# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=655 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 656 --- ## [Kosovo, Kurdistan ... why support what?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kosovo-kurdistan-why-support-what/439364)
**Author:** [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [February 27, 2008, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kosovo-kurdistan-why-support-what/439364 "2008-02-27T23:12:30Z")
Recent events have me asking. When is an independence or secession movement something that should be supported, when is it something that should discouraged, and how do those criteria differ from what we actually do? P… --- ## [Optimal Child-rearing debate](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-child-rearing-debate/438308)
**Author:** [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Replies:** 74\ **Last updated:** [February 27, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-child-rearing-debate/438308 "2008-02-27T15:27:18Z")
I hope we can get a debate going. I have a 1 year old boy. I have been reading a lot of books about child-rearing. The problem with most of these books is that most of them are very helpful in telling one about keeping … --- ## [A man arrested for having a box cutter on a plane and religious bigotry](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-man-arrested-for-having-a-box-cutter-on-a-plane-and-religious-bigotry/438500)
**Author:** [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\ **Replies:** 97\ **Last updated:** [February 26, 2008, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-man-arrested-for-having-a-box-cutter-on-a-plane-and-religious-bigotry/438500 "2008-02-26T23:30:47Z")
A man flaying from Tampa to Las Vegas was arrested after security personnel found a box cutter in a hollowed-out book (see picture in the link). The man claims that he hollowed it out to hide money and marijuana from his… --- ## [The 80s were the most philosophically stable decade of the past half-century](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-were-the-most-philosophically-stable-decade-of-the-past-half-century/438090)
**Author:** [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Replies:** 57\ **Last updated:** [February 26, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-were-the-most-philosophically-stable-decade-of-the-past-half-century/438090 "2008-02-26T21:33:50Z")
I believe that the 1980s were the most philosophically and culturally stable decade of the past fifty years. I attribute this belief to many things, but at the bottom is Science Fiction and Atari. You have the 50s, the … --- ## [I'm not going to vote this year.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-going-to-vote-this-year/438649)
**Author:** [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Replies:** 77\ **Last updated:** [February 26, 2008, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-going-to-vote-this-year/438649 "2008-02-26T18:41:37Z")
I did, I went and voted even when it made trouble for me at work in the past. Hell, I pulled the lever for Nader/LaDuke one time. (Didn’t mattter, I’m in TX anyways.) I give up. The bad folks have won. Eight Fucking… --- ## [Will Feng Sui Spur Fast food?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-feng-sui-spur-fast-food/439136)
**Author:** [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [February 26, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-feng-sui-spur-fast-food/439136 "2008-02-26T18:26:43Z")
A McDonald’s in CA has been designed with Feng Sui principles:Yahoo Finance - Stock Market Live, Quotes, Business & Finance News So, does “CHI” help you sell Big Macs? Any chance other restaurants will follow up? --- ## [Handicapping March 4th Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapping-march-4th-texas-ohio-vermont-and-rhode-island/439075)
**Author:** [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [February 26, 2008, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapping-march-4th-texas-ohio-vermont-and-rhode-island/439075 "2008-02-26T13:54:39Z")
There it is: Who will come out victorious and who will fizzle and die a week from tomorrow. My take: Whoever is telling Clinton to act all nicey nice during a debate then start slinging loads of crapola needs to get fir… --- ## [Are we doing business better nowadays?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doing-business-better-nowadays/439123)
**Author:** [@BACI](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BACI)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [February 26, 2008, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doing-business-better-nowadays/439123 "2008-02-26T05:11:28Z")
I’m the product of a business school education, and plenty of experience in highly respected organisations. Sometimes I find myself wondering if I suddenly found myself back a century, whether I would actually be able to… --- ## [Christians is it wrong to own two coats? How about luxuries? And so on...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-is-it-wrong-to-own-two-coats-how-about-luxuries-and-so-on/437249)
**Author:** [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\ **Replies:** 200\ **Last updated:** [February 26, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-is-it-wrong-to-own-two-coats-how-about-luxuries-and-so-on/437249 "2008-02-26T02:47:44Z")
I was reading Luke and in it there is a quote that if a man has two coats he should give one to the poor that have none. If you are a Christian, do you own two coats? How do you reconcile this with Luke? I think we can a… --- ## [Mindset When Changing Religions](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mindset-when-changing-religions/439124)
**Author:** [@CapnPitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CapnPitt)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [February 25, 2008, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mindset-when-changing-religions/439124 "2008-02-25T22:23:11Z")
I’m not sure if this is the right place, but this is where most of the religious stuff I see ends up, so I’ll post it here. Mods, feel free to move. I just read this story from Time that reports on the new Pew survey o… --- ## [Fidel Castro may retire](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fidel-castro-may-retire/430519)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 47\ **Last updated:** [February 25, 2008, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fidel-castro-may-retire/430519 "2008-02-25T14:41:56Z")
Story here. Kind of anticlimactic, he’s 81, after all – they won’t be dancing in the streets of Miami over this. But, what now? Is brother Raul’s accession to the presidency automatically assured? Any chance of a sha… --- ## [Will Communism ever reassert itself?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-communism-ever-reassert-itself/438387)
**Author:** [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Replies:** 115\ **Last updated:** [February 25, 2008, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-communism-ever-reassert-itself/438387 "2008-02-25T14:27:35Z")
And become a viable form of government for many nations? With Castro’s impending retirement I’d thought I’d broach the subject here. I realize that what passed for Communism in the USSR, China, and yes even Cuba wasn’t… --- ## [Michelle Obama](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obama/438419)
**Author:** [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Replies:** 101\ **Last updated:** [February 25, 2008, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obama/438419 "2008-02-25T08:04:42Z")
Michelle Obama has been a very effective campaigner with women, the working class and blacks but she has stuck her foot in ther mouth more than once. She said that we were only going to get one shot at Obama, it is now … --- ## [Regarding the FL and MI Democratic delegates](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-the-fl-and-mi-democratic-delegates/438722)
**Author:** [@Whiteknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiteknight)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [February 25, 2008, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-the-fl-and-mi-democratic-delegates/438722 "2008-02-25T04:10:08Z")
According to this poll , a significant number of people seem to think that Florida’s and Michigan’s delegates should be seated per the early primary results. What are these people thinking!? I could see a very weak arg… --- ## [Dan Rather and the forged letter](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dan-rather-and-the-forged-letter/438879)
**Author:** [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [February 25, 2008, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dan-rather-and-the-forged-letter/438879 "2008-02-25T03:22:20Z")
Most people know about the famous 60 Minutes exposee of George W Bush’s conduct as an Air Force Reservist during the Vietnam era, but the key dispute in the story - the “forged” letter, has all kinds of mystery to it. S… --- ## [Interesting Chuck Hagel interview (2/24)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-chuck-hagel-interview-2-24/438998)
**Author:** [@Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Key_Lime_Guy)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [February 24, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-chuck-hagel-interview-2-24/438998 "2008-02-24T23:27:43Z")
…on one of the Sunday morning shows. Anyone else see it & react? (the essence of it, summarized from memory) Q: Will you support McCain? A: Not willing to talk about it right now. Q: What about Nader jumping in? A:… --- ## [What is the most dangerous economic problem facing the US?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-economic-problem-facing-the-us/438923)
**Author:** [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [February 24, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-economic-problem-facing-the-us/438923 "2008-02-24T16:14:43Z")
In the next ten years and discounting highly implausible scenarios, that is. Would it be the trade deficit between the US and China? Current federal overspending? The housing bust? Thanks, Rob --- ## [Obama and The Pledge of Allegiance](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-the-pledge-of-allegiance/438875)
**Author:** [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [February 24, 2008, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-the-pledge-of-allegiance/438875 "2008-02-24T16:01:24Z")
I was watching Bill Maher last night and one of the guests (I forget which one) claimed that Obama refuses, or had refused on one occasion, to say the PofA. Is there any truth in this? And does it matter. I doubt that I’… --- ## [What would it take for the US to "wipe a country off the map".](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-the-us-to-wipe-a-country-off-the-map/438640)
**Author:** [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [February 24, 2008, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-the-us-to-wipe-a-country-off-the-map/438640 "2008-02-24T14:23:10Z")
I ask this question because i am a fan of the show Jericho. In the show government conspirators set off nukes in 23 US cities and point the blame over to Iran and North Korea. The bombs are not from missiles but were set… --- ## [Coercion](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coercion/438871)
**Author:** [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [February 24, 2008, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coercion/438871 "2008-02-24T07:28:59Z")
… is and always has been THE political and moral issue, the core around which all the other argumentation swirls. \[Proposition One\] Oddly enough, it’s not greatly controversial in and of itself: nearly everyone’s aga… --- ## [Under reported stories of 2008](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-reported-stories-of-2008/438862)
**Author:** [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [February 24, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-reported-stories-of-2008/438862 "2008-02-24T02:46:31Z")
Since 1976 Sanoma Univ. has collected what they believe are the most under reported or ignored stories. This is the 2008 group. What do you think about them? They say they have hundreds of people involved in the proce… --- ## [" I am honored to be sitting next to Barack Obama.."](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-honored-to-be-sitting-next-to-barack-obama/438710)
**Author:** [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Replies:** 77\ **Last updated:** [February 23, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-honored-to-be-sitting-next-to-barack-obama/438710 "2008-02-23T18:36:03Z")
Leading stories all over today are looking into the final statement by Senator Clinton last night. “I am honored to be sitting next to Barack Obama”. Some, dare I say most, political correspondents were saying it was the… --- ## [should ridiculous be changed to rediculous?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-ridiculous-be-changed-to-rediculous/438709)
**Author:** [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [February 23, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-ridiculous-be-changed-to-rediculous/438709 "2008-02-23T18:08:46Z")
I probably need to find better things to think about when I’m eating, but… I was web surfing during my lunch hour, and visited several forums. I noticed that in each one every time the word “ridiculous” is used it was s… --- ## [What tactics will the Democrats use against the Republicans to win it this year?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-the-democrats-use-against-the-republicans-to-win-it-this-year/438611)
**Author:** [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Replies:** 55\ **Last updated:** [February 23, 2008, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-the-democrats-use-against-the-republicans-to-win-it-this-year/438611 "2008-02-23T15:19:29Z")
All eyes are on Barack Obama - some people hoping he won’t stumble other hoping he will. If we assume he is the Democratic Nominee, which right now it looks like it’s his to lose - what will democrats including HRC do to… --- ## [Security Forces told to Stand Down at Obama Rally. WTF?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-forces-told-to-stand-down-at-obama-rally-wtf/438725)
**Author:** [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [February 23, 2008, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-forces-told-to-stand-down-at-obama-rally-wtf/438725 "2008-02-23T01:39:08Z")
I don’t know if this was mentioned in any of the umpteen other Obama threads, but (a) I feel this deserves a thread of its own, and (b) yeah, this is umpteen and one. As stated in the linked article below, security forc… --- ## [Clinton/ Obama debate](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-obama-debate/438551)
**Author:** [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Replies:** 160\ **Last updated:** [February 23, 2008, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-obama-debate/438551 "2008-02-23T00:27:26Z")
I believe HRC and Obama have a debate tonight. I won’t be able to watch it, since it’ll be around 2 AM for me when it starts and thats assuming AFN airs it. But considering Obama’s winning streak and the HRC campaign’s … --- ## [Obama: the Murdoch angle?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-murdoch-angle/438768)
**Author:** [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [February 22, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-murdoch-angle/438768 "2008-02-22T23:24:45Z")
Today’s editorial in The Times seems pretty negative about Obama. The Times is, of course, a Murdoch paper, so this is probably written \[del\]under orders\[/del\] after a suggestion. Except it’s not published in America bu… --- ## [Obama Versus McCain: Who Would Win?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-versus-mccain-who-would-win/438391)
**Author:** [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Replies:** 74\ **Last updated:** [February 22, 2008, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-versus-mccain-who-would-win/438391 "2008-02-22T23:10:29Z")
The chances of Obama receiving the Democratic nomination look better and better with each passing primary. For sure it will be McCain on the Republican side. Which one would win the Big Contest in November, and why? --- ## [If there is a Devil, wouldn't he be pretending to be God?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-is-a-devil-wouldnt-he-be-pretending-to-be-god/437824)
**Author:** [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Replies:** 99\ **Last updated:** [February 22, 2008, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-is-a-devil-wouldnt-he-be-pretending-to-be-god/437824 "2008-02-22T22:22:50Z")
And wouldn’t he have gotten someone (or ones) to write a (the) Bible and have all of mankind worship him (It sounds like a Devilish ego) and declare war in his name and convert natives in his name, etc. So, all this time… --- ## [Does Freedom Of Speech Require Freedom Of Lies?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-freedom-of-speech-require-freedom-of-lies/438506)
**Author:** [@Strain\_of\_Thought](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strain_of_Thought)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [February 22, 2008, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-freedom-of-speech-require-freedom-of-lies/438506 "2008-02-22T20:28:46Z")
So I saw this video on YouTube. User ‘LiberalViewer’ presents a few examples of contemporary media criticism of speech overwhelmingly held by the general population as false and extremely offensive, and then suggests tha… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=654) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=656)