# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=61 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 62 --- ## [We Have Betrayed the Kurds](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-betrayed-the-kurds/841420)
**Author:** [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Replies:** 492\ **Last updated:** [November 17, 2019, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-betrayed-the-kurds/841420 "2019-11-17T01:01:27Z")
I am sick to my heart. We have handed our allies over to the Turks. There will be a bloodbath. They were fools to trust us. -=Link=- --- ## ["Morality" kills bipartisanship](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-kills-bipartisanship/843092)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [November 15, 2019, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-kills-bipartisanship/843092 "2019-11-15T23:26:35Z")
I use quotation marks for “morality” because there’s no agreement on what is or isn’t moral anymore these days. With that said… “Morality,” or whatever each side holds to be moral, is IMHO the 2nd-biggest factor killin… --- ## [What is sexual objectification?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-sexual-objectification/840217)
**Author:** [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [November 15, 2019, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-sexual-objectification/840217 "2019-11-15T20:09:07Z")
Philosophically, psychologically, and morally speaking, what is sexual objectification and what are the consequences of such objectification? I did a quick web search for some primers, and found the following: \[ul\]\[li\]… --- ## [Nazi Germany: Suppose an "East only, never West" strategy](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nazi-germany-suppose-an-east-only-never-west-strategy/843051)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 113\ **Last updated:** [November 15, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nazi-germany-suppose-an-east-only-never-west-strategy/843051 "2019-11-15T16:37:13Z")
I know we’ve had hundreds of threads about World War II, so I hope there haven’t been threads on this before, or at least, not too recently: In IMHO, a poster asked why most of Europe was so reluctant to go to war with … --- ## [Let's disarm our nukes and see what happens.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-disarm-our-nukes-and-see-what-happens/842725)
**Author:** [@Barack\_Obama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barack_Obama)\ **Replies:** 99\ **Last updated:** [November 10, 2019, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-disarm-our-nukes-and-see-what-happens/842725 "2019-11-10T02:19:34Z")
I propose the US disarm it’s nukes, and let’s see what happens. It’s not like russia or North korea is going to start throwing nukes at us. I think the only real problem that could occur is when say Russia meddles with a… --- ## [Is Mexico a failed state?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mexico-a-failed-state/842178)
**Author:** [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Replies:** 72\ **Last updated:** [November 9, 2019, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mexico-a-failed-state/842178 "2019-11-09T22:56:32Z")
This was posted a couple of days ago, regarding the recent fighting in Culiacán: The fact that a drug cartel was able to fight the army to enough of a stalemate that the government acceded to their demand seems … signi… --- ## [What exactly is a "liberal elite"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-liberal-elite/842609)
**Author:** [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Replies:** 292\ **Last updated:** [November 9, 2019, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-liberal-elite/842609 "2019-11-09T07:17:10Z")
I know conservatives love to talk about lifting yourself from your bootstraps but that’s not monopolised by one politically aligned group of people. Wealth and nepotism is not subject to one group of politically aligned… --- ## [Constructive political compromise -- possible? Desirable?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/constructive-political-compromise-possible-desirable/841983)
**Author:** [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Replies:** 92\ **Last updated:** [November 8, 2019, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/constructive-political-compromise-possible-desirable/841983 "2019-11-08T03:49:58Z")
Something I heard on NPR this morning, I don’t remember what, triggered a thought about a possible presidential candidate (for example) whose platform had the over-arching theme of bipartisanship first, and specific prog… --- ## [Gun control proposals for which the burden falls on criminals and not the law-abiding](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-control-proposals-for-which-the-burden-falls-on-criminals-and-not-the-law-abiding/841925)
**Author:** [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Replies:** 170\ **Last updated:** [November 7, 2019, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-control-proposals-for-which-the-burden-falls-on-criminals-and-not-the-law-abiding/841925 "2019-11-07T20:13:22Z")
It’s a common sentiment among gun owners, or at least activists for the right of the people to keep and bear arms, that many gun control proposals are intentionally crafted to harass / inconvenience / make life harder fo… --- ## [How large should the social safety net be?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-large-should-the-social-safety-net-be/842704)
**Author:** [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Replies:** 197\ **Last updated:** [November 6, 2019, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-large-should-the-social-safety-net-be/842704 "2019-11-06T23:06:24Z")
\[I wasn’t entirely sure where to put this: IMHO? Elections? This seemed the most appropriate landing spot\] Democrats these days are sometimes derided by their opponents for trying to “buy” votes by offering “free” stuf… --- ## [The necessity (or not) of getting new American land-based ICBMs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-necessity-or-not-of-getting-new-american-land-based-icbms/842656)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 59\ **Last updated:** [November 4, 2019, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-necessity-or-not-of-getting-new-american-land-based-icbms/842656 "2019-11-04T23:55:48Z")
The Air Force is looking to get new ICBMs (the GBSD) to replace the aging Minuteman III. The estimated cost is over $80 billion. ISTM that any such land-based ICBMs cannot confer any advantage or benefit that does not a… --- ## [Direct election of District Attorney/Sheriffs, etc](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-election-of-district-attorney-sheriffs-etc/842524)
**Author:** [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [November 4, 2019, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-election-of-district-attorney-sheriffs-etc/842524 "2019-11-04T07:41:47Z")
This is a question from a Non-US perspective, so I may be entirely full of shit, because I am unaware of a nuance or a wider perspective. However it appears to me that holding public elections for ‘Law & Order’ style pos… --- ## [Elizabeth Warren's wealth tax](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-warrens-wealth-tax/842135)
**Author:** [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Replies:** 166\ **Last updated:** [November 1, 2019, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-warrens-wealth-tax/842135 "2019-11-01T17:34:07Z")
Warren proposes a 2% tax on those with a net worth over $50 million. (A) How ya gonna value assets? Tom Brady may be asking $32 million for his house, but is it really worth it? (B) How does this tax get past the U.S.… --- ## [Fear of Congressional D's leaking Baghdadi raid, realistic?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-of-congressional-ds-leaking-baghdadi-raid-realistic/842555)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 120\ **Last updated:** [November 1, 2019, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-of-congressional-ds-leaking-baghdadi-raid-realistic/842555 "2019-11-01T10:31:36Z")
CNN article: Trump refused to inform Congressional Democrats such as Pelosi or Schumer about the al-Baghdadi raid before it happened, due to fear that the D’s would leak it to the media beforehand and get the raid aborte… --- ## [Why is it racist to believe that people from the same racial group look alike?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-racist-to-believe-that-people-from-the-same-racial-group-look-alike/606050)
**Author:** [@Diamonds02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diamonds02)\ **Replies:** 51\ **Last updated:** [November 1, 2019, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-racist-to-believe-that-people-from-the-same-racial-group-look-alike/606050 "2019-11-01T00:58:14Z")
Explain this to me. We have the Caucasians, African Americans, Hispanics, Chinese Americans, Native Americans, and Arabics. People within the same racial group are more likely to have similar physical characteristics. S… --- ## [Why believe in "a" God?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-believe-in-a-god/323967)
**Author:** [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Replies:** 340\ **Last updated:** [October 9, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-believe-in-a-god/323967 "2005-10-09T14:46:36Z")
Man invented God(s) to explain unexplainable events. Romans and Greeks had many Gods who we now dismiss as “mythological.” Bible was written by man. No doubt, a great human being who we now call Jesus Christ was born. B… --- ## [Issues on which it is genuinely not clear who will end up on the "right side of history"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/issues-on-which-it-is-genuinely-not-clear-who-will-end-up-on-the-right-side-of-history/842008)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 89\ **Last updated:** [October 31, 2019, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/issues-on-which-it-is-genuinely-not-clear-who-will-end-up-on-the-right-side-of-history/842008 "2019-10-31T07:27:29Z")
Using same-sex marriage as an example: It was pretty clear, relatively early on, that the pro-SSM side was the “will eventually end up on the right side of history,” and that all the anti-SSM side could do was delay or … --- ## [Obamacare](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare/841364)
**Author:** [@CHealy7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CHealy7)\ **Replies:** 85\ **Last updated:** [October 31, 2019, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare/841364 "2019-10-31T03:30:27Z")
Five year on from its introduction, is it fair to say that this was a scandalous disaster? --- ## [Blaming Bitcoin for enabling child porn](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blaming-bitcoin-for-enabling-child-porn/841905)
**Author:** [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [October 30, 2019, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blaming-bitcoin-for-enabling-child-porn/841905 "2019-10-30T16:22:24Z")
According to this PC Mag article, the Justice Department took down the dark web child porn site Welcome to Video, being run in South Korea. This is obviously good news. However, they “also called out Bitcoin for enabling… --- ## [Should Apple help the government hack into encrypted devices?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-apple-help-the-government-hack-into-encrypted-devices/746333)
**Author:** [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Replies:** 663\ **Last updated:** [October 30, 2019, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-apple-help-the-government-hack-into-encrypted-devices/746333 "2019-10-30T07:53:09Z")
\[The story: \](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/145860f91b854a709c1a47190563c86e/judge-apple-must-help-us-hack-san-bernardino-killers-phone) Apple has refused and CEO Tim Cook posted a letter saying so on their website. … --- ## [Saving Copper Pennies](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-copper-pennies/841861)
**Author:** [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [October 28, 2019, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-copper-pennies/841861 "2019-10-28T22:23:40Z")
Is there any (vaguely legitimate and reasonable) reason to save the pre-1982 US pennies that have a high copper content? Background: Uncle died recently (not very close to him; he lived a full life and it was his time)… --- ## [most significant single event in the 20th century](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-significant-single-event-in-the-20th-century/842021)
**Author:** [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Replies:** 64\ **Last updated:** [October 28, 2019, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-significant-single-event-in-the-20th-century/842021 "2019-10-28T15:38:08Z")
I’m going with the Russian Revolution. If Russia had not become communist China would not have either (would it have happened anywhere?), and can you imagine the 20th century without communism? --- ## [Is the Confederacy/South more interesting than the Union/North?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-confederacy-south-more-interesting-than-the-union-north/841643)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 168\ **Last updated:** [October 27, 2019, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-confederacy-south-more-interesting-than-the-union-north/841643 "2019-10-27T02:04:13Z")
Had this discussion with someone a while back: The discussion was, in fiction/cinema/the arts/historiography, which side of the Civil War was more interesting. The consensus seemed to be that, while the Union was the m… --- ## [Did Churchill help win WWII?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-churchill-help-win-wwii/842032)
**Author:** [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Replies:** 116\ **Last updated:** [October 26, 2019, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-churchill-help-win-wwii/842032 "2019-10-26T12:52:10Z")
There have been several recent movies, and god knows how many bios written, most of them hagiographiers. I read one. And we all know the speech - We shall fight…we shall never surrender etc. We also know that he was a… --- ## [Is there any precedent for the Justice Department's investigation into the Russia investigation?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-precedent-for-the-justice-departments-investigation-into-the-russia-investigation/842288)
**Author:** [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [October 25, 2019, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-precedent-for-the-justice-departments-investigation-into-the-russia-investigation/842288 "2019-10-25T22:38:23Z")
I assume everyone has heard this news by now. Well, yeah, obviously it’s more kowtowing to the Cheeto-in-chief, but has anything of this sort ever been initiated before; that is, a criminal investigation of the cause o… --- ## [Hypothetically, what if an ex-President loses it and starts spilling state secrets?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetically-what-if-an-ex-president-loses-it-and-starts-spilling-state-secrets/841989)
**Author:** [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [October 24, 2019, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetically-what-if-an-ex-president-loses-it-and-starts-spilling-state-secrets/841989 "2019-10-24T22:28:53Z")
Let’s say four years from now a 77-year old Mr. Clinton/Mr. Bush/Mr. Trump develops dementia and starts telling everybody about all the secret programs he worked on as President. How far should the next administration go… --- ## [Let's talk about private scrip & Facebook's upcoming attempt at it](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-private-scrip-facebooks-upcoming-attempt-at-it/835690)
**Author:** [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Replies:** 78\ **Last updated:** [October 24, 2019, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-private-scrip-facebooks-upcoming-attempt-at-it/835690 "2019-10-24T06:00:13Z")
AP story here. I can’t see any government being happy about this, especially the US since that’s where Facebook is headquartered. I also don’t see a way for the US to stop it, as long as Facebook doesn’t try and pay t… --- ## [Is peace in the Middle East even possible when zealous fundamentalist religion is so dominant there?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-peace-in-the-middle-east-even-possible-when-zealous-fundamentalist-religion-is-so-dominant-there/842115)
**Author:** [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2019, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-peace-in-the-middle-east-even-possible-when-zealous-fundamentalist-religion-is-so-dominant-there/842115 "2019-10-23T00:58:11Z")
Is the seemingly always ongoing conflict in the middle east fundamentally religious in nature? This is no great insight but it’s pretty clear that many Sunnis hate non-Sunni Muslims (and Jews), and many Shia Muslims hat… --- ## [Any atheists here who believe in free will?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-atheists-here-who-believe-in-free-will/838240)
**Author:** [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Replies:** 176\ **Last updated:** [October 22, 2019, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-atheists-here-who-believe-in-free-will/838240 "2019-10-22T20:02:54Z")
I know we’ve had a bunch of free will posts on here, but I’m specifically interested in hearing from those who don’t invoke “and then a miracle happens” as part of the argument. I remember being appalled by Richard Dawk… --- ## [Fabian Progressivism in the US](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabian-progressivism-in-the-us/842120)
**Author:** [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [October 22, 2019, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabian-progressivism-in-the-us/842120 "2019-10-22T04:17:36Z")
A Facebook acquaintance and former neighbor linked a video of the Chambers Brothers doing Time Has Come Today, with the single comment, “Why?” Watching the video I saw that the poster has some unresolved issues and what… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=60) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=62)