# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=120 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 121 --- ## [Impact of immigration policy in the US](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impact-of-immigration-policy-in-the-us/789066)
**Author:** [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [June 17, 2017, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impact-of-immigration-policy-in-the-us/789066 "2017-06-17T01:07:30Z")
This might be a GQ question, but I figure with the possible political dimensions it would be better asked here. I recently saw that the new French President said in a speech (to paraphrase), come to France if America tu… --- ## [Can a person's race be included in a statement without the statement being "racist"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-persons-race-be-included-in-a-statement-without-the-statement-being-racist/786659)
**Author:** [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Replies:** 60\ **Last updated:** [June 16, 2017, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-persons-race-be-included-in-a-statement-without-the-statement-being-racist/786659 "2017-06-16T04:37:04Z")
The obvious answer is (at one end of the spectrum) “yes,” and it’s equally clear that at the other end of the spectrum, some statements that mention race can be clearly and intentionally racist. For purposes of this ques… --- ## [Has Putin's Russia awakened a sleeping giant](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-putins-russia-awakened-a-sleeping-giant/788461)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 72\ **Last updated:** [June 16, 2017, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-putins-russia-awakened-a-sleeping-giant/788461 "2017-06-16T02:00:31Z")
Not just the US, but pretty much all NATO countries I would assume see Putin as more of a threat than they did even a few years ago. The election hackings and attempts to push authoritarian & protofascist politicians in … --- ## [Canada's best strategy re Global Warming](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-best-strategy-re-global-warming/788115)
**Author:** [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [June 15, 2017, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-best-strategy-re-global-warming/788115 "2017-06-15T16:59:11Z")
CO2 emissions by country (2015 numbers) show that China and the U.S. contribute 43.85% of the world’s total. Canada contributes 1.54% Here is a report card on Countries policies to reduce CO2, both the U.S. and Canada g… --- ## [Is Dennis Rodman a CIA spy?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dennis-rodman-a-cia-spy/678251)
**Author:** [@Donald\_Rump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donald_Rump)\ **Replies:** 62\ **Last updated:** [June 15, 2017, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dennis-rodman-a-cia-spy/678251 "2017-06-15T14:26:34Z")
Dennis Rodman has gotten lots of heat over his visits to North Korea and high-profile friendship with Kim Jong-un. Rodman has from time to time angrily defended his relationship with KJU, including his recent so-called r… --- ## [In what way was Hillary Clinton responsible for Benghazi?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-way-was-hillary-clinton-responsible-for-benghazi/788753)
**Author:** [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Replies:** 71\ **Last updated:** [June 15, 2017, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-way-was-hillary-clinton-responsible-for-benghazi/788753 "2017-06-15T10:27:25Z")
If an Exxon gas station gets robbed, you don’t blame the CEO of exxon for it, right? Even if the clerk at the station asked for more security, that request would never have reached the CEOs desk. The only way you could… --- ## [No straight lines (crazy blather on determinism)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-straight-lines-crazy-blather-on-determinism/788375)
**Author:** [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [June 14, 2017, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-straight-lines-crazy-blather-on-determinism/788375 "2017-06-14T22:08:29Z")
The concept of Brownian Motion depicts the path of a thing (like a particle in a gas) as a jagged line where every corner represents a collision. As one zooms in on the path, every line resolves to more, finer corners be… --- ## [Should a belief that non-Christians are damned be a bar to public office in US?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-belief-that-non-christians-are-damned-be-a-bar-to-public-office-in-us/788540)
**Author:** [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Replies:** 86\ **Last updated:** [June 14, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-belief-that-non-christians-are-damned-be-a-bar-to-public-office-in-us/788540 "2017-06-14T20:49:41Z")
Prompted by Bernie Sanders’ questioning of Russell Vought. At the heart of this is whether exclusionary beliefs such as some fundamental Christianities are, as Senator Sanders would have it, Islamophobe. I think this i… --- ## [Corporate tax rates and wages](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-tax-rates-and-wages/788850)
**Author:** [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [June 13, 2017, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-tax-rates-and-wages/788850 "2017-06-13T20:32:56Z")
A talking point that I’ve seen recently is that lower tax rates will lead to higher wages. I’ve done a quick search, but couldn’t find any real studies that graph corporate tax rates vs wages by country. So, if someone k… --- ## ["Liberal" and "conservative" things that are not liberal or conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-and-conservative-things-that-are-not-liberal-or-conservative/788630)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [June 13, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-and-conservative-things-that-are-not-liberal-or-conservative/788630 "2017-06-13T20:19:51Z")
There have been quite a few discussions about how modern liberalism and conservatism doesn’t resemble what “true” liberalism or conservatism is. And in fact, the Horseshoe Theory says that the far-right and far-left loo… --- ## [CA single-payer costs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-single-payer-costs/787240)
**Author:** [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Replies:** 70\ **Last updated:** [June 13, 2017, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-single-payer-costs/787240 "2017-06-13T17:29:13Z")
So - to implement “single payer” in California (and that’s without taking into account the dreaded “medical migration” costs that posters here like to mention whenever single-state single payer solutions are mentioned)… --- ## [Does liberalism derive from immaturity? Does conservatism?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-liberalism-derive-from-immaturity-does-conservatism/788541)
**Author:** [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [June 13, 2017, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-liberalism-derive-from-immaturity-does-conservatism/788541 "2017-06-13T10:59:16Z")
Trying not to hijack an IMHO thread, I move this argument over here: Wow. So this argument medicalizes “liberals”—or more to the point, welfare-statists and the like—as developmentally arrested, incurable, and possibly… --- ## [On Trauma, Helplessness, and Political Outrage](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-trauma-helplessness-and-political-outrage/788403)
**Author:** [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [June 13, 2017, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-trauma-helplessness-and-political-outrage/788403 "2017-06-13T02:27:59Z")
I dunno if this is the right forum due to the emphasis on personal experience, but dragging politics into it might make it qualify. I don’t know if people are going to ‘‘get’’ this at all, but here goes… I was diagnosed… --- ## [Is Uber going to make it - the gig economy and modern financing](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-uber-going-to-make-it-the-gig-economy-and-modern-financing/784500)
**Author:** [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Replies:** 123\ **Last updated:** [June 12, 2017, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-uber-going-to-make-it-the-gig-economy-and-modern-financing/784500 "2017-06-12T23:11:23Z")
So, Uber is essentially the largest test-case for the gig economy. They appear to be kind of arrogant dicks but they’ve certainly got some market penetration. They also have an extreme valuation - estimates range from … --- ## [Time to end the unitary executive?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-end-the-unitary-executive/788726)
**Author:** [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [June 12, 2017, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-end-the-unitary-executive/788726 "2017-06-12T19:31:35Z")
It seems there’s a constant struggle in the United States with regard to the separation of the investigatory machinery of the DOJ and the political shenanigans of the presidency. Ultimately, the President is the boss of … --- ## [Should Ginsburg recuse herself from cases involving Trump administration?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-ginsburg-recuse-herself-from-cases-involving-trump-administration/788237)
**Author:** [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Replies:** 170\ **Last updated:** [June 12, 2017, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-ginsburg-recuse-herself-from-cases-involving-trump-administration/788237 "2017-06-12T13:56:46Z")
Ginsburg’s publicly expressed views on Trump: Asked what if Trump won the presidency, Ginsburg said: “I don’t want to think about that possibility, but if it should be, then everything is up for grabs.” … "I can’t ima… --- ## [Is Evergreen State College the canary in the coal mine, foretelling the death of higher education?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-evergreen-state-college-the-canary-in-the-coal-mine-foretelling-the-death-of-higher-education/787914)
**Author:** [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Replies:** 190\ **Last updated:** [June 12, 2017, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-evergreen-state-college-the-canary-in-the-coal-mine-foretelling-the-death-of-higher-education/787914 "2017-06-12T02:12:16Z")
Colleges have, for at least several decades now, been known as hotbeds of activism. Usually that activism is an exciting footnote on college’s larger mission of educating young adults, preparing them for their careers an… --- ## [Is the Presidency the weakest of the three branches of government?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-presidency-the-weakest-of-the-three-branches-of-government/788307)
**Author:** [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [June 11, 2017, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-presidency-the-weakest-of-the-three-branches-of-government/788307 "2017-06-11T16:46:56Z")
The time since Trump’s occupation of the White House has been instructive for me. I don’t think it hit me before how powerless, at least domestically, a US President is. Trump can’t seem to get anything done at all (not … --- ## [How does one make an old debt right?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-make-an-old-debt-right/788531)
**Author:** [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Replies:** 50\ **Last updated:** [June 10, 2017, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-make-an-old-debt-right/788531 "2017-06-10T11:59:13Z")
30 year ago, a group of us left our jobs, and all came together again for a work reunion. Two of the guys started talking and one said to the other “We lived in that old apartment together, and all these years I rememb… --- ## [what's driving firearm sales?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-driving-firearm-sales/788221)
**Author:** [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Replies:** 63\ **Last updated:** [June 10, 2017, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-driving-firearm-sales/788221 "2017-06-10T11:15:46Z")
We just had the most NICS firearm background checks in May ever. January - April this year seem to have all been #2 or #3 highest totals for their respective months. What’s driving this record-setting pace of firearm pur… --- ## [Does anyone understand the book of Job?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-understand-the-book-of-job/127522)
**Author:** [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Replies:** 70\ **Last updated:** [June 10, 2017, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-understand-the-book-of-job/127522 "2017-06-10T03:51:23Z")
So I was reading the book of Job in the Bible, and I got confused. Partially because it’s difficult to keep straight what people are actually saying (because there are long strings of verses exalting god’s power). But … --- ## [Ramifications of IS attack in Iran](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ramifications-of-is-attack-in-iran/788383)
**Author:** [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [June 9, 2017, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ramifications-of-is-attack-in-iran/788383 "2017-06-09T23:42:39Z")
Don’t see a lot of news on this and no thread so far. If you missed it, here is a BBC article on the attack. Basically, IS claims to have attacked several targets in Iran, including its parliament building and the tomb… --- ## [Hi, I would like to tell you about Jesus Christ, the only way to God](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-i-would-like-to-tell-you-about-jesus-christ-the-only-way-to-god/788429)
**Author:** [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Replies:** 87\ **Last updated:** [June 9, 2017, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-i-would-like-to-tell-you-about-jesus-christ-the-only-way-to-god/788429 "2017-06-09T18:29:43Z")
Hi guys. I don’t know where to post this, but the Lord has been laying it on my heart for the past few days to tell people about Jesus. This burden is so strong that I have felt sick and very desperate to reach out to o… --- ## [Jury finds man guilty of jury tampering after passing out juror rights pamphlets -- (with a wrinkle)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jury-finds-man-guilty-of-jury-tampering-after-passing-out-juror-rights-pamphlets-with-a-wrinkle/788012)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 65\ **Last updated:** [June 9, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jury-finds-man-guilty-of-jury-tampering-after-passing-out-juror-rights-pamphlets-with-a-wrinkle/788012 "2017-06-09T17:20:11Z")
Here is the article I read for reference: Jury finds man guilty of jury tampering after passing out juror rights pamphlets The wrinkle here, and it seems why in this case the man was found guilty, is he was targeting a … --- ## [What is romance?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-romance/787957)
**Author:** [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [June 9, 2017, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-romance/787957 "2017-06-09T16:06:55Z")
If someone feels the desire for a long-term exclusive emotional bond, but not in a sexual context, is that romance? Is that what they mean by romantic asexuals? What if it’s not even in a dating context? What if the per… --- ## [Is the paris accord really unfair to the USA](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-paris-accord-really-unfair-to-the-usa/787929)
**Author:** [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Replies:** 198\ **Last updated:** [June 9, 2017, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-paris-accord-really-unfair-to-the-usa/787929 "2017-06-09T15:02:57Z")
According to Trump: Even Europe is allowed to continue construction of coal plants. https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/06/01/statement-president-trump-paris-climate-accord Is this true or just more bulls… --- ## [How Can We Draft Rich People?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-draft-rich-people/788278)
**Author:** [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Replies:** 50\ **Last updated:** [June 9, 2017, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-draft-rich-people/788278 "2017-06-09T04:59:10Z")
So let’s just say we have decided to let rich people fight the wars they start. How might we (legally) conscript the children of the Ruling Class? Off the top the head, I would figure we could decide to only conscript t… --- ## [Why didn't the South/racists get their day of reckoning like postwar Germans did?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-south-racists-get-their-day-of-reckoning-like-postwar-germans-did/770571)
**Author:** [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Replies:** 81\ **Last updated:** [June 7, 2017, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-south-racists-get-their-day-of-reckoning-like-postwar-germans-did/770571 "2017-06-07T23:17:13Z")
When WWII ended, we found all sorts of evidence for the Holocaust-as did the surviving German peoples. A good chunk of the German populace then forswore that anything like that would ever happen again-and the antisemite… --- ## [73 years ago today, had Hitler and the Germans already lost?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/73-years-ago-today-had-hitler-and-the-germans-already-lost/788312)
**Author:** [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [June 7, 2017, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/73-years-ago-today-had-hitler-and-the-germans-already-lost/788312 "2017-06-07T18:51:55Z")
Today is the anniversary of D-Day / Operation Neptune, the “largest seaborne invasion in history”. Is there anything that Hitler or the German military command could have reasonably done on D-Day or afterwards, to alter … --- ## ["Accepting" a nuke-armed North Korea; is it that bad?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accepting-a-nuke-armed-north-korea-is-it-that-bad/786031)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 59\ **Last updated:** [June 7, 2017, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accepting-a-nuke-armed-north-korea-is-it-that-bad/786031 "2017-06-07T00:13:48Z")
Barring military action against North Korea - which would lead to colossal cost in economic damage to South Korea’s economy, etc. - it’s well likely that Pyongyang will have a fully-fledged strike force of nuclear-tipped… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=119) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=121)