The hottest Debate Substack posts right now

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What a COVID-19 Food Fight Says About Scientific Discourse

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 1089 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🔬 Science Discourse Partisanship Debate Journalism COVID-19
  1. One strategy in science partisanship is to associate opponents with unpopular political figures to discredit their views without engaging with the substance.
  2. Another strategy is to argue that certain debates are harmful to scientific goals, leading to avoiding critique that might impact funding or research opportunities.
  3. Partisanship in science can also involve associating legitimate arguments with totally unacceptable views, like labeling individuals with terms that discredit their opinions.

Debate: Was Covid-19 A Pandemic Caused By A Novel Pathogen Or Was It Created Solely By Harmful Policies and Fear Propaganda?

Pierre Kory’s Medical Musings • 6368 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Debate Pandemic Policies Propaganda
  1. Experts debated whether Covid-19 was caused by a novel pathogen or harmful policies and fear propaganda.
  2. Some argued that there was no medical emergency from Covid itself, but from policy measures and vaccines.
  3. Clinical experience indicated a novel pathogen caused a unique and severe syndrome, despite some pre-existing antibody presence.

EXCLUSIVE: Public Schoolers Are Paid $1,400 a Pop to Become Social Justice Warriors

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1307 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education Debate California
  1. An activist group in California is paying public high schoolers to learn about social and racial justice, funded by taxpayers, causing controversy
  2. The Free Press is hosting live debates as an alternative to the traditional presidential debates, with the upcoming topic being whether America should close its borders
  3. The movie industry hopes 'Dune: Part Two' will revive Hollywood, but the film's success at the box office doesn't necessarily mean it will bring in a new era of actors with the same impact as previous stars
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Florida Surgeon General calls to halt use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, sparking debate

Maryanne Demasi, reports • 3125 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🏥 Health Politics COVID-19 vaccines Florida Debate Safety concerns
  1. Florida Surgeon General called for a halt in the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines due to concerns about DNA contamination.
  2. He criticized the FDA and CDC for not adequately testing whether DNA fragments in the vaccine could integrate into a person's genome.
  3. This action has sparked a debate about the safety of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

At High School Debates, Debate Is No Longer Allowed

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 8068 implied HN points • 25 May 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Debate Judges High School
  1. High school debate should encourage students to challenge ideas, question assumptions, and think creatively.
  2. Judges in high school debate competitions are increasingly biased, which can affect how students make their arguments and participate.
  3. The shift towards ideological judging in high school debate may discourage students from expressing diverse viewpoints and engaging in open conversations.

Wright and Wrong Ways to Debate

In My Tribe • 683 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Debate
  1. Bob's conduct in debates should focus on understanding the other side's motives, not assuming the worst.
  2. Meaningful debates involve explaining and understanding different viewpoints without resorting to personal attacks or asymmetric insights.
  3. Maintain focus on the main issue of the debate and avoid veering off into unrelated topics for a productive discussion.

"Is Capitalism Bankrupt?"

Bet On It • 155 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics Debate
  1. The author received some harsh feedback after a debate on the merits of capitalism, with one viewer calling them a 'self-satisfied, close-minded, pompous, elitist jerk.'
  2. The author admits to smirking during the debate, but explained that the other guests were really funny, possibly explaining their expression.
  3. The full debate video is available for viewing to see the dynamics and humor of the participants.

How to argue?

kamilkazani • 550 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🚌 Education Debate
  1. To argue effectively, avoid a frontal assault and be smarter with your approach.
  2. Contrarianism, as a common tactic in debates, is often inefficient and unproductive.
  3. Understanding that opponents may not fully believe in all their premises is crucial in successful arguments.

The Unabridged Ridley-Caplan Exchange

Bet On It • 120 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🚌 Education Debate Innovation Exchange Policy
  1. Innovation often results from small, incremental improvements rather than sudden bursts of inspiration.
  2. Historically, small countries have led the world in innovation, suggesting that population size doesn't guarantee economic success.
  3. Increasing interconnectedness within large populations can enhance innovation more effectively than just striving for population growth.

Video: Aaron Maté debates Ukraine / + latest on Gaza

Aaron Mate • 119 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Ukraine Gaza Israel Occupation Debate
  1. Aaron Maté participated in a debate on Al Jazeera's "Up Front" about Ukraine with a Member of Parliament and a political scientist, which was edited down to 25 minutes for broadcast.
  2. Aaron Maté also had a weekly interview with Judge Andrew Napolitano addressing Netanyahu's post-war Gaza plan, US support for Israeli occupation, and the latest updates on Ukraine.
  3. Aaron Mate's work is reader-supported, and individuals can subscribe to receive new posts and support his work.

Fine, I'll run a regression analysis. But it won't make you happy.

Silver Bulletin • 679 implied HN points • 01 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics COVID-19 Statistics Vaccination Debate Partisanship
  1. State partisanship and COVID vaccination rates strongly predict COVID death rates even after considering age.
  2. Simplicity in statistical analysis can help in avoiding overfitting models and focusing on robust, true facts.
  3. Vaccination rates are more predictive of COVID death rates than state partisanship once age is controlled for.

God, Michael Huemer, and String Theory

Bentham's Newsletter • 98 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality God Debate Philosophy Interview
  1. Mental states may not always have a necessary pairing, allowing for randomness in our thoughts and reactions to stimuli.
  2. Accepting metaphysical weirdness in scientific theories like string theory or time-bending can help explain data, just like it does for theism.
  3. The existence of multiple possible worlds and individuals is possible without imposing unexplained limits on modality, implying the presence of numerous souls.

The Evil God Challenge

Bentham's Newsletter • 117 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
📖 Philosophy Debate Theism Evil God
  1. There are two versions of the Evil God Challenge, one questioning a good God's likelihood and another flipping the Problem of Evil.
  2. The Evil God Challenge presents compelling arguments, but there are counterarguments to consider for theism.
  3. The idea of an Evil God is intuitively less believable, and there are logical reasons why a Good God is more plausible.

Border Crossing Data Show Incentives Matter

Maximum Truth • 88 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Immigration Government Policy Media Debate
  1. Illegal migration is primarily determined by ease of entry, as shown by border crossing data
  2. Data indicates that incentives matter in influencing the number of migrant crossings, with policies like 'Remain in Mexico' impacting the flow
  3. The media tends to avoid in-depth discussions on the pros and cons of open borders, preferring a simpler 'don't be racist' narrative

Which Side Are You On?

David Friedman’s Substack • 323 implied HN points • 03 Nov 23
📖 Philosophy Ethics Ideology Debate Beliefs
  1. The fundamental question is not whose side you are on, but what is the right answer.
  2. There should be a focus on evaluating ideas as right or wrong, rather than labeling individuals as good or evil.
  3. Differences in political views often stem from disagreements on facts and outcomes, rather than intentions or morality.