# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=466 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 467 --- ## [Obama to open up offshore drilling!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-open-up-offshore-drilling/534440)
**Author:** [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Replies:** 86\ **Last updated:** [April 4, 2010, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-open-up-offshore-drilling/534440 "2010-04-04T01:41:59Z")
A year or so ago, I expressed my misgivings about the man on this board, and despite some major remaining doubts, particularly about the HCR which I feel will have a lot of devilish details and unintended consequences, t… --- ## [How much of our deficit is "Obama's deficit"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-our-deficit-is-obamas-deficit/534677)
**Author:** [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Replies:** 54\ **Last updated:** [April 4, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-our-deficit-is-obamas-deficit/534677 "2010-04-04T00:21:53Z")
I originally posted most of this in an IMHO thread, specifically in response to Shodan’s post. \[quote=“Shodan, post:3, topic:534546”\] Well, let’s see - \[ol\] \[li\]he added $787 billion to the deficit his first year\[/li… --- ## [How is a well regulated militia necessary to the security of a free state?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-a-well-regulated-militia-necessary-to-the-security-of-a-free-state/534761)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [April 3, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-a-well-regulated-militia-necessary-to-the-security-of-a-free-state/534761 "2010-04-03T23:32:29Z")
The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that as an assumed axiom. But, if “militia” is defined as a non-professional or quasi-professional, part-time, volunteer military force (as distinct from a regular ar… --- ## [Why have Republicans shifted so far to the right?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-republicans-shifted-so-far-to-the-right/534040)
**Author:** [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Replies:** 113\ **Last updated:** [April 3, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-republicans-shifted-so-far-to-the-right/534040 "2010-04-03T15:54:02Z")
This seems to have gone down the memory hole, but the new health care law’s individual mandate used to be a Republican idea, the free market alternative to the Democratic “single payer” proposals. If Richard Nixon, the… --- ## [This Thread: Sanctuary from Healthcare Debate.\[Gen'l Fiscal views of Right & Left\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-thread-sanctuary-from-healthcare-debate-genl-fiscal-views-of-right-left/533988)
**Author:** [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [April 3, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-thread-sanctuary-from-healthcare-debate-genl-fiscal-views-of-right-left/533988 "2010-04-03T14:16:02Z")
No debating health care in this thread. Please. That said, I think I’ve come to an insight about the difference between (fiscal) conservatives and (fiscal) liberals. Conservatives think that money (or a lack of it) is a… --- ## [What would happen if the US started withdrawing support from Israel?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-the-us-started-withdrawing-support-from-israel/534134)
**Author:** [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Replies:** 129\ **Last updated:** [April 3, 2010, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-the-us-started-withdrawing-support-from-israel/534134 "2010-04-03T12:25:59Z")
The Israeli’s (at least those currently in power) have shown they really don’t care much for the US notion of how to achieve peace in the region. The Israeli government’s attitude toward the Obama administration’s attemp… --- ## [Mr Steele. Is this real? \[Michael Steele on reaching out to moderate Republicans\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-steele-is-this-real-michael-steele-on-reaching-out-to-moderate-republicans/534672)
**Author:** [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [April 3, 2010, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-steele-is-this-real-michael-steele-on-reaching-out-to-moderate-republicans/534672 "2010-04-03T05:05:35Z")
From Crooks an Liars, about halfway down the page, there is a write up about how Michael Steele is running afoul of the “hard conservative right”, and some are calling for people to stop contributing to the GOP. There i… --- ## [What is the historical endgame for a spiral of political extremism?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-historical-endgame-for-a-spiral-of-political-extremism/534060)
**Author:** [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [April 3, 2010, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-historical-endgame-for-a-spiral-of-political-extremism/534060 "2010-04-03T03:58:09Z")
Right now the Republican Party seems to be caught in a destructive feedback loop. More moderate members who might compromise with the Democrats are often marginalized or excluded. As a result, the party has shifted to … --- ## ["Doonesbury" mocks Starbucks open-carry policy](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-mocks-starbucks-open-carry-policy/533689)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 172\ **Last updated:** [April 3, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-mocks-starbucks-open-carry-policy/533689 "2010-04-03T02:08:58Z")
First strip of the arc can be seen here Starbucks discusses it’s policy here A page discussing the Brady Campaign’s opposition to Starbucks policy is here Discuss. For the record, I am pro-carry. Doonesbury (barely) … --- ## [UHC Should Be Recognized As A Fundamental Birthright.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uhc-should-be-recognized-as-a-fundamental-birthright/533135)
**Author:** [@adhay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhay)\ **Replies:** 151\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2010, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uhc-should-be-recognized-as-a-fundamental-birthright/533135 "2010-04-02T19:48:26Z")
Let us reason together. Theoretically, there are two kinds of govt, popular and feudal. A popular govt is designed from the ground up to protect the weak and powerless (say, 90% of population) from the historic crimina… --- ## [The Influence and Ethics of Advertising](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-influence-and-ethics-of-advertising/534215)
**Author:** [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Replies:** 52\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-influence-and-ethics-of-advertising/534215 "2010-04-02T16:30:04Z")
From this http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=12276468 thread in the OP of a Pit thread we get the following quote from http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Manufactured+demand: … --- ## [Does Obama Want To Ban Sportfishing?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-obama-want-to-ban-sportfishing/532152)
**Author:** [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Replies:** 57\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-obama-want-to-ban-sportfishing/532152 "2010-04-02T15:50:12Z")
I frequent a lot of fishing forums and these rumors started to pop up a while ago. Checking up on it again today, and it seems like Rush has also jumped on in this controversy. Here’s the article that started it all. I… --- ## [Does anyone doubt every drop of oil left in the ground is going to burned sooner or later?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-doubt-every-drop-of-oil-left-in-the-ground-is-going-to-burned-sooner-or-later/534453)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-doubt-every-drop-of-oil-left-in-the-ground-is-going-to-burned-sooner-or-later/534453 "2010-04-02T05:17:52Z")
This thread, about Obama’s decision to open offshore drilling, got me thinking. The whole debate about global-warming policy is based on the idea that we have to limit greenhouse-gas emissions to halt or slow the proces… --- ## [The Federal Reserve system & "fiat money" vs. the gold standard](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-federal-reserve-system-fiat-money-vs-the-gold-standard/534269)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 54\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2010, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-federal-reserve-system-fiat-money-vs-the-gold-standard/534269 "2010-04-02T02:48:16Z")
I would have thought goldbuggery were a dead issue in this day and age, but apparently in some circles it’s very much alive – in this recent thread, about global warming, at the second or third page the OP, jrodefeld, st… --- ## [Is Westboro Baptist Church guilty of perjury?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-westboro-baptist-church-guilty-of-perjury/534451)
**Author:** [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-westboro-baptist-church-guilty-of-perjury/534451 "2010-04-02T01:15:08Z")
In a reversal of a lower court decision, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has awarded Westboro Baptist Church more than $16,000 in costs in their defense of a lawsuit brought by the family of a marine killed in Iraq afte… --- ## [Fatty foods are addictive?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fatty-foods-are-addictive/534149)
**Author:** [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2010, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fatty-foods-are-addictive/534149 "2010-04-01T21:49:04Z")
So suggests a front page CNN.com story: Chances of this being true? If it is, what would it mean for the junk food and obesity debates? --- ## [Jesus clothes after the Resurrection](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-clothes-after-the-resurrection/534446)
**Author:** [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-clothes-after-the-resurrection/534446 "2010-04-01T21:00:14Z")
According to the Gospel writer Jesus was stripped of His garments and the soldiers gambled for them. This would mean He was intered with just a loin cloth. When Mary Magdalene came to the tomb the linen cloths and head … --- ## [Was The Russo-Finnish War (1939) A Disaster for Germany?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-russo-finnish-war-1939-a-disaster-for-germany/533148)
**Author:** [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Replies:** 48\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-russo-finnish-war-1939-a-disaster-for-germany/533148 "2010-04-01T19:11:45Z")
Several military historians have claimed that Hitler drew entirely wrong lessons, from the Russo-Finnish War. Russia’s performance was a near-disaster-they attempted massive incursions of infantry into Finland-and the… --- ## [Is there any real risk of a right wing coup de etat?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 176\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2010, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408 "2010-04-01T16:46:40Z")
Due to minor changes to our health insurance system, many right wingers are exploding with rage. So my question is, is there any real risk of a political coup or meaningful domestic terrorism (meaningful implying the de… --- ## [What if a full body burka was adopted by a large US minority?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-full-body-burka-was-adopted-by-a-large-us-minority/534370)
**Author:** [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Replies:** 74\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2010, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-full-body-burka-was-adopted-by-a-large-us-minority/534370 "2010-04-01T03:33:08Z")
Assume a large US minority (religious or otherwise) decides to start wearing the equivalent of a full-body burka (which also covers the face) For example, say the Mormons (which are around 13 million) decide one day tha… --- ## [Leading Sunni party to boycott Iraqi election](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leading-sunni-party-to-boycott-iraqi-election/530083)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2010, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leading-sunni-party-to-boycott-iraqi-election/530083 "2010-04-01T02:39:53Z")
Iraq’s next parliamentary election is March 7. The “de-Baathification commission,” dominated by Ahmed Chalabi, has banned some leading Sunni politicians from the ballot, including \[who, in response, has declared his \[ur… --- ## [What sort of effect would legalizing drugs have on the Mexican drug war?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sort-of-effect-would-legalizing-drugs-have-on-the-mexican-drug-war/533586)
**Author:** [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sort-of-effect-would-legalizing-drugs-have-on-the-mexican-drug-war/533586 "2010-03-31T20:38:50Z")
Let’s say both the U.S. and Mexico decided tomorrow that they would legalize marijuana, cocaine, etc. What sort of effects would it have on the drug cartels? Would it do much to stem the violence south of the border? Wou… --- ## [How late is too late for breast feeding?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-is-too-late-for-breast-feeding/532582)
**Author:** [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Replies:** 50\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2010, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-is-too-late-for-breast-feeding/532582 "2010-03-31T19:48:30Z")
Salon.com featured an article on breast feeding to the age of six today. I think we’ve discussed stuff like this before, but not too recently so I figured I’d start another thread. This writer found breast feeding that… --- ## [Honest Question: Why are the republicans so pissed about this health care thing?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honest-question-why-are-the-republicans-so-pissed-about-this-health-care-thing/533682)
**Author:** [@HoboStew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoboStew)\ **Replies:** 224\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honest-question-why-are-the-republicans-so-pissed-about-this-health-care-thing/533682 "2010-03-31T18:29:34Z")
I don’t understand the doom and gloom surrounding this whole thing. Examples include this article calling it the republicans’ worst legislative defeat in 50 years, and this poll that says that 24% of republicans think O… --- ## [The Straight Dope on the "Cloward-Piven Strategy"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-on-the-cloward-piven-strategy/533996)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-on-the-cloward-piven-strategy/533996 "2010-03-31T14:48:09Z")
Back in September I started a thread wondering what was the source of various RW rants I had read on other boards talking about the “Cloward-Piven Strategy” (a little-noticed radical idea presented in an article in The N… --- ## [no Sex Offenders on Facebook - Legal? Constitutional?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sex-offenders-on-facebook-legal-constitutional/533739)
**Author:** [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2010, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sex-offenders-on-facebook-legal-constitutional/533739 "2010-03-31T03:53:18Z")
There’s a proposal being floated in California’s legislature that would make it a crime for a registered sex offender to use Facebook, Myspace, or any other “social networking” site. If this becomes law… should it? Is i… --- ## [Can You Force People to Be "Green"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-force-people-to-be-green/534333)
**Author:** [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Replies:** 51\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2010, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-force-people-to-be-green/534333 "2010-03-31T01:18:32Z")
Here in MA, we have a governor (Deval Patrick) who has challenged the laws of physics-he has signed a bill requiring MA electric utilities to buy a certain percentage of the ir electric power from solar energy plants. … --- ## [What would a free market in health care look like?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-free-market-in-health-care-look-like/534116)
**Author:** [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-free-market-in-health-care-look-like/534116 "2010-03-30T20:00:12Z")
I was re-reading a recent thread of mine and noticed this comment: Again, a concept that eludes me. What would the end game be? Assuming “free market” would mean as little regulation as possible, do we know what tha… --- ## [Is the German model a better form of capitalsim?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-german-model-a-better-form-of-capitalsim/533126)
**Author:** [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Replies:** 59\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-german-model-a-better-form-of-capitalsim/533126 "2010-03-30T14:14:29Z")
In the March 2010 Harper’s, in an article titled, “Consider the Germans”, Thomas Geoghehan praises the German system (I’d post a link but it isn’t free). He says: And then he endeavors to explain why the Germans are do… --- ## [Will the decline of print media lead to less litter and garbage?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-decline-of-print-media-lead-to-less-litter-and-garbage/534311)
**Author:** [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2010, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-decline-of-print-media-lead-to-less-litter-and-garbage/534311 "2010-03-30T06:58:47Z")
So, I hear that circulation levels are down for newspapers and magazines. I know some large companies are working to reduce internal reliance on hard copies. Will this help us not run out of landfill space so fast? Have… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=465) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=467)