If I were the guy in charge

Just a few thoughts about how my fantasy nation would operate.

1. Healthcare.  Healthcare would not be free, for anyone.  Even if you have just a dollar to your name, a small part of that dollar should go towards your healthcare costs.  Anything having value is worth paying for, and part of me thinks that one of the biggest problems with our society is that we take healthcare coverage for granted.  We need to interject more personal responsibility back into the notion of healthcare.  If someone can find money for beer and smokes, then they can find money for getting and staying healthy.
2. Defense & Defense Budget.  Taxpayers in the United States basically pay to police the world.  It's simply insane.  We need to spend enough to defend our own borders, and not much else.  See the following graphic from the Washington Post to illustrate the point:
   
3. Religious Freedom.  Everyone should have the freedom to worship (or not worship) whatever they choose, without the government OR other folks interfering.  Specifically:  a) Religious Freedom stops at the tip of your nose; put another way, no one has the right to ram their religious choices down anyone else's throat...and...b) Religious Freedom doesn't give anyone license to harm small children, animals, the elderly or anyone else.  Oh, and let's be clear about something:  if the Christian Bible were the basis of our laws, then slavery would not only just be legal, but it would be encouraged.  And we'd be stoning prostitutes.  And not eating shellfish.  And countless other things.  So let's stop the selective reading of one group's religious text.  The Bible should no more be the law of the land than the Koran should be.
4. Sexuality.  It's none of the government's business who you are attracted to, period.  As long as you are not physically harming me (or others or animals), then well have fun with the gender of your choice.
5. Birth Control.  It's none of the government's business what you choose to do with your own body.  If your religion prohibits the use of birth control, well then see point #3.
6. Abortion.  If your religion prohibits abortion, then don't get pregnant and then have one.  If your conscience tells you that abortion is wrong, then feel free to tell the rest the world about your views, as that's your prerogative.  However, people on both sides of the abortion debate need to calm down and understand that others of good conscience can and do disagree with them.  I no more want to live in a world where abortion is allowed at any stage of pregnancy than I do one in which is completely outlawed.  
7. Marriage.  Marriage is really two things:  a) A Civil contract between two parties and  b) A religious institution.  One shouldn't dictate the other.  No religion should be forced to recognize a marriage which runs counter to its dogma...BUT...no religion should have the right dictate the terms of a Civil contract between two consenting parties either.  See #3.
8. Animal Abuse.  Abuse a cat or a dog?  I say that's assault, and we should treat it as such.  Let's not kid ourselves:  people who abuse animals probably are already abusing other humans, so let's deal with it on a 2 for 1 basis. 
9. Death Penalty.  Do we really want to live in a country where a government can put its citizens to death?  I don't.  When you allow a government to kill people, then what isn't that government allowed to do?
10. Drugs.  Drug laws should exist to protect the people who don't take drugs.  Put another way, the government should control drugs to the extend that such control will prevent a drunk/meth-head/stoner/ect. from ramming their car into my living room.  The government shouldn't control drugs simply because a few legislators or an agency has somehow decided that "pot" is more evil than vodka.  Mind you, I personally feel that the use or abuse of any mild-altering substance is just plain stupid, but I also personally feel that we all should have the right to be stupid...as long as that stupidity doesn't negatively impact me or others.  I do lots of stupid things, but I try to not allow my own stupidity interfere with anyone else's life.