# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=803 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 804 --- ## [Juan Cole: Criticism](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/juan-cole-criticism/348976)
**Author:** [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [March 22, 2006, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/juan-cole-criticism/348976 "2006-03-22T08:38:34Z")
Juan Cole is a Professor of History at the University of Michigan. He has a special interest in the middle east and speaks Arabic. He maintains a blog; Informed Comment. The blog is updated regularly and accurately pr… --- ## [Do some unpleasant medical tests end up harming public health?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-some-unpleasant-medical-tests-end-up-harming-public-health/349041)
**Author:** [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [March 22, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-some-unpleasant-medical-tests-end-up-harming-public-health/349041 "2006-03-22T02:41:47Z")
I know two women who use non-prescription birth control because they don’t want to get Pap tests. And I know at least one man who won’t go to the doctor because he’s certain the doctor is going to do a DRE (though he do… --- ## [Midterm Election Strategy: Isn't Firing Up the Base Supposed To Be the Key?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/midterm-election-strategy-isnt-firing-up-the-base-supposed-to-be-the-key/348805)
**Author:** [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [March 22, 2006, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/midterm-election-strategy-isnt-firing-up-the-base-supposed-to-be-the-key/348805 "2006-03-22T01:20:09Z")
I’ve been wondering about this lately. It used to be the CW that while Presidential elections were supposedly won by appealing to a wide swath of the electorate, off-year elections like 2006 were supposedly won by firin… --- ## [Could a homosexual get elected POTUS?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624)
**Author:** [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [March 22, 2006, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624 "2006-03-22T01:10:08Z")
In light of the recent threads about Jews, Blacks, and Mormons I though I’d ask can an openly gay man or lesbian get elected President? In my opinion no, not for at least 50 to 60 years. I also think a lesbian would h… --- ## [Witness tampering in Moussaoui case. What penalty for gov't lawyer?.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witness-tampering-in-moussaoui-case-what-penalty-for-govt-lawyer/348234)
**Author:** [@alaricthegoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alaricthegoth)\ **Replies:** 98\ **Last updated:** [March 21, 2006, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witness-tampering-in-moussaoui-case-what-penalty-for-govt-lawyer/348234 "2006-03-21T21:54:50Z")
’ Ms. Martin gave the witnesses transcripts of opening statements and of testimony last week by an F.B.I. agent, Michael Anticev.’ http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/13/national/13cnd-moussaoui.html?hp&ex=1142312400&en=7f71… --- ## [Bush Proposes Funding Schools By Selling National Forests](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-proposes-funding-schools-by-selling-national-forests/348750)
**Author:** [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Replies:** 70\ **Last updated:** [March 21, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-proposes-funding-schools-by-selling-national-forests/348750 "2006-03-21T21:40:18Z")
Bush plan to sell off U.S. national forests under attack by former officials The debate is two-fold: Is selling off the national forests showing good stewardship of our national resources? And more importantly: Shou… --- ## [Iraq: Why are the Sunnis fighting the Shi'ites?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-why-are-the-sunnis-fighting-the-shiites/349162)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [March 21, 2006, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-why-are-the-sunnis-fighting-the-shiites/349162 "2006-03-21T18:35:19Z")
Former Iraqi PM Ayad Allawi says Iraq is already in a civil war between the Sunnis and Shi’ites. Client Challenge From the POV of the Sunnis, what’s the point? They don’t want to break up the country – that would leav… --- ## [Iraq and WMDs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-and-wmds/348816)
**Author:** [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Replies:** 72\ **Last updated:** [March 21, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-and-wmds/348816 "2006-03-21T18:02:19Z")
For those that claim Saddam was not involved with WMDs, new audio tape translations seem to indicate that he was trying to play a waiting game with us. (Mods - not sure if this is the right forum for this. Please fe… --- ## [The Future of Human Evolution.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-human-evolution/346629)
**Author:** [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [March 21, 2006, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-human-evolution/346629 "2006-03-21T16:45:37Z")
I’ve run across (and at times contributed to) a few threads that have touched upon this theme, but they have been mainly thread \. From what I gather, many Dopers take the position that human biological evolution… --- ## [The Progressive Market Party and personal liberty](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-progressive-market-party-and-personal-liberty/348981)
**Author:** [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [March 21, 2006, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-progressive-market-party-and-personal-liberty/348981 "2006-03-21T16:38:14Z")
Sam Stone recently started a thread on a propsed platform for a Progressive Market Party and suggested various thread be started on different issues. Taking up the challenge, here’s a thread on the issue of personal libe… --- ## [Widen/enlarge the Panama Canal?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widen-enlarge-the-panama-canal/349132)
**Author:** [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [March 21, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widen-enlarge-the-panama-canal/349132 "2006-03-21T14:37:29Z")
NPR had a good story this morning on plans to widen and enlarge the Panama Canal. The canal is extremely busy these days, but the very biggest ships can’t fit through it. Ships designed to the 1914 “Panamax” standard h… --- ## [The last dictatorship in Europe - Still dictatoring](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-dictatorship-in-europe-still-dictatoring/349256)
**Author:** [@Gladstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gladstone)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [March 21, 2006, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-dictatorship-in-europe-still-dictatoring/349256 "2006-03-21T13:19:59Z")
The U.S. and EU have both more or less declared the recent presidential election in Belarus a fraud and called for new elections free from government intimidation. My only questions are - do we care and if so, what shou… --- ## [How influential is the SDMB among non-subscribers?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-influential-is-the-sdmb-among-non-subscribers/348167)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [March 21, 2006, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-influential-is-the-sdmb-among-non-subscribers/348167 "2006-03-21T07:14:08Z")
We often wrangle very seriously over issues and questions in the SDMB – especially in the GD forum, where we often post like we’re shouting to the world – or at least helping to propagate our pet memes through the blogos… --- ## [Is the Muslim World Doing Enough Self-Policing?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-muslim-world-doing-enough-self-policing/349220)
**Author:** [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [March 21, 2006, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-muslim-world-doing-enough-self-policing/349220 "2006-03-21T03:22:52Z")
As we all know it is bad form to paint any group with a broad brush. One group that seems to be getting that more and more is the Muslim community. A small (?) sect of Muslims worldwide are creating most of the havoc. … --- ## [If Hitler Had Lived To Face Trial](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hitler-had-lived-to-face-trial/348576)
**Author:** [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [March 21, 2006, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hitler-had-lived-to-face-trial/348576 "2006-03-21T02:57:43Z")
(A question like this has probably been already asked on the Straight Dope, and if it has, I apologise for bringing it up again.) If Adolph Hitler would have lived to face a trial for war crimes, how would it have been … --- ## [Let's debate the rules of grammar and usage](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-debate-the-rules-of-grammar-and-usage/348461)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 50\ **Last updated:** [March 20, 2006, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-debate-the-rules-of-grammar-and-usage/348461 "2006-03-20T21:54:47Z")
I’ll get us started: What’s wrong with ending a sentence with a preposition? --- ## [Does it matter how the universe was created?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-matter-how-the-universe-was-created/348291)
**Author:** [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Replies:** 38\ **Last updated:** [March 20, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-matter-how-the-universe-was-created/348291 "2006-03-20T17:30:34Z")
I’m a curious person like all of you, but frankly, I’m sick of hearing about it. If God almighty came down tomorrow and told us exactly how it happened, how would that change your life right now? I don’t see it making a… --- ## [Pro-lifers: What should the punishment for getting an abortion be?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-should-the-punishment-for-getting-an-abortion-be/347899)
**Author:** [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Replies:** 478\ **Last updated:** [March 20, 2006, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-should-the-punishment-for-getting-an-abortion-be/347899 "2006-03-20T17:02:41Z")
With the seating of Samuel Alito on the Supreme Court and the passage of anti-abortion legislation by South Dakota this question is moving from the theoretical to the practical. The fundamental argument of the pro-life … --- ## [Presidential Terms Should Be 6 Yrs and Nonconsecutive](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-terms-should-be-6-yrs-and-nonconsecutive/348663)
**Author:** [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [March 20, 2006, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-terms-should-be-6-yrs-and-nonconsecutive/348663 "2006-03-20T15:49:11Z")
Lately I’ve been thinking that I’d like to see U.S. presidents have 6-year terms of office but not be allowed to serve two consecutive terms. This would, I think, provide ample time for a new president to “settle in” and… --- ## [Resolved: Pre-integration baseball records should have asterisks.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-pre-integration-baseball-records-should-have-asterisks/348964)
**Author:** [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [March 20, 2006, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-pre-integration-baseball-records-should-have-asterisks/348964 "2006-03-20T15:34:27Z")
I’m aware that there was never really an asterisk next to Maris’ home-run record, but, at the time, baseball commissioner Ford Frick’s decree stated that a “distinctive mark” should denote the discrepancy in season lengt… --- ## [Superman's X-ray vision: needs a search warrant?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-x-ray-vision-needs-a-search-warrant/348917)
**Author:** [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [March 20, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-x-ray-vision-needs-a-search-warrant/348917 "2006-03-20T15:31:02Z")
As a citizen of Metropolis I’m disgusted by the actions of one “Superman” who rushes about town invading the privacy of every citizen. He claims to have something which he calls “X-ray vision” which permits him to see t… --- ## [Help me form the new 'Progressive Market' party.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-form-the-new-progressive-market-party/348939)
**Author:** [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Replies:** 51\ **Last updated:** [March 20, 2006, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-form-the-new-progressive-market-party/348939 "2006-03-20T15:17:41Z")
This is going to be a long series of posts, capturing some thoughts I’ve been percolating about what a modern political party might look like - one that appeals to a wide spectrum of people, yet incorporates our ever-inc… --- ## [Could an African-American get elected POTUS?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-an-african-american-get-elected-potus/348597)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 92\ **Last updated:** [March 20, 2006, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-an-african-american-get-elected-potus/348597 "2006-03-20T02:56:42Z")
Follow-up to this thread: Could a Jew get elected POTUS? - Great Debates - Straight Dope Message Board In the Chris Rock film Head of State, when Rock’s character (a DC alderman) is drafted to run for president (just as… --- ## [Could a Jew get elected POTUS?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 59\ **Last updated:** [March 20, 2006, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552 "2006-03-20T02:28:55Z")
This thread – Senator Russ Feingold moves to censure Bush over NSA wiretaps - Great Debates - Straight Dope Message Board – raised the possibility that Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin might run for president in 2008. … --- ## [Is there a correlation between decedence and the collapse of civilizations?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-correlation-between-decedence-and-the-collapse-of-civilizations/349068)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [March 20, 2006, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-correlation-between-decedence-and-the-collapse-of-civilizations/349068 "2006-03-20T02:00:49Z")
It’s an old idea, that decedence is either a symptom or a cause of the collapse of civilizations- Rome, Babylon, etc. Has this idea been examined rigorously? While the Roman elite might have been extremely decedent, I do… --- ## [New Hampshire Primary's Primacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-hampshire-primarys-primacy/348694)
**Author:** [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [March 19, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-hampshire-primarys-primacy/348694 "2006-03-19T21:19:14Z")
By New Hampshire state statute, the New Hampshire Presidential primary must occur before any other states’ primary election. What would happen if another state enacted a statute that contradicted that? ie, if Ohio passed… --- ## [Iraq, better or worse](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-better-or-worse/348785)
**Author:** [@EEMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EEMan)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [March 19, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-better-or-worse/348785 "2006-03-19T19:59:15Z")
Forget the ‘reasons’ for going to Iraq, or pulling out, or any of the ‘American’ concerns; do you believe the situation in Iraq is better or worse than it was 3 years ago? I just finished an article on CNN.com that give… --- ## [I just heard the USAF colonel who's prosecuting the Gitmo detainees](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-heard-the-usaf-colonel-whos-prosecuting-the-gitmo-detainees/348215)
**Author:** [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Replies:** 96\ **Last updated:** [March 19, 2006, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-heard-the-usaf-colonel-whos-prosecuting-the-gitmo-detainees/348215 "2006-03-19T09:26:22Z")
Last Tuesday, I attended a continuing legal education (CLE) session presented by Col. Morris D. Davis, the Air Force officer who’s in charge of the prosecutions of 10 of the 490 detainees now held at the U.S. base in Gua… --- ## [Calabasas, CA smoking ban](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calabasas-ca-smoking-ban/348911)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [March 18, 2006, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calabasas-ca-smoking-ban/348911 "2006-03-18T18:30:16Z")
Calabasas, CA has passed a smoking ban that would prohibit some people from smoking on their own property if their property is next to a ‘public area’. Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor and fined $500. One … --- ## [Problems arising from indoor living (this means you).](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-arising-from-indoor-living-this-means-you/348761)
**Author:** [@Fuel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuel)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [March 18, 2006, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-arising-from-indoor-living-this-means-you/348761 "2006-03-18T05:54:45Z")
This weighty post intimately applies to EVERYONE IN THE UNIVERSE. Let me proceed… Up until now, human civilization has never made it a point to live in caves (yes, houses), mostly tents, huts, ect. naturally ventilated… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=802) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=804)