[Debatewise RRT] Re: your debates fix

  • From: "Jasmin Ademovic" <jasminademovic@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <debatewiserrt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:19:56 -0000

I'll take the Qatar buying the 2022 world cup.

thanks
jas


From: Alex Helling 
Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 6:51 PM
To: debatewiserrt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
Subject: [Debatewise RRT] your debates fix


Good Afternoon,

 

                                    If anyone if fluent in French please read 
the most recent debate and see if you can respond at all. I have no idea if the 
French is asking the same as the English, would be useful to know, as Nadia has 
already mentioned the English version does not really lend itself to the debate 
format very well. http://www.debatewise.com/debates/1396 

I don't think I have much more to add except a big general thank you to all of 
you for keeping on writing debates for the site, particularly now as Debatewise 
HQ is almost totally focused on the Global Youth Panel and Copenhagen 
Conference rather than adding content to site.

 

Thanks,

Alex

 

Debates:

 

Should corrupt officials be banned from travelling to the west?

Many dictators amass large amounts of money from the country they rule, this is 
either from acquiring tax revenues or from appropriating state businesses or 
the natural resources of the state. This damages the country's economy in 
countries that often have large proportions of the population in poverty while 
the country's elite plunder the state's resources. Nonetheless these people are 
not only recognised as being the legitimate government representing the people 
of these countries but are allowed to travel where they like, often spending 
their resources abroad. Should the west prevent these officials from visiting?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4729119.stm

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/us/17visa.html?scp=1&sq=rich%20african%20official&st=cse
 

 

Is Obama rejecting Europe?

Europe was worried that George Bush was too warlike and rightwing compared to 
most of Europe. However he did engage in his own way, he pursued partnerships 
with various European powers; Britain, Spain, Italy as well as Eastern Europe. 
He was involved in encouraging Europe to accept Turkey. Obama may not be at 
loggerheads with 'old' Europe but he does seem to be ignoring it. Surely the US 
president should have been there to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall 
of the Berlin Wall. French President Sarkozy has not yet had an official visit 
to Washington since Obama took office. Should Europe be worried about a seeming 
US preference for a 'G2'?

http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/article.aspx?id=4615

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/nov/02/obama-europe-relations

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/10/29/europes_obama_fatigue

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/world/europe/17iht-politicus.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Europe%20relations&st=cse
 

 

The developed world must commit to agricultural aid of $44bln.

A target to eradicate hunger by 2025 seems to be falling by the wayside along 
with proposals to spend the $44 billion per year that is needed to help meet 
this target. It is not through eternally handing out food to the needy that we 
will be able to reduce the hunger in the world it is by improving the 
agriculture in those countries that are affected by hunger. We need to provide 
the resources to allow them to grow their way out of the problem. However 
$44billion is a lot of money, money that many countries, at the tail end of a 
recession do not have to spare.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/world/17food.html?scp=1&sq=agriculture%20africa%20aid&st=cse
 

http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-11-12-food-summit-dilutes-hunger-and-aid-targets

 

Gordon Brown not Kevin Rudd should be apologising to those children forcibly 
transported to Australia.

Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has apologised to those who were forcibly 
relocated while still children from Britain from the 1920s to the 1950s to 
provide a white workforce for the empire and dominions. They were told their 
families were dead when they were not and many were abused in Australian homes. 
Gordon Brown has said he will apologise in the new year. It was Britain that 
committed the greater wrong and should apologise rather than Australia who were 
acting as recipient for British Government policy. Should out current PMs even 
be apologising for something they had nothing to do with?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/australias-apology-to-transported-children-1779652.html
 

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/acknowledge-suffering-of-forgotten-kids/story-e6frg6ux-1225798810363

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6575200/Gordon-Brown-to-apologise-for-Britains-shameful-child-migration-policies.html
 

 

The Republican party needs to broaden its base if it is to regain power.

During George Bush's presidency the Republican Party did not seek to hold a 
broad base of support, rather it turned to the right to give it electoral 
success. It would mobilise the religious on issues like abortion and encourage 
them to vote. The republicans now need to decide if they are to keep to a far 
right strategy or move more to the centre, embracing fiscal conservatives who 
have been increasingly marginalised in recent years.

http://www.newamerica.net/publications/articles/2009/how_can_republicans_repair_their_brand_10751

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/feb/24/republican-party-personal-responsibility-cpac

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/us/politics/16crist.html?scp=2&sq=republican%20party&st=cse
 

 

Should commercial TV stations be allowed to use BBC license fees to pay for 
regional news programmes?

The BBC gains an immense advantage over commercial TV channels in its gaining 
the TV license fee to pay for its programs rather than having to rely on 
advertisers. However the other terrestrial TV stations also provide some public 
broadcasting, particularly in news programming. ITV is finding it difficult to 
justify keeping regional news running but it is a public good so should the 
money come out of the BBC's purse?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jun/16/digital-britain-bbc-licence-fee

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article6839113.ece
 

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6919507.ece
 

 

Are our railway stations in need of a radical make over?

Some of Britain's railway stations are dilapidated and not fit for purpose, 
they are not places you would want to spend any time waiting for your train at. 
Signs may not be helpful, with little disabled access and no real time 
information to tell you if your train is on time, more needs to be spent to 
make stations friendly and accessible. Britain does have some very good railway 
stations, for example St Pancras which is a shopping hub as well as an 
architectural gem. There is also not an infinite amount of money to pay for the 
railways, we need more capacity and faster lines so should money go there 
rather than upgrading stations?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8363621.stm 
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6920046.ece

despite the reports having spent a couple of hours in Manchester Victoria (the 
times lowest ranked station) waiting for a train towards Leeds a year ago I 
thought it was quite nice, large and impressive... sure there were very few 
services or people because of that so it was a bit run down, what do you 
expect? companies can't have loads of staff in a station maintaining it if they 
have very few trains running from it.

 

After an Italian murderer had his sentenced reduced due to having "violent 
gene", could DNA profiles be used as a defence in criminal courts?

Walter Perez was murdered for taunting a Muslim man, Abdelmalek Bayout, about 
wearing eye makeup. The Murderer was sentenced to nine years. This has however 
been reduced because, according to scientists, he possesses five genes known to 
be associated with violent behaviour. Should this behavioural genetics have any 
influence in court. No matter that he may be predisposed towards violence this 
is no reason to murder a stranger for a minor misdemeanour. 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/genetics/article6919130.ece 

http://www.bioedonline.org/news/news.cfm?art=5784 

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18098-murderer-with-aggression-genes-gets-sentence-cut.html
 

 

Should Qatar be allowed to "buy" their way to hosting the 2022 football World 
Cup?

Qatar does not seem like an obvious world cup host. The host country needs to 
have numerous large high quality stadiums so as to be able to support numerous 
matches a day during the first round. Qatar is a small country with a 
population of around a million of which only about 350,000 are citizens. This 
in turn is could mean problems with a lack of accommodation for thousands of 
fans or if they can't get in then there are not sufficient numbers of natives 
to fill the stadiums. Meanwhile there are other challenges, the world cup is in 
the middle of summer making a desert country an unattractive prospect. However 
Qatar does have one alluring thing, lots of money - money that can help 
surmount all the problems, either geographical or political. 

http://www.worldfootballinsider.com/Story.aspx?id=32710

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/patrick_barclay/article6916316.ece
 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/owen_slot/article6919271.ece

 

Does it matter who manages Scotland?

Scotland manager George Burley has been sacked after a run of poor performances 
by the Scotland team. The SFA decided to fire him after defeats in friendlys to 
Japan and Wales with Scotland already having failed to qualify for the world 
cup. But who are Scotland kidding, of course we are likely to meet many 
defeats, we are a small nation and no matter how big our passion for the game 
we can't overcome the greater range of options for players that the big teams 
have. It is not possible to turn a team from a small country of 5million into 
world beaters, so does it matter who Scotland pick as a manager?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/8361602.stm

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/more-scottish-football/scotland-job-a-poisoned-chalice-1.932545

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/more-scottish-football/the-candidates-to-replace-burley-1.932550
 

p.s. if there are any Scots out on the RRT don't be offended, I am too, just 
engaging in a bit of pessimism! 

 

Use Revisewise @ http://revisewise.debatewise.com/ 

 

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