# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=9 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 10 --- ## [By the time Trump leaves office, how much of American power/status/influence can still be recovered and repaired?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-the-time-trump-leaves-office-how-much-of-american-power-status-influence-can-still-be-recovered-and-repaired/1017764)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 81\ **Last updated:** [May 26, 2025, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-the-time-trump-leaves-office-how-much-of-american-power-status-influence-can-still-be-recovered-and-repaired/1017764 "2025-05-26T05:17:34Z")
We’re only 100+ days in and Trump has been a wrecking ball to American alliances, power, economy, society, etc. I’ll leave out the democracy part for now; we’ve had countless threads talking about how Trump is a threat t… --- ## [Where would an authoritarian world government send dissidents?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-an-authoritarian-world-government-send-dissidents/1018011)
**Author:** [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Replies:** 37\ **Last updated:** [May 22, 2025, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-an-authoritarian-world-government-send-dissidents/1018011 "2025-05-22T02:56:20Z")
In the book Brave New World the World State sends dissidents to any number of islands for them to live the rest of their lives in peace and stop them from causing issues for the rest of society. Assuming a single author… --- ## [End of the 20th Century world order? What next?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-the-20th-century-world-order-what-next/1017841)
**Author:** [@natureboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/natureboy)\ **Replies:** 48\ **Last updated:** [May 20, 2025, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-the-20th-century-world-order-what-next/1017841 "2025-05-20T16:31:28Z")
Not sure where to put this, but watching the MAGA machine roll on, going back to the summer of last year, I’ve been reading/following articles and information from various people (actually educated people) who seem famil… --- ## [New Jersey Passed A Law Against Deep Fakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-jersey-passed-a-law-against-deep-fakes/1016544)
**Author:** [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Replies:** 107\ **Last updated:** [May 20, 2025, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-jersey-passed-a-law-against-deep-fakes/1016544 "2025-05-20T14:41:37Z")
I cannot find the exact wording of the law. Governor Murphy said on the local news that other states had passed such laws. But that they had been struck down as violations of the first ammendment. That is one reason I o… --- ## [Is the claim that nuclear arsenals are justified because they prevent wars sensible?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-claim-that-nuclear-arsenals-are-justified-because-they-prevent-wars-sensible/1018329)
**Author:** [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [May 16, 2025, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-claim-that-nuclear-arsenals-are-justified-because-they-prevent-wars-sensible/1018329 "2025-05-16T07:36:54Z")
It’s often said that nuclear weapons for all their danger have prevented and prevent major wars that otherwise would have happened resulting in millions of deaths so it’s good that they exist. My question is considering… --- ## [Hypothetical. We have superintelligent, bipedal nurse robots in the 2050s. What attributes would they have](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-we-have-superintelligent-bipedal-nurse-robots-in-the-2050s-what-attributes-would-they-have/1017512)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [May 14, 2025, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-we-have-superintelligent-bipedal-nurse-robots-in-the-2050s-what-attributes-would-they-have/1017512 "2025-05-14T04:41:40Z")
So assume by the 2040s or 2050s, we have bipedal nurse robots which have replaced humans. What attributes would be good for a nurse, or any other health care worker, to have? Obviously it would be super-intelligent, so … --- ## [How many men have really been \*cancelled\* by #metoo?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-have-really-been-cancelled-by-metoo/989556)
**Author:** [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Replies:** 62\ **Last updated:** [May 13, 2025, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-have-really-been-cancelled-by-metoo/989556 "2025-05-13T20:18:19Z")
I can only think of a handful of men who have really been neutralized by #metoo. As in, no work, no public appearances, no one defending them or reaching out to them. Roger Ailes, Bill Cosby, Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Wein… --- ## [Religion, Transphobia and Category Errors](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-transphobia-and-category-errors/1013878)
**Author:** [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Replies:** 254\ **Last updated:** [May 10, 2025, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-transphobia-and-category-errors/1013878 "2025-05-10T13:43:47Z")
This is inspired by one of the many sidetracks in DemonTree’s recent trainwreck of an ATMB thread. Some people attempted, for various purposes, to draw analogies between religious belief and gender identity, which I felt… --- ## [How far can police lying go?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-can-police-lying-go/1018121)
**Author:** [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [May 9, 2025, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-can-police-lying-go/1018121 "2025-05-09T18:03:59Z")
I don’t want to completely derail my thread over in FQ, so I’ll ask here since it could foster a debate. Police can lie to you but how far can this go? Suppose I’ve been stopped and a policeman asks if he can search my… --- ## [Resolved: The US will have to fire almost all Law Enforcement personnel](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-the-us-will-have-to-fire-almost-all-law-enforcement-personnel/1017527)
**Author:** [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Replies:** 65\ **Last updated:** [May 9, 2025, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-the-us-will-have-to-fire-almost-all-law-enforcement-personnel/1017527 "2025-05-09T17:03:07Z")
So, I was thinking about this today. With everything that is happening now, with ICE and other agencies taking people into custody while wearing masks and refusing to identify themselves, and then deporting them with lit… --- ## [Trump/Putin](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-putin/1017455)
**Author:** [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [May 9, 2025, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-putin/1017455 "2025-05-09T05:45:45Z")
If Trump were to give Putin an ultimatum, such as if you don’t leave Ukraine we will remove you. I would imagine Putin threaten a nuclear strike. If Trump were to call his bluff would insiders remove Putin? Very dangerou… --- ## [What will happen in Gaza now that Trump won?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-in-gaza-now-that-trump-won/1009762)
**Author:** [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Replies:** 255\ **Last updated:** [May 7, 2025, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-in-gaza-now-that-trump-won/1009762 "2025-05-07T14:42:27Z")
Will the Palestinians be wiped out? Will they be forced out of Gaza to other countries? Will the West bank be fully subsumed? How will a Trump Presidency affect the current conflict? --- ## [Do we actually know that late-Roman society was basically monotheistic?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-actually-know-that-late-roman-society-was-basically-monotheistic/1015721)
**Author:** [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Replies:** 84\ **Last updated:** [May 6, 2025, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-actually-know-that-late-roman-society-was-basically-monotheistic/1015721 "2025-05-06T14:39:38Z")
So a fact, that comes up in any modern history of the later Roman empire, is that long before Christianity became the dominant religion, Roman society had basically become monotheistic. By late antiquity (approx the rei… --- ## [Is MAGA a fifth column?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-maga-a-fifth-column/1006924)
**Author:** [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Replies:** 50\ **Last updated:** [May 5, 2025, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-maga-a-fifth-column/1006924 "2025-05-05T19:30:32Z")
Recently the DOJ indicted a couple of Russian nationalists and seized 32 web domains tied to a Russian propaganda campaign. I have heard that many people were shocked by this, including online influencers like Tim Pool… --- ## [Rejection of science and/or factual information in favor of feelings](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rejection-of-science-and-or-factual-information-in-favor-of-feelings/1015208)
**Author:** [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Replies:** 162\ **Last updated:** [May 5, 2025, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rejection-of-science-and-or-factual-information-in-favor-of-feelings/1015208 "2025-05-05T15:49:52Z")
My family and I have recently adopted a dog from the SPCA, and I’ve been doing my research on what to feed him. I’m amazed at the level of nonsense that’s out there, how much is marketing driven, and more importantly, h… --- ## [Who is papable right now?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-papable-right-now/1014475)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 111\ **Last updated:** [May 5, 2025, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-papable-right-now/1014475 "2025-05-05T03:36:07Z")
Pope Francis has been battling health issues for a couple of years now. The 88 year old has double pneumonia and doctors are calling his medical issues “complex”. Assuming he passes away in 2025, what cardinals are fron… --- ## [Are there any industries other than the sex industry which are considered a bellwether of bad economic times coming?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-industries-other-than-the-sex-industry-which-are-considered-a-bellwether-of-bad-economic-times-coming/1016493)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [May 4, 2025, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-industries-other-than-the-sex-industry-which-are-considered-a-bellwether-of-bad-economic-times-coming/1016493 "2025-05-04T07:10:23Z")
Supposedly when bad economic times are coming, the sex industry is one of the first industries to see their business drop because its one of the first things people stop spending money on when bad times are coming. Are … --- ## [The psychology of hating a marginalized group because they're doing better than you, vs because they're doing worse than you](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-psychology-of-hating-a-marginalized-group-because-theyre-doing-better-than-you-vs-because-theyre-doing-worse-than-you/1017249)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [April 30, 2025, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-psychology-of-hating-a-marginalized-group-because-theyre-doing-better-than-you-vs-because-theyre-doing-worse-than-you/1017249 "2025-04-30T00:51:42Z")
Its kind of hard for me to explain what I mean, but when it comes to bigotry against marginalized groups, I notice that people will hate the marginalized group both because they are doing worse in life than the bigoted p… --- ## [Is time asymmetric / energy not conserved?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-time-asymmetric-energy-not-conserved/1017620)
**Author:** [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [April 28, 2025, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-time-asymmetric-energy-not-conserved/1017620 "2025-04-28T19:13:27Z")
This topic has come up in other physics threads, but I don’t see that it has its own dedicated thread. My knowledge on this topic is having taken 2 semesters of undergraduate level physics, reading various popular physi… --- ## [Is church tax status in any danger?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-church-tax-status-in-any-danger/1013481)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 74\ **Last updated:** [April 25, 2025, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-church-tax-status-in-any-danger/1013481 "2025-04-25T06:24:25Z")
In light of the Trump government’s viewpoints on immigrants, DEI, political involvement etc., are the tax exempt status’ of religious institutions in any danger? --- ## [Judge OK's Sarah Palin's libel lawsuit against NYTimes - could this portend a wheelbarrowful of suits against Fox "News"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-oks-sarah-palins-libel-lawsuit-against-nytimes-could-this-portend-a-wheelbarrowful-of-suits-against-fox-news/919611)
**Author:** [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2025, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-oks-sarah-palins-libel-lawsuit-against-nytimes-could-this-portend-a-wheelbarrowful-of-suits-against-fox-news/919611 "2025-04-23T02:38:44Z")
Palin’s lawsuit alleges The initial version of \[the 2017 Times editorial\] said it was “clear” that the 2011 shooting \[of Rep. Gabby Giffords\] was linked to a map Palin’s political action committee released that included… --- ## [How all did the founding fathers screw up democracy, and what still needs to be done to fix it](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-all-did-the-founding-fathers-screw-up-democracy-and-what-still-needs-to-be-done-to-fix-it/1005960)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 155\ **Last updated:** [April 21, 2025, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-all-did-the-founding-fathers-screw-up-democracy-and-what-still-needs-to-be-done-to-fix-it/1005960 "2025-04-21T19:12:03Z")
I don’t have a very high opinion of the founding fathers. From what I see, they were young aristocrats who wanted an aristocratic democratic system. As a result we’ve had to spend the last 240 years fixing the damage the… --- ## [Back in the days of slavery and segregation, were those topics ever used in debate competitions?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-in-the-days-of-slavery-and-segregation-were-those-topics-ever-used-in-debate-competitions/1015787)
**Author:** [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [April 20, 2025, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-in-the-days-of-slavery-and-segregation-were-those-topics-ever-used-in-debate-competitions/1015787 "2025-04-20T19:28:15Z")
In HS and college debate competitions, they may assign the teams to take a pro or con stance on controversial topics like nuclear energy, whale hunting, incarceration of drug users, etc. The teams are expected to earnest… --- ## [At What Point Does Silicon Usurp Biology?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-silicon-usurp-biology/1013722)
**Author:** [@DaveUnknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveUnknown)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [April 18, 2025, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-silicon-usurp-biology/1013722 "2025-04-18T16:01:06Z")
This morning I’m getting overwhelmed (frustrated) with, “is AI ready to take over ATC?”; Paul McCartney talking about AI taking over music; the creative process, “SDCs”, etc. At what point is biology going to be replace… --- ## [Possibility of ending the need to work for a living?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibility-of-ending-the-need-to-work-for-a-living/138525)
**Author:** [@Hazel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazel)\ **Replies:** 118\ **Last updated:** [April 18, 2025, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibility-of-ending-the-need-to-work-for-a-living/138525 "2025-04-18T12:06:11Z")
The RICH Economy Article by Robert Anton Wilson, from The Illuminati Papers Short quote: “If there is one proposition which currently wins the assent of nearly everybody, it is that we need more jobs. ‘A cure for une… --- ## [Is Trump trying to return the USA to a Mercantilism economic model?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-trying-to-return-the-usa-to-a-mercantilism-economic-model/1016889)
**Author:** [@Sooner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sooner)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [April 15, 2025, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-trying-to-return-the-usa-to-a-mercantilism-economic-model/1016889 "2025-04-15T00:32:35Z")
Mercantilism is an economic theory and system that emphasizes national wealth and power through a positive balance of trade, where a nation’s exports exceed its imports. It was prominent in Europe from the 16th to 18th c… --- ## [Daniel Kahneman has died, and I remember reading him and thinking he was wrong. What do you think?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daniel-kahneman-has-died-and-i-remember-reading-him-and-thinking-he-was-wrong-what-do-you-think/999516)
**Author:** [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Replies:** 47\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2025, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daniel-kahneman-has-died-and-i-remember-reading-him-and-thinking-he-was-wrong-what-do-you-think/999516 "2025-04-02T21:01:04Z")
It was his book “Thinking Fast and Slow”, I believe, where he stated that humans are risk averse. He claimed they fear and mourn a financial loss (say, 100$) double as much as they rejoyce the same financial gain (cite i… --- ## [What are the differences between men and women?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-men-and-women/1015688)
**Author:** [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Replies:** 224\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2025, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-men-and-women/1015688 "2025-03-25T16:02:31Z")
I ask this question sincerely. In modern times, of course, there are laudable efforts to broadly define the genders, and so even basic biological characteristics aren’t necessarily distinct: I mean, it’s plain that you … --- ## [What do you think about the argument that we’re living in the best time in history?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-the-argument-that-we-re-living-in-the-best-time-in-history/1015205)
**Author:** [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Replies:** 113\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2025, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-the-argument-that-we-re-living-in-the-best-time-in-history/1015205 "2025-03-25T07:44:13Z")
The likes of Steven Pinker write and lecture extensively about how we live in the best time ever by virtually every metric. This usually includes describing liberal democracy and Capitalism as the reason why and the best… --- ## [On the political spectrum, what good things do you feel the far left accompish](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-political-spectrum-what-good-things-do-you-feel-the-far-left-accompish/1014679)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 119\ **Last updated:** [March 21, 2025, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-political-spectrum-what-good-things-do-you-feel-the-far-left-accompish/1014679 "2025-03-21T10:25:54Z")
So the center left would be people like Sanders, AOC, Warren. The far left would be socialists and communists. I keep hearing the far left say that liberals (the center left) hate them because of how effective and pure… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=10)