Resolved: The United States should significantly reduce the number and severity of laws against recreational drugs

[Dead_Cat]

See this helpful explanation by LSLGuy:

Looking for a word or phrase for this posting style

In formal debate, the topic to be debated is always introduced as “RESOLVED: <whatever we’re going to debate>”. It’s meant as a clear statement of what one side is required to prove and the other is required to disprove. But for the rest of us who’ve never been on a formal debate team it reads as you thought: an arrogant statement that the controversy is already settled before it even begins. That’s the exact opposite of the technical meaning. We’ve had more than one thread debating the wisdo…

I too was confused by this until I saw the above.