# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=63 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 64 --- ## [WTC7 collapse, new numerical results](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc7-collapse-new-numerical-results/840064)
**Author:** [@namahoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/namahoo)\ **Replies:** 389\ **Last updated:** [October 4, 2019, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc7-collapse-new-numerical-results/840064 "2019-10-04T17:43:40Z")
Hello all, The long-awaited study from the University of Alaska/Fairbanks was out a few days back, with appropriate media coverage. But if you missed it, here’s a heads up. They seem to rule out NIST’s proposed collaps… --- ## [Baizuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baizuo/839749)
**Author:** [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Replies:** 168\ **Last updated:** [October 4, 2019, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baizuo/839749 "2019-10-04T15:59:29Z")
I have run into this term more and more frequently in some online discussions and the premise seems to be that western liberals have jumped the shark. Don’t get me wrong, the racism we see from the right still ensures t… --- ## [Does the scientific community find Organic foodies and Climate change deniers equally ignoble ?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-scientific-community-find-organic-foodies-and-climate-change-deniers-equally-ignoble/841119)
**Author:** [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Replies:** 42\ **Last updated:** [October 4, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-scientific-community-find-organic-foodies-and-climate-change-deniers-equally-ignoble/841119 "2019-10-04T15:35:29Z")
I get it that Climate Change deniers will have a huge impact on Humankind’s future. Maybe the hoax of Organic foods has less impact (it has some impact on increased land and water usage) on the overall eco-system. Since… --- ## ["Some people did something" quote](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-did-something-quote/832484)
**Author:** [@ishamael69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ishamael69)\ **Replies:** 77\ **Last updated:** [October 4, 2019, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-did-something-quote/832484 "2019-10-04T14:39:51Z")
I’m hoping to keep this GQ, but I have my doubts as to if it is possible. Rep. Omar said, “far too long we have lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen and frankly, I’m tired of it, and every single Mu… --- ## [Constitutional Rights: Do they apply to everyone inside the USA or just citizens?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/constitutional-rights-do-they-apply-to-everyone-inside-the-usa-or-just-citizens/841030)
**Author:** [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Replies:** 155\ **Last updated:** [October 4, 2019, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/constitutional-rights-do-they-apply-to-everyone-inside-the-usa-or-just-citizens/841030 "2019-10-04T04:57:56Z")
If the answer is “everyone within the bounds of the USA”, a. Do unwanted visitors also have Constitutional Rights? (such as illegal immigrants who gained access by force or deception) b. What about invading armies (… --- ## [Is the FBI right in decrying the stronger encryption about to come to smartphones?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-fbi-right-in-decrying-the-stronger-encryption-about-to-come-to-smartphones/699754)
**Author:** [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Replies:** 293\ **Last updated:** [October 4, 2019, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-fbi-right-in-decrying-the-stronger-encryption-about-to-come-to-smartphones/699754 "2019-10-04T01:28:56Z")
The FBI (and various police forces) have strongly condemned plans for both Apple iPhones and those coming from Google to soon be much more resistant to ‘cracking’. Here’s one of many articles of relevance. Personally, I… --- ## ["Shooting migrants in the legs". Is this legal? If Area 51 trespassers can be shot...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-migrants-in-the-legs-is-this-legal-if-area-51-trespassers-can-be-shot/841133)
**Author:** [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Replies:** 61\ **Last updated:** [October 3, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-migrants-in-the-legs-is-this-legal-if-area-51-trespassers-can-be-shot/841133 "2019-10-03T19:08:34Z")
So, Trump has expressed a desire, per CNN, to have illegal immigrants shot. This would be an inhumane, despicable act. And it doesn’t address the root cause of illegal immigration. (though, in reality, it might be an … --- ## [Savage beating](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/savage-beating/840405)
**Author:** [@UCBearcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UCBearcats)\ **Replies:** 163\ **Last updated:** [October 3, 2019, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/savage-beating/840405 "2019-10-03T16:21:26Z")
What the hell is wrong with people to do this to another person? Given the racial makeup of this act, why are they not being charge with a hate crime? Imho I hope none of these guys are out for a couple decades. --- ## [Should corporations pay a mandatory dividend to employees?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-corporations-pay-a-mandatory-dividend-to-employees/840672)
**Author:** [@CoastalMaineiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoastalMaineiac)\ **Replies:** 39\ **Last updated:** [October 2, 2019, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-corporations-pay-a-mandatory-dividend-to-employees/840672 "2019-10-02T20:40:50Z")
I remember reading once that corporations located in a South American country (I think it was Chile, but I’m not sure) were mandated by law to pay out dividends to shareholders. I can’t remember the amount, but it was a … --- ## ['Global leaders are to blame'...a(nother) discussion about climate change](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-leaders-are-to-blame-a-nother-discussion-about-climate-change/840726)
**Author:** [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Replies:** 157\ **Last updated:** [October 2, 2019, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-leaders-are-to-blame-a-nother-discussion-about-climate-change/840726 "2019-10-02T13:58:14Z")
So, I’m sure everyone has heard or read about Greta Thunberg, blasting ‘global leaders’ and telling them that they are to blame for the lack of progress on climate change. Here is a CNN article on it, though if you don’… --- ## [How Should I Feel About This "Traffic Stop"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-feel-about-this-traffic-stop/839928)
**Author:** [@chargerrich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chargerrich)\ **Replies:** 64\ **Last updated:** [October 2, 2019, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-feel-about-this-traffic-stop/839928 "2019-10-02T12:26:18Z")
(after submitting this, I realize it maybe better belongs in great debates, my apologies and mods, feel free to move) Let me preface this by stating that I have never been pulled over in my life for anything other than … --- ## [A modest gun control proposal (that I doubt has much support on either side)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-modest-gun-control-proposal-that-i-doubt-has-much-support-on-either-side/840286)
**Author:** [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [October 1, 2019, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-modest-gun-control-proposal-that-i-doubt-has-much-support-on-either-side/840286 "2019-10-01T21:21:55Z")
There’s a rumor floating around that one of the proposals the White House is weighing is a phone app to allow private parties to conduct their own NICS checks. I can think of various reasons conservatives probably would… --- ## [Using kids as spokespersons for a political cause: Does it really achieve the desired effect?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-kids-as-spokespersons-for-a-political-cause-does-it-really-achieve-the-desired-effect/840801)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 130\ **Last updated:** [September 30, 2019, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-kids-as-spokespersons-for-a-political-cause-does-it-really-achieve-the-desired-effect/840801 "2019-09-30T19:44:00Z")
Ignoring (for this thread) the merits/demerits of Thunberg’s speech at the UN, or Thunberg herself specifically: Does using kids as the spokespeople for a cause really win over an audience? Maybe this is confirmation bi… --- ## [Solution to USA Mass shootings](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-usa-mass-shootings/840391)
**Author:** [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Replies:** 271\ **Last updated:** [September 30, 2019, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-usa-mass-shootings/840391 "2019-09-30T05:39:35Z")
As noted sociologists and other experts have proved- it’s not the guns, it’s the media. The media glorifying the shooters is what has caused the large uptick in mass shooting in this century. As I showed over in the el… --- ## [Why is a broad-based carbon tax with dividend so politically difficult?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-broad-based-carbon-tax-with-dividend-so-politically-difficult/840779)
**Author:** [@Delayed\_Reflex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delayed_Reflex)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [September 30, 2019, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-broad-based-carbon-tax-with-dividend-so-politically-difficult/840779 "2019-09-30T00:10:29Z")
I’ve always wondered why a broad-based carbon tax with 100% of the proceeds refunded to the populace is not a more common approach for attempting to address climate change. It seems like as long as you agree that climat… --- ## [What if it was confirmed that we live in a computer simulation (Matrix Disclosure)?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-it-was-confirmed-that-we-live-in-a-computer-simulation-matrix-disclosure/840927)
**Author:** [@Kamaski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamaski)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [September 27, 2019, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-it-was-confirmed-that-we-live-in-a-computer-simulation-matrix-disclosure/840927 "2019-09-27T22:30:46Z")
What if the president comes out on live tv and says full stop we live in the Matrix. The average person doesn’t actually control their life, its all predetermined by the sim. Would there be protests/ mass freakouts? --- ## [Should we hold judges personally accountable for their rulings?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-hold-judges-personally-accountable-for-their-rulings/840127)
**Author:** [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Replies:** 128\ **Last updated:** [September 26, 2019, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-hold-judges-personally-accountable-for-their-rulings/840127 "2019-09-26T18:34:20Z")
An interesting development has happened in the saga of Brock Turner the rapist. Aaorn Persky, the judge from that case who was eventually recalled by the electorate in the first recall election in a century, went on to g… --- ## [PA court ruling changes rules on standing?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pa-court-ruling-changes-rules-on-standing/840510)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [September 26, 2019, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pa-court-ruling-changes-rules-on-standing/840510 "2019-09-26T13:55:16Z")
Note: although the suit in question is over gun control ordinances, this thread isn’t about guns or gun control per se and I’d really like to not get bogged down on that. Rather, it’s about a radical change in the requir… --- ## [Difference between a "troll", and someone who sincerely holds a loathsome opinion](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-troll-and-someone-who-sincerely-holds-a-loathsome-opinion/840652)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [September 26, 2019, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-troll-and-someone-who-sincerely-holds-a-loathsome-opinion/840652 "2019-09-26T01:22:28Z")
This is more of an ATMB thread, but many people don’t go there, and such threads usually vanish after a few days anyway in ATMB: I think there is a fine, but real, difference between someone who is “trolling” and someon… --- ## [The President is essentially above the law](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-is-essentially-above-the-law/840516)
**Author:** [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [September 24, 2019, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-is-essentially-above-the-law/840516 "2019-09-24T01:38:41Z")
President Trump through his lawyers is invoking immunity from prosecution again. In essence, he is saying that for as long as he is President, he is above the law. He could commit a crime while in office, and cannot be p… --- ## [Why is heathcare privacy valuable to individuals? Should HIPAA be relaxed?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-heathcare-privacy-valuable-to-individuals-should-hipaa-be-relaxed/840619)
**Author:** [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Replies:** 47\ **Last updated:** [September 23, 2019, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-heathcare-privacy-valuable-to-individuals-should-hipaa-be-relaxed/840619 "2019-09-23T16:00:52Z")
Every person in the USA who takes a drug and experiences a side effect, or gets sick and is treated in some way and survives or dies is a data point. To improve medical treatment for those of us who are still alive, unb… --- ## [Why do/should cops that abuse their authority keep their job?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-should-cops-that-abuse-their-authority-keep-their-job/840267)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [September 23, 2019, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-should-cops-that-abuse-their-authority-keep-their-job/840267 "2019-09-23T14:46:16Z")
I could pull up many videos of cops that use their authority to abuse the public. This includes Lying about consent laws\* then arresting people on no evidence when they legally refuse. Demanding a pregnant black\*\* wom… --- ## [Are bumpstocks and silencers firearms in and of themselves?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bumpstocks-and-silencers-firearms-in-and-of-themselves/840522)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 67\ **Last updated:** [September 23, 2019, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bumpstocks-and-silencers-firearms-in-and-of-themselves/840522 "2019-09-23T13:08:58Z")
MartinLane tries to show that Trump has “grabbed more guns” than any other President because bump stocks and (later) silencers are firearms in and of themselves, so that when bump stocks were banned it was a massive “gun… --- ## [The US should stay the fuck out of the Saudia Arabia/Yemen(/Iran?) war](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-should-stay-the-fuck-out-of-the-saudia-arabia-yemen-iran-war/840501)
**Author:** [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Replies:** 74\ **Last updated:** [September 22, 2019, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-should-stay-the-fuck-out-of-the-saudia-arabia-yemen-iran-war/840501 "2019-09-22T16:33:23Z")
Saudi Arabia is not our ally. They also have plenty of troops, weapons and technology (much of which we sold to them) to handle their own shit, IMO. We don’t even need their oil, seeing as how America is now a the larg… --- ## [UK politics question: Who are these Liberal Democract?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-politics-question-who-are-these-liberal-democract/840245)
**Author:** [@kirkrapine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirkrapine)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [September 20, 2019, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-politics-question-who-are-these-liberal-democract/840245 "2019-09-20T21:46:27Z")
I mean, are they leftists, or libertarians, or what? I know the party was formed from a merger of the libertarian Liberal Party with the leftist Social Democrats. So how could it go into coalition with the Tories, of a… --- ## [ICE releases letter claiming they do not need a warrant for arrests - are Gestapo comparisons valid?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-releases-letter-claiming-they-do-not-need-a-warrant-for-arrests-are-gestapo-comparisons-valid/840260)
**Author:** [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Replies:** 107\ **Last updated:** [September 20, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-releases-letter-claiming-they-do-not-need-a-warrant-for-arrests-are-gestapo-comparisons-valid/840260 "2019-09-20T17:03:18Z")
So this letter from the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agency probably won’t have the intended effect. There’s a lot there, but the relevant part for this thread is this: ICE does not need a warrant to make an ar… --- ## [Is the U.S. really a nation united by political ideals?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-u-s-really-a-nation-united-by-political-ideals/840430)
**Author:** [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [September 20, 2019, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-u-s-really-a-nation-united-by-political-ideals/840430 "2019-09-20T15:45:09Z")
Many of us were brought up believing that the United States was a “propositional nation.” In other words, it was a nation united not by ethnicity but by broad political ideals, such as representative government, rule of … --- ## [To what extent are employers responsible for the mental well-being of their employees?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-are-employers-responsible-for-the-mental-well-being-of-their-employees/840487)
**Author:** [@MrLee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrLee)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [September 20, 2019, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-are-employers-responsible-for-the-mental-well-being-of-their-employees/840487 "2019-09-20T00:30:57Z")
Up until fairly recently, as a manager and employer my philosophy on employee mental health has been that - primarily - it is \*their \*responsibility. This isn’t to say that I don’t care, but I’ve normally considered subo… --- ## [WTF Lewandowski?!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-lewandowski/840412)
**Author:** [@cutman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cutman74)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [September 19, 2019, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-lewandowski/840412 "2019-09-19T21:31:00Z")
I’m mainly a lurker. Was actually hoping someone else would post about the hearing today. I was barely cognizant when the Oliver North, Ronald Reagan(Hallowed Be Thy Name), Iran/Contra Thing went on. After watching the… --- ## [Trump administration plan to revoke/overule California's emission standards - constitutional?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-administration-plan-to-revoke-overule-californias-emission-standards-constitutional/840414)
**Author:** [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [September 19, 2019, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-administration-plan-to-revoke-overule-californias-emission-standards-constitutional/840414 "2019-09-19T18:28:08Z")
This is not about the desirability (or morality) of Trump’s plan. I am curious to know how such a thing can be constitutional. I am not an American so may have this wrong, but don’t the states frequently establish their… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=62) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=64)