# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=753 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 754 --- ## [woodstove vs electric](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woodstove-vs-electric/380232)
**Author:** [@mrrealtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrrealtime)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [November 17, 2006, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woodstove-vs-electric/380232 "2006-11-17T13:16:23Z")
I have a woodstove as my primary source of heat (by choice) but my home is wired for electric heat. I’m beginning to think that wood should not be used for primary heat, for a few reasons: Pollution in several forms: … --- ## [Congressional Term Limits](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressional-term-limits/380577)
**Author:** [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Replies:** 51\ **Last updated:** [November 17, 2006, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressional-term-limits/380577 "2006-11-17T13:12:45Z")
I figured this topic had probably been beaten to death in the past, but a quick topic search didn’t turn up anything recent. With the Congressional Approval rating being the lowest it’s been in 14 years (both parties sc… --- ## [2009 - a woman as Commander in chief ?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-a-woman-as-commander-in-chief/380143)
**Author:** [@Wildfire\_MM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildfire_MM)\ **Replies:** 72\ **Last updated:** [November 17, 2006, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-a-woman-as-commander-in-chief/380143 "2006-11-17T05:45:50Z")
how likely is that? It feels too damn strange for me --- ## [Joe Lieberman: Emperor of the Senate?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-lieberman-emperor-of-the-senate/379555)
**Author:** [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Replies:** 190\ **Last updated:** [November 17, 2006, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-lieberman-emperor-of-the-senate/379555 "2006-11-17T03:53:14Z")
If the Democrats hold their leads in Montana and Virginia, that will give them a 51-49 lead and theoretical control of the Senate. Or so CNN tells me. But isn’t that overlooking Joe Lieberman? Sure, he says he will cauc… --- ## [mandatory voting in USA (ed. title)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-voting-in-usa-ed-title/379438)
**Author:** [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Replies:** 64\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2006, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-voting-in-usa-ed-title/379438 "2006-11-16T22:27:52Z")
I read today that 35 countries have manditory voting laws. Canada is considering the idea. As our voting drops to 1 in 3 ,dont you think it is time to levy a fine against people who do not vote. --- ## [Do we need a reduction in student loan interest rates?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-need-a-reduction-in-student-loan-interest-rates/380617)
**Author:** [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2006, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-need-a-reduction-in-student-loan-interest-rates/380617 "2006-11-16T21:09:07Z")
I notice that one of the stated goals of the newly Democratic Congress is to reduce the interest rates of student loans. I’m questioning whether this is a particularly good idea. Specifically, is there a significant grou… --- ## [Drug Policy Survey](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-policy-survey/361693)
**Author:** [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-policy-survey/361693 "2006-11-16T21:00:28Z")
There have been numerous threads dealing with the debate over the merits of some sort of drug law liberalization. I intend this thread to be a poll and possible debate arena (hence in GD) over the details of such policy … --- ## [Fidel Castro is likely to die](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fidel-castro-is-likely-to-die/380141)
**Author:** [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fidel-castro-is-likely-to-die/380141 "2006-11-16T19:23:17Z")
Here is the story from CNN. We’ve done debates on the future of Cuba after Castro’s death. Cubans in Florida have waited years for Castro’s death and they are absolutely fanatical about it. Remember the chaos over Eli… --- ## [Do Totalitarian States drive the intellectual advancement of the nation?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-totalitarian-states-drive-the-intellectual-advancement-of-the-nation/380167)
**Author:** [@Iamonfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iamonfire)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2006, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-totalitarian-states-drive-the-intellectual-advancement-of-the-nation/380167 "2006-11-16T17:50:10Z")
Dseid suggested I start this thread so here goes: Let us take the major totalitarian states as defined by the below: So we, are looking for single party states with strict controls on life and culture. This then incl… --- ## [Only Bush could go to Iran](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-bush-could-go-to-iran/380371)
**Author:** [@Subway\_Prophet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subway_Prophet)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2006, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-bush-could-go-to-iran/380371 "2006-11-16T16:33:05Z")
President Bush has made it a point to denigrate Iran at every occasion. He really seems to enjoy bashing the people. He’s identified the country as one of the three nations in the Axis of Evil. He’s heavily criticized… --- ## [Aluminum Currency practicable?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aluminum-currency-practicable/379720)
**Author:** [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aluminum-currency-practicable/379720 "2006-11-16T16:13:59Z")
I just got hold of a japanese 1-yen coint-it is 100% aluminum. is there an advantage to all-aluminum currency? Would the US Mint sace monet by making our coins out of aluminum? Or is the issue that vending machines cann… --- ## [Is South Dakota's Amendment E, Jail-Four-Judges good or bad for the country?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934)
**Author:** [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Replies:** 55\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2006, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-south-dakotas-amendment-e-jail-four-judges-good-or-bad-for-the-country/376934 "2006-11-16T14:30:05Z")
I heard about this today on NPR. If this amendment passes, a pool of 13 special grand jury members will selected at random to review claims that a Judge or other public official made a bad judgment and is subject to law… --- ## [Few countries would have the balls to give the rights embodied in the US Constitution](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/few-countries-would-have-the-balls-to-give-the-rights-embodied-in-the-us-constitution/380476)
**Author:** [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Replies:** 60\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2006, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/few-countries-would-have-the-balls-to-give-the-rights-embodied-in-the-us-constitution/380476 "2006-11-16T13:04:57Z")
In this Thread the question, among other questions, is posed, “Does a political party with a paedophile agenda have a right to assemble and express its opinions and try to change existing laws?” (not the OP’s words) It … --- ## [Senator Mel Martinez (Fla.) new RNC "general chair"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-mel-martinez-fla-new-rnc-general-chair/380419)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [November 15, 2006, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-mel-martinez-fla-new-rnc-general-chair/380419 "2006-11-15T21:48:39Z")
Senator Mel Martinez of Florida has been named the new “general chairman” of the Republican National Committee. It’s actually going to be a divided chairmanship – Martinez will be the party’s public face while “Mike Dun… --- ## [How aggressively should Congress investigate what?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-should-congress-investigate-what/379607)
**Author:** [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Replies:** 61\ **Last updated:** [November 15, 2006, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-should-congress-investigate-what/379607 "2006-11-15T18:20:36Z")
With the Dems poised to regain control of the House, I’m wondering to what extent they will flex their investigatory powers. Any number of possible issues come to mind including Bush’s energy policy, the decision to go … --- ## [Being brainwashed into a belief is not a good reason to hold said belief.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-brainwashed-into-a-belief-is-not-a-good-reason-to-hold-said-belief/374920)
**Author:** [@badchad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badchad)\ **Replies:** 623\ **Last updated:** [November 15, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-brainwashed-into-a-belief-is-not-a-good-reason-to-hold-said-belief/374920 "2006-11-15T18:17:55Z")
At the request of Cosmosdan, Tomndebb and Suburban Plankton for a new thread, here’s my thesis. Attack at will. Feel free to bring up any questions that you think were insufficiently addressed in the original thread: h… --- ## [Does the political spectrum actually exist?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-political-spectrum-actually-exist/380352)
**Author:** [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [November 15, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-political-spectrum-actually-exist/380352 "2006-11-15T18:05:18Z")
It is my contention that a useful political approximation (the map) has become the agreed-upon reality (territory), and hardly anyone questions its existence. Yet it is likely impossible to shoehorn any and every poli… --- ## [pat Tillman Shot by Own Troops?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-tillman-shot-by-own-troops/379710)
**Author:** [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [November 15, 2006, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-tillman-shot-by-own-troops/379710 "2006-11-15T16:51:01Z")
The Army inquiry is getting more and more disgusting:http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pri&dt=061109&cat=news&st=newsd8l9jrdg0&src=ap My question: will this thing EVER be resolved? or doe the inquiry point to inco… --- ## [Fancy word for "giving up medical and/or technological advancemnts for religion" ?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fancy-word-for-giving-up-medical-and-or-technological-advancemnts-for-religion/380474)
**Author:** [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [November 15, 2006, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fancy-word-for-giving-up-medical-and-or-technological-advancemnts-for-religion/380474 "2006-11-15T05:32:17Z")
My GF is doing a paper on this subject and I was wondering whether there was a word for giving up medical and/or technological advancements for the sake of religion. In particular the paper is about things like the Amis… --- ## [English Prisoners win rights to Opiates for Withdrawal in Jail](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-prisoners-win-rights-to-opiates-for-withdrawal-in-jail/380253)
**Author:** [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [November 15, 2006, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-prisoners-win-rights-to-opiates-for-withdrawal-in-jail/380253 "2006-11-15T00:26:17Z")
\*Six prisoners and former inmates forced to stop taking drugs by going “cold turkey” are to receive payments, sources at the High Court have said. The unspecified settlement followed claims the practice amounted to as… --- ## [James Webb, Scots-Irish political culture, Democrats, and gun control](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-scots-irish-political-culture-democrats-and-gun-control/379885)
**Author:** [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Replies:** 63\ **Last updated:** [November 14, 2006, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-scots-irish-political-culture-democrats-and-gun-control/379885 "2006-11-14T22:43:18Z")
Our new junior senator from Virginia wrote an article about ethnicity and U.S. politics in 2004, he used these ideas to get elected, check it out-- http://jameswebb.com/articles/wallstjrnl/scotsirishvote.htm That was an… --- ## [MP3s, lost CDs, and IP rights: a hypothetical.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mp3s-lost-cds-and-ip-rights-a-hypothetical/380308)
**Author:** [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [November 14, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mp3s-lost-cds-and-ip-rights-a-hypothetical/380308 "2006-11-14T20:37:33Z")
Here’s the scenario. I own a bunch of music CDs, all of which I have bought fair and square. I have ripped most of this music into MP3s for convenience, but I keep the original discs, both as backups and to listen to i… --- ## [Rumsfeld, Gonzalez, Yoo etc., might be prosecuted for war crimes -- in a German court](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rumsfeld-gonzalez-yoo-etc-might-be-prosecuted-for-war-crimes-in-a-german-court/379315)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 58\ **Last updated:** [November 14, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rumsfeld-gonzalez-yoo-etc-might-be-prosecuted-for-war-crimes-in-a-german-court/379315 "2006-11-14T18:17:41Z")
Article here. Believe it or not, this isn’t even the first time – but circumstances have, arguably, changed: Will this get anywhere? Should it? (For my part, I’m still hoping to live long enough to see Henry Kissing… --- ## [Can Iraq be fixed at this point?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-iraq-be-fixed-at-this-point/379853)
**Author:** [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Replies:** 56\ **Last updated:** [November 14, 2006, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-iraq-be-fixed-at-this-point/379853 "2006-11-14T16:36:26Z")
In the early days following the invasion, the US might have had a better chance to stabilize the country, but we made a whole lot of mistakes (like firing everyone who was in the Baath party, opposing local elections whe… --- ## [Freedom of the press? Censored by CNN: Marh outs MEHLMAN](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-of-the-press-censored-by-cnn-marh-outs-mehlman/379868)
**Author:** [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Replies:** 59\ **Last updated:** [November 14, 2006, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-of-the-press-censored-by-cnn-marh-outs-mehlman/379868 "2006-11-14T15:54:36Z")
Compare and contrats these two clips. First one from the original airing, second one “sanitized” for the re-broadcast: CENSORED BY CNN: BILL MAHER SUGGESTS RNC CHAIR MEHLMAN IS GAY… What gives and what happened to Fre… --- ## [Exposed: The Extremist Agenda](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exposed-the-extremist-agenda/380342)
**Author:** [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [November 14, 2006, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exposed-the-extremist-agenda/380342 "2006-11-14T15:08:47Z")
I’ve been watching the CNN program, The Glenn Beck Show, for several months now and he is very articulate and captivating. He is almost paranoid about the US withdrawing from Iraq , the threat Iran imposes, and Muslim e… --- ## [Effect of planting 1 billion trees...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effect-of-planting-1-billion-trees/379746)
**Author:** [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Replies:** 48\ **Last updated:** [November 14, 2006, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effect-of-planting-1-billion-trees/379746 "2006-11-14T13:17:07Z")
In this article, Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai proposes planting 1 billion trees to combat global warming/climate change. What real effect would this have? Any? Is this a realistic way to combat GW…or just a stunt … --- ## [Is there such a thing as a coherent gay community?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-coherent-gay-community/379176)
**Author:** [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [November 14, 2006, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-coherent-gay-community/379176 "2006-11-14T12:21:53Z")
I’m starting this thread as a result of another discussion over in GQ. The debate was about cottaging (sex in public toilets) and the question was asked whether there is such a thing as a coherent gay community that woul… --- ## [Is World Peace Desirable?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-world-peace-desirable/379833)
**Author:** [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [November 14, 2006, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-world-peace-desirable/379833 "2006-11-14T05:30:28Z")
Suppose a magic genie appeared and offered you a one shot offer: for world peace. On the face of it, this seems like a “good” thing. Beauty pageant contestants might extol the virtues of world peace, but I have a feel… --- ## [American SDMB Conservatives: Go Reclaim Your Party!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-sdmb-conservatives-go-reclaim-your-party/379525)
**Author:** [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Replies:** 177\ **Last updated:** [November 14, 2006, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-sdmb-conservatives-go-reclaim-your-party/379525 "2006-11-14T01:11:35Z")
The creepy people who have been occupying the Republican Party for the last decade-and-change have just gotten their collective asses handed to them. Even if you preferred them to the liberal Democrats, they didn’t real… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=752) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=754)