# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=12 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 13 --- ## [A nation's general "happiness" compared to "wealth"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nations-general-happiness-compared-to-wealth/1008295)
**Author:** [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [October 20, 2024, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nations-general-happiness-compared-to-wealth/1008295 "2024-10-20T20:23:31Z")
We recently traveled to Kenya, and I had a couple of impressions about what I saw of their society. I was hoping folk would be willing/able to discuss my impressions, and possibly recommend additional resources. This i… --- ## [Why Is The U.S. So Much Less Worried About Google Than . . . Everyone Else?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-u-s-so-much-less-worried-about-google-than-everyone-else/546666)
**Author:** [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Replies:** 83\ **Last updated:** [October 18, 2024, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-u-s-so-much-less-worried-about-google-than-everyone-else/546666 "2024-10-18T17:40:22Z")
An Australian court just ruled StreetVew was illegal (I can find a link if you’d like). The Europeans are freaked out by . . . just about everything about Google. Intercepting WiFi data . . . well, I could see an Ameri… --- ## [Is death bad for the person that dies?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-death-bad-for-the-person-that-dies/1003275)
**Author:** [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Replies:** 110\ **Last updated:** [October 16, 2024, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-death-bad-for-the-person-that-dies/1003275 "2024-10-16T01:49:09Z")
I got into a debate with someone elsewhere about Antinatalism and the badness/evil of all life in the universe ceasing to exist. I think it would be obviously bad because I think sentient life is objectively intrinsicall… --- ## [So what all forms of tribalism are going on in the greater middle east](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-all-forms-of-tribalism-are-going-on-in-the-greater-middle-east/1008353)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [October 16, 2024, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-all-forms-of-tribalism-are-going-on-in-the-greater-middle-east/1008353 "2024-10-16T00:51:37Z")
The obvious one right now is Muslims vs Jews, which is a major one right now with the war in Israel. But there are a variety of other forms of tribalism. I’m trying to get a better grasp on what all infighting exists in … --- ## [Cannibis businesses can't get insurance?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannibis-businesses-cant-get-insurance/1008658)
**Author:** [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [October 14, 2024, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannibis-businesses-cant-get-insurance/1008658 "2024-10-14T16:34:11Z")
I just saw this on a local news show. Vermont has been hit by a lot of flooding, which caused substantial property loss. The story was about a woman who owned a commercial building in Vermont. She rented the use of the… --- ## [Hypothetical situation. If the Iranian regime is replaced by a more peaceful regime, what does that mean for the middle east](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-situation-if-the-iranian-regime-is-replaced-by-a-more-peaceful-regime-what-does-that-mean-for-the-middle-east/1008449)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [October 11, 2024, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-situation-if-the-iranian-regime-is-replaced-by-a-more-peaceful-regime-what-does-that-mean-for-the-middle-east/1008449 "2024-10-11T11:39:08Z")
My understanding is that on the grassroots level there isn’t a ton of support for the Iranian regime in Iran. There is some, but its not a majority or anything. If the Iranian regime did change due to internal rebellion… --- ## [Nuclear Power News and Debates](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-power-news-and-debates/979176)
**Author:** [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Replies:** 185\ **Last updated:** [October 10, 2024, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-power-news-and-debates/979176 "2024-10-10T21:49:05Z")
I don’t think there’s a thread covering the newest issues and news about nuclear power, but there are some developments worth tracking and talking about, so I’m starting a new thread to capture new news regarding nucle… --- ## [Constitutional Sheriffs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/constitutional-sheriffs/1008215)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [October 5, 2024, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/constitutional-sheriffs/1008215 "2024-10-05T19:32:49Z")
Where did the idea of sheriffs being some sort of ultimate authority according to the Constitution come from? I took a look, and the word “sheriff” doesn’t appear in the Constitution at all. I can’t even find “county a… --- ## [NASA Being Forced to Fly Europa Mission](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-being-forced-to-fly-europa-mission/683338)
**Author:** [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Replies:** 69\ **Last updated:** [October 2, 2024, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-being-forced-to-fly-europa-mission/683338 "2024-10-02T23:38:23Z")
Well, this is interesting: US Government Forces NASA to fly Europa Mission What do we think of this? I’m of two minds. On the one hand, we basically have a situation where a single man in Congress has managed to cha… --- ## [San Jose CA gun tax law is a positive first step to rational gun ownership](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-jose-ca-gun-tax-law-is-a-positive-first-step-to-rational-gun-ownership/945433)
**Author:** [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Replies:** 432\ **Last updated:** [October 1, 2024, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-jose-ca-gun-tax-law-is-a-positive-first-step-to-rational-gun-ownership/945433 "2024-10-01T21:12:13Z")
San Jose CA gun tax law is a positive first step to rational gun ownership. Requiring gun owners to cover the community cost of their activity does not violate the second amendment, To the contrary it enables gun owners… --- ## [Could the Soviet Union have survived if Gorbachev wasn't in charge?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-soviet-union-have-survived-if-gorbachev-wasnt-in-charge/1007178)
**Author:** [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [September 30, 2024, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-soviet-union-have-survived-if-gorbachev-wasnt-in-charge/1007178 "2024-09-30T13:09:25Z")
I just watched the series on the BBC by Adam Curtis called Trauma Zone, and I feel part of the reason why the USSR collapsed the way it did was partly based on the naivete of Gorbachev himself, being born in the Soviet s… --- ## [If the US is a net energy exporter, why can’t we control gas prices better?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-us-is-a-net-energy-exporter-why-can-t-we-control-gas-prices-better/1007629)
**Author:** [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [September 30, 2024, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-us-is-a-net-energy-exporter-why-can-t-we-control-gas-prices-better/1007629 "2024-09-30T12:05:38Z")
If you live in the US, you’ve seen wild fluctuations in what you pay for gas over the years. Eta: pressed “send” too soon. But hopefully the OP question is clear --- ## [Prime Minister Boris Johnson tries to lead the UK but has resigned on July 7, 2022](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872)
**Author:** [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Replies:** 1423\ **Last updated:** [September 28, 2024, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872 "2024-09-28T08:39:43Z")
Previous thread about May’s resignation and Johnson’s election as PM: https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=876044 Brexit, Brexit, Brexit and Brexit - oh, yeah, and the economy, budget, immigration, educ… --- ## [The Southern Baptist Convention](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-southern-baptist-convention/944309)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [September 24, 2024, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-southern-baptist-convention/944309 "2024-09-24T23:42:53Z")
It is a fight between theological conservatives vs. ultraconservatives for control for control of the Southern Baptist Convention, which guides fourteen million people. A great ‘reckoning’ in the Southern Baptist Conven… --- ## [Why did Christianity become the dominant form of religion in some nations conquered by the west, but not others](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-christianity-become-the-dominant-form-of-religion-in-some-nations-conquered-by-the-west-but-not-others/1006279)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 55\ **Last updated:** [September 22, 2024, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-christianity-become-the-dominant-form-of-religion-in-some-nations-conquered-by-the-west-but-not-others/1006279 "2024-09-22T22:54:56Z")
My understanding of how Christianity became the world’s dominant faith is basically this. In Judea after the Romans conquered it, a lot of Jews were motivated by nationalism and religious fervor to kick the Romans out. … --- ## [If conservatives think being gay is a choice, what do they think are the benefits of being gay?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-conservatives-think-being-gay-is-a-choice-what-do-they-think-are-the-benefits-of-being-gay/1006014)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 90\ **Last updated:** [September 22, 2024, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-conservatives-think-being-gay-is-a-choice-what-do-they-think-are-the-benefits-of-being-gay/1006014 "2024-09-22T10:29:21Z")
I’m sure that 99%, if not 100%, of Dopers would agree that being gay is not a choice. So there’s not much debate there. But given that many conservatives think that sexual orientation is a choice, they must think there … --- ## [No, you don't have to use the dictionary definition](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-have-to-use-the-dictionary-definition/1007039)
**Author:** [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [September 21, 2024, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-have-to-use-the-dictionary-definition/1007039 "2024-09-21T00:29:10Z")
Continuing the discussion from Is MAGA a fifth column?: Rhetorical side point: You don’t have to use standard definitions in your argument BUT if you use a non-standard definition, take care to point that out. Non-stand… --- ## [The behavior of Christians shows that they do not, in fact, believe that Heaven and Hell are real](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-behavior-of-christians-shows-that-they-do-not-in-fact-believe-that-heaven-and-hell-are-real/1007305)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 55\ **Last updated:** [September 19, 2024, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-behavior-of-christians-shows-that-they-do-not-in-fact-believe-that-heaven-and-hell-are-real/1007305 "2024-09-19T14:35:02Z")
Long-winded post, but I’ll try to keep it concise for GD. I know not all Christian denominations believe in Hell. But there is a significant chunk that holds to the view that 1) Hell is eternal torment (not annihilation… --- ## [New twist in the gun rights movement](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-twist-in-the-gun-rights-movement/1006113)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 144\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2024, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-twist-in-the-gun-rights-movement/1006113 "2024-09-16T19:53:37Z")
“A federal judge has dismissed charges against a Kansas man for possessing a machine gun, saying prosecutors failed to establish that a federal ban on owning such weapons is constitutional.” From here: US judge tosses … --- ## [The advantages of eliminating Presidential immunity](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-advantages-of-eliminating-presidential-immunity/1006860)
**Author:** [@GailForce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GailForce)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [September 12, 2024, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-advantages-of-eliminating-presidential-immunity/1006860 "2024-09-12T04:31:46Z")
Unlike the USSC, I believe that presidential immunity was too great before their decision to expand it to practically anything a president does that might deemed “an official act.” (And certainly it’s too great after th… --- ## [Are Teenagers Who Claim to be Cis just Acting Out?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-teenagers-who-claim-to-be-cis-just-acting-out/1006981)
**Author:** [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [September 9, 2024, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-teenagers-who-claim-to-be-cis-just-acting-out/1006981 "2024-09-09T01:58:54Z")
I’ve noticed a trend since before I myself became a teenager. A lot of kids as they head into adolescence start putting on a show about how much they resemble the cultural descriptions of the sex they are perceived to b… --- ## [Should the American Left reclaim Patriotism?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-american-left-reclaim-patriotism/1004816)
**Author:** [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Replies:** 60\ **Last updated:** [September 8, 2024, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-american-left-reclaim-patriotism/1004816 "2024-09-08T19:36:39Z")
I don’t know exactly when it happened - my guess is that it was in the aftermath of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, when the “patriotic” thing to do was to blindly support the wars? But I could be wrong, it may have happe… --- ## [What is the opposite of book-banning?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-book-banning/1006160)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 51\ **Last updated:** [September 8, 2024, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-book-banning/1006160 "2024-09-08T11:06:07Z")
DISCLAIMER: I’m as against book banning as any other blue-blooded Liberal. I don’t want some uptight butthurt Karen telling me what books my children can’t read at school. I’m not trying to set up a gotcha or anything. A… --- ## [What exactly is mental illness, and how do we avoid having this term misused](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-mental-illness-and-how-do-we-avoid-having-this-term-misused/1006695)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2024, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-mental-illness-and-how-do-we-avoid-having-this-term-misused/1006695 "2024-09-05T16:53:18Z")
I’m sure people way smarter than me have already researched this, but is there a field of study that studies the concept of mental illness that takes the biological, sociological, environmental, etc aspects of mental ill… --- ## [Is there value in reading the ideas of 19th century and earlier philosophers, economists, political scientists, etc](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-value-in-reading-the-ideas-of-19th-century-and-earlier-philosophers-economists-political-scientists-etc/1005880)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2024, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-value-in-reading-the-ideas-of-19th-century-and-earlier-philosophers-economists-political-scientists-etc/1005880 "2024-09-04T19:21:07Z")
I’ve been told I should read more from Marx, but my view has always been this. Marx wrote his works 160 years ago. The world knows far more about economics, political science, psychology, sociology, etc than we knew bac… --- ## [Is a society without interest-lending possible?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-society-without-interest-lending-possible/347360)
**Author:** [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Replies:** 77\ **Last updated:** [September 3, 2024, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-society-without-interest-lending-possible/347360 "2024-09-03T14:30:12Z")
I’ve been thinking a lot about debt and credit/loans lately, and this has been toiling in my brain and I absolutely must hear people’s thoughts on it. Could a society which doesn’t allow the lending of money at interest… --- ## [From a Christian perspective - what if Jesus DIDN’T get crucified?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-a-christian-perspective-what-if-jesus-didn-t-get-crucified/1001046)
**Author:** [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Replies:** 57\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2024, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-a-christian-perspective-what-if-jesus-didn-t-get-crucified/1001046 "2024-09-02T16:02:25Z")
Spinning this off from a thought I had in the SRIOTD thread where Marjorie Taylor Greene is being called out for the old “the Jews killed Jesus” canard. I never really understood why that was supposed to be a bad thing, … --- ## [Was the My Lai massacre unique?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-my-lai-massacre-unique/1005197)
**Author:** [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Replies:** 59\ **Last updated:** [August 31, 2024, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-my-lai-massacre-unique/1005197 "2024-08-31T21:01:13Z")
With the recent report of Calley’s death, it’s back in the news. (And I suppose you could say that the recent death of Alma Powell also put it back in the news.) Anyway, there was a massacre by American troops of most o… --- ## [Studies do not say anything](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studies-do-not-say-anything/1002080)
**Author:** [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [August 30, 2024, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studies-do-not-say-anything/1002080 "2024-08-30T19:28:04Z")
Nothing in life is perfect. Usually, the imperfection is that people don’t check what science is saying. However, there is also sometimes the lesser known issue occurring of people checking what the science is saying, so… --- ## [Why does choice matter when determining the morality of an action?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-choice-matter-when-determining-the-morality-of-an-action/1006174)
**Author:** [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [August 30, 2024, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-choice-matter-when-determining-the-morality-of-an-action/1006174 "2024-08-30T12:15:17Z")
I’ve started this spinoff on the thread about whether or not homosexuality is a choice to explore a different take on the topic of choice. When it comes to homosexuality, IMHO it’s probably a complex thing, and likely t… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=13)