http://www.debate.org/debates/?order=1&sort=&category=Politics Customize this RSS feed by going to http://www.debate.org/rss/ en-us 2009-11-20T21:12:33-08:00 2009-11-20T21:12:33-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/death-sentence-to-criminal-legal-or-illegal/1/ (Debating Period) it is legal http://www.debate.org/debates/death-sentence-to-criminal-legal-or-illegal/1/comments/ 2009-11-20T06:25:17-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/The-Government-should-do-more-to-promote-Jewish-businesses./1/ (Voting Period) Jewish businessmen are renowned for prioritising good value for money and providing excellent customer service over making profits, but, unfortunately, this unselfish commitment to public service means that the Jewish business community is missing out on extra cash. I'm sure that if they advertised the fact their stores were Jewish owned, the public would make a point of favouring them with their custom more often. The trouble is, as well as not caring about money, Jewish businessmen are very modest. With this in mind, surely it is time for the Government to step in and paint Stars of David on all Jewish-owned store windows and place government notices on the doors reading "THIS BUSINESS IS RUN BY JEWS"? That way, the public would be in a position to make an informed decision on which shops to patronise and which shops to avoid. Thank you. http://www.debate.org/debates/The-Government-should-do-more-to-promote-Jewish-businesses./1/comments/ 2009-11-16T17:14:40-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/The-war-in-Afghanistan-can-be-won/1/ (Voting Period) My position on this topic of debate is that the American war in Afghanistan CANNOT be won. I'm just going to provide some background information on the issue: The United States military invaded Afghanistan after the terrorist attack on 9/11. Concluding that the attack was by Al Qaeda, the United States government immediately sought to punish the criminals by any means possible. Understanding that Al Qaeda was protected by the extremist Taliban faction, the Bush administration demanded that they hand over Al Qaeda's operatives. They refused to do so. The US military invaded a couple of weeks later. The core reason why we cannot win the war in Afghanistan is because there will be future generations that will be willing and able to become members of the Taliban. Even if our military completely eliminated the current generation of Taliban warriors, there will be another generation to take their place. So once we begin fighting this new generation, and if we http://www.debate.org/debates/The-war-in-Afghanistan-can-be-won/1/comments/ 2009-11-12T15:43:17-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/The-F.D.A.-should-not-ban-flavored-Tobacco/1/ (Debating Period) Hello before i begin id like to start by saying it's weird to be back after almost a year of absence from my old username "the_conservative". Apparently i wa pretty controversial haha, but let's begin. As we all know a little while back our President Barack Hussein Obama signed legislation giving the Food and Drug Administration power to regulate the manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco, which can give them power to ban flavored Dip such as "Skoal Apple" or Chew such as "Beechnut Moonshine" etc. because according to these organizations it is "appealing to youths". Spared from the proposed ban were tobacco products such as Skoal Straght, Grizzly Straight, Copenhagen Longcut,etc... The reason these were excluded from the ban is because these are not "flavored" as opposed to "Natural tobacco flavor" Now remember the proposed ban was to supposedly protect the youths. (if you think they actually care about the youths anyways you got a lot of learnin http://www.debate.org/debates/The-F.D.A.-should-not-ban-flavored-Tobacco/1/comments/ 2009-11-20T19:37:12-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/War-in-Afghanistan/2/ (Debating Period) Than You opponent for joining this debate: now Proposition I. Casualties a. 20,119 people have been killed in Afghanistan i. this number includes 11,152 Afghan Troops ii. 7,589 Afghan Civilians Killed iii. 746 US soldiers killed iv. 551 other soldiers killed v. 75 contractors vi. and 6 Journalists! (according to icasualties.org) b. Why should we keep fighting this war started on the false notion that there were weapons of mass destruction there? That was the only reason, BUT THERE WERENT so why are we still there II. Military a. Remember history. The British Afghan wars and the Soviet occupation of the 1980s should be a warning against military involvement in a country whose tribal tensions make it almost ungovernable. b. There is no longer the opportunity that there was in 2002 and 2003 to build a stable democracy. Overtures have already been made to moderate factions of the Taliban about a power-sharing agreement. The West should focus its e http://www.debate.org/debates/War-in-Afghanistan/2/comments/ 2009-11-18T18:07:03-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/We-must-resist-the-attempts-of-gay-activists-to-restrict-our-freedom-of-expression/1/ (Voting Period) Today, under intense pressure from the House of Lords, the British Government finally backed down and agreed to retain the "freedom of expression" clause in new legislation intended to prevent criticism of homosexuality. It was a very close call though and the only reason the Government did not use the Parliament Act to force the legislation through was because tomorrow marks the end of the current Parliamentary Session. Nevertheless, they intend to impose these new restrictions on our freedom of speech "as soon as possible" and they are supported by peers such as the openly gay Lord Smith who claimed that "free speech could lead to more homophobic attacks". Had the Bill passed and received Royal Assent, I could have been liable to arrest and prosecution under the Coroners and Justice Bill (2009) had I chosen to repeat the debate entitled "A ban on sex between men should be introduced in order to help prevent the spread of AIDS" that I recently posted http://www.debate.org/debates/We-must-resist-the-attempts-of-gay-activists-to-restrict-our-freedom-of-expression/1/comments/ 2009-11-18T12:24:47-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/Failed-Nations-are-a-greater-threat-to-the-US-than-stable-nations/1/ (Voting Period) I stand here in the firmest affirmation that failed nations are a greater threat to the U.S. than stable nations. First I'd like to define some key terms. According to the 2009 fund for peace a failing nation has charicteristics such as -loss of physical control of its own territory -inability to make collective decisions -inability to provide reasonable public services -extensive corruption -un even development -demographic pressures and many more A stable nation is not the exact opposite of a failed nation but quite close, therefore: -having control of its territory -a strong government that can make collective decisions -provides reasonable public services and so on I would also like to point out that it is nearly impossible to define every nation as either a failed nation or a stable nation. There are so many factors that go into describing failed vs stable. But of course there are the obvious nations that can be catagorized. Nations http://www.debate.org/debates/Failed-Nations-are-a-greater-threat-to-the-US-than-stable-nations/1/comments/ 2009-11-06T12:18:11-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/Obama-is-pushing-for-longer-school-hours-for-children-each-year./1/ (Voting Period) President Obama is trying to push for longer school days and shorter summer vacations, he believes that American students are at a disadvantage compared to other kids around the world due to less time spent in the classroom. I, however, think this to be a terrible idea. (1) We all know that the U.S. is in a lot of debt right now, how can we afford to pay an extra $1,300 per student each year. This figure was pulled from a Massachusetts program that tried out this new schooling, it added up to a little over $17 million per year. (2) They say students now are way over scheduled between school, homework, clubs, sports, and just having a little downtime to themselves. How can they go to school until dinner time and still have time for all of there extracurricular activities. (3) According to the Huffington Post, U.S. students actually go to school more hours than most Asian countries do already, even though they typically score higher than us on math and s http://www.debate.org/debates/Obama-is-pushing-for-longer-school-hours-for-children-each-year./1/comments/ 2009-11-17T18:07:38-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/Democracy-is-a-Violent-Religion./1/ (Voting Period) I believe that democracy is a violent religion. Reasons: 1) People who believe and advocate democracy believe in the constitution that gives them there "rights". 2) They believe that democracy is the only acceptable form of social organization. 3) Claim that democracy is synonymous with freedom 4) That states are justified and is the "will of the people" 5) That people control the state 6) Democracy maintains it's ideology through ignorance and scorns people who questions it's legitimacy 7) Promoting imperialism and nation building to stop "terrorism" hypocrisy because states inflict and cause terrorism. 8) The myth that so called "public goods" and services can only be provided by the state. While ignoring historical evidence. In conclusion I think that democracy is a religion and the religious institution the state indoctrinates people who criticizes it's legitimacy. People blindly follow the propaganda of democracy and believe that it is or le http://www.debate.org/debates/Democracy-is-a-Violent-Religion./1/comments/ 2009-11-13T17:58:41-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/Gay-marriage-should-be-legal-in-the-United-States./1/ (Voting Period) I will be using a dual overlaying teleological/constitutional argument to contend that gay marriage should be legalized in the United States. In this project I will borrow the harm principle, as articulated by John Stewart Mill, to argue that the only reasonable circumstance in which a government can limit a citizen's liberty is to prevent that person from causing harm to others. This view when taken to its logical conclusion would entail the legalization of gay marriage. Contention 1: The Harm Principle Gay marriage is no more capable of harming anyone than heterosexual marriage. And the canard that gay marriage out to be outlawed because it is detrimental to society is evidenced by the other groups that we do allow to marry. Consider for a moment some of the people that we do allow to marry. Pimps, drug dealers, arsonists, felons of all kinds, known pedophiles, mobsters and other criminals are all quite free to marry and do so on a daily basis. [1 http://www.debate.org/debates/Gay-marriage-should-be-legal-in-the-United-States./1/comments/ 2009-10-18T09:35:15-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/Public-Forum-October-Topic-Poverty-Reduction-vs.-Environmental-Protection/1/ (Voting Period) NOTE: Disregard any contextual inaccuracies (my partner and I) that result from the direct usage of in-round formalities within both debaters' first respective speeches. To my opponent: feel free to copy and paste your in-tournament PRO case if you already have one prepared. In resonance with Public Forum conduct, I ask my opponent to exclude any attempts of refutation in his first speech. Resolution: When in conflict, the UN should prioritize global poverty reduction over environmental protection. As a human race, one of our greatest shortcomings has been something of an inability to foresee the long-term consequences of our actions. From excessive government spending to the recent reckless loaning methods that led to the economic recession, we often fail to realize that it is useless gain short-term wellbeing by sacrificing long-term stability. Only by looking into the future alongside the present can we accurately weigh the significance of our acti http://www.debate.org/debates/Public-Forum-October-Topic-Poverty-Reduction-vs.-Environmental-Protection/1/comments/ 2009-10-08T19:36:28-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/If-a-deceased-persons-wealth-can-be-inherited-then-so-should-their-debts./1/ (Voting Period) Here's a story. It's sad but true. Having been banned from driving for five years, a very good friend of mine celebrated the recent return of his licence by purchasing a 1963 Series III Bentley Continental Drophead Coupe finished in midnight blue with coachwork by Mulliner Park Ward, fitted out with magnolia Connolly hide and inlaid walnut appliqués. On the day it was delivered, he proudly drove off in the direction of the pub intending to show the car off to his mates but he had only gone a couple of blocks when disaster struck. Suddenly, and completely without warning, a middle-aged woman decided to cross the road right in front of him. She came out between two parked cars so there was absolutely no way he could avoid her and she subsequently hit the car square on. As a result of this collision, the woman went over the top of the car, causing a large rip in the colour-coded mohair soft-top roof in the process. Worse still, her wheelchair seriousl http://www.debate.org/debates/If-a-deceased-persons-wealth-can-be-inherited-then-so-should-their-debts./1/comments/ 2009-11-01T23:57:21-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/Palestine-Should-be-Free-the-Israeli-Foundation-and-Occupation-are-Unjust/1/ (Voting Period) To begin with, I would like to say the following. I am not anti-Semitic. Nor do I call for destruction of the Israeli people, nor a democratic government they may hold. I am not a Muslim, nor advocate Islamic fundamentalism or religion generally. I do not agree with many tactics used now or in the past by Palestinian groups and their allies. I have every sympathy with the Jewish victims of the Holocaust and their desire for a homeland to escape persecution. However, I believe that Israel as established was unjust, along with the continued occupation of Palestinian territory. Separate, democratic entities representing both peoples must exist, with the right to defend themselves. Settlement building must cease, along with targeting civilians by Palestinian groups, both of which inflame conflict, along with other actions on both sides. I base this upon several contentions: Although understanding and sympathizing with the plight of Jewish people, their persecut http://www.debate.org/debates/Palestine-Should-be-Free-the-Israeli-Foundation-and-Occupation-are-Unjust/1/comments/ 2009-11-05T09:58:49-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/Failed-nations-are-a-greater-threat-to-the-U.S.-than-stable-nations/1/ (Post Voting Period) Skip the first round by placing a single alphanumeric. We'll each get a position and 2 rebuttals. http://www.debate.org/debates/Failed-nations-are-a-greater-threat-to-the-U.S.-than-stable-nations/1/comments/ 2009-10-30T14:55:45-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/Queen-Elizabeth-II-could-out-debate-anybody-on-this-site./1/ (Post Voting Period) Greetings Tmhustler! Good luck, have fun and keep 'er clean. :D I am going to argue that Queen Elizabeth II could trounce anybody on this website very easily. She possesses a long history of politics. The Queen is old and wisened. Her life experiences outnumber those of any member here. Numbers 1, 2 and 3 on this site are not older than 25, correct? Wise is our own eyes, and perhaps possessing some ability to debate, but even so this is not even a professional debate club. Rather, one presents an argument and peers decide on which they like better. Sometimes voters are biased and vote in support of one or the other simply because they like one debater over the other or agree with the topic. However, the Queen has seen over fourty years of Parliament, observing political debates, Parliamentary gains, political jockeying etc. She's been around while some of the most famous Prime Ministers of all time have presided. She personally knew Winston Churchill, an http://www.debate.org/debates/Queen-Elizabeth-II-could-out-debate-anybody-on-this-site./1/comments/ 2009-11-03T00:21:12-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/Gay-marriage-should-be-legal/10/ (Voting Period) First of all, my greetings and thanks to my opponent; hope this will be a good debate! :) PROPOSITION: Gay Marriage should be legal. DEFINITION: Gay Marriage: A legally recognized socio-economic union, treated as a single entity for tax and liability purposes, with or without religious sanction, between two humans of the same gender. Not arguing about the constitutionality or current legal status of same in America or any other country; just whether it SHOULD be legal. We are assuming that all humans have the same inherent rights, and that implementation is not an issue. I am approaching this debate from a centrist, authoritarian viewpoint, and will argue the CONVERSE. My opponent is welcome to argue any position he wants that AFFIRMS the proposition as stated. This is a philosophy debate; I don't have the time to dig out the most scholarly sources on this topic, and will not hold my opponent to a higher standard of research than myself. Wikipedia http://www.debate.org/debates/Gay-marriage-should-be-legal/10/comments/ 2009-10-31T03:10:48-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/no-planes-on-9-11-thoery/1/ (Voting Period) Hello people my name is Tom. I am involved with a local portland truth group dedicated to exposing the truth about 9/11. I would prefer my opponent to already know at least some of the truth about what happened on 9/11. If you still believe people in a cave did this then please don't bother and go do some research for yourself. The reason why i am debating this is because it creates much controversy within the truth groups. I am here to explain how the world was duped into thinking that planes actually hit the towers. my first argument may be my strongest. The first shot we saw on live tv was a fox news helicopter shot. What we witnessed was a alleged plane strike the tower WITH THE NOSE EMERGING THROUGH THE OTHER SIDE COMPLETELY INTACT. look at the pictures http://www.911myths.com/index.php/Nose_out I think we may all agree that an ALUMINUM plane will not go through a steel building and come out intact. If you can't agree with that go learn your p http://www.debate.org/debates/no-planes-on-9-11-thoery/1/comments/ 2009-10-17T17:39:57-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/Prostitution-should-be-legalized-in-the-United-States./5/ (Voting Period) I will be using a dual overlaying teleological/constitutional argument to contend that prostitution should be legalized in the United States. In this project I will borrow the harm principle, as articulated by John Stewart Mill, to argue that the only reasonable circumstance in which a government can limit a citizen's liberty is to prevent that person from causing harm to others. This view when taken to its logical conclusion would entail the legalization of prostitution. Contention 1: The Harm Principle For the sake of convenience I will grant to my opponent that prostitution may harm its participants albeit inadvertently. What conclusions can we draw from this? Clearly we can't conclude that prostitution should be outlawed solely on the basis of its potentially being harmful to its consenting patrons. If we were to take this route then we would also have to outlaw cigarettes, alcohol, skydiving, and driving. Alcohol has no known medical uses and its dan http://www.debate.org/debates/Prostitution-should-be-legalized-in-the-United-States./5/comments/ 2009-09-23T08:05:53-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/Gay-Marriage-should-be-legal/13/ (Voting Period) I know I debated this recently (like, yesterday), but it was really light and barely touched on the complexity and depth of the issue, so I decided that I wanted to do it again. I am extremely disappointed with this week's results in Maine. Voters have said yes to hate, intolerance, fear and discrimination. A vote is a vote, and I'll respect that, but they voted the wrong way. I will alow my opponent to begin. http://www.debate.org/debates/Gay-Marriage-should-be-legal/13/comments/ 2009-11-06T17:50:03-08:00 http://www.debate.org/debates/Fascism-is-on-the-Rise-in-the-United-States/1/ (Post Voting Period) I do not mean the Democrats social welfare reforms by fascism. This is an example of projection from the right, which has at its most extreme core a proto-fascism which is rising and poses real danger to liberty in the United States, and from there quite possibly our entire world. Fascism is defined by one scholar as "palingenetic ultra-nationalist populism." Palingenesis is the concept of rebirth, a synonym for Christian baptism. This is revivalist, which fits with Christian fundamentalism in the United States. To a large extent much of the American Christian right fits this description. Specifically, the movement known as Dominionism or Christian Reconstructionism, with ideas that are channeled to many other people in the overall conservative, Christian, fundamentalist, evangelical movements, while for many are unaware of their full scope, only the underlying agreement they share. Historically fascist movements have been extremely militaristic, racist, viol http://www.debate.org/debates/Fascism-is-on-the-Rise-in-the-United-States/1/comments/ 2009-11-06T16:17:24-08:00