# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=55 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 56 --- ## ["We may destroy our economy." What does this actually mean?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-destroy-our-economy-what-does-this-actually-mean/850190)
**Author:** [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Replies:** 47\ **Last updated:** [April 3, 2020, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-may-destroy-our-economy-what-does-this-actually-mean/850190 "2020-04-03T21:05:37Z")
I understand that it is hypothetical, but I am looking for actual answers rather than opinions. (Is that even possible with this question?) But I would like to understand the concern/worry that people are expressing i… --- ## [Why Consciousness is not Computation](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-consciousness-is-not-computation/850402)
**Author:** [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Replies:** 95\ **Last updated:** [April 3, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-consciousness-is-not-computation/850402 "2020-04-03T17:29:25Z")
The journal Minds and Machines has been kind enough to let an article of mine slip through peer review: The Abstraction/Representation Account of Computation and Subjective Experience (Full text accessible here. If you… --- ## [George Soros Throws Down Against Bush](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-soros-throws-down-against-bush/212728)
**Author:** [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Replies:** 69\ **Last updated:** [April 3, 2020, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-soros-throws-down-against-bush/212728 "2020-04-03T04:33:42Z")
So George Soros apparently dislikes the president A lot. He’s committing a decent chunk of change towards the defeat of GWB in the upcoming election. And he’s using his contacts and experience garnered through his eff… --- ## [Marsy's Law](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsys-law/850670)
**Author:** [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [April 3, 2020, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsys-law/850670 "2020-04-03T00:00:12Z")
Marsy’s Law, or The Crime Victim’s Bill of Rights, was passed in California in 2008. Since then it, or something like it, has passed into law in 8 other states. However, Montana’s Supreme Court struck it down as uncons… --- ## [Closure rope-a-dope](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closure-rope-a-dope/849580)
**Author:** [@Jim\_Peebles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_Peebles)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2020, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closure-rope-a-dope/849580 "2020-04-01T04:25:30Z")
I sure hope the epidemiological literature addresses this somewhere. I am sure may of you are familiar with the rope-a-dope metaphor often made to compare a situation to a situation in boxing: How do the epidemiologis… --- ## [Were people in Britain who voted to leave the EU selfish?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-people-in-britain-who-voted-to-leave-the-eu-selfish/850270)
**Author:** [@Dunmurry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunmurry)\ **Replies:** 66\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2020, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-people-in-britain-who-voted-to-leave-the-eu-selfish/850270 "2020-03-31T20:09:45Z")
Well in Britain there is an idea that some people had that people who voted in the Brexit referendum to leave were selfish. They didn’t care about the impact on the economy or travel to different countries. They said Thi… --- ## [Another Tipping Thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-tipping-thread/847960)
**Author:** [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Replies:** 145\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2020, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-tipping-thread/847960 "2020-03-31T19:20:35Z")
Why has the tipping rate gone up from 15% to 20-25% for in restaurant dining? Why is 20% starting to become an expected tip for deliveries? Why is 20% starting to become an expected tip for pick up orders? --- ## [$2 trillion stimulus to a locked-down economy - will it be inflationary?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-trillion-stimulus-to-a-locked-down-economy-will-it-be-inflationary/850376)
**Author:** [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2020, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-trillion-stimulus-to-a-locked-down-economy-will-it-be-inflationary/850376 "2020-03-30T11:10:17Z")
On the one hand, major parts of the US economy have been shut down, and unemployment is projected soon to reach at least 20%. On the other hand, $2 trillion will be flying off the Treasury’s printing presses, to be hand… --- ## [Let's talk about 'rational' immigration policy](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-rational-immigration-policy/838754)
**Author:** [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Replies:** 186\ **Last updated:** [September 17, 2019, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-rational-immigration-policy/838754 "2019-09-17T23:34:12Z")
Two opposing positions are often expressed on immigration: Left-wingers support “Open borders” Right-wingers support “Send them back - we’re full!” For the purposes of this discussion, let’s assume both extremes are w… --- ## [Has "money" become infinitely malleable?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-money-become-infinitely-malleable/850215)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [March 29, 2020, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-money-become-infinitely-malleable/850215 "2020-03-29T03:24:40Z")
With the disruption of industries by the corvid-19 quarantines, there is talk of managing the resulting financial crisis by manipulating the economy in a variety of ways: simply giving everyone money to spend, freezing e… --- ## [The need for a savings culture in America (for rainy days)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-need-for-a-savings-culture-in-america-for-rainy-days/849586)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 58\ **Last updated:** [March 28, 2020, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-need-for-a-savings-culture-in-america-for-rainy-days/849586 "2020-03-28T12:09:11Z")
America has long been a nation of spenders rather than savers (and I say that being as guilty as anyone in this regard, having been saddled by credit-card debt for eight years.) This Covid-19 epidemic is likely to bring … --- ## [Why is there still a terrible stigma to being a virgin nowadays?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-still-a-terrible-stigma-to-being-a-virgin-nowadays/849183)
**Author:** [@Dunmurry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunmurry)\ **Replies:** 59\ **Last updated:** [March 27, 2020, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-still-a-terrible-stigma-to-being-a-virgin-nowadays/849183 "2020-03-27T12:56:57Z")
Well I remember a few years ago I heard someone talking about the two people in the pop act Jedward in the Republic of Ireland and it talked about their Sex Shame and people might have thought it was something terrible, … --- ## [How much of the job market is made up of essential workers?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-the-job-market-is-made-up-of-essential-workers/850237)
**Author:** [@Wrenching\_Spanners](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenching_Spanners)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [March 26, 2020, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-the-job-market-is-made-up-of-essential-workers/850237 "2020-03-26T22:34:19Z")
How much of the job market is made up of essential workers? The UK has gone into lockdown, and people are being asked to work from home and not travel to work unless they are an essential worker. \[Withdrawn\] Children o… --- ## [A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-single-death-is-a-tragedy-a-million-deaths-is-a-statistic/849246)
**Author:** [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [March 22, 2020, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-single-death-is-a-tragedy-a-million-deaths-is-a-statistic/849246 "2020-03-22T16:28:25Z")
Attributed to Stalin, he might not have said it first. But however, let us hypothesize that the Covid 19 does kill 5% of the world’s population. :dubious: Even 10%. What good could come of this? Could any good come o… --- ## [How important is the debt?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-the-debt/846992)
**Author:** [@survinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/survinga)\ **Replies:** 84\ **Last updated:** [February 22, 2020, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-the-debt/846992 "2020-02-22T14:30:36Z")
The CBO projects that in 2029, debt/gdp will be 95%. It’s now 79%. Last year, the deficit was a trillion dollars. And yet, very few to no politicians talk much about it. Should we care? Or maybe as a country with ou… --- ## [...convince me to not support Universal Healthcare](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-not-support-universal-healthcare/849098)
**Author:** [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Replies:** 95\ **Last updated:** [March 20, 2020, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-not-support-universal-healthcare/849098 "2020-03-20T04:54:01Z")
…I’m self employed and I live in New Zealand. I pay up to a maximum of $50.00 if I need to see the local GP but if my income were below a certain bracket I’d get a substantial discount. Each individual prescription cos… --- ## [Coronavirus, Sick Leave, and the Gig Economy](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-sick-leave-and-the-gig-economy/849169)
**Author:** [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Replies:** 94\ **Last updated:** [March 18, 2020, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-sick-leave-and-the-gig-economy/849169 "2020-03-18T07:18:01Z")
This article, a WaPo article about US business’s hostility toward laws requiring sick leave, got me thinking about the topic. Laws that require sick pay don’t always work: Which makes me wonder about the gig economy … --- ## [What was your opinion on Pim Fortuyn, and his politics?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-opinion-on-pim-fortuyn-and-his-politics/849596)
**Author:** [@Mislav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mislav)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [March 16, 2020, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-opinion-on-pim-fortuyn-and-his-politics/849596 "2020-03-16T17:45:57Z")
I’ve learned about Pim Fortuyn recently. It would appear that he was pretty controversial back in his day, though obviously much more so in the Netherlands than internationally. His tragic end sent shock waves throughout… --- ## [Assessing the progress of the #MeToo movement](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assessing-the-progress-of-the-metoo-movement/848571)
**Author:** [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Replies:** 111\ **Last updated:** [March 16, 2020, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assessing-the-progress-of-the-metoo-movement/848571 "2020-03-16T14:36:16Z")
(article at the top is from last summer) It’s been about two and a half years since the #MeToo movement made major headlines (at least in the US) with the Harvey Weinstein accusations, and there have been several majo… --- ## [Is This a Misuse of Judicial Power?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-misuse-of-judicial-power/848797)
**Author:** [@Dark\_Sponge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Sponge)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [March 15, 2020, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-misuse-of-judicial-power/848797 "2020-03-15T21:35:41Z")
Washington voters spent years getting $30 car tabs on the ballot. The initiative finally passes and creates a transportation funding panic. A lawsuit is filed and a judge gives an injunction to stop it taking effect. … --- ## [Convince me to support single-payer (US)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-support-single-payer-us/848939)
**Author:** [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Replies:** 201\ **Last updated:** [March 15, 2020, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-support-single-payer-us/848939 "2020-03-15T17:45:01Z")
Overall, I’m not a fan, but I’m not totally against single-payer. I recognize that in principle, a single-payer system would have the largest possible pool and therefore could be more efficient. Major plus. On the othe… --- ## [Can Putin take out Shale?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-putin-take-out-shale/849217)
**Author:** [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [March 13, 2020, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-putin-take-out-shale/849217 "2020-03-13T15:25:30Z")
I’ve seen some articles saying that Putin wants to kill the American shale production industry by lowering prices to below their operation rate for long enough that they can’t run, and go bankrupt. I’m somewhat skeptica… --- ## [What do other religions than Christianity think about free will?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-other-religions-than-christianity-think-about-free-will/849174)
**Author:** [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [March 13, 2020, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-other-religions-than-christianity-think-about-free-will/849174 "2020-03-13T14:33:50Z")
As I understand it, Christian theology (with the caveat that “Christian” covers a multitude of different beliefs, and I don’t know all of them) depends on the belief that we have free will, or else the whole concept of (… --- ## [Oil price war: what does Russia do?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-price-war-what-does-russia-do/849177)
**Author:** [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [March 13, 2020, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-price-war-what-does-russia-do/849177 "2020-03-13T05:27:44Z")
Background. Russia has a $570B fund to live off for now, but the Saudis can outlast them. Neither has much but petro to their economies. Does Russia blink? --- ## [How would we implement UHC in the US (not a political discussion)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-we-implement-uhc-in-the-us-not-a-political-discussion/849288)
**Author:** [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [March 12, 2020, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-we-implement-uhc-in-the-us-not-a-political-discussion/849288 "2020-03-12T17:13:18Z")
Two recent threads (this one and this one) have me convinced that: \[ol\] \[li\]Universal healthcare coverage would be better in almost all respects than the system we have now.\[/li\]\[li\]Changing over to a UHC system will b… --- ## [Reframing "socialism" into "natural human rights"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reframing-socialism-into-natural-human-rights/848789)
**Author:** [@JcWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JcWoman)\ **Replies:** 201\ **Last updated:** [March 12, 2020, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reframing-socialism-into-natural-human-rights/848789 "2020-03-12T17:41:15Z")
So in the long debates we’ve been having about health care in the USA, I’ve come to a new way of thinking about some things. Generally a lot of people consider things like single-payer health care to be socialism. I’m … --- ## [Vote for the country or vote for yourself?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-country-or-vote-for-yourself/849239)
**Author:** [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [March 11, 2020, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-country-or-vote-for-yourself/849239 "2020-03-11T14:41:41Z")
Position A: I will vote for the candidate who I think will make my personal life better. It doesn’t matter what the cost is to others to make that happen. If everybody voted like me and the candidate won (both Electoral … --- ## [Stopping would-be mass shooters who have clean backgrounds](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stopping-would-be-mass-shooters-who-have-clean-backgrounds/848929)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 144\ **Last updated:** [March 11, 2020, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stopping-would-be-mass-shooters-who-have-clean-backgrounds/848929 "2020-03-11T14:15:21Z")
Eliot Rodger and Stephen Paddock both passed all of their required background checks for buying firearms. There are, doubtlessly, other mass shooters who had a clean background check at the buying process, too, but I’m a… --- ## [Does having a friend or an acquaintance of another race/ethnicity matter?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-having-a-friend-or-an-acquaintance-of-another-race-ethnicity-matter/849075)
**Author:** [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankees_1996_Champs)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [March 10, 2020, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-having-a-friend-or-an-acquaintance-of-another-race-ethnicity-matter/849075 "2020-03-10T18:35:34Z")
Does it really matter? In race-obsessed America, they say that whites and blacks and Latinos and other groups should make friendships with each other, etc. Does it matter if a white man only has white friends, a white … --- ## [Is standard gauge the best gauge for high speed rail?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-standard-gauge-the-best-gauge-for-high-speed-rail/848736)
**Author:** [@Yakamaniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yakamaniac)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [March 9, 2020, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-standard-gauge-the-best-gauge-for-high-speed-rail/848736 "2020-03-09T04:26:38Z")
There seems to be little impetus to experiment with different track gauges when designing high speed rail systems Is this because of the proven superiority of the standard gauge, or just reluctance to buck the system? … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=54) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=56)