Best Debates by Subject

Author: Barney

Posts

Total: 30
Barney
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Debates: 49
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So with people looking at old debates for the HoF, this seems like a good time to compile a larger must read list for different categories and subjects.

This would ideally serve to help people researching whatever topics in future. They would not exclusively need to be HoF worthy.

Of course there are broad categories, but also sub-categories therein (which can be expanded out as the list grows).

Depending on the size of the list, the format will probably change.
Barney
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Debates: 49
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[placeholder]
Barney
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Debates: 49
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[placeholder]

Intelligence_06
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Debates: 167
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My best debate: atheists holds the BoP

Wonder if it is good enough but it is good at least.
SirAnonymous
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Politics
Resolved: The US should institute congressional term limits.
bsh1 vs. blamonkey

A masterpiece between two of DART's best debaters. Whiteflame and I wrote lengthy essays for RFDs. I thought it was a tie and Whiteflame thought blamonkey won by virtue of a single point, which shows how close this debate was. 
Vader
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Debates: 30
Posts: 14,430
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@SirAnonymous
You have return once again!
Crocodile
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i haven't had a single good debate :/


well maybe that one with oromagi but i lost hard
Barney
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@Intelligence_06
My best debate: atheists holds the BoP
That's a pretty good one, on a subject that will never die.
Barney
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@Crocodile
well maybe that one with oromagi but i lost hard
It's a pretty good example of the problem with "should" statements. Still, nice evidence for the premise that they are at fault.
SirAnonymous
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@Vader
For the moment, yes.
Dr.Franklin
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Debates: 32
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@Barney
MisterChris
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@Dr.Franklin
Admittedly, I look back on that one and shudder at my old debate style. It was bad. 
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@MisterChris
LOL same
Barney
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@Dr.Franklin
@MisterChris
There's something to be said for uncut gems.

On that topic I remember one on that subject with Virt and I ended up trying to make sense of it by calculating the population numbers they were talking about... I am not sure what possessed me to do that much work, I think it was something about how fundamental it became to the debates, but it kept shifting inside the debate.
MisterChris
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@Barney
That subject is one I will no longer be debating... It was fun at the time, but in retrospect I feel like I took part in a Flat Earth Conspiracy theory by even touching it. In truth, I'm pretty unopinionated on the matter. A solid "I don't know" suffices for my position.
Barney
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@MisterChris
Accepting not knowing, is a good place to be. 

Barney
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Anyone have any good offerings on the abortion topic? Particularly any where the pro-life side won?

Abortion:
  1. Should abortion be made illegal?
    Slavery angle to defend abortion.
  2. Legalized Abortion
    Humanity angle against abortion.
MisterChris
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@Barney
@vector
Vector and I had one that was very well debated on both sides. https://www.debateart.com/debates/2211-legalized-abortion
Vader
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A Quality Sports Debate

Will The Bears Win the Division (NFC North)
SupaDudz v Imabench

Barney
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(moving this down here to keep it intact when edits start)

A list of them I found really notable last year (not claiming these are exclusively the best in their classes)...

Politics:
  1. Mandatory Voting
  2. ANTIFA is equivalent to the KKK
    A bit of a lighter offering than I remember, but still very useful for research given that this topic is so hot right now.
  3. Richard Nixon was the Best President of the United States
    A bit of an honorable mention due to the forfeitures, but one I still wish the debaters would come back and finish.

Society:
  1. Debate Art should change their “gender” option and replace it with “sex”, where only “male” or “female” are options

Religion:
  1. Is Jesus the Messiah?
  2. The Rationality of Faith 2
    bsh1 vs. Patmos
  3. God does not exist
  4. Is Christianity A Good Moral System To Follow?
    Ram at his prime getting only a tie. 

Comedy:
  1. The US should invade Africa
  2. Resolved little green men visited long ago
Speedrace
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@SirAnonymous
Welcome back sir!
For the moment at least lol
SirAnonymous
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@Speedrace
Thanks.
Dr.Franklin
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@Barney
ah yes, the human population argument-too many variables to get a solid calculation

also semperfortis won his abortion debates, in case you were looking for pro life victories
Barney
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@Dr.Franklin
Only problem was that the outcome in all was a foregone conclusion due to opponents forfeiting or conceding. Still one of them should be included as an honorable mention, due to his amazing framing of things into logical form.

Which of these do you think is best?
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@Barney
true they did all forfiet or waive
Barney
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A little off topic, but can anyone think of any crazy moments that should be immortalized?

Doesn't have to be whole debates, could be a comment, a vote, a forum post, a running joke, anything.
SirAnonymous
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@Barney
Oromagi's series of debates with ramdatt. Since he knew ramdatt wasn't going to reply, he joked around with the resolutions.  There were four such debates, two of which had similar topics and therefore the same reply from oromagi.  "If you want constructive information about the coronavirus, listen to Andrew Cuomo" became a debate about whether Andrew Cuomo could offer good info about construction during the coronavirus to oromagi. A debate about "WHO," as in the World Health Organization, became a debate about WHO the radio station. A debate about the now former president of Liberty U Jerry Falwell became a debate about Jerry Falwell, septic tank installer.

7 days later

Barney
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Anyone have any good debates which centered on a logical fallacy?
whiteflame
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@Barney
Don't know how I'd rate it in terms of quality, but it is a logical fallacy.

Barney
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@whiteflame
Perfect!