[Debatewise RRT] Re: Debates
- From: Harriet Lowe <tehexile@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: debatewiserrt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:13:12 +0100
I'll take *Correct spelling and grammar are not important.*
On Tue, Jul 20, 2010 at 6:08 PM, Alex Helling <alex@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
>
>
> I don’t think I have anything to say this week
> except a reminder that if you are more interested in improving debates you
> may wish to switch groups. Email me if you do.
>
>
>
> Alex
>
>
>
> Debates:
>
> *Can big oil survive?*
>
> BP one of the big oil companies has been in serious difficulties with its
> leak from the Deep Horizon rig and BP is now also facing criticism for its
> dealings in Libya where it is now accused of lobbying the UK government to
> persuade the Scottish Justice Secretary to release Abdul Baset Ali
> al-Megrahi. Despite us entering a period of historically very high oil
> prices the big private companies are being squeezed. Their oil reserves are
> running out and they have to find new reserves in ever more difficult
> conditions, such as the very deep water where Deep Horizon was. In these new
> conditions smaller companies are likely to nimbler and more likely to find
> oil. The age of the big oil companies seems to be coming to an end.
>
>
> http://oilandglory.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/07/19/is_there_a_place_for_big_oil_in_the_post_bp_spill_world<http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=http%3A%2F%2Foilandglory.foreignpolicy.com%2Fposts%2F2010%2F07%2F19%2Fis_there_a_place_for_big_oil_in_the_post_bp_spill_world>
>
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2005/apr/21/oilandpetrol.news
>
> http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_20/b3984001.htm
>
>
>
> *Republicans should endorse the strategic arms treaty with Russia.*
>
> The Republicans are intent on opposing Obama’s treaty on nuclear weapons
> with the Russians in the senate where the treaty needs to be ratified. They
> are however worried that it is a bad deal for America and that it will limit
> missile defence. But does the threat from Russia even matter anymore? We are
> no longer in the cold war and the big worries are about terrorism. It may
> indeed be a ‘bad’ deal for the US in that it accepts parity with a power
> that is now obviously militarily inferior. Without the treaty the US could
> produce many more nuclear weapons than Russia if it wanted to. So should the
> Russians endorse the treaty?
>
> http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/07/19/take_reagans_word_for_it<http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.foreignpolicy.com%2Farticles%2F2010%2F07%2F19%2Ftake_reagans_word_for_it>
>
>
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/05/AR2010070502657.html<http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fwp-dyn%2Fcontent%2Farticle%2F2010%2F07%2F05%2FAR2010070502657.html>
>
> * *
>
> *Should the Ministry of Defence have to pay for Trident?*
>
> Everything is about money. The Conservatives may have said that Trident
> will not be on the review of defence spending and so not be open for debate
> on whether it should exist but this does not mean it is settled how it will
> be paid for. The MoD says that it is an issue of national security so it
> should not come out of its budget and the Treasury should pay. Not
> surprisingly for a department that is trying to reduce spending the Treasury
> is having none of it.
>
>
> http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/johnmcternan1/100047548/are-ministry-of-defence-sources-having-a-laugh-about-trident/
>
>
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jul/20/uk-defence-policy-unaffordable-liam-fox
>
> * *
>
> *The protests in Parliament Square should have been allowed to remain?*
>
> The protesters camping in Parliament Square have finally been cleared after
> Boris Johnson’s legal action to have them removed. Boris considered the
> protests ‘nauseating’ and many others will not have enjoyed the sight of the
> camp. But if we are a free society should we not be able to protest at the
> mother of parliaments?
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-10693138<http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fuk-england-london-10693138>
>
> http://parliamentprotest.org.uk/
> <http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=http%3A%2F%2Fparliamentprotest.org.uk%2F>
>
> * *
>
> *Correct spelling and grammar are not important.*
>
> All languages undeniably change over the years, and these changes reflect
> how the words are used. The most important thing about written communication
> is that it is understood, not that it follows an arcane set of rules that
> benefit nobody.
>
>
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1296126/Ideologues-illiteracy-MAX-HASTINGS-terrible-damage-wrought-schools-Left-wing-educationalists.html
>
>
> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/07/19/is-sarah-palin-the-heir-to-shakespeare/
>
>
>
> *FA discipline needs an overhaul.*
>
> A survey of the leading figures in English football has shown that many
> believe that the FA’s disciplinary body is inconsistent. It is obviously
> difficult to uphold rules if no one knows what the penalty will be for
> breaking them or whether it will be consistently applied. If this is the
> case then the best way is to overhaul the disciplinary system and look again
> at the rules and reissue them. When this happens they should be applied as
> consistently as possible. However might it just be leading figures in
> football seeing themselves as being discriminated against. If everyone is
> against the body perhaps it is doing something right!
>
>
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/7584849/Bung-buster-Graham-Bean-wants-to-overhaul-FAs-dysfunctional-disciplinary-body.html
>
>
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/mar/19/alex-ferguson-fa-steven-gerrard
>
>
>
> *Is the Active Denial System ray gun the future of riot control?*
>
> The active denial system which has been around for a few years has yet to
> be used. It has potential application in suppressing riots without having to
> use deadly force or involving the armed services having to be brought in
> with rubber bullets or worse to control the riot. Instead the ADS could be
> used to engage at range with its heat ray forcing people to run for cover.
>
> http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/v-mads.htm
>
>
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/7900117/The-Active-Denial-System-the-weapon-thats-a-hot-topic.html
>
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6300985.stm
>
>
>
> On the site:
>
> *Is Cameron’s Big Society all about the money?*
>
> Cameron may have had his idea about the big society to solve the problem of
> our broken society since before the beginning of the recession but now it is
> likely to be seen by everyone as a cost cutting measure. Cameron’s idea
> being about citizens doing things themselves and not relying on the state
> does seem like something that can be used to reduce spending. Now that
> Cameron has to reduce spending whether or not the big society is about
> reducing costs the policy will inevitably be tarred with cuts. Is it
> justified?
>
>
> http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/camerons-big-society-attacked-as-a-cover-for-spending-cuts-2030334.html
>
>
> http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-but-what-if-the-big-society-doesnt-work-2030413.html
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10687446
>
>
>
> *Was the invasion of Iraq worthwhile?*
>
> The former chief of MI5 today said that the terror threat was "undoubtedly
> increased" by the invasion of Iraq.* *We have known for some time that the
> initial cause for the invasion of Iraq, the possibility of Saddam having
> WMD, has been wrong. As the war was after the September 11th attacks another
> possible reason was terrorism. This too is now being acknowledged as being a
> false reason behind the invasion. However could the invasion still have been
> worthwhile? The Iraqis have gained freedom from tyranny and a sort of
> democracy, oil flows again and the economy and quality of life are slowly
> improving.
>
> h<http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fuk-politics-10693001>
> ttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10693001<http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fuk-politics-10693001>
>
>
> http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2809-iraq-invasion-could-worsen-terrorist-threat.html
>
> http://www.e-ir.info/?p=4344
>
> http://web.mit.edu/humancostiraq/
>
>
>
> *Is new gel a breakthrough in the fight against AIDS?*
>
> Unfortunately no cure yet but researchers have invented a vaginal gel that
> cuts infection rate by up to 50%. It may not be a vaccine or a cure but it
> is a big step forward. Using condoms is the most effective of combating the
> spread of HIV and AIDS however this is reliant upon the men rather than
> women. This means that this gel is the first time women have had a chance to
> prevent infection without needing men to be involved. Is this a
> breakthrough?
>
>
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/austria/7899518/Medicated-gel-gives-hope-in-fight-against-Aids.html
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-10691353
>
>
> http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i4btht5S9A6BF0UuIEGz5QoQuWCQ
>
>
>
> *Health and safety regulations have gone too far.*
>
> Local councils and businesses have become so risk averse in recent years
> that they refuse to let their employees or the public do the most basic of
> tasks. In Dudley, England, local people were warned off cutting the grass
> verge outside their homes because they did not have the correct insurance.
>
>
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1293508/Ill-end-health-n-safety-farce-PM-vows-cure-Labour-neurosis.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
>
>
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/jun/30/judith-hackitt-health-safety-work
>
>
> http://yourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk/restoring-civil-liberties/end-health-and-safety-madness-healthy-attitude-to-risk
>
>
>
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