# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=523 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 524 --- ## [Gender differences in message board behaviors?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-differences-in-message-board-behaviors/503470)
**Author:** [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [July 26, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-differences-in-message-board-behaviors/503470 "2009-07-26T14:17:31Z")
Few of us clearly state our gender when we post and yet readers often make some presumption of our gender state. Sometimes posters are (for reasons unclear to me) offended if they are presumed a male when they are female… --- ## [If civilization collapses, what are the most important healthcare advances to rebuild](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-civilization-collapses-what-are-the-most-important-healthcare-advances-to-rebuild/500451)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-civilization-collapses-what-are-the-most-important-healthcare-advances-to-rebuild/500451 "2009-07-25T16:40:00Z")
If civilization as we know it is destroyed (peak oil, climate change, meteor, whatever) and we are returned to a lifestyle we had in 1500AD, what would be the most important healthcare advances we would need to rebuild i… --- ## [Would you kill your best friend to save him/her from pain?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-kill-your-best-friend-to-save-him-her-from-pain/503871)
**Author:** [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-kill-your-best-friend-to-save-him-her-from-pain/503871 "2009-07-25T16:18:58Z")
This may be suited for IMHO, but I’m posting here in GD instead, since it’s a weighty topic: (1) Scenario #1: You and your best friend (or spouse, child, whatever) are hiking deep in the woods when suddenly, a tree fal… --- ## [Would this have sounded even worse in a religious context,or not?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-have-sounded-even-worse-in-a-religious-context-or-not/502760)
**Author:** [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2009, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-have-sounded-even-worse-in-a-religious-context-or-not/502760 "2009-07-25T13:07:27Z")
Okay, so I’m really wondering what people think about this, and I would like the debate about it to be nice and civil, not icky, but who knows. So here goes. I was calling all my coworkers to find someone who would take… --- ## [New Jersey Corruption \[Scandal\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-jersey-corruption-scandal/504093)
**Author:** [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2009, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-jersey-corruption-scandal/504093 "2009-07-25T07:31:09Z")
Story here. I have some questions, because it’s not clear in the article. Were New Jersey politicians involved with a money laundering scheme in cooperation with operatives in Israel? Was the Israeli government part of … --- ## [Conspiracy Theories](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories/503352)
**Author:** [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Replies:** 160\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2009, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories/503352 "2009-07-25T03:17:35Z")
I was reading this article on CNN concerning moon landings were faked CT, and it got me to thinking…do these things ever die? Do they gain in strength over time? From what the article is saying, this particular one see… --- ## [What is your opinion of healthcare based on?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-healthcare-based-on/503675)
**Author:** [@Stoneburg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoneburg)\ **Replies:** 87\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-healthcare-based-on/503675 "2009-07-25T02:28:04Z")
I’m no expert on healthcare, and due to being somewhat healthy its policy has never been a very interesting subject to me. However, there are some things that don’t seem to compute in my little brain. I may very well hav… --- ## [Medicare & Medicaid violate equal protection](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-medicaid-violate-equal-protection/503772)
**Author:** [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-medicaid-violate-equal-protection/503772 "2009-07-25T02:12:18Z")
I submit to you that we have socialized medicine now, but in a fashion which does not provide equal protection under the law. Medicare discriminates based on age, & may soon do so based on means. Medicaid discriminates … --- ## [The Signifying Douchebag? \[Henry Gates arrest - racism?\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-signifying-douchebag-henry-gates-arrest-racism/503703)
**Author:** [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Replies:** 322\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2009, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-signifying-douchebag-henry-gates-arrest-racism/503703 "2009-07-25T00:04:07Z")
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/us/21gates.html Henry Louis Gates is a renowed African American critic and scholar who teaches at Harvard University. He locks himself out of his house and forces his way in. A girl wal… --- ## [Sarah Palin vs. Vanity Fair editors (funny)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-vs-vanity-fair-editors-funny/503782)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 86\ **Last updated:** [July 24, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-vs-vanity-fair-editors-funny/503782 "2009-07-24T22:26:29Z")
Had to share this…I think it is pretty funny (although it does bring back nightmares of tough professors and their red pens even though nothing I ever turned in came back looking like this). --- ## [So, is acknowledging reality racism?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-acknowledging-reality-racism/503687)
**Author:** [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Replies:** 51\ **Last updated:** [July 24, 2009, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-acknowledging-reality-racism/503687 "2009-07-24T11:59:04Z")
Let me posit a certain scenario. I have had friends who are black. Well, African-American (plus some people who are black and African, and some who are black and not African). While buying a suit, I commented that a cert… --- ## [Calling All Bible Experts](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-bible-experts/503536)
**Author:** [@adhay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhay)\ **Replies:** 78\ **Last updated:** [July 24, 2009, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-bible-experts/503536 "2009-07-24T11:50:40Z")
First let me get my own pov out front. I was raised on the idea that the Bible is the inerrant Word. As it was a solid Episcopal upbringing, the emphasis on the Bible was relatively muted when compared to what is calle… --- ## [The Swedish school voucher system](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-swedish-school-voucher-system/503663)
**Author:** [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Replies:** 52\ **Last updated:** [July 24, 2009, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-swedish-school-voucher-system/503663 "2009-07-24T10:54:58Z")
Voucher advocates in the US often invoke the plight of inner-city children stuck in terrible schools. However US-style voucher schemes don’t really help poor children that much since they cover only a part of the expense… --- ## [Goldman Sachs was not bailed out](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goldman-sachs-was-not-bailed-out/503881)
**Author:** [@LonghornDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonghornDave)\ **Replies:** 88\ **Last updated:** [July 24, 2009, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goldman-sachs-was-not-bailed-out/503881 "2009-07-24T05:21:32Z")
There seems to be the mistaken belief here that certain banks received bailouts when they did not. The one that I see referenced most often is Goldman Sachs; however, I believe this also applies at least to JPMorgan Chas… --- ## [U.S. fighter aircraft (F-22 Raptor)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-fighter-aircraft-f-22-raptor/502764)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 72\ **Last updated:** [July 24, 2009, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-fighter-aircraft-f-22-raptor/502764 "2009-07-24T04:23:54Z")
Notes: 1) My schedule leaves little time for in-depth debates. Once the work week starts, I’ll have limited posting opportunities. 2) My thoughts are not set in stone. I’m hoping to gain a better understanding of the… --- ## [Actual UHC costs to individuals - a comparison](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actual-uhc-costs-to-individuals-a-comparison/503952)
**Author:** [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [July 24, 2009, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actual-uhc-costs-to-individuals-a-comparison/503952 "2009-07-24T01:13:37Z")
(Given the trend in other UHC threads, I expect this will generate considerable debate, so am placing it in GD rather than elsewhere.) In light of the various threads addressing the issue of Universal Health Care for th… --- ## [Reformers' Claims Just Don't Add Up \[health care\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reformers-claims-just-dont-add-up-health-care/503607)
**Author:** [@PunkyPoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunkyPoo)\ **Replies:** 113\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2009, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reformers-claims-just-dont-add-up-health-care/503607 "2009-07-23T21:55:12Z")
From IBD about healthcare. The more I read about nationalized healthcare, the more it concerns me. http://ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=332723342557746 --- ## [A chance for change in Iran. The non-shitty version.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-chance-for-change-in-iran-the-non-shitty-version/499967)
**Author:** [@Sri\_Theo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sri_Theo)\ **Replies:** 233\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-chance-for-change-in-iran-the-non-shitty-version/499967 "2009-07-23T21:38:04Z")
You may have heard Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is under a little pressure right now. But for those without the time to monitor endless twitter feeds this should get you up to date; Awesome photo’s with informative captions a mu… --- ## [Most Transparent Administration EVER!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-transparent-administration-ever/503742)
**Author:** [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Replies:** 88\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-transparent-administration-ever/503742 "2009-07-23T19:59:06Z")
…If by ‘transparent’ you mean “Predictably focused on hiding important information and ramming through legislation before people have a chance to debate it.” Seriously, isn’t this stuff starting to bother you Obama supp… --- ## [Challenges to free market evangelism, pt 1: Externalities (Global Warming)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenges-to-free-market-evangelism-pt-1-externalities-global-warming/503174)
**Author:** [@SherwoodAnderson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SherwoodAnderson)\ **Replies:** 57\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenges-to-free-market-evangelism-pt-1-externalities-global-warming/503174 "2009-07-23T14:57:38Z")
In the thread Who cares about what it means to be ‘conservative’? I had a couple of interesting exchanges with Sam Stone that inspired me to start what I hope will be a series of threads to debate some different current… --- ## [Vaccine Studies](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaccine-studies/503646)
**Author:** [@Black\_Sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Sunshine)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaccine-studies/503646 "2009-07-23T14:39:44Z")
Later this summer, I plan on spending a long weekend with an old friend I haven’t seen in a while. She’s always been pretty heavy into pretty foofy naturopathic stuff, and while I don’t buy an ounce of it, the miracle c… --- ## [Is making use of stereotypes necessarily sexist? (Gender stereotpyes in advertising)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-making-use-of-stereotypes-necessarily-sexist-gender-stereotpyes-in-advertising/503873)
**Author:** [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2009, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-making-use-of-stereotypes-necessarily-sexist-gender-stereotpyes-in-advertising/503873 "2009-07-23T13:24:45Z")
Inspired by a discussion I had involving some of the Carl Jr./Hardees ads. Most of these ads make use of stereotypes (women hate sports, women don’t like their boyfriends ogling other w… --- ## [Latest Palin ethics probe](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-palin-ethics-probe/503793)
**Author:** [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2009, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-palin-ethics-probe/503793 "2009-07-23T12:57:27Z")
Will it, like its namesake, have legs? --- ## [Why do we want healthcare INSURANCE?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-want-healthcare-insurance/503712)
**Author:** [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Replies:** 53\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2009, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-want-healthcare-insurance/503712 "2009-07-23T12:54:16Z")
I’ve been doing a lot of driving lately, from DC to Pittsburgh and back again every weekend. That leaves a lot of time for listening to NPR and musing to oneself. I realized I couldn’t come up with a good reason for a … --- ## [Western media help Taliban distribute video of captured US soldier](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/western-media-help-taliban-distribute-video-of-captured-us-soldier/503526)
**Author:** [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2009, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/western-media-help-taliban-distribute-video-of-captured-us-soldier/503526 "2009-07-23T09:25:36Z")
The BBC for instance: US soldier shown in Taliban video The Geneva conventions says: \[POWs\] must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity.… --- ## [Intertemporal redistribution](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intertemporal-redistribution/503891)
**Author:** [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2009, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intertemporal-redistribution/503891 "2009-07-23T02:40:53Z")
This idea came to me while watching HBO’s “Rome:” Despite being a pinnacle of ancient civilization, Rome was poor. The very few aristocratic families scraped out an existence comparable to a middle-class American (They … --- ## [Democrats in House Botch Health Care Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-in-house-botch-health-care-bill/503244)
**Author:** [@LonghornDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonghornDave)\ **Replies:** 56\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-in-house-botch-health-care-bill/503244 "2009-07-23T00:58:11Z")
Obama’s health care plan as outlined in the campaign and afterwards seemed to focus on two key points: i) improve the efficiency of health care by reducing costs; and ii) reduce the number of uninsured Americans by provi… --- ## [Episcopal Church Bishop Salvo on Personal Salvation](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episcopal-church-bishop-salvo-on-personal-salvation/502549)
**Author:** [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Replies:** 46\ **Last updated:** [July 22, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episcopal-church-bishop-salvo-on-personal-salvation/502549 "2009-07-22T20:30:05Z")
From USA TODAY, Faith and Reason Article: http://http://content.usatoday.com/communities/religion/post/2009/07/68494086/1 The Episcopal Church’s presiding bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori. Wednesday, she threw a gren… --- ## [Protests in the Electronic Age](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/protests-in-the-electronic-age/487364)
**Author:** [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [July 22, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/protests-in-the-electronic-age/487364 "2009-07-22T19:13:16Z")
How does one protest a decision on a moderated forum? I’ve been thinking about protests recently. We just had one over at NYU. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/21/nyregion/21nyu.html And one of the spokespeople made a… --- ## [What if American REALLY became an empire?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-american-really-became-an-empire/503369)
**Author:** [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Replies:** 38\ **Last updated:** [July 22, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-american-really-became-an-empire/503369 "2009-07-22T15:10:25Z")
It’s the late 1780’s, and the fledgling US has been attacked by a number of NAI tribes. After mobilizing for war, the US has begun the process of building up a substantial economic and military power base. For obscure … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=522) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=524)