Re: Resolutions for consideration at the February 19th Business Meeting

[Jacob Arber]

Resolved: Faith is incompatible with democratic discourse.

Resolved: Partisanship is destructive.

Resolved: Reason is subservient to emotion.

Resolved: America is a nation.
(This resolution probably needs better wording. The basic idea is
nation as contrasted with a state. I think it is pretty apparent that
America is a state, but I think it is an interesting question to
determine whether or not we have a uniting culture, set of values,
etc.)

Resolved: Individuals propel history more than ideas.

On Feb 15, 9:45 am, Emma Green <emmaogr...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Nick, I agree with you on the contraceptives/Obama rule thing, but change the wording to:
> Resolved: Georgetown University should be required to insure birth control for its employees.
> Then you have religious freedom, reproductive rights, and Georgetown's Catholic identity on the table.  Huzzah.
> --- On Wed, 2/15/12, Nick Iacono <iacono.nicho...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> From: Nick Iacono <iacono.nicho...@gmail.com>
> Subject: [Philodemic Society] Re: Resolutions for consideration at the February 19th Business Meeting
> To: "The Philodemic Society of Georgetown University" <philodem...@googlegroups.com>
> Date: Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 8:41 AM
>
> ***Resolved: The Obama administration’s contraception rule violates
> religious freedom.
>
> -This resolution is timely and provocative, teeming with passionate
> interest on both sides. It allows us to talk about reproductive rights
> and religious freedom, there's a lot there. Also! It is extremely
> relevant to the Georgetown community. Basically, any female employee
> of Georgetown or Georgetown student who has the Gtown health plan now
> has contraceptives covered...something that is in direct violation
> (many would say) of Georgetown's Catholic Jesuit identity. ...This is
> one of those no-brainer, must debate types.
>
> Resolved: The presidency of FDR has caused more harm than good.
>
> Resolved: The U.S. should strike Iran’s nuclear development
> capabilities.
>
> Resolved: The Affordable Care Act should be repealed.
>
> Resolved: The project of European integration has failed.
> (We debated “The project of European integration will fail” in I
> believe Spring 2010. Much has happened since then, and with public
> debt amounting for a ridiculous percent of GDP in several European
> countries and daily riots in Greece, I think it would be great if we
> had a follow up debate assessing whether or not the EU is really
> working as it was intendedto.)
> OR
> Resolved: The Greeks should stop rioting and work.
>
> Resolved: An American college education is a worthwhile pursuit.
>
> Resolved: American universities should not award athletic
> scholarships.
>
> Resolved: Russia and liberalism are compatible.
> OR
> Resolved: Russia is an illiberal nation.
>
> Resolved: The right to bear arms is unduly burdened in the U.S.
>
> Resolved: The rich are entitled to their wealth.
>
> Resolved: The law should limit liberty to protect us from ourselves.
>
> Resolved: Liberalism has failed.
>
> Resolved: The Empire has left a greater legacy than the Republic. (Or
> whatever the final wording was...)
>
> On Feb 15, 9:20 am, Amanda Wynter <amandajw1...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > Please post your resolutions here! If you cannot post in the google
> > group, contact me directly at aw...@georgetown.edu.
>
> > Thanks!
> > Amanda Wynter
>
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[Daniel Rendleman]

I'm sorry to butt in, but I'm a little confused.  What does "Faith is incompatible with democratic discourse" mean?  Does it mean we cannot talk about faith and democracy at the same time (inalienable rights endowed by a Creator, etc.)?  Or that religious convictions are incompatible with talking about democracy?  That second one seems like a particularly totalitarian view for any young American to take.

[Jacob Arber]

Actually, it is the latter, although that encompasses the first. It's
basically a question about whether or not you can enter political
discourse and ground your arguments in faith, since that logic is not
necessarily going to be accepted by others. Because others might not
share your faith and consequently your reasoning in political
discourse, the conversation becomes unproductive and pointless.
Excluding faith from democratic discourse requires all citizens to
make claims with a logical basis other citizens can accept. Rawls and
Habermas have written a bit about this issue if you would like to try
and find a better explanation than my quick run through.

[Madeline Revier]

Modern America is an oligarchy, not a democracy.

History is but the biography of Great Men.
(an alteration of Jacob's "Individuals propel history more than
ideas.")

Lincoln was a greater statesman than Washington.

The Age of Nations has passed.

States must act according to Justice, not Practical Wisdom.

Utilitarianism is an immoral philosophy.
[or, The Ends do not justify the Means.]

Dorothy was justified.
[perhaps a Dean Gordon debate?]

Facebook has done more harm than good.

Football, not baseball, is the great American pastime.

[Madeline Revier]

Fall 2007 the society debated whether FDR's presidency did more harm
than good, and it got extraordinarily muddled.

[Amanda Wynter]

Hello,

These are Nick and Rich's resolutions that were somehow deleted by
Jacob when he posted a few hours ago (jeez Jarb), anyways, continue
posting. These are sounds great!

Rich:
Resolved: The EU has failed.
Resolved: Israel should strike Iran.
Resolved: Obama's budget for 2013 is good for America.
Resolved: Linsanity is superior to Tebowmania.

Nick:

[Daniel Rendleman]

I would say just ordinarily muddled.

On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 12:43 PM, Madeline Revier <m.f.j....@gmail.com> wrote:

Fall 2007 the society debated whether FDR's presidency did more harm
than good, and it got extraordinarily muddled.

[Nick Greenough]

I would say exceptionally argued and resolved......

[Jordon Nardino]

How about Reagan vs FDR? Nice way to focus the debate. Or Lincoln vs FDR if you want to put the debate on a war footing. 

Sent from my iPhone

[Alex Henderson]

Resolved: The Empire has contributed more to the development of civilization than the Republic

Resolved: Democracy is hurting India

Resolved: Give us your tierd, your poor, your huddled masses

Resolved: America should be the world's policeman

-ARH

[Madeline Revier]

If we talk about FDR, I will bring up the pigs killed and buried
without butchering.

On Feb 15, 2:10 pm, Nick Greenough <nickgreeno...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I would say exceptionally argued and resolved......
>

> On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 2:09 PM, Daniel Rendleman <dfrendle...@gmail.com>wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > I would say just ordinarily muddled.
>

[Josh Donovan]

Resolved: Proposition 8 is unconstitutional (or "should remain
unconstitutional")
(Personally feelings about gay marriage aside, this asks whether pure
Democracy should ever be restricted).

Resolved: Imperialism has done more harm than good
(This gets at what I think many have been trying to get at without the
problem of imperial republics).

Resolved: Constructivism is more accurate depiction of the world than
Realism
(SFS(and MSB?) vs. COL(and NHS?) smack down, anyone?)

Resolved: Jesus was a Socialist (alternatively: Free-market capitalism
is incompatible with Christianity)
(The wording could be played with a bit, but I think this would add a
really interesting dimension to "The rich are entitled to their
millions" debate).

Resolved: Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice

ELD,
Josh

[Alex Henderson]

Great topics josh!

Madeline what pigs are you talking about?

Sent from my iPhone

[Greg Miller]

Resolved: Wealth, not race, is the greater factor in social mobility
(in America) (Greg)

Resolved: Wealth, not race, is the greater determinant of social class
in America. (Greg)

Resolved: The rich are entitled to their wealth (David E)

Resolved: The empire, not the republic, has left the greater legacy
(Stephano)

Resolved: Liberalism has failed. (Emma)

Resolved: The law should limit liberty to protect us from ourselves

(Nick)

Resolved: Extremism in the Defense of Liberty is no vice. (Josh D)

[The first two resolutions could be considered different wordings of
the same debate, whichever wording people like better....
These were all Merrick topics that made it to the second round, but
did not make the final cut, so I think they deserve our consideration.
The names in parenthases are those who originally proposed them]

[Stephen Wooten]

Hm, apparently I'm having a bit of trouble with accessing the Google group.

Some suggestions:

Resolved: Extending unemployment benefits was a mistake.

Resolved: The US should abolish the trial by jury system.

-This resolution would be more about the advantages/disadvantages of a jury over a bench trial, not "Resolved: Justice is good."

Also, if we do an EU topic I suggest we move to the future tense, something like "The EU is destined to fail"/"will fail" 

[Jonathan Berryman]

Resolved:

The Catholic Church is a force for good in the world.

Truth is a greater virtue than unity.

The United States should end military aid to Israel.

Shylock should have received his pound of flesh.

Civil religion is unconstitutional.

Love creates more than it destroys. (Though to be honest, "Love destroys more than it creates" would probably draw a bigger crowd.)

Puerto Rico should become a U.S. state. (Could also include Guam and/or the U.S. Virgin Islands)

The pen is mightier than the sword.

States should use eminent domain to convert golf courses into housing for the homeless.

[Sean Rosenthal]

I don't know of anybody who still defends Roosevelt's policy to
systemically slaughter pigs and other animals while plowing down
agricultural fields and paying farmers to not produce food all so as
to keep prices high for farmers, which happened while the Department
of Agriculture was sending reports about how there was a food shortage
in America. I think the more interesting question about FDR is his
legacy and not his specific policies. So, something like,

The legacy of the New Deal does more harm than good. (central economic
management, reduction in states rights, social security, increased
role of executive, large variety of economic agencies like SEC, FCC,
etc.; if you make it the legacy of FDR instead of the New Deal, things
like the UN could also be included)
The New Deal, and not federalism, better represents American values.
(and yes they are very much at odds with each other)
FDR changed the role of the presidency for the better.

Something like that.

On Feb 16, 11:21 am, Stephen Wooten <sc...@mail.msb.edu> wrote:
> Hm, apparently I'm having a bit of trouble with accessing the Google group.
>
> Some suggestions:
> Resolved: Extending unemployment benefits was a mistake.
> Resolved: The US should abolish the trial by jury system.
> -This resolution would be more about the advantages/disadvantages of a jury
> over a bench trial, not "Resolved: Justice is good."
> Also, if we do an EU topic I suggest we move to the future tense, something
> like "The EU is destined to fail"/"will fail"
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 11:47 PM, Alex Henderson <aln...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Great topics josh!
>
> > Madeline what pigs are you talking about?
>
> > Sent from my iPhone
>

> > On Feb 15, 2012, at 3:47 PM, Josh Donovan <eltondonova...@gmail.com>

[Sam Dulik]

Resolved...

The United States should end its embargo on Cuba.

The United Nations Security Council is a failed institution.

The United States should take military action against the regime of
Bashar al-Assad.

NAFTA has done more harm than good.

Free trade does more harm than good.

Mexico is a failed state.

The Posse Comitatus Act should be overturned.

Race-based affirmative action causes more harm than good.

The rich are entitled to their wealth.

The empire, and not the republic, leaves a greater legacy.

A government that does too little is preferable to a government that
does too much.

Colonialism has done more harm than good.

Peace is only attainable through strength.

[Matthew Hipple]

Perhaps you guys can do a better job than this clown-crew on the
latest intelligence squared debate:
http://intelligencesquaredus.org/index.php/past-debates/obesity-is-the-governments-business/
"Obesity is the government's business."

For a topic so near and dear to my heart, both sides were appalling.