Decades of prohibition have seen rising drug use, rising drug related crime and thousands of people’s lives ruined for nothing more than taking the wrong drug. There are few policies so widely supported that have been so disastorously counter-productive and unjust. All the Yes points: Prohibition funds crime Caging people for possessing a drug is … Read more
Does the world benefit from having a single superpower? All the Yes points: The world is safer with a single strong superpower than it was in a “bipolar” Cold War with hostile … The existence of a single democratic superpower promotes the spread of democracy and stability. If … As September 11 demonstrated, many non-state … Read more
Should foreign aid donor nations and the World Bank continue to give the majority of their aid through the direct channel of Official Development Assistance (ODA), or should they instead give that aid indirectly to Charities, NGO’s, PVO’s and microfinance initiatives? (NB. See also Bilateral .vs. Multilateral Aid) All the Yes points: Changing the way … Read more
Should the USA prefer to give aid money bilaterally (directly to individual countries or projects) or multilaterally (channelling it through United Nations agencies, World Bank, NGOs, etc.)? All the Yes points: Multilateral aid tends to be less tied to the political self-interest of individual donor countries…. Multilateral aid, particularly when delivered through NGOs or the … Read more
Should the present ban on exploiting the resources of the Antarctic be maintained? All the Yes points: Antarctica is a pristine and unspoilt continent of great scientific value. In particular, it has a … Antarctica presents an alternative to a world dominated by political disputes, economic exploitatio… There are many reasons why oil and gas … Read more
Is it ever acceptable to pay a bribe? Should companies who pay bribes abroad be prosecuted for it in their own countries? Should the ones who give bribes be treated equally to those who take bribes? All the Yes points: People are often made to give bribes to officials because of unfavourable economic, social or … Read more
