Instigator / Con
4
1644
rating
64
debates
65.63%
won
Topic
#2637

Resolved: Violent revolution is a just response to political oppression

Status
Finished

The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.

Winner & statistics
Better arguments
0
3
Better sources
2
2
Better legibility
1
1
Better conduct
1
1

After 1 vote and with 3 points ahead, the winner is...

MisterChris
Parameters
Publication date
Last updated date
Type
Standard
Number of rounds
4
Time for argument
One week
Max argument characters
15,000
Voting period
Two weeks
Point system
Multiple criterions
Voting system
Open
Contender / Pro
7
1762
rating
45
debates
88.89%
won
Description

Revolution: As a historical process, “revolution” refers to a movement, often violent, to overthrow an old regime and effect, complete change in the fundamental institutions of society -- http://www.columbia.edu/cu/weai/exeas/asian-revolutions/pdf/what-is-revolution.pdf

Violent: using force to hurt or attack, used to describe a situation or event in which people are hurt or killed -- https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/violent

Political: Relating to the activities of the government, members of law-making organizations, or people who try to influence the way a country is governed (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/politics)

Oppression: a situation in which people are governed in an unfair and cruel way and prevented from having opportunities and freedom

Just: morally correct (similar to Justice: righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness)

Criterion
Con
Tie
Pro
Points
Better arguments
3 point(s)
Better sources
2 point(s)
Better legibility
1 point(s)
Better conduct
1 point(s)
Reason:

Yep, easily the longest RFD I've ever written. Very different style, goes round by round.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FxYPfKjaA787Yh8TC4ZXWJagPPA3G7fgHuxPOip1tkw/edit?usp=sharing

TL;DR: Both sides had impressive arguments, it could have swung either way going into the final round, but, in the words of the Highlander, there can only be one. I end up finding that there's more weight to the arguments given for what we know (that there is oppression in the world that requires a violent response to address, and that the absence/dismissal of said response as unjust fundamentally harms their ability to commit to such actions and remove said oppression) than there is to the harms of acting with violence in the face of uncertainty.