# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=65 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 66 --- ## [Could government ban the possession of ammunition?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-government-ban-the-possession-of-ammunition/836787)
**Author:** [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Replies:** 76\ **Last updated:** [September 9, 2019, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-government-ban-the-possession-of-ammunition/836787 "2019-09-09T05:20:29Z")
Comedian Chris Rock has said that we don’t need to regulate guns, what we need to do is regulate bullets. NPR had a story yesterday (7/8/19) concerning Virginia’s efforts to restrict guns at government public meetings an… --- ## [Doesn't the U.S. spend too long electing a president?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doesnt-the-u-s-spend-too-long-electing-a-president/839886)
**Author:** [@kirkrapine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirkrapine)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [September 8, 2019, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doesnt-the-u-s-spend-too-long-electing-a-president/839886 "2019-09-08T23:09:23Z")
Let every state have its primary on the same day – in June of election year. That allows enough time for summer conventions and post-convention campaigning. --- ## [What now for Zimbabwe?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-zimbabwe/839873)
**Author:** [@kirkrapine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirkrapine)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [September 8, 2019, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-zimbabwe/839873 "2019-09-08T08:37:45Z")
Mugabe’s gone – what next? --- ## [Are we being lied to about the Amazon rainforest burning's effect on earth's oxygen levels?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-being-lied-to-about-the-amazon-rainforest-burnings-effect-on-earths-oxygen-levels/839378)
**Author:** [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [September 7, 2019, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-being-lied-to-about-the-amazon-rainforest-burnings-effect-on-earths-oxygen-levels/839378 "2019-09-07T19:13:55Z")
Now, I dont know, but I just read this article in the Atlantic that debunks the storythat 20% of the worlds oxygen is produced in the Amazon rainforests and as they burn, so will our planets oxygen. I dont know. I dont … --- ## [Fox News "isn't working for us anymore" sayeth Trump (?!?)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-isnt-working-for-us-anymore-sayeth-trump/839474)
**Author:** [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [September 6, 2019, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-isnt-working-for-us-anymore-sayeth-trump/839474 "2019-09-06T11:01:11Z")
So recently, the president said “Fox News isn’t working for us anymore”, based on their coverage recently. This started a controversy involving Fox News, where they’re apparently very irritated saying they don’t work fo… --- ## [We should have housing policies like Tokyo](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-should-have-housing-policies-like-tokyo/838291)
**Author:** [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Replies:** 205\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2019, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-should-have-housing-policies-like-tokyo/838291 "2019-09-05T22:05:37Z")
Tokyo is one of the greatest and most advanced cities in the world. The average monthly rent for a 2 BR apartment in Tokyo is under $1000. Compare that to NYC, SF, DC, or the big European metro areas. They functiona… --- ## [Are 'business ethics' ethical?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-business-ethics-ethical/839321)
**Author:** [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Replies:** 53\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2019, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-business-ethics-ethical/839321 "2019-09-05T20:26:29Z")
I’ve seen a number of threads where people discuss how one should ethically handle business like situations, for example “should I try to pay off this loan or declare bankruptcy” or “if you take a crappy job but are appl… --- ## [Personal responsibility, or avoiding responsibility?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-responsibility-or-avoiding-responsibility/837550)
**Author:** [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Replies:** 304\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2019, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-responsibility-or-avoiding-responsibility/837550 "2019-09-04T22:27:31Z")
This is an offshoot from the “which conservative values aren’t based on bigotry” thread. From page 1: For the purposes of this thread, let’s sidestep Airbeck’s point about whether or not personal responsibility is e… --- ## [Will Professors try to turn me into an athiest in College](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-professors-try-to-turn-me-into-an-athiest-in-college/238419)
**Author:** [@Faucet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Faucet)\ **Replies:** 93\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2019, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-professors-try-to-turn-me-into-an-athiest-in-college/238419 "2019-09-02T00:18:10Z")
I go to a Christian High School right now and my science teacher told me that if I was considering going into any type of field requiring a lot of science then I should try to get into a Christian University he said that… --- ## ['Celebrating' overweight celebrities](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrating-overweight-celebrities/839057)
**Author:** [@oligopoly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oligopoly)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [August 31, 2019, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrating-overweight-celebrities/839057 "2019-08-31T14:42:46Z")
There are several actors these days who are overweight and go as far as to joke about their penchant for eating, lack of exercise etc in their films. Rebel Wilson is the one that comes to mind. Should these overweight a… --- ## [Poor States, Rich States.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-states-rich-states/839124)
**Author:** [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Replies:** 63\ **Last updated:** [August 31, 2019, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-states-rich-states/839124 "2019-08-31T06:35:00Z")
No doubt about it, there are poor states and rich states in the USA. Most Southern states are poor I understand. And New York and California are very rich. But why is this so? We’re supposedly part of the same country. … --- ## [Gay genetics - good news or bad?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-genetics-good-news-or-bad/839453)
**Author:** [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [August 31, 2019, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-genetics-good-news-or-bad/839453 "2019-08-31T05:38:52Z")
So there’s a study out, which will no doubt be vastly misquoted and overblown, that suggests thatgay men and Lesbian women share certain genetic interactions different from people with a heterosexual orientation. On the… --- ## [Implications of a China-US trade war](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/implications-of-a-china-us-trade-war/839221)
**Author:** [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [August 29, 2019, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/implications-of-a-china-us-trade-war/839221 "2019-08-29T18:51:16Z")
Classical conservatism would seem to emphasize stable institutions, small government, balanced budgets and encouraging international trade. Obviously, Trump is offering something different, and has recently doubled down… --- ## [The true purpose of a statute of limitations](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-true-purpose-of-a-statute-of-limitations/838532)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [August 29, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-true-purpose-of-a-statute-of-limitations/838532 "2019-08-29T14:59:57Z")
I’ve read that the purpose of a statute of limitations (SoL) is to protect a would-be defendant from being accused of a crime that is so far back in time that he/she would not be able to mount an effective defense agains… --- ## [Resume of world trade after a full scale nuclear war](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resume-of-world-trade-after-a-full-scale-nuclear-war/838953)
**Author:** [@dr\_zippermeyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dr_zippermeyer)\ **Replies:** 63\ **Last updated:** [August 28, 2019, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resume-of-world-trade-after-a-full-scale-nuclear-war/838953 "2019-08-28T12:23:59Z")
How long would it take for world trade to start recover after a full scale nuclear war? For example, let’s assume USSR and USA got into a war during eighties and of course dragged lots of other countries with them. I fi… --- ## [Trump has added $4 Trillion to the National Debt. Where is the Tea Party?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-has-added-4-trillion-to-the-national-debt-where-is-the-tea-party/838665)
**Author:** [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Replies:** 154\ **Last updated:** [August 28, 2019, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-has-added-4-trillion-to-the-national-debt-where-is-the-tea-party/838665 "2019-08-28T02:28:39Z")
In line with Rush Limbaugh stating “nobody is a fiscal conservative anymore” recently, is it fair to suggest the Tea Party movement was never about the debt, fiscal conservatism is a myth and the GOP will do a total u… --- ## [Is voluntarily doing "eco-friendly" actions always a complete waste of time?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-voluntarily-doing-eco-friendly-actions-always-a-complete-waste-of-time/839249)
**Author:** [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [August 28, 2019, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-voluntarily-doing-eco-friendly-actions-always-a-complete-waste-of-time/839249 "2019-08-28T01:05:48Z")
I have a sneaking suspicion that it is, even on scales where millions of people are doing it. Here me out. Here’s an analogy: Californians are famously “eco-friendly”. They like Teslas and hybrid cars. Let’s suppose… --- ## [Is opposition of slavery is old is slavery itself? Other Q's.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-opposition-of-slavery-is-old-is-slavery-itself-other-qs/838510)
**Author:** [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Replies:** 84\ **Last updated:** [August 23, 2019, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-opposition-of-slavery-is-old-is-slavery-itself-other-qs/838510 "2019-08-23T16:03:13Z")
I’m not sure how far back slavery goes or it’s history. Even in the US where I’m from. Are there any recordings of anti-slave people who were part the privileged class at an early time? What about, later, in the United … --- ## [What "Conservative Values" aren't based on bigotry?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-conservative-values-arent-based-on-bigotry/837176)
**Author:** [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Replies:** 734\ **Last updated:** [August 22, 2019, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-conservative-values-arent-based-on-bigotry/837176 "2019-08-22T17:24:55Z")
In a current thread, a poster claimed that it was unfair to conflate ‘conservative values’ with bigotry. So I would like for conservative posters to list some mainstream conservative values that aren’t based directly big… --- ## [How valuable would Greenland be to the United States?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 103\ **Last updated:** [August 22, 2019, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752 "2019-08-22T14:25:45Z")
Let’s ignore for now how ridiculous it may look for the Trump administration to be expressing interest in buying Greenland from Denmark, or how much of a political non-starter it may be to the Danes. How valuable is Gre… --- ## [Why is Israel rich and Palestine poor?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-israel-rich-and-palestine-poor/643629)
**Author:** [@blood63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blood63)\ **Replies:** 233\ **Last updated:** [August 22, 2019, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-israel-rich-and-palestine-poor/643629 "2019-08-22T11:57:26Z")
Here are some possible answers. Israeli got all the good land in 1948. Rich Jews send a lot of money to Israeli. Why rich Arabs do not send money to Palestine is a mystery. The US supports Israel with huge amount of c… --- ## [Is health care being given too much attention?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-health-care-being-given-too-much-attention/838843)
**Author:** [@LoneRhino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LoneRhino)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [August 22, 2019, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-health-care-being-given-too-much-attention/838843 "2019-08-22T04:04:11Z")
In the Democratic debates and on several threads here and elsewhere health care is one of, if not the most, talked about issue. Health care is primarily a legislative issue. The best that the president can do is strength… --- ## [End qualified immunity. Or at least significantly curtail it.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-qualified-immunity-or-at-least-significantly-curtail-it/838367)
**Author:** [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [August 22, 2019, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-qualified-immunity-or-at-least-significantly-curtail-it/838367 "2019-08-22T01:46:44Z")
It is time to do something about qualified immunity, the concept that unless there is a clearly defined right not to be hurt by an official in your jurisdiction in a specific manner, the official is immune from prosecuti… --- ## [Instead of "Build the wall", "E-verify, E-verify, E-verify"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instead-of-build-the-wall-e-verify-e-verify-e-verify/838794)
**Author:** [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [August 21, 2019, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instead-of-build-the-wall-e-verify-e-verify-e-verify/838794 "2019-08-21T23:18:16Z")
So it turns out that E-verify isn’t required nationwide. I am actually pretty shocked to learn this. Note that e-verify, combined with modest enforcement effort from ICE, would make employment of illegal immigrants ver… --- ## [Anti-Semitism and the accusations agains Representative Ilhan Omar.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-semitism-and-the-accusations-agains-representative-ilhan-omar/830568)
**Author:** [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Replies:** 596\ **Last updated:** [August 21, 2019, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-semitism-and-the-accusations-agains-representative-ilhan-omar/830568 "2019-08-21T19:04:57Z")
The House Democrats are preparing a resolution on anti-Semitism following some statements made by Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota). From what I’ve read, Representative Omar seems to be making the following argu… --- ## ["Israel's existence is illegal, therefore it should vanish?" (focusing on one argument only)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israels-existence-is-illegal-therefore-it-should-vanish-focusing-on-one-argument-only/837675)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 107\ **Last updated:** [August 21, 2019, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israels-existence-is-illegal-therefore-it-should-vanish-focusing-on-one-argument-only/837675 "2019-08-21T16:29:44Z")
Trying to sidestep the whole sprawling mess that is the Israel-Palestine issue and just asking about one specific particular thing: AIUI, most Palestinians just want their own independent Palestine nation. But there ar… --- ## [How would Right Wingers feel about arming illegal immigrants?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-right-wingers-feel-about-arming-illegal-immigrants/838911)
**Author:** [@Barack\_Obama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barack_Obama)\ **Replies:** 50\ **Last updated:** [August 20, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-right-wingers-feel-about-arming-illegal-immigrants/838911 "2019-08-20T16:08:04Z")
So I have an apparently not so crazy idea, since the 2nd amendment is suppose to be in place so we can fend off a tyrannical government, what if we gave firearms to the people who apparently need them the most, illegals.… --- ## [How much can we trust polling?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-we-trust-polling/838798)
**Author:** [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [August 19, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-we-trust-polling/838798 "2019-08-19T15:26:03Z")
I was going to post this in GQ, however my last question ended up here… So it’s up to the moderator. I understand poser important, but how much can we trust them? Are they still using land-lines? Who the hell are they p… --- ## [How well is the renewable energy transformation going in Germany?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-well-is-the-renewable-energy-transformation-going-in-germany/838799)
**Author:** [@mako88sb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mako88sb)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [August 17, 2019, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-well-is-the-renewable-energy-transformation-going-in-germany/838799 "2019-08-17T21:37:20Z")
Interesting article from the President of Environmental Progress: https://twitter.com/ShellenbergerMD --- ## [How are global agricultural markets realigning as a result of Trumpism and his trade policies](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-global-agricultural-markets-realigning-as-a-result-of-trumpism-and-his-trade-policies/838715)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [August 16, 2019, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-global-agricultural-markets-realigning-as-a-result-of-trumpism-and-his-trade-policies/838715 "2019-08-16T23:03:34Z")
Trump’s trade policies supposedly sent China looking for other supplies of agricultural products. Which products exactly, and which nations are now becoming their suppliers? I’ve heard soybeans are a big one, and that p… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=64) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=66)