[Debatewise RRT] slimmed down debates
- From: "Alex Helling" <alex@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <debatewiserrt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:16:43 -0000
Hi all,
Still in the middle of the Copenhagen conference so once again relatively
few debates and less links than usual. We are still willing to accept
moderators if anyone who has not volunteered already wants to do so.
Alex
Parliament should not avoid debating assisted suicide
For years the U.K.'s policy on assisted suicide has been decided by the
courts rather than where it should be decided, in Parliament. This is
because any decision is likely to face large amounts of criticism so
parliamentarians would rather not go near it. However we should not be
deciding our laws in our courts, they are for judging those created in
parliament not making case law on the hoof.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/dec/15/assisted-suicide-parliam
entary-debate
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/3279424/Judg
es-call-for-Parliament-to-review-rules-on-assisted-suicide.html
Gordon should call an early election?
Gordon Brown has been significantly behind in the polls for the whole period
since the financial crisis hit. But as the polls have recently narrowed he
might be tempted to go with an election slightly early. But the longer he
waits the more chance that the recovery gathers pace and he gets credit for
it (or not blamed so much for the recession). This is what he has always
been waiting for and is still likely to wait until the last possible moment.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/dec/14/march-election-gordon-br
own
Tiger should not take a prolonged absence from golf.
In the wake of his car crash and the revelations about his private life
Tiger Woods has been dropped by several sponsors and has decided to take an
indefinite absence from Golf. But he is a sportsman, what will he do when
not playing golf? So long as he is not out playing golf he will never be
able to put the issue behind him and give people something else look at when
they see Tiger on the TV. So should he return to golf soon?
http://www.losangeleschronicle.com/articles/printFriendly/132591
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/11/entertainment/main5965395.shtml
Britain should be willing to arrest Israeli leaders far war crimes in Gaza
if they come to Britain.
The Cabinet of Former Prime Minister Olmert has been accused of war crimes
by various NGOs and a UN review into the conflict over Gaza almost a year
ago. Previously the courts have rejected an attempt to issue an arrest
warrant for Ehud Barak who was at the time Defence minister and is not
foreign minister. However they have now succeed in getting one for the
former foreign minister Tzipi Livni. The idea of arresting people and trying
them for war crimes in countries where they are not nationals or where the
crime took place is a new concept in international law so is much disputed.
However Israel has itself been willing to do it, and go further and use
kidnap, for former Nazis where the victims were Jews.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/6819275/Tzipi-Li
vni-arrest-warrant-provokes-Britain-Israel-diplomatic-row.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/27/olmert-could-face-warcrimes-arre
st
Lieberman has saved Obama's healthcare plans.
U.S. independent senator Joe Lieberman has said he will join the filibuster
against Obama's healthcare proposals. The democrats need 60 votes to break
the filibuster but there were splits within the democrats, Libermans
willingness to filibuster has brought the democrats together. All they need
to do now is win him round.
http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/15/lieberman-the-fallout/?hp
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/15/lieberman-closer-to-suppo_n_392693.
html
The U.S. is right to keep selling arms to Taiwan.
The U.S. has supported Taiwan since the Chinese Nationalists were chased
across the straits to Taiwan sixty years ago. The Peoples Republic of China
is continually against the U.S. selling any arms to Taiwan. The US used to
ignore these demands but China is growing more influential. America is
however right to stand firm. Many Taiwanese wish to be independent and as a
independent state Taiwan should have the right to defend itself. Moreover
Taiwan is a very useful bargaining chip against China that should be kept in
America's back pocket in case of future need.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/16/world/asia/16taiwan.html?ref=world
http://www.heritage.org/research/AsiaandthePacific/wm2098.cfm
Denmark is failing at organising the Copenhagen conference.
The Danes seem to be more willing to use aggressive pre-emptive policing and
kettleing than those that occurred so controversially in London at the G20.
Over a thousand were briefly arrested over the weekend. Meanwhile although
the conference venue can only hold 15,000 but there are more than 45,000
registered delegates leading to hours spent queing. The Danes have also
managed to annoy nations over its role as host with the 'Danish text' that
strongly favoured the richer nations.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/richardblack/2009/12/cop15_lockouts_
and_walkouts.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/15/copenhagen-194-arrests
Ps sorry about nothing actually on the climate conference, I don't want to
just do the same as what we are doing in the GYP
Use Revisewise @ http://revisewise.debatewise.com/
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