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Trying 9/11 terror suspects in NYC courts
|
Trying and imprisoning terrorists can create US jobs
|
PRO
|
Trying 9/11 terror suspects in NYC courts
|
Civilian trials avoid using evidence from coercive interrogations
|
PRO
|
Trying 9/11 terror suspects in NYC courts
|
Civilian trials improve global opinion of US, fight on terrorism
|
PRO
|
Gene patents
|
Patent licenses are very costly, impair R and D
|
CON
|
Gene patents
|
Gene patents do not incentivize innovation
|
CON
|
Gene patents
|
Gene patents and bio-engineering may harm environment/society.
|
CON
|
Gene patents
|
Gene patents and research could do harm to the environment.
|
CON
|
Gene patents
|
Gene patents help drive major economic breakthroughs.
|
PRO
|
Gays in the US military
|
Minority of troop discomfort with gays is enough to damage cohesion.
|
CON
|
Gays in the US military
|
It would strenghten relations
|
PRO
|
Gays in the US military
|
Most gays will remain private after military ban is lifted
|
PRO
|
Nuclear energy
|
Nuclear energy will compete with and squeeze out renewable energy.
|
CON
|
Nuclear energy
|
Entire nuclear cycle may emit substantial greenhouse gases
|
CON
|
Nuclear energy
|
Nuclear energy relies too heavily on subsidies/taxpayers
|
CON
|
Nuclear energy
|
Nuclear energy can reduce materials available for weapons-use.
|
PRO
|
Nuclear energy
|
Concentration of power in nuclear is economical.
|
PRO
|
Pornography
|
Pornography encourages promiscuity and shallow relationships.
|
CON
|
Pornography
|
Many rapists are obsessed with and encouraged by pornography
|
CON
|
Pornography
|
Pornography further victimizes sexual abuse victims.
|
CON
|
Pornography
|
Porn improves self-control with distance from sex.
|
PRO
|
Pornography
|
Pornography lets women articulate femininity.
|
PRO
|
Pornography
|
Porn watching may actually reduce rape rates
|
PRO
|
Health insurance mandates
|
Mandatory health insurance cannot be effectively enforced
|
CON
|
Health insurance mandates
|
MA insurance mandates are performing pretty well
|
PRO
|
Health insurance mandates
|
The struggling can be exempted from insurance mandate.
|
PRO
|
Health insurance mandates
|
Health insurance mandates need not be perfectly enforced to be effective.
|
PRO
|
More troops to Afghanistan under Obama
|
Afg is backward, cannot be salvaged by US
|
CON
|
More troops to Afghanistan under Obama
|
Afghanistan security forces can hardly be trained
|
CON
|
More troops to Afghanistan under Obama
|
Counter-terrorism w/o troops did not work in 1990s
|
PRO
|
More troops to Afghanistan under Obama
|
Afghanistan is more stable and governable than often assumed
|
PRO
|
More troops to Afghanistan under Obama
|
Most Afghanis oppose Taliban, support US/NATO
|
PRO
|
Health insurance cooperatives
|
Supporters of co-ops will never reduce government involvement.
|
CON
|
Health insurance cooperatives
|
Co-ops are a great alternative to the public option
|
PRO
|
Health insurance cooperatives
|
Non-profit co-ops are driven by health interests of members, not profits
|
PRO
|
Health insurance cooperatives
|
Some government involvement in co-ops is justified.
|
PRO
|
Public health insurance option
|
There are not enough votes to pass a public insurance plan.
|
CON
|
Public health insurance option
|
US polls find a majority favor a public insurance option
|
PRO
|
Public health insurance option
|
Public and private insurers can learn from each other
|
PRO
|
Public health insurance option
|
Insurers should not be trusted with sole control of health insurance
|
PRO
|
Mandatory calorie counts on menus
|
It is difficult for restaurants to keep calorie counts consistent.
|
CON
|
Mandatory calorie counts on menus
|
Calorie counts make it easier to judge calories in foods
|
PRO
|
Mandatory calorie counts on menus
|
Fear of government should not obstruct calorie counts on menus
|
PRO
|
Mandatory calorie counts on menus
|
No restaurant will be disadvantaged if all are required to list calories.
|
PRO
|
Manned mission to Mars
|
Cumulative challenges and risks of Mars mission are too great
|
CON
|
Manned mission to Mars
|
There is little public support for a mission to Mars
|
CON
|
Manned mission to Mars
|
Women are less supportive of Mars mission than men
|
CON
|
Manned mission to Mars
|
Artificial gravity can overcome zero-gravity on Mars mission.
|
PRO
|
Manned mission to Mars
|
We can commit to Mars mission before knowing how
|
PRO
|
Manned mission to Mars
|
Committing to Mars will inspire NASA to make it happen
|
PRO
|
Colonization of the Moon
|
Human survival is ensured by fighting global warming, not Moonbase.
|
CON
|
Colonization of the Moon
|
Growing crops on the moon faces many difficult challenges.
|
CON
|
Colonization of the Moon
|
A manned presence on the Moon is superior to a robotic one
|
PRO
|
Mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods
|
Labeling is wrong when GM foods show no differences with other foods
|
CON
|
Mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods
|
Labeling GM foods applies precautionary principle to unknown risks.
|
PRO
|
Legality of coca production and consumption
|
Tradition of coca consumption is a poor argument.
|
CON
|
Legality of coca production and consumption
|
Coca consumption is most akin to caffeine use.
|
PRO
|
Legality of coca production and consumption
|
Coca has spiritual value to indigenous Andeans.
|
PRO
|
Legality of coca production and consumption
|
All South American states support indigenous right to coca.
|
PRO
|
Legality of coca production and consumption
|
Coca can be used in a variety of products
|
PRO
|
Legality of coca production and consumption
|
Coca can be used as a local anesthetic.
|
PRO
|
Filibuster
|
The filibuster is outdated and uncivilized in a modern democracy
|
CON
|
Filibuster
|
General statements against the filibuster
|
CON
|
Filibuster
|
Filibuster fits framers' distrust of govt, desire for checks
|
PRO
|
Filibuster
|
Filibuster helps flag controversial issues for the public
|
PRO
|
Filibuster
|
Filibuster provides important checks and balances
|
PRO
|
Criminalization of Holocaust denial
|
Holocaust denial gets undue attention because it is illegal.
|
CON
|
Criminalization of Holocaust denial
|
Holocaust deniers' claim of no major loss of Jewish lives is false
|
PRO
|
Needle exchanges
|
Needle exchanges protect public, not just drug addicts.
|
PRO
|
Needle exchanges
|
Needle exchanges help protect families of drug-abusers
|
PRO
|
Needle exchanges
|
Needle exchanges benefit their areas of implementation.
|
PRO
|
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
|
Test ban, as a means to abolishing nuclear weapons, is unrealistic
|
CON
|
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
|
Enforcing a test ban, not detecting tests, is the issue
|
CON
|
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
|
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty still relevant after Cold War
|
PRO
|
Israeli settlements
|
Israel uses violence to unlawfully back settlements
|
CON
|
Israeli settlements
|
Israel encourages settlements; they are not growing naturally.
|
CON
|
Israeli settlements
|
Jewish settlements are not part of any illegal occupation
|
PRO
|
Israeli settlements
|
Israeli settlements may be unfortunate, but are not illegal.
|
PRO
|
Israeli settlements
|
Jews have historical right to return to West Bank
|
PRO
|
Israeli settlements
|
Israelis have equal claim as Palestinians to settle in West Bank
|
PRO
|
Two-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict
|
Inclusive one-state solution adopts democratic principles
|
CON
|
Two-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict
|
Idea of Jewish state, in two-state solution, is undemocratic
|
CON
|
Two-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict
|
A two-state solution will not assuage Iran.
|
CON
|
Two-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict
|
Two-state plan respects democratic will for separate states
|
PRO
|
Two-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict
|
Palestinians want two-state solution, assuming settlements stop.
|
PRO
|
Merit pay for teachers
|
Teacher merit is too hard to measure for merit-pay to be fair
|
CON
|
Merit pay for teachers
|
Merit pay for teachers is tied to unreliable standardized tests
|
CON
|
Merit pay for teachers
|
Better teachers should be paid more
|
PRO
|
Merit pay for teachers
|
Teachers should be paid more; based on merit
|
PRO
|
Enhanced interrogation techniques
|
US prosecuted foreign governments for waterboarding
|
CON
|
Enhanced interrogation techniques
|
Sleep deprivation is a form of torture.
|
CON
|
Enhanced interrogation techniques
|
Enhanced interrogations unnecessary; Army Field Manual is sufficient
|
CON
|
Enhanced interrogation techniques
|
Enhanced interrogations were adapted from abusive foreign tactics.
|
CON
|
Enhanced interrogation techniques
|
Torture to save lives has a substantial body of support among publics:
|
PRO
|
Enhanced interrogation techniques
|
Majority of Americans believe harsh interrogations justified
|
PRO
|
Enhanced interrogation techniques
|
Interrogations are not torture when no intent to torture.
|
PRO
|
Enhanced interrogation techniques
|
Enhanced interrogation should not be condemned because of bad apples.
|
PRO
|
Is a nuclear Iran intolerable?
|
Air strikes on Iran would be limited to self-defense
|
PRO
|
AIG bonuses
|
AIG bonuses are an insult to suffering taxpayers
|
CON
|
AIG bonuses
|
Justice of reneging AIG bonuses would be worth costs
|
CON
|
AIG bonuses
|
AIG workers/execs that caused collapse won't help recovery
|
CON
|
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