# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=835 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 836 --- ## [Is Bush/US positioning itself to crack down on China?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bush-us-positioning-itself-to-crack-down-on-china/331317)
**Author:** [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [November 19, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bush-us-positioning-itself-to-crack-down-on-china/331317 "2005-11-19T15:25:39Z")
I’ve read several news stories in the last few weeks and it seems to me that Bush has cranked up the rhetoric against China. I saw an article where Bush asked China to open up a bit on its human rights record, and anoth… --- ## [Is agnosticism really worth distinguishing from atheism, or is it just a defense?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-agnosticism-really-worth-distinguishing-from-atheism-or-is-it-just-a-defense/331114)
**Author:** [@power\_sawyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/power_sawyer)\ **Replies:** 102\ **Last updated:** [November 19, 2005, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-agnosticism-really-worth-distinguishing-from-atheism-or-is-it-just-a-defense/331114 "2005-11-19T12:45:50Z")
Every time I read things by agnostics, like the Civil War era’s Robert Ingersoll, it seems they really are indistinguishable from atheists, but have the “doubt” factor as a way to stop churchie critics: When somebody sta… --- ## [Can a Third Party ever succees in US politics?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-third-party-ever-succees-in-us-politics/331542)
**Author:** [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [November 19, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-third-party-ever-succees-in-us-politics/331542 "2005-11-19T04:08:02Z")
The time now is perfect for a Third Party to really become a force in American politics. Dissatisfaction with the lack of bipartisanship and the choices the two parties are giving us seems to be at an all-time high. Ye… --- ## [Why would a philosopher be against abortion but for abstinence, and contraception?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-philosopher-be-against-abortion-but-for-abstinence-and-contraception/331562)
**Author:** [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [November 19, 2005, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-philosopher-be-against-abortion-but-for-abstinence-and-contraception/331562 "2005-11-19T01:58:46Z")
Why and why not should a philosopher be against abortion but for abstience, contraception, and the morning after pill? What is fundamentally different about abortion? I argue that the distinction is that abortion is a … --- ## [New Grand Jury. Why?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-grand-jury-why/331717)
**Author:** [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [November 19, 2005, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-grand-jury-why/331717 "2005-11-19T01:10:39Z")
Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has called for a new grand jury. Why? Does this erode the credibility of the Libby case? Is this in response to Woodward’s recent confession? Are we going to have to wait another… --- ## [What's to stop me sinning in heaven?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-me-sinning-in-heaven/327667)
**Author:** [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Replies:** 55\ **Last updated:** [November 18, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-me-sinning-in-heaven/327667 "2005-11-18T21:31:22Z")
Let say, for the sake of discussion, I get to heaven. What’s stopping me turning to the dark side and spending the rest of eternity as a sinner? The way I see it there’s only two answers to this; 1/ I won’t want to. … --- ## [Why don't people like substantive due process?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-like-substantive-due-process/331529)
**Author:** [@Bill\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_The_Cat)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [November 18, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-like-substantive-due-process/331529 "2005-11-18T18:52:43Z")
So, as I see it: (1) Everyone (proponents and opponents) agrees that the Constitution explicitly gives certain rights. (2) Everyone agrees that of the rights explicitly listed, they can be infringed given a good reason… --- ## [What Makes One Liberal or Conservative?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-one-liberal-or-conservative/330341)
**Author:** [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Replies:** 128\ **Last updated:** [November 18, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-one-liberal-or-conservative/330341 "2005-11-18T16:53:26Z")
This is a question I’ve been asking myself for quite some time. Even though most people’s political opinions cannot be described in their entirety with a single label, many people, including, I’m sure, those who check th… --- ## [Where is the moral movement to stop the religious right](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-moral-movement-to-stop-the-religious-right/330898)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 89\ **Last updated:** [November 18, 2005, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-moral-movement-to-stop-the-religious-right/330898 "2005-11-18T13:51:47Z")
Not to pick on the religious right but I feel bothered everytime I hear them talk about morality. To me, opposing the religious right is the moral thing to do (I realize that on this board opposing the religious takes al… --- ## [Bush wins 51% of vote last year. Approval now 34%. What changed your minds, 17%?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-wins-51-of-vote-last-year-approval-now-34-what-changed-your-minds-17/331468)
**Author:** [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [November 18, 2005, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-wins-51-of-vote-last-year-approval-now-34-what-changed-your-minds-17/331468 "2005-11-18T07:46:38Z")
Given the statistics, 17% of the population supported Bush last year but now disapprove. That translates into about a third of his supporters bailing on him. This question is directed towards that 17%. What has happened… --- ## [Extending the idea of Guns, germs and steel.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extending-the-idea-of-guns-germs-and-steel/330925)
**Author:** [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [November 18, 2005, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extending-the-idea-of-guns-germs-and-steel/330925 "2005-11-18T01:39:38Z")
I apologize if this has been done, as I don’t think it is a particularly original idea. But I searched and came up empty. Most here are familiar with Jared Diamond’s hypothesis in Guns, germs and steel. To paraphrase … --- ## [Is affirmative action targeting the wrong problem?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-affirmative-action-targeting-the-wrong-problem/330883)
**Author:** [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [November 17, 2005, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-affirmative-action-targeting-the-wrong-problem/330883 "2005-11-17T19:39:17Z")
Right now the logic for affirmative action for race is: Racism reduces a minority’s ability to succeed by causing business owners not to hire minorities. To combat this impediment of racism we will force them to hire m… --- ## [Do sensationalist & biased documentaries do it for anyone?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-sensationalist-biased-documentaries-do-it-for-anyone/331434)
**Author:** [@Corporate\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corporate_Hippie)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [November 17, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-sensationalist-biased-documentaries-do-it-for-anyone/331434 "2005-11-17T18:44:29Z")
I just got through watching Robert Greenwald’s Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, and while I found some of the information and statistics interesting, on a whole I was turned off by the film. Aside from the horribly … --- ## [Sale of Federal Lands](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-of-federal-lands/331359)
**Author:** [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [November 17, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sale-of-federal-lands/331359 "2005-11-17T17:59:43Z")
So, at the same time the House Republican leadership is struggling to come up with a budget that they all can support, certain members are pushing yet another massive gift to industry. The oil companies got their billio… --- ## [Can a Nation be held liable in civil court...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-nation-be-held-liable-in-civil-court/331207)
**Author:** [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [November 17, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-nation-be-held-liable-in-civil-court/331207 "2005-11-17T16:03:25Z")
Dunno if this is a GD or a flat our GQ, so feel free to move… I posted it here because it involves lots of hypotheticals Can a nation be held civilly liable for acts of collateral damage inflicted in war? Imagine there… --- ## [It's in peer-reviewed print: no mental illness "chemical imbalance"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-in-peer-reviewed-print-no-mental-illness-chemical-imbalance/330158)
**Author:** [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Replies:** 166\ **Last updated:** [November 17, 2005, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-in-peer-reviewed-print-no-mental-illness-chemical-imbalance/330158 "2005-11-17T04:07:27Z")
They’ve said it about schizophrenia, they’ve said it about bipolarity, and they’ve said it about depression. They, of course, being the pharmaceutical industry and the mental health \[strikeout\]industry\[/strikeout\] profe… --- ## [Look For Your Union Label... Or not...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-your-union-label-or-not/331395)
**Author:** [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [November 17, 2005, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-for-your-union-label-or-not/331395 "2005-11-17T01:28:01Z")
A post was made in the thread entitled “Walmart - Good or bad for America?” and it seemed to be a topic unto itself: I was never a Union member in my life - I never even used an ATM at a Credit Union - however I wonder… --- ## [Should/could we have gotten Bin Laden?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-could-we-have-gotten-bin-laden/330729)
**Author:** [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Replies:** 64\ **Last updated:** [November 17, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-could-we-have-gotten-bin-laden/330729 "2005-11-17T01:03:35Z")
Many argue that instead of invading Iraq we should have gone into the caves of Afghanistan and Pakistan and rooted out Osama. For debate: Was focusing more effort (relative to Iraq) on getting Osama a viable option? H… --- ## [McCain on Torture](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-on-torture/331226)
**Author:** [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [November 17, 2005, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-on-torture/331226 "2005-11-17T00:32:35Z")
You won’t believe me, will you believe someone who’s been tortured? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10019179/site/newsweek/ --- ## [Paula Rader paying for the crimes of her husband](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-rader-paying-for-the-crimes-of-her-husband/330767)
**Author:** [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Replies:** 109\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2005, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-rader-paying-for-the-crimes-of-her-husband/330767 "2005-11-16T22:36:48Z")
Paula Rader is trying to sell the house she owns. All rights in the house were granted to her in the divorce from her ex-husband, the BTK killer. From CNN: In what way are these actions anything more than mean-spirite… --- ## [Is economics a science?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-economics-a-science/330968)
**Author:** [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2005, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-economics-a-science/330968 "2005-11-16T22:23:03Z")
I have a few questions about economics. Is economics a science, and/or is there any real debate about whether it is? Should it be considered a science? Using a regression analysis, what would be a good r squared… --- ## [Do mainstream adherants have an obligation to publicly denounce extremist behavior?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mainstream-adherants-have-an-obligation-to-publicly-denounce-extremist-behavior/331284)
**Author:** [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mainstream-adherants-have-an-obligation-to-publicly-denounce-extremist-behavior/331284 "2005-11-16T21:39:45Z")
The average Muslim doesn’t fly planes into buildings and the average Christian doesn’t act like Fred Phelps (he of www.godhatesfags.com) however some complain that Muslims don’t do enough to protest terrorist actions com… --- ## [If a real truth serum created should the 5th amendment go out the window?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-real-truth-serum-created-should-the-5th-amendment-go-out-the-window/331148)
**Author:** [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Replies:** 115\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2005, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-real-truth-serum-created-should-the-5th-amendment-go-out-the-window/331148 "2005-11-16T21:25:14Z")
A GQ thread on truth sera got me thinking. IMHO, the amendment against self-incrimination was crafted to prevent authorities from beating a confession out of a suspect and then convicting them using that tainted confess… --- ## [Sony President Defends Rootkit (What You Don't Know Won't Hurt You)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-president-defends-rootkit-what-you-dont-know-wont-hurt-you/330453)
**Author:** [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-president-defends-rootkit-what-you-dont-know-wont-hurt-you/330453 "2005-11-16T18:15:21Z")
I thought Mary Mapes took the cake for lame attempts at self-justification, but she’s just been decisively outdone by Sony’s latest spin on their stealth rootkit: Well, gee, most people, I think, don’t know what beryll… --- ## [What would you choose -- heaven/hell, or nothingness?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-choose-heaven-hell-or-nothingness/330840)
**Author:** [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Replies:** 58\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2005, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-choose-heaven-hell-or-nothingness/330840 "2005-11-16T17:18:59Z")
Inspired by a recent viewing of “The Skeleton Key,” in which a theme was that religion can’t work on you if you don’t believe it… (but don’t let that turn you off) Suppose that what happens to you in the afterlife is de… --- ## [What would be the post-flu global consequences of a major avian flu outbreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-post-flu-global-consequences-of-a-major-avian-flu-outbreak/330849)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-post-flu-global-consequences-of-a-major-avian-flu-outbreak/330849 "2005-11-16T15:39:38Z")
If Avian flu has an outbreak and assuming that the world isn’t prepared for it then hundreds of millions of deaths isn’t impossible since H5N1 has a high mortality rate. This would have a bigger impact on the world than … --- ## [Is honor a lost value?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-honor-a-lost-value/331081)
**Author:** [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Replies:** 62\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-honor-a-lost-value/331081 "2005-11-16T15:08:03Z")
So people say that media and government reflect the populace. That because the way they decide to do business is more or less a democratic process, that they represent a good cross section of the populace and what the p… --- ## [Consequences of penis enhancement](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-penis-enhancement/330820)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-penis-enhancement/330820 "2005-11-16T14:11:59Z")
Suppose it really was possible to reliably increase the erect length and girth of penises to the same degree that breast augmentation is currently. What would be the consequences? Would there be an “arms race” as what’s … --- ## [The Democrats' long-term strategy](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democrats-long-term-strategy/330638)
**Author:** [@David\_God\_of\_Frogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_God_of_Frogs)\ **Replies:** 52\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2005, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democrats-long-term-strategy/330638 "2005-11-16T05:03:53Z")
There has been debate in recent years about which direction the Democratic party should go. The Deaniacs advocate taking the party to the left, and their line of thinking usually expains previous hard times on poor mark… --- ## [For Canadian Dopers Only](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-canadian-dopers-only/329201)
**Author:** [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2005, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-canadian-dopers-only/329201 "2005-11-16T04:07:38Z")
Do the names Major, Bastarache , Binnie, LeBel, Deschamps, Fish, Abella, Charron, McLachlin mean any thing to you? Well until a short while ago I couldn’t answer yes. If you asked me the same style question about the… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=834) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=836)