# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=43 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 44 --- ## [Why not move the U.S. capital?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-move-the-u-s-capital/927351)
**Author:** [@smilingbandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smilingbandit)\ **Replies:** 80\ **Last updated:** [December 14, 2020, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-move-the-u-s-capital/927351 "2020-12-14T06:03:05Z")
You may consider this a spinoff of the debate over whether Washington should get Senators, etc. Washington, DC made pretty good sense as the location for the capital in 1800; arguably it makes much less sense today. It’… --- ## [What things, psychologically, can and cannot a person change about themselves?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-psychologically-can-and-cannot-a-person-change-about-themselves/926630)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 50\ **Last updated:** [December 13, 2020, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-psychologically-can-and-cannot-a-person-change-about-themselves/926630 "2020-12-13T07:30:27Z")
I happen to inhabit a social circle which leans towards heavily towards the “you just need to change yourself/change your heart/change your thinking” spectrum, which has led to the following question - what is, or is not… --- ## [Let's talk about intellectual property rights](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-intellectual-property-rights/926862)
**Author:** [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Replies:** 218\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2020, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-intellectual-property-rights/926862 "2020-12-12T19:03:27Z")
The subject came up in another thread. But that thread had a specific topic and I don’t want to derail it with a general discussion. Hence, this thread. I’ll define intellectual property as having a right to own an idea… --- ## [What's wrong with the NCAA's Academic Performance Program? How can we improve it?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-the-ncaas-academic-performance-program-how-can-we-improve-it/927808)
**Author:** [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2020, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-the-ncaas-academic-performance-program-how-can-we-improve-it/927808 "2020-12-11T21:19:18Z")
I heard a story on the radio, there’s a class-action civil rights suit brought by historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The NCAA organizes tons … --- ## [Why Are These Things Considered 'Enlightened' Principles?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-these-things-considered-enlightened-principles/927670)
**Author:** [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2020, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-these-things-considered-enlightened-principles/927670 "2020-12-10T22:09:38Z")
Actually I was just thinking about Star Trek recently. Not the newer ones. Or even the Next Generation. But the original series. Yeah, a lot has changed since then. And many of the dialogue and content seems very dated.… --- ## [What economic indicators are most relevant for the pandemic era?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-economic-indicators-are-most-relevant-for-the-pandemic-era/926407)
**Author:** [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2020, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-economic-indicators-are-most-relevant-for-the-pandemic-era/926407 "2020-12-10T18:09:22Z")
The pandemic era presents a unique set of circumstances. To judge how far we are from a full recovery, the traditional economic indicators are of limited use. The stock market is, of course, useless. Unemployment or hou… --- ## [Legal Status of embryos](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-status-of-embryos/927534)
**Author:** [@EnolaStraight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnolaStraight)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2020, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-status-of-embryos/927534 "2020-12-10T03:12:42Z")
Watching law & Order on BBC America, I pondered an ethical/legal question brought up: frozen embryos were destroyed against the wishes of the clinic and “parents” by parties and motives not relevant here. Since the embr… --- ## [Atheists: If there had to be a god, what would you want it to be like?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-if-there-had-to-be-a-god-what-would-you-want-it-to-be-like/922280)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 98\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2020, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-if-there-had-to-be-a-god-what-would-you-want-it-to-be-like/922280 "2020-12-09T19:38:31Z")
In the past, when there were such threads, some Dopers dodged the hypothetical by replying, “I don’t want there to be a god, period.” So - suppose we bypass that for a moment - if there had to be a god - no dodging this… --- ## [Resentment Politics](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resentment-politics/925063)
**Author:** [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Replies:** 191\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2020, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resentment-politics/925063 "2020-12-08T04:13:56Z")
I believe resentment is a deeply underestimated force in society. I do not pretend to understand it but I have noticed how much it drives so many otherwise unexplainable decisions. On a personal level, I have as exhibit… --- ## [Love Or Fornication](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-or-fornication/927252)
**Author:** [@Jillena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jillena)\ **Replies:** 50\ **Last updated:** [December 7, 2020, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-or-fornication/927252 "2020-12-07T02:46:57Z")
Hi SD people Morally speaking, is love a good excuse for having sexual relations outside of traditional marriage? Jillena --- ## [Do the rich pay their fair share?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-rich-pay-their-fair-share/921817)
**Author:** [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Replies:** 102\ **Last updated:** [December 7, 2020, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-rich-pay-their-fair-share/921817 "2020-12-07T02:29:34Z")
I did a quick search and found very little specifically about this. In association with the latest story about DJT’s tax returns, I heard a statistic that the wealthiest Americans pay an average of 24% in Federal Income… --- ## [Are some nations just better people? If so, why?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-some-nations-just-better-people-if-so-why/926183)
**Author:** [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [December 6, 2020, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-some-nations-just-better-people-if-so-why/926183 "2020-12-06T21:29:52Z")
This is something I’ve thought of quite a bit in terms of New Zealand’s success in controlling coronavirus. Some posters here seem very insistent on attributing good portions of that success to immutable things like its… --- ## ["Scientific racism" is readily testable](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-racism-is-readily-testable/927377)
**Author:** [@ChiefPedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefPedant)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [December 6, 2020, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-racism-is-readily-testable/927377 "2020-12-06T13:06:58Z")
A moderator here recently locked a thread that wondered if we should avoid investigating certain sensitive issues. Here was the mod’s reasoning (which I find unsupportable): “Any proposed connection between race and IQ… --- ## [Fornication](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fornication/927246)
**Author:** [@Jillena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jillena)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [December 5, 2020, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fornication/927246 "2020-12-05T00:47:07Z")
Hi everyone Question: Is fornication lieing with someone without love for them? Please & thankyou. --- ## [The next pandemic: How would it be handled differently in the USA?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-how-would-it-be-handled-differently-in-the-usa/927146)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [December 4, 2020, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-how-would-it-be-handled-differently-in-the-usa/927146 "2020-12-04T12:52:37Z")
It was pretty clear, half a year ago, that this pandemic was going to be a lost cause in the USA and that it would go down in history as a balls-up on almost every possible level. So let’s put Covid in the rearview mirro… --- ## [Are some scientific theories so harmful they should be suppressed?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-some-scientific-theories-so-harmful-they-should-be-suppressed/926672)
**Author:** [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Replies:** 251\ **Last updated:** [December 3, 2020, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-some-scientific-theories-so-harmful-they-should-be-suppressed/926672 "2020-12-03T00:57:48Z")
Not Nazism or Communism. I’m talking about scientific theories that could be true or false, and are amenable to proof (as much as any scientific theory is). For example, the idea that innate differences between men and … --- ## [Should the U.S. give Pt. Roberts to Canada?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-u-s-give-pt-roberts-to-canada/153930)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 72\ **Last updated:** [December 1, 2020, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-u-s-give-pt-roberts-to-canada/153930 "2020-12-01T21:42:24Z")
When the 49th Parallel was defined as the border between the United States and Canada, a little bit of southern British Columbia became part of the U.S. Pt. Roberts is part of the state of Washington, but it is connecte… --- ## [What do Republicans stand to lose from losing?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-stand-to-lose-from-losing/926357)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [November 30, 2020, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-stand-to-lose-from-losing/926357 "2020-11-30T18:11:25Z")
There is a sentiment among some that can be described as, “Republicans have nothing to lose from Democrats winning, whereas everyone stands to lose from Republicans winning.” In other words, when Republicans lose, all t… --- ## [The political appeal of a "hard" approach versus a "soft" one](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-political-appeal-of-a-hard-approach-versus-a-soft-one/926438)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [November 30, 2020, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-political-appeal-of-a-hard-approach-versus-a-soft-one/926438 "2020-11-30T17:46:34Z")
Something that’s been stewing in my mind of late: In politics, there is usually a “hard” solution and a “soft” solution for most problems. And generally the hard one holds much greater appeal. (“Hard” does not mean diff… --- ## [Did We Treat Transgenderism Better in the Past?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-treat-transgenderism-better-in-the-past/926612)
**Author:** [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Replies:** 96\ **Last updated:** [November 30, 2020, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-treat-transgenderism-better-in-the-past/926612 "2020-11-30T12:52:45Z")
Speaking of course as Generation X’er (i.e., someone who grew up in the 1970’s and 80’s). Here is what I remember: -They were called ‘transexuals’. Transgender is probably more accurate. But transexual emphasized that … --- ## [Was it possible/plausible for a morally upright person to vote for President Trump in 2020?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-possible-plausible-for-a-morally-upright-person-to-vote-for-president-trump-in-2020/926099)
**Author:** [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Replies:** 42\ **Last updated:** [November 29, 2020, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-possible-plausible-for-a-morally-upright-person-to-vote-for-president-trump-in-2020/926099 "2020-11-29T00:28:27Z")
There was a topic about divisive political questions. I suggest that this question is among the most divisive. Was it possible for a morally upright person to vote for President Trump in 2020? If so, was it plausible? ~… --- ## [Teach Critical Thinking in Public Schools?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-critical-thinking-in-public-schools/926207)
**Author:** [@Olfatbut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olfatbut)\ **Replies:** 59\ **Last updated:** [November 28, 2020, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-critical-thinking-in-public-schools/926207 "2020-11-28T14:47:51Z")
When I was in third grade we had an assignment where we had to label various statements with “fact” or “opinion”. I guess it stuck with me because I struggled with some of them. But it was a good exercise for a little ki… --- ## [NY AG sues NRA alleging massive fraud](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-sues-nra-alleging-massive-fraud/917422)
**Author:** [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Replies:** 278\ **Last updated:** [November 28, 2020, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-sues-nra-alleging-massive-fraud/917422 "2020-11-28T06:13:50Z")
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/ny-ag-sues-nra-in-bid-to-dissolve-group-alleging-massive-fraud "At a press conference announcing the lawsuit, filed in state court in Manhattan, James said that a pattern of law-b… --- ## [Was Albert Sidney Johnston a good general?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-sidney-johnston-a-good-general/925844)
**Author:** [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [November 27, 2020, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-sidney-johnston-a-good-general/925844 "2020-11-27T00:31:53Z")
He didn’t have a chance to really show his stuff as he was killed in the first major battle he fought in the Civil War. So I’m wondering about what impact he would have had if he had lived. He was highly regarded by his… --- ## [The FBI, the Rubber Hose and Self-Incrimination](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fbi-the-rubber-hose-and-self-incrimination/926364)
**Author:** [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [November 25, 2020, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fbi-the-rubber-hose-and-self-incrimination/926364 "2020-11-25T01:17:11Z")
Back when I was still in grade school was when I first heard this story. Back in the 1950’s, maybe into the early 69’s, the FBI would get perps to confess by working them over with a rubber hose. I don’t have a cite jus… --- ## [What do you think about the simulation theory?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-the-simulation-theory/924042)
**Author:** [@JBlackstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBlackstone)\ **Replies:** 263\ **Last updated:** [November 23, 2020, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-the-simulation-theory/924042 "2020-11-23T23:09:22Z")
The simulation theory is the idea that we’re living in a simulation like a computer game. The argument goes like this One day scientists will invent a computer that’s so powerful that it’ll be able to build a perfect … --- ## [Was it possible/plausible for a freedom loving American to vote for President Trump in 2020?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-possible-plausible-for-a-freedom-loving-american-to-vote-for-president-trump-in-2020/926103)
**Author:** [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [November 23, 2020, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-possible-plausible-for-a-freedom-loving-american-to-vote-for-president-trump-in-2020/926103 "2020-11-23T20:02:13Z")
Related to, but slightly different from the other topic. Was it possible/plausible for a freedom-loving American to vote for President Trump in 2020? “freedom-loving American” in your judgement, not theirs. I take the … --- ## [Is it un-democratic to distrust the vote?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-un-democratic-to-distrust-the-vote/926161)
**Author:** [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [November 22, 2020, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-un-democratic-to-distrust-the-vote/926161 "2020-11-22T17:01:15Z")
This is a general debate, not constrained to the 2020 U.S. elections. It is fundamental to democracy that the results of an election are respected. It would seem to follow that it is un-democratic to distrust the result… --- ## [Jonathan Pollard: Release or Don't Release](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-pollard-release-or-dont-release/726408)
**Author:** [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Replies:** 127\ **Last updated:** [November 22, 2020, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-pollard-release-or-dont-release/726408 "2020-11-22T02:37:41Z")
it’s just been released that this guy will be paroled in November. Do you agree with this decision? I agree. Allies even spy on each other. The US with regard to Germany, France, etc. are recent examples. Cold War allie… --- ## [Uk is going to stop sales of gas and diesel cars by 2040 (Now 2030)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-is-going-to-stop-sales-of-gas-and-diesel-cars-by-2040-now-2030/792181)
**Author:** [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Replies:** 77\ **Last updated:** [November 22, 2020, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-is-going-to-stop-sales-of-gas-and-diesel-cars-by-2040-now-2030/792181 "2020-11-22T01:23:39Z")
Was reading this article and thought it would make an interesting discussion: So, do you think they can do it? Partly this seems like the professor’s comments about steam engines are correct in that time frame, but pa… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=42) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=44)