial, I'm going to assume that there's a substantial chunk of wealth associated with them. If that chunk is big enough to afford frequent travel, as well as upgrading infrastructure and amenities, I'd certainly consider it. aishlynn would be all about studying the tigers. Besides, angel_sil would be my culinary bitch. ;-)

What's the most appalling thing you've seen in the last year?

With my own two eyes, fresh roadkill. The intentional nuking of a friend's professional prospects by a vindictive twat of a manager.

In a broader sense, it's all socio-political and economic, and anyone who doesn't already know what's gotten my hackles up hasn't been paying attention. :-/

If you could only eat one thing for breakfast for the rest of your life, no matter where you were or what had happened, what would it be?

Because I'm not much of a breakfast person, this is actually pretty easy - a toasted garlic and onion bagel, no butter, with bacon (so as to make a sandwich) and a glass of chocolate milk (lowfat from a cow, or soy-based). If I were to expand this into a full breakfast-type meal, add a half a pink grapefruit, a small bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar, and a glass of white grape juice.

As someone who doesn't like eggs-recognizable-as-eggs, or eggs-as-the-substrate, going out for breakfast is a huge pain in my ass, since I'm not often in the mood for French toast, waffles, or pancakes.