2013/2014 Potential LD Topics Released

NSD_Update June 19, 2013 22 Comments

2013-2014 LD Topic List

1. A just society ought to presume consent for organ procurement from the deceased.

2. A progressive income tax is more just than a flat income tax.

3. Compulsory inclusion of non-felons’ DNA in any government database is just.

4. Hypersexualized representations by the media are immoral.

5. In the United States criminal justice system, truth-seeking ought to take precedence over attorney-client privilege.

6. In the United States, the jurisdiction of a federally recognized tribal court ought to extend throughout the borders of the tribe’s reservation.

7. Placing political conditions on humanitarian aid to foreign countries is unjust.

8. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima was immoral.

9. The United States ought to prioritize the pursuit of national security objectives above the digital privacy of its citizens.

10. When in conflict, developing countries ought to prioritize environmental protection over resource extraction.

iamadivergentshadowhunter

whoever was able to sneak the resource extraction resolution in i really do not like you…
Richard Dunn

Just wondering… why was the Sept/Oct compulsory voting topic not on this list?
- BenjaminKoh
  
  The Sep/Oct topic comes from the previous list- so the 2013/14 list will be used until Sep/Oct 2014
jbrennancshs

What ever happened to the good LD topics?
It’s a shame.
Adam Roke

So which one of these is the NSD camp topic?
Erik Baker

Some day genetic engineering/transhumanism will be a topic and debate will be good. Until then…
Tim

how do you negate #4? wait…dont answer that actually…Im afraid by what would be said.
- Rebar Niemi
  
  morality doesn’t exist.
Rebar Niemi

Ooooh NSD Update has comment moderation now very sic[sic]
- TheBerkeleyBear
  
  #NSAUpdate
Rebar Niemi

well there is no way hiroshima, hypersex, organ donors, or the DNA one will get chosen.

so… truth-seeking, national security, environmental protection, maybe tribal courts, and of course Jon Cruz’s personal crusade to have progressive income tax debated (jk).

LD debate! Topical! Current! Justice is back! wat.
anon24

No genetic engineering topic? Again? I’d rather have the “Dogs are better than Cats” topic that was suggested last year than any of these.
Fritz Pielstick

Wait, how you do read Bostrom on a topic that is worded in the past?
- UTIL.DB8R
  
  MY THOUGHT EXACTLY
  - TheBerkeleyBear
    
    Sounds like a great topic
MizzBeel

#1 isn’t medically possible. I quote from wiki:

“Organs that can be transplanted are the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas, intestine, and thymus.
Tissues include bones, tendons (both referred to as musculoskeletal
grafts), cornea, skin, heart valves, and veins. Worldwide, the kidneys
are the most commonly transplanted organs, followed closely by the liver
and then the heart. The cornea and musculoskeletal grafts are the most
commonly transplanted tissues; these outnumber organ transplants by more
than tenfold.
Organ donors may be living, or brain dead. Tissue may be recovered from donors who are cardiac dead – up to 24 hours past the cessation of heartbeat.”

Can we fix this, please?
- Guest
  
  SO, upon further research, I’m actually WRONG. “Deceased” in this context is different from the way in which you or I might use the term “dead.” In “deceased” people who make viable donors, there may still be
  enough systemic function for organs to
  be mechanically supported during harvesting, or the organs may continue
  to function on their own. Therefore, “deceased” people can indeed donate
  organs and tissues. Standard English-language usage “dead” people, however — those who have undergone
  irreversible cellular damage that renders organ systems unable to
  function, or are not being kept alive through mechanical means — can
  only donate tissues.
  
  My mistake arose from the knowledge that
  one can’t just spontaneously decide to remove an organ from someone
  after time of death is declared. Removing any of the organs listed is an
  multi-hour long process that, were the donor really truly *clinically*
  dead (in the sense of total cessation of bodily function without outside
  support) wouldn’t be possible.
  
  I hope my error is an
  understandable one. I’m willing to admit it, and be a total, ridicule-ready
  idiot (in public) on behalf of all of us in debate, if it’ll help us all learn
  something about this topic.
UTIL.DB8R

” 8. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima was immoral.”
wat
anondebater523

The modifier in #10 is unclear. The topic could be interpreted as:
a) when developing countries are in conflict (eg times of war) they ought to prioritize environmental protection over resource extraction
or
b) when environmental protection conflicts with resource extraction, developing countries ought to prioritize environmental protection
- Parth Kalaria
  
  Yeah, grammatically, a) seems to be the correct interpretation, but logically b) makes more sense. Regardless, it will be interesting to see if people debate it both ways if the topic is chosen.
anondebater523

It seems the modifier in #10 is unclear. The topic could be interpreted as:
a) when developing countries are in conflict (eg times of war) they ought to prioritize environmental protection over resource extraction
or
b) when environmental protection conflicts with resource extraction, developing countries ought to prioritize environmental protection
- Guest
  
  good catch dan alessandro