Yes, sell the Mass Pike to Fidelity Investments. That way they could allow only those people who vote for Scot Brown to use the road.

Thanks for the tongue in cheek column. It is useful to remember that it is our culture not our president who got us into this mess. And no one want to talk seriously about that 1/3 of medicare costs being used to gain a year of life. I certainly wanted it that way for my parents and am likely to give into the pressure to fight death myself.

We are not a company. We are a nation. And we have fought the states rights battle before.

We are in this together so we ought to stop fighting and roll up our sleeves now to make sacrifices so that there will be a highway system—as well as a medicare system—in the future.

Funny you should mention the Confederacy. They may have lost the military conflict, but by and large they have won the cultural and political conflict. A coalition of 'Red' states is more likely to tell New York and New England and the 'left coast' to go join Canada or some other 'socialist' entity. Who knows? It might not be a bad move. But perhaps the problem is that we should just revoke the Constitution and go back to the Articles of Confederation and give that another try?

Corporations are small minded entities concerned with the menial task of making money. America was not founded on the principle that it should make a buck. According to the constitution the United States exists to establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. Nowhere is America making money mentioned.

Our country isn't a company, and it's not intended to turn a profit. Companies can't print money, they're not responsible for taking care of society's most vulnerable, and very few companies can compel consumers to pay them the same way government can compel people to pay taxes. The United States is not, in fact, a giant company, and it never has been. I see absolutely no value in asking, "What would it be like if our country were a company?" We may as well ask how things would be different if the United States were a high school, or an after-work softball league.

The goals of a company are not the same as the responsibilities of a government. First, comapnies are not concerned with maximizing employment, they are concerned with maximizing profits-- often resulting in lowering employment. Second, a company can shut down a poorly performing division. How do you suggest the government "shut down" those in poverty or without insurance? this is the fallacy that fools people into thinking Romney's business experience translates to government leadership. He by and large left companies with less employment and more debt than when Bain bought them-- EXACTLY the opposite of what we want our government to accomplish over the next four years.

I have often said if only New England could break off and form its own country I would be pretty happy.  So what if I need a visa to visit Mickey down in Florida - it would be worth it.

;)

Really? Good ink, paper, bytes, and electrons for this? Perhaps I've missed the Satire...

"Running the nation like a business" is one of the more ridiculous constructions in our political discourse, for many reasons.
 But one of the most basic is that these discussions always ALWAYS bemoan the vice of government debt. And right there in the opening is the grovelling invocation of the vengeful god of "Fiscal Solvency". These discussions always ALWAYS ignore the completely mundane fact that hundreds, thousands of good, health businesses carry debt service as a basic cost.

Furthermore, this year we have a baron of the Leveraged Takeover regime running for President on an implicit - sometimes explicit - intent to run America like a business. Burying companies in mountains of debt is fundamental - its the "leverage" in Leveraged Takeover.

So which is it? Fiscal Solvency OR Run America Like a Business - they're not the same thing. But more basically, addressing the Deficit above all other priorities is a formula for disaster. The Federal deficit is neither good nor bad (in fact, right now it's free!)

Oh, and dumping unprofitable (net receiver) states and territories? Transfers from rich states to poor states is a basic difference between a federal republic and a business.

This is one of the most ridiculous pieces I've seen in the Globe (especially from a normally thoughtful writer). Jacoby and Sununu too busy for this drivel?

I'm perfectly willing to let the South go.  I'll deal with the cold weather if I have to in order to bring that about.  Geez, these people are knuckleheads. 

Well obviously that is about as possible as running a country like a business.  Of course we do have those who actually believe this crazy stuff. 

Actually an equity guy would simply say, "Hey let's go back to Bush."  Exactly what Romney wants to do.  Naturally the equity guy doesn't care about the market.  His future is buy and steal.  I don't think my portfolio can take that beating again.  Then again we could listen to the deficit nonsense, which of course under Romney would get even worse.  Frankly I don't care about the deficit, it will work itself out as it always does.

What I don't need is eight more years of Bush economics costing me money.  All you zealots out there all together now,
"it wasn't Bush's fault."  He was President.  Don't care.

I made more money under Obama, thank you very much.  I'll stick with the dollars you vote your emotions.

"HHK" said,   "South (illiterate hillbilly, bible-thumpin',  Creationist-fundamentalist, deep-fried-cheicken eatin',  grit-chewing hamlet dwellin' no counts all).  So, let'em go, let'em go.,"

Hey, have you been down here? The description was so exact.  The golf courses are great and cheap.  Oh well I've got a passport.  I could maybe live down here as a "legal" alien.   Although if I live long enough what some call the hoax of global climate change will warm up the Northeast that I could move up again.  Oh, the fried chicken is real good especially in this little town I went through in Miss.  

System, 

Name a President who didn't govern by executive order. Being outraged is fine but your excessive anger is making your comments irrational.