# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=695 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 696 --- ## [Health care](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/health-care/415524)
**Author:** [@dart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dart)\ **Replies:** 47\ **Last updated:** [August 17, 2007, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/health-care/415524 "2007-08-17T06:10:28Z")
Please tell me why this country can’t get its shit together and set up a system where every human being can receive the best possible care to prevent death. My niece just died at the age of 14 because her parents (and t… --- ## [North American Union - reality or crazy conspiracy theory?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-american-union-reality-or-crazy-conspiracy-theory/408920)
**Author:** [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Replies:** 92\ **Last updated:** [August 16, 2007, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-american-union-reality-or-crazy-conspiracy-theory/408920 "2007-08-16T21:59:14Z")
A lot of right-wing conspiracy theorists are talking about the North American Union. According to them, the United States, Canada, and Mexico are orchestrating a European-style union with open borders, common currency (t… --- ## [Is home ownership a net gain to society?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-home-ownership-a-net-gain-to-society/413408)
**Author:** [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Replies:** 48\ **Last updated:** [August 16, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-home-ownership-a-net-gain-to-society/413408 "2007-08-16T17:52:55Z")
In the thread about abolishing tax deductions, a big topic is the home mortgage interest deduction. Since that’s the biggest deduction the average American family has, it makes sense that it’s at the forefront of the dis… --- ## [Should I tell locals how to break through the \[not so\] Great Firewall?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-tell-locals-how-to-break-through-the-not-so-great-firewall/414835)
**Author:** [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2007, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-tell-locals-how-to-break-through-the-not-so-great-firewall/414835 "2007-08-15T07:32:33Z")
A few of my students (some high-school age, some college age) are really interested in current events, local & international politics, and environmental issues. They are aware that the government here\* heavily censors in… --- ## [What caused the recent stock market crash?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-caused-the-recent-stock-market-crash/415380)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2007, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-caused-the-recent-stock-market-crash/415380 "2007-08-15T02:45:41Z")
Really a GQ sort of question, but I’m putting it in GD because there’s bound to be disagreement. --- ## [Our obligation to Iraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-obligation-to-iraq/415233)
**Author:** [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2007, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-obligation-to-iraq/415233 "2007-08-15T02:37:34Z")
In many discussion about the Iraq situation both here and elsewhere, war supporters says that the United States has a moral obligation to the people of Iraq. Since we created the condition for the current conflict, the … --- ## [Let there be light....](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-there-be-light/414447)
**Author:** [@lightwait](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightwait)\ **Replies:** 169\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2007, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-there-be-light/414447 "2007-08-15T02:32:54Z")
When God said, “Let their be Light:” and there was Light, the only begotten was born—the Light of the world (kosmos). By, in, and through the Light, the heavens and the Earth were born. Moreover, the heavens declare the … --- ## [Rove to resign his WH posts](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rove-to-resign-his-wh-posts/415447)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2007, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rove-to-resign-his-wh-posts/415447 "2007-08-14T22:09:57Z")
Story here. Is he leaving a sinking ship, or does he just believe his work here is done? Will this change anything in the Administration? --- ## [What a difference a decade makes...Cheney's assessment of invading Iraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-difference-a-decade-makes-cheneys-assessment-of-invading-iraq/415535)
**Author:** [@Club\_33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Club_33)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2007, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-difference-a-decade-makes-cheneys-assessment-of-invading-iraq/415535 "2007-08-14T21:46:06Z")
Here is a clip of Cheney in 1994 explaining why we did the right thing in not invading Iraq. It pretty much echoes what George Bush Sr. said at the time. http://influks.com/post1525.html I think his comments in the cli… --- ## [Obama says he might, as POTUS, sent troops into Pakistan without Musharraf's leave](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-says-he-might-as-potus-sent-troops-into-pakistan-without-musharrafs-leave/414121)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 51\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-says-he-might-as-potus-sent-troops-into-pakistan-without-musharrafs-leave/414121 "2007-08-14T19:16:54Z")
Story here. Interesting on many levels: Why is Obama saying this? Is he just trying to appear tough on terror? Would he stick with it if elected? (I’m recalling how Clinton, on the campaign trail, reviled Bush I… --- ## [Which party is more partisan when in power? I think that question can be answered.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-party-is-more-partisan-when-in-power-i-think-that-question-can-be-answered/414873)
**Author:** [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Replies:** 55\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-party-is-more-partisan-when-in-power-i-think-that-question-can-be-answered/414873 "2007-08-14T16:38:01Z")
And the answer, of course, is the Democratic Party. The Washington Post tracks the votes of all representatives and senators, and also tracks how often a particular member votes with or against his party leadership. We… --- ## [Illegal Immigration is Congress' Fault?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-immigration-is-congress-fault/415175)
**Author:** [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2007, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-immigration-is-congress-fault/415175 "2007-08-14T09:03:36Z")
Two cabinet level officers, Chertoff and Gutierrez, announced thatincreased efforts to curb illegal immigration will be made and said it is “all we can do” in the absence of action by Congress. It seems to me though tha… --- ## [What defines someone as a "man/woman of letters](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-defines-someone-as-a-man-woman-of-letters/415370)
**Author:** [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2007, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-defines-someone-as-a-man-woman-of-letters/415370 "2007-08-14T00:33:27Z")
Would it be the books on my shelves? Would it be which books on the shelves I’ve actually read again since reading in undergraduate school? Does slamming one’s way through a lot of Western and Eastern literature qualify … --- ## [The Widow's Mites](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-widows-mites/415361)
**Author:** [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [August 13, 2007, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-widows-mites/415361 "2007-08-13T21:00:25Z")
(no, not bugs) I’ve been thinking recently of a Bible story. For those who weren’t subjected to Sunday school from an early age, here’s the synopsis: Jesus and his disciples are in the temple watching people drop their… --- ## [Huckabee finishes 2nd in Ames. Is he now viable?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huckabee-finishes-2nd-in-ames-is-he-now-viable/415308)
**Author:** [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [August 13, 2007, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huckabee-finishes-2nd-in-ames-is-he-now-viable/415308 "2007-08-13T20:01:47Z")
The Washington Post is reporting that Romney won the Ames Straw Poll and that Huckabee came in second. Here’s the list: Romney Huckabee Brownback Tancredo Paul Tommy Thompson (not to be confused with Fred) I consider… --- ## [Why should the State and Federal Government collect data on race?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-the-state-and-federal-government-collect-data-on-race/415070)
**Author:** [@Honesty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honesty)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [August 13, 2007, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-the-state-and-federal-government-collect-data-on-race/415070 "2007-08-13T16:30:16Z")
When I was at the Social Security Office getting a replacement for my card, I asked the teller whether my ethnicity was in the database she was taping into. She gave me a wry grin and said, “Honey, we know everything. W… --- ## [Not your everyday China-Taiwan-Armageddon thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-your-everyday-china-taiwan-armageddon-thread/414376)
**Author:** [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [August 13, 2007, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-your-everyday-china-taiwan-armageddon-thread/414376 "2007-08-13T11:59:41Z")
I know that the question has been asked several times before, but I feel like present developments merit a new thread. There is a lot going on here in Taiwan that seems to make China very uneasy, and I know that’s not a… --- ## [Humans have more right to live than baiji dolphins \[part 2\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-have-more-right-to-live-than-baiji-dolphins-part-2/415102)
**Author:** [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Replies:** 52\ **Last updated:** [August 13, 2007, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-have-more-right-to-live-than-baiji-dolphins-part-2/415102 "2007-08-13T03:11:19Z")
\[QUOTE=DSYoungEsq\] But, if the law does not enforce the “right,” functionally it doesn’t exist in that society. And, more to the point, if you are not willing to enshrine protection of the “right” in the law, then one … --- ## [Has the US lost its place as the "most superest" of superpowers?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-us-lost-its-place-as-the-most-superest-of-superpowers/415027)
**Author:** [@kifler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kifler)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [August 13, 2007, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-us-lost-its-place-as-the-most-superest-of-superpowers/415027 "2007-08-13T00:45:42Z")
Recently my friends and I were arguing about a future China vs. the US war. I said that China could easily win it given the manpower, industry, and dedication to the country/government. They could only counter with “You’… --- ## [A registered sex offender moved in near my house. What, if anything, should I do?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-registered-sex-offender-moved-in-near-my-house-what-if-anything-should-i-do/414887)
**Author:** [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Replies:** 108\ **Last updated:** [August 12, 2007, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-registered-sex-offender-moved-in-near-my-house-what-if-anything-should-i-do/414887 "2007-08-12T14:03:35Z")
Yesterday I got an e-mail from the sheriff’s department’s sex offender notification service that a registered sex offender moved in to the development next to ours. We moved to this neighborhood (suburb of Charlotte, NC)… --- ## [Is George W. Bush dumb?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-george-w-bush-dumb/414168)
**Author:** [@solkoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solkoe)\ **Replies:** 163\ **Last updated:** [August 12, 2007, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-george-w-bush-dumb/414168 "2007-08-12T07:05:29Z")
Has he ever had an IQ test? What were his grades in school? Is he able to carry on an intelligent conversation? The common perception is that he is not too bright. Obviously, this has been propagated to some extent b… --- ## [Bush's War Czar says the draft is on the table](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bushs-war-czar-says-the-draft-is-on-the-table/415199)
**Author:** [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [August 11, 2007, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bushs-war-czar-says-the-draft-is-on-the-table/415199 "2007-08-11T23:54:12Z")
‘War Czar’ Concerned over Stress of War on Troops Is this just a trial balloon to judge the level of opposition to restoring the draft? Or is it a real possibility that will be decided in the near future? Sounds to … --- ## [Nation Building. Many threads combined.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nation-building-many-threads-combined/414983)
**Author:** [@bob\_co](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_co)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [August 11, 2007, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nation-building-many-threads-combined/414983 "2007-08-11T23:12:23Z")
Let’s say for arguments sake that we withdrew from Japan instead of dropping nukes on them to garner a complete surrentder thus changing their entire government. The previous thread would suggest that they would have att… --- ## [The U.S. and Judicial Appointments Now.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-and-judicial-appointments-now/415278)
**Author:** [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [August 11, 2007, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-and-judicial-appointments-now/415278 "2007-08-11T20:00:21Z")
I just want to know how the Democratic U.S. Senate is handling Pres. Bush’s judicial appointments now. Are they blocking all of them? Are they blocking any of them? I know when Republicans controlled the Senate, there wa… --- ## [What are the differences between black and white America?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-black-and-white-america/414947)
**Author:** [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Replies:** 65\ **Last updated:** [August 11, 2007, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-black-and-white-america/414947 "2007-08-11T16:33:08Z")
And how great are these cultural differences? This is a poll, more than a debate, but I’m putting it here because of the subject. This thread is a continuation of a hijack in this thread Relevant Quotes: --- ## [What are the realistic chances for Republican's in 2008?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-realistic-chances-for-republicans-in-2008/414303)
**Author:** [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Replies:** 114\ **Last updated:** [August 11, 2007, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-realistic-chances-for-republicans-in-2008/414303 "2007-08-11T15:41:15Z")
Realistically, what are the chances for any Republican candidate currently in the running for the 2008 presidential election? Since she is the front runner, lets say that the Democratic candidate is Hillary Clinton runn… --- ## [The Greenest Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greenest-vehicle/414816)
**Author:** [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Replies:** 68\ **Last updated:** [August 11, 2007, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greenest-vehicle/414816 "2007-08-11T12:16:02Z")
For your consideration: Back in 1999 I got a pickup truck. I bought two 1979 Chevy 1500 pickup trucks, neither of which was running. I bought new mounts, took the bed from one and the cab from the other, ground out th… --- ## [Hamid Karzai: Iran has been a "helper" in fight against terrorism](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamid-karzai-iran-has-been-a-helper-in-fight-against-terrorism/414825)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [August 11, 2007, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamid-karzai-iran-has-been-a-helper-in-fight-against-terrorism/414825 "2007-08-11T05:49:11Z")
So the Afghan president said just before his recent visit to Camp David: So, who’s right? Put another way, what is Karzai talking about? He ought to know, it’s his country – but what exactly has Iran done to stop ter… --- ## [What do we do about the Mortgage Mess?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-do-about-the-mortgage-mess/414787)
**Author:** [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [August 11, 2007, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-do-about-the-mortgage-mess/414787 "2007-08-11T03:11:49Z")
Previous attempts to start a thread on this were eaten by the SDMB goblins, so here’s hoping the third time’s a charm So let me get this straight: \[ul\] \[li\]Mortgage brokers in the ‘90’s/early 2000’s made a substantial… --- ## [DARPA implants surveillance tech in a Moth](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darpa-implants-surveillance-tech-in-a-moth/414937)
**Author:** [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [August 10, 2007, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darpa-implants-surveillance-tech-in-a-moth/414937 "2007-08-10T19:02:03Z")
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