# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=471 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 472 --- ## [Which Party balanced the Budget in the 1990's?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-party-balanced-the-budget-in-the-1990s/531834)
**Author:** [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [March 12, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-party-balanced-the-budget-in-the-1990s/531834 "2010-03-12T21:39:50Z")
Was it the Democrats or the Republicans who achieved “one of the supreme budgetary accomplishments in American history” ? The Federal Budget of 1993 is one of the greatest and most important stories in modern U.S. polit… --- ## [Technological Advancement Leads to Increasing Divergence Btwn Fiscal and Political Conservatives](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technological-advancement-leads-to-increasing-divergence-btwn-fiscal-and-political-conservatives/531552)
**Author:** [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [March 12, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technological-advancement-leads-to-increasing-divergence-btwn-fiscal-and-political-conservatives/531552 "2010-03-12T19:10:56Z")
As technology advances, computerized and automated surveillance, data mining, and even decision-making becomes increasingly more cost-effective. However, the cost savings associated with the implementation of such techno… --- ## [Who should we put on the $50 bill?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-we-put-on-the-50-bill/531267)
**Author:** [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Replies:** 102\ **Last updated:** [March 12, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-we-put-on-the-50-bill/531267 "2010-03-12T18:35:10Z")
I can’t regard the effort to put Reagan on the $50 as really a serious paen – it smacks of partisanship, like all those efforts to put monuments to him in each of the states, and on Mount Rushmore. If this comes to serio… --- ## [Could it work without money?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-it-work-without-money/531956)
**Author:** [@nilum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nilum)\ **Replies:** 215\ **Last updated:** [March 12, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-it-work-without-money/531956 "2010-03-12T18:19:49Z")
If any of you are familiar with the Zeitgeist movement, you know one of their principle goals is a society without the need for money. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7065205277695921912&ei=vE-XS7bBHZK8qgL10K3yA… --- ## [Ever seen a miracle or other supernatural thing?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-seen-a-miracle-or-other-supernatural-thing/528608)
**Author:** [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Replies:** 148\ **Last updated:** [March 12, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-seen-a-miracle-or-other-supernatural-thing/528608 "2010-03-12T18:18:06Z")
Have you or anyone you know ever experienced a miracle or other supernatural phenomenon? For the purposes of this thread let’s define that as something that appeared to violate natural laws as we understand them and cou… --- ## [UHC and pre-existing conditions](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uhc-and-pre-existing-conditions/531347)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [March 12, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uhc-and-pre-existing-conditions/531347 "2010-03-12T18:14:36Z")
I know there are a ton of threads on UHC but I have a very specific question. Obama wants to do away with insurance companies denying coverage because of preexisting conditions. I find out tomorrow I have pancreatic ca… --- ## [Income inequality -- good or bad?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/income-inequality-good-or-bad/531835)
**Author:** [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Replies:** 107\ **Last updated:** [March 12, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/income-inequality-good-or-bad/531835 "2010-03-12T17:42:45Z")
One almost gets the impression that right-wingers praise the huge gap between rich and poor in America, as proof that the free market is working properly. Those who think income inequality is good might want to read thi… --- ## [Nice to know Japan has wingnuts too...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-to-know-japan-has-wingnuts-too/532229)
**Author:** [@DragonAsh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DragonAsh)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [March 12, 2010, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-to-know-japan-has-wingnuts-too/532229 "2010-03-12T14:52:58Z")
America certainly doesn’t have a monopoly on crazies insisting that 9/11 was all an inside job of the gubermint\*. But I still suspect that not many people living on the lunatic fringe could make it very high in national … --- ## [The Garden of Eden Story!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-garden-of-eden-story/529570)
**Author:** [@Frank\_apisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_apisa)\ **Replies:** 102\ **Last updated:** [March 12, 2010, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-garden-of-eden-story/529570 "2010-03-12T05:44:28Z")
The story of The Garden of Eden in Genesis has come up in several threads lately, and I’d like to discuss a specific perspective of the story—a problem I have with it, if I may. The story, it seems to me, tells of a set… --- ## [Niger coup d'etat](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/niger-coup-detat/530085)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [March 11, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/niger-coup-detat/530085 "2010-03-11T15:15:13Z")
Last week, the government of President Mamadou Tanja of Niger was overthrown in a military coup d’etat. Based on a keyword search on “Niger,” I appear to be the first one to start a thread on this on the Dope. (Didn’t … --- ## [Is Europe more/less/just as diverse as the US?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-europe-more-less-just-as-diverse-as-the-us/532023)
**Author:** [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [March 11, 2010, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-europe-more-less-just-as-diverse-as-the-us/532023 "2010-03-11T13:23:43Z")
It seems to be a major issue with a lot of people here. Plenty of threads such as this one descend into arguments over whether Europe is more diverse culturally than the US. Well here’s a thread for people to debate it. … --- ## [Why is pleasure bad?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-pleasure-bad/531059)
**Author:** [@Stoneburg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoneburg)\ **Replies:** 51\ **Last updated:** [March 11, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-pleasure-bad/531059 "2010-03-11T00:53:26Z")
How come most cultures and religions think that pleasure is bad? And what would society look like if it wasn’t like that? Would we just be running around eating ice cream and masturbating? --- ## [Are kids today worse-educated than in times past?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-kids-today-worse-educated-than-in-times-past/530600)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 136\ **Last updated:** [March 10, 2010, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-kids-today-worse-educated-than-in-times-past/530600 "2010-03-10T22:45:46Z")
It’s a meme I often see repeated as established fact – it came up in this CS thread on a coming John Carter of Mars movie, of all things – that the quality of primary and secondary education in the United States has decl… --- ## [Who gets the 'big money' in Washingon?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-big-money-in-washingon/531253)
**Author:** [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [March 10, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-big-money-in-washingon/531253 "2010-03-10T22:24:33Z")
One of the tropes Democrats like to pass along is that Republicans are the party of big corporations, big lobbyists, and rich people. The Democrats are the part of the grassroots, getting their money directly from the p… --- ## [Converting to coal...Life Without Oil](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-to-coal-life-without-oil/531814)
**Author:** [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Replies:** 51\ **Last updated:** [March 10, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-to-coal-life-without-oil/531814 "2010-03-10T22:20:34Z")
NatGeo had a show on tonight called Life Without Oil, which proposed a scenario where suddenly, all the oil in the ground disappeared. I realize this is probably a code for the standard Peak Oil handwringing, but there … --- ## [Rhode Island School District fires school.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rhode-island-school-district-fires-school/531691)
**Author:** [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [March 10, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rhode-island-school-district-fires-school/531691 "2010-03-10T18:14:43Z")
Central Falls, a failing school in Rhode Island was completely canned by the local school district with 93 teachers and staff losing their jobs. The school district claims across the board negligence citing an 11th grad… --- ## [Is being picky about music inherently bad?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-being-picky-about-music-inherently-bad/531796)
**Author:** [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [March 10, 2010, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-being-picky-about-music-inherently-bad/531796 "2010-03-10T01:02:20Z")
Some of us are adventurous music consumers - we’ll listen to anything and everything that comes our way. Some of us are picky. I knew a man once who rarely listened to anything but classic rock. We all have our likes and… --- ## [Why are conservative against legalizing marijuana?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824)
**Author:** [@CyclopticXander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyclopticXander)\ **Replies:** 83\ **Last updated:** [March 9, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824 "2010-03-09T17:40:46Z")
This isn’t a forum for me to simply advocate for the legalization of marijuana, I’m asking a serious question here about the basic philosophy that underpins conservatism. While I’m not a conservative, my understanding i… --- ## [Can hosing the Republicans stimulate the economy?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-hosing-the-republicans-stimulate-the-economy/531247)
**Author:** [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [March 9, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-hosing-the-republicans-stimulate-the-economy/531247 "2010-03-09T17:39:08Z")
I saw this article in another thread. A quote: Do any other Republican causes have $380+ million to blow to defend their interests? Seems to me if we propose legislation to threaten enough of them, we could shake out b… --- ## [Earthquake in Chile and Looting](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-chile-and-looting/530874)
**Author:** [@Dr.Righteous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Righteous)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [March 9, 2010, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-chile-and-looting/530874 "2010-03-09T13:15:31Z")
I tried searching for a thread on this, so if I’ve created a duplicate I apologize. While the earthquake that just happened in Chile was much stronger than the one that happened in Haiti, the damage appears to be less (… --- ## [Sen Shelby from Alabama institutes a blanket hold on Obama nominees](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-shelby-from-alabama-institutes-a-blanket-hold-on-obama-nominees/527938)
**Author:** [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Replies:** 47\ **Last updated:** [March 9, 2010, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-shelby-from-alabama-institutes-a-blanket-hold-on-obama-nominees/527938 "2010-03-09T05:40:55Z")
Whats in the water in Alabama? They keep voting for Sessions who is an embarrassment to the nation. Now Shelby has issued a blank hold on 70 Obama nominees. He insists that his earmarks get reinstated before he will drop… --- ## [Hooray for the Evangelicals!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hooray-for-the-evangelicals/530866)
**Author:** [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Replies:** 60\ **Last updated:** [March 8, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hooray-for-the-evangelicals/530866 "2010-03-08T18:07:35Z")
Well, OK, the thread title was designed to get your attention, but still. Did you see the op-ed by Nicholas Kristof the other day?Here It is well worth your time. It says an Evangelical group called World Vision is the … --- ## [What developing countries have functioning pharmaceutical industries](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-developing-countries-have-functioning-pharmaceutical-industries/531705)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [March 8, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-developing-countries-have-functioning-pharmaceutical-industries/531705 "2010-03-08T17:19:53Z")
On the subject of patents and HIV drugs, it comes up in the articles I’ve read that because Brazil & India have their own drug industries and manufacturing facilities that they just make the drugs themselves rather than … --- ## [Body Scanners and Privacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/body-scanners-and-privacy/531486)
**Author:** [@nilum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nilum)\ **Replies:** 87\ **Last updated:** [March 8, 2010, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/body-scanners-and-privacy/531486 "2010-03-08T13:57:42Z")
I am personally pretty horrified by body scanners. The detail that you can see is… well it’s basically looking at a perfectly naked photo of someone albeit blue or gray. It really makes me uncomfortable thinking about m… --- ## [Who needs guns for anything, anyway?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-guns-for-anything-anyway/531659)
**Author:** [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Replies:** 110\ **Last updated:** [March 8, 2010, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-needs-guns-for-anything-anyway/531659 "2010-03-08T13:39:22Z")
This line of thinking was brought up in the other gun thread going on right now, and called a hijack, but I want to talk about it. I’ve been thinking about guns lately. I never really questioned the 2nd Amendment too mu… --- ## [Mitt Romney talking about health-care on Letterman](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-talking-about-health-care-on-letterman/531204)
**Author:** [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Replies:** 56\ **Last updated:** [March 8, 2010, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-talking-about-health-care-on-letterman/531204 "2010-03-08T04:23:23Z")
Yesterday (Tuesday the 2nd) Romney was on Letterman. Towards the end of the interview Letterman asked him about health-care reform. I’m not sure what he meant by his answer, so I painstakingly listened to a YouTube cli… --- ## [War of 1812 Revisionism?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-of-1812-revisionism/531424)
**Author:** [@This\_Just\_In\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/This_Just_In_2)\ **Replies:** 62\ **Last updated:** [March 8, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-of-1812-revisionism/531424 "2010-03-08T03:27:18Z")
The US won the war of 1812 - period. It says so right here under US government Civic Lesson #72. They give this booklet to those studying to become US Citizens - so they will know everything there is to know about bein… --- ## [American manufacturing is not dead.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-manufacturing-is-not-dead/531187)
**Author:** [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [March 8, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-manufacturing-is-not-dead/531187 "2010-03-08T01:14:04Z")
For those people who think America can’t manufacture anything any more: the stats say otherwise\*. An excerpt: What has dropped is the number of employees–manufacturing has become increasingly efficient and labor numbe… --- ## [The moral roots of liberals and conservatives](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-moral-roots-of-liberals-and-conservatives/530924)
**Author:** [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Replies:** 140\ **Last updated:** [March 7, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-moral-roots-of-liberals-and-conservatives/530924 "2010-03-07T23:31:00Z")
I saw this in TED recently, and thought it would be of particular interest to the Dopers. Though this has the potential for a great debate, I really have no bold statement about it other than that I thought particular a… --- ## [Texas Primary Results](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-primary-results/531151)
**Author:** [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [March 7, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-primary-results/531151 "2010-03-07T20:41:09Z")
Results available here. Governor No surprises here. Perry destroyed Hutchison, and Medina stalled out after she threw a bone to the truthers. Maybe this is the election where people finally wake up and realize that P… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=470) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=472)