Ddjxie's Debates: [clear]
All Debates
You are browsing through all debates. You can refine the results by using the drop-down boxes above. You can view more information about each debate by clicking Show Details at right.
Winning Position: Yes
In modern society, people are evermore relying on the Internet for tasks such as banking, job searching, keeping updated on recent news, remaining connected with friends and family, and finding various resources quickly. In "Internet access is 'a fundamental right'", published in BBC News on 8 March 2010, a BBC survey is discussed wherein it "found that 87% of internet users felt internet access should be the 'fundamental right of all people'." In order to access the Internet, a computer must be used.
However, homeless individuals have few worldly possessions and what they do have is worth relatively little. In particular, homeless individuals cannot normally afford to own and make use of a personal computer due to financial restrictions. Therefore, the following question is raised: should cities grant each mentally-sound homeless individual in the city a personal computer?
The computer in question is the XO Laptop, which is a laptop that costs under $200 when ordered in bulk. It was designed for the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) initiative by "experts from academia and industry" to be a "rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning." In addition to providing Internet access, this computer would enable the homeless to easily make use of open source productivity software that for tasks such as writing CV's and cover letters.
Although there are publically available computers with free Internet access offered by the public libraries, they provide limited time slots on the computers and the libraries are not always open. This deters people who are completely reliant on the public computers from working on projects that require large periods of time. In addition, the computers in public libraries do not allow individuals to install software which may be required for a particular task.
Winning Position: DNA
What characteristics define a "human"?
Here are some questions to get you started:
If science one day manages to copy an entire human's brain into a computer such that the all their memories, the way that person thinks, behaves, etc. are exactly the same as the original "copy", would you consider that computer human?
If you amputate all of a human being's limbs, are they still human?
If you cut off a human's ears, eyes, nose, tongue, etc., are they still human?
If a human's mind goes into a vegetative state, are they still human?
Does a single human cell with fully in-tact genuine human DNA constitute a human? (ex. a skin cell, a recently-fertilised egg, etc.)
Are recently-deceased humans still human? Will they always be human or is there a point in time when they are no longer considered human?
Are there fractional humans? (ex. measured by number of limbs, one's degree of intelligence, ability to think critically, amount of worldly knowledge, etc.)
Winning Position: Yes
"Running shoes have become so supercushioned and motion-controlling, they allow our foot muscles to atrophy and our tendons to shorten and stiffen. Without strength and flexibility, injuries are inevitable."
http://www.menshealth.com/men/fitness/motivation/longevity/article/3b4b1ca01e91c010VgnVCM10000013281eac/2
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127134241.htm
Winning Position: Yes, demand more from reps
2
Yes, demand more from reps
Although democracy historically entails the representation of the public at large, fairly recent developments in science, technology and human knowledge in general has produced societies with great power and complexity. As democracies in the modern age continue to grow in power and numbers, should more be demanded from the political representatives of the people?
One way of getting more qualified politicians into government is to mandate some set of tests that cover various disciplines/skills from which anyone who wishes to run for office must choose at least one and pass. Currently, politicians are not required to pass any type of skill test in order to run for a position in the government.
Nevertheless, controversies may arise in many forms. Following the lead of the previous example, one such example of a controversy is a severe over-representation of very specific group of people (in this case intelligent people) in government, which does not align with the conventional definition of democracy. Perhaps simple-minded people must be elected in order to accurately represent the demographics of people within a given political boundary.
Winning Position: Yes, it's morally wrong
48
Yes, it's morally wrong
33
No, it's not morally wrong
Winning Position: Unresolved
Humans interfere with natural selection and put effort and resources into keeping endangered animals from becoming extinct. Laws have been created to protect endangered species, protected zones such as national parks have been created, and non-government organisations spend countless time, money and resources in feeding and breeding certain species. Is it justifyable to invest so much in perserving species that nature has deemed unift for their changing environments? Should only certain species that have been in decline due to human actions be protected?