# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=393 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 394 --- ## [There Is No Male-Female Wage Gap](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-male-female-wage-gap/578413)
**Author:** [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Replies:** 69\ **Last updated:** [April 17, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-male-female-wage-gap/578413 "2011-04-17T20:40:57Z")
Allow me to simply rip the juicy bits from the Wall Street Journal editorial page (where the Left fears to tread, the Right is a bit uneasy as well): http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870441510457625067250470… --- ## [Oh, our wicked spendthrift ways! (Federal deficit)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-our-wicked-spendthrift-ways-federal-deficit/578340)
**Author:** [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [April 17, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-our-wicked-spendthrift-ways-federal-deficit/578340 "2011-04-17T19:20:17Z")
With all the tumult arising from the deficit, and the incessant mantra that we as a nation must live within our means, I have to wonder where all the money goes. It isn’t just that we let the millionaires off the hook; … --- ## [Detailed hallucinations (Sorry, a bit long)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detailed-hallucinations-sorry-a-bit-long/577882)
**Author:** [@PaigeT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaigeT)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [April 17, 2011, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detailed-hallucinations-sorry-a-bit-long/577882 "2011-04-17T14:54:06Z")
Over the last couple of days I’ve been going though alcohol withdrawal. It’s certainly not a good experience (far from it) but the fact that I’ve chosen to quit will make the pain worth while. I’ve had the cramps, the … --- ## [Can the destruction of any physical object be justified with death?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-destruction-of-any-physical-object-be-justified-with-death/578465)
**Author:** [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [April 17, 2011, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-destruction-of-any-physical-object-be-justified-with-death/578465 "2011-04-17T11:36:12Z")
I was recently a participant in “delete a Qur’an day” - a protest againt the murder of 20 UN civilians in Afghanistan committed by a mob who were themselves protesting against the burning of a Qur’an by a Florida pastor … --- ## [Was Jesus Literate?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-literate/570254)
**Author:** [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Replies:** 220\ **Last updated:** [April 17, 2011, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-literate/570254 "2011-04-17T06:51:42Z")
Was Jesus literate? As the Son of God He could do anything but for those who do not believe such claims did Joseph and Mary or someone else teach Him how to read and write? --- ## [France's "burqa ban": will it just drive muslim woman into seclusion?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-burqa-ban-will-it-just-drive-muslim-woman-into-seclusion/577994)
**Author:** [@Submerged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Submerged)\ **Replies:** 141\ **Last updated:** [April 16, 2011, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-burqa-ban-will-it-just-drive-muslim-woman-into-seclusion/577994 "2011-04-16T07:41:10Z")
Story: France's Controversial Burqa Ban Comes Into Force, but Will It Just Heighten Social Tensions? | TIME.com For the record, I am in favor of the new law, for a multitude of reason, but didn’t really start this thre… --- ## [Compare and contrast Bernie Matloff and Social Security](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-and-contrast-bernie-matloff-and-social-security/578133)
**Author:** [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Replies:** 38\ **Last updated:** [April 16, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-and-contrast-bernie-matloff-and-social-security/578133 "2011-04-16T02:29:54Z")
Are not both classic Ponzi schemes? Both promised returns and paid out early participants well with incoming money. Both eventually ended up owing money with insufficient assets to cover them. Matloff promised better … --- ## [Is northism evil?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-northism-evil/564734)
**Author:** [@Pierrot\_Le\_Fou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pierrot_Le_Fou)\ **Replies:** 113\ **Last updated:** [April 16, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-northism-evil/564734 "2011-04-16T02:14:09Z")
Is the standard practice of orienting maps and globes to the north evil? The connection to Eurocentrism, racism, and culturism is hard to miss. Orienting north privileges Europe, North America, and northern Asia at the e… --- ## [Is Subsaharan Africa lagging behind New Guinea?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-subsaharan-africa-lagging-behind-new-guinea/577865)
**Author:** [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Replies:** 171\ **Last updated:** [April 16, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-subsaharan-africa-lagging-behind-new-guinea/577865 "2011-04-16T01:58:18Z")
Two regions where civilization (culture of large urban cities) came late in history: Subsaharan Africa and New Guinea. Both affected by quick colonization and even faster decolonialization. So, here we have peoples in si… --- ## [What was Governor LePage thinking?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-governor-lepage-thinking/578500)
**Author:** [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [April 16, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-governor-lepage-thinking/578500 "2011-04-16T01:39:40Z")
This story doesn’t seem to be getting a lot of play on the media – at any rate, I haven’t found anything on it without looking for it, except for a brief mention by Bill Maher. Gov. LePage of Maine quietly had a set of … --- ## [Presidents and religion - smart enough to lie, or dumb enough to believe?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidents-and-religion-smart-enough-to-lie-or-dumb-enough-to-believe/577872)
**Author:** [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Replies:** 148\ **Last updated:** [April 15, 2011, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidents-and-religion-smart-enough-to-lie-or-dumb-enough-to-believe/577872 "2011-04-15T16:54:18Z")
If you take a look at the official history of the presidents of the USA, you’ll notice that many of the presidents in the 1800s were non-religious, un-affiliated or it was unclear on their religious beliefs. The last pre… --- ## [AD1517 Holy Father Dopers: What could the pope have done to stop the Protestant movement?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ad1517-holy-father-dopers-what-could-the-pope-have-done-to-stop-the-protestant-movement/576716)
**Author:** [@No\_Wikipedia\_Cites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Wikipedia_Cites)\ **Replies:** 39\ **Last updated:** [April 15, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ad1517-holy-father-dopers-what-could-the-pope-have-done-to-stop-the-protestant-movement/576716 "2011-04-15T16:07:33Z")
Say you are Pope and Luther just nailed his theses to the door; then is causing trouble. How can you stop the madness and keep the church as one big happy family? --- ## [I don't understand Hitler](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-hitler/577468)
**Author:** [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Replies:** 108\ **Last updated:** [April 15, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-hitler/577468 "2011-04-15T14:37:04Z")
Don’t know where to post this or how to word it. I am afraid I will sound dumb asking this question and I don’t know exactly what I am asking but please try to understand and bear with me. I will probably be offensive … --- ## [Analyzing the Social Calculus Behind the Republican Anti-Abortion Stance](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/analyzing-the-social-calculus-behind-the-republican-anti-abortion-stance/577770)
**Author:** [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Replies:** 64\ **Last updated:** [April 15, 2011, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/analyzing-the-social-calculus-behind-the-republican-anti-abortion-stance/577770 "2011-04-15T10:56:32Z")
Suppose we accept the Freakonomics premise that abortions leads to fewer criminals, it would seem at first blush that Republicans would want fewer Batman seeds out in the world. After all, if Republicans have wealth, th… --- ## [How Would Lowering the Medicare Age Change Unemployment?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-lowering-the-medicare-age-change-unemployment/578373)
**Author:** [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [April 15, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-lowering-the-medicare-age-change-unemployment/578373 "2011-04-15T03:33:28Z")
Being neither American nor old, I have to wonder what the connection is between Medicare and unemployment. First thing I’m unclear on is what would be the marginal cost of moving the Medicare age from 65 to 64, then to … --- ## [Energy taxes](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/energy-taxes/578149)
**Author:** [@Stoneburg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoneburg)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [April 14, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/energy-taxes/578149 "2011-04-14T23:03:30Z")
What would be the result of: Exempting renewable energy from taxation, but (continually) compensating that by raising the tax on non-renewable energy. --- ## [Is It Wrong To Use Coupons?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-use-coupons/577793)
**Author:** [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Replies:** 89\ **Last updated:** [April 14, 2011, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-use-coupons/577793 "2011-04-14T21:58:31Z")
Yesterday I received a $10 off (purchases over $50) coupon from a local hardware store. I promptly went over and bought $50 worth of things I would have bought today, saving myself $10. But on the way out it occurred t… --- ## [Genome sequencing for everybody!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genome-sequencing-for-everybody/516388)
**Author:** [@nameless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nameless)\ **Replies:** 57\ **Last updated:** [April 14, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genome-sequencing-for-everybody/516388 "2011-04-14T20:06:13Z")
As you may know, all of you have a genome. It is made of DNA, which is an instruction set for most of your parts. Sometimes the parts break and tragic disease is the result. Other times, things change and nothing at all … --- ## [Victims of child porn should be able to sue the people that are caught with it](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/victims-of-child-porn-should-be-able-to-sue-the-people-that-are-caught-with-it/530751)
**Author:** [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Replies:** 103\ **Last updated:** [April 14, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/victims-of-child-porn-should-be-able-to-sue-the-people-that-are-caught-with-it/530751 "2011-04-14T18:04:15Z")
So says Sherry Colb in this column for Findlaw: She goes on to say that Amy’s efforts have met with very inconsistent results; some courts have awarded her high damages, some nominal damages, and some have sent her awa… --- ## [Requiring photo ID to vote](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/requiring-photo-id-to-vote/577667)
**Author:** [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Replies:** 155\ **Last updated:** [April 14, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/requiring-photo-id-to-vote/577667 "2011-04-14T14:51:06Z")
So a Tennessee House of Representatives committee voted to approve a voter ID bill which would require TN voters to present photo ID at the polling place on election day. There are a few exemptions (people who living in … --- ## [French indemnity debt to Germany, 1870](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-indemnity-debt-to-germany-1870/577999)
**Author:** [@wei\_ji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wei_ji)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [April 14, 2011, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-indemnity-debt-to-germany-1870/577999 "2011-04-14T01:46:31Z")
Rough question: Can an analogy be made between the level of current U.S. debt to China and the French debt as Franco-Prussian War indemnity to the Germans in 1870? A few years ago I read a book about the Franco-Prussia… --- ## [Chemical Castration-A Good Idea?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-castration-a-good-idea/576901)
**Author:** [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Replies:** 37\ **Last updated:** [April 14, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-castration-a-good-idea/576901 "2011-04-14T01:16:14Z")
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical\_castration Is this a good punishment and perhaps more effective than incarceration? --- ## [Is there such a biological thing as a racial group?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-biological-thing-as-a-racial-group/577007)
**Author:** [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Replies:** 523\ **Last updated:** [April 14, 2011, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-biological-thing-as-a-racial-group/577007 "2011-04-14T00:31:19Z")
So in this pit thread, a position came up for debate that I’ve seen a lot on the dope. Diogenese, as usual, put it in the most blunt and absolute terms: My question is… what precisely does he mean by that? What do othe… --- ## [Capitalism is nature?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capitalism-is-nature/578075)
**Author:** [@humanafterall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/humanafterall)\ **Replies:** 58\ **Last updated:** [April 13, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capitalism-is-nature/578075 "2011-04-13T20:16:25Z")
I have heard it said by a guy I met in a barber shop that Capitalism is the natural system that has been in place since time immemorial, and that socialism goes against nature. I wholeheartedly agree. We are supposed to … --- ## [So You \[God\] think you're all that and more? Prove it! \[ed. title\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-god-think-youre-all-that-and-more-prove-it-ed-title/577411)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 87\ **Last updated:** [April 13, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-god-think-youre-all-that-and-more-prove-it-ed-title/577411 "2011-04-13T15:23:04Z")
If an entity called “God” existed, how could he convince you that he was “all-powerful” and was able to defy the laws of science as we currently understand them? I think I might be convinced if I were allowed to watch h… --- ## [50th anniversary of humanity in space - What next?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50th-anniversary-of-humanity-in-space-what-next/577861)
**Author:** [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Replies:** 55\ **Last updated:** [April 13, 2011, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50th-anniversary-of-humanity-in-space-what-next/577861 "2011-04-13T02:42:26Z")
On April 12 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. Next Tuesday will be the 50th anniversary. We seem to have retreated from our investment in space lately. What does the future hold. Should we go further? --- ## [What elected official most turned out to be a "Trojan Horse"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-elected-official-most-turned-out-to-be-a-trojan-horse/467713)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [April 13, 2011, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-elected-official-most-turned-out-to-be-a-trojan-horse/467713 "2011-04-13T01:37:27Z")
That is, a candidate who blatantly lied about their true position to get elected, and then once in office said “Bwa-ha-ha! You FOOLS!”. This doesn’t mean mere hypocracy or a failure to keep promises i.e. “no new taxes”. … --- ## [You're Clinton in '94: What Do You Do About Rwanda](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-clinton-in-94-what-do-you-do-about-rwanda/577623)
**Author:** [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Replies:** 60\ **Last updated:** [April 13, 2011, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-clinton-in-94-what-do-you-do-about-rwanda/577623 "2011-04-13T01:30:40Z")
So suppose you were President William Jefferson Clinton in 1994 just as the Rwandan genocide begins. What would you have done to prevent or retard the progress of the genocide? I would have jammed the Interhamwe radio s… --- ## [Give me your 9/11 conspiracy theories! And/or their debunking](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-9-11-conspiracy-theories-and-or-their-debunking/497041)
**Author:** [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Replies:** 1219\ **Last updated:** [April 12, 2011, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-9-11-conspiracy-theories-and-or-their-debunking/497041 "2011-04-12T22:46:53Z")
After all this time, aren’t you still a bit suspicious about the events of 9/11 and it’s aftermath? I am, but I’m getting a lot of flak for it. I’m new to the board and haven’t seen the other threads on this topic that m… --- ## [Dear Woman video - pretty amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620)
**Author:** [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Replies:** 455\ **Last updated:** [April 12, 2011, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620 "2011-04-12T19:43:44Z")
I just watched this video, called “Dear Woman” - and I am surprised by how much I am moved by it, by how much I feel it, accept it, and appreciate it. I think it’s wonderful. And I’m sure lots of people (especially men)… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=392) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=394)