Positions

This position holds that coronavirus will not end capitalism, because it is too deeply ingrained in how societies work. It argues that capitalism underpins nearly every modern economy, that even strong welfare states rely on it, and that many still see it as the best way to run an economy.

This position holds that casinos should remain lawful, treating gambling as a choice adults are entitled to make and arguing that prohibition would hand the activity to unlicensed operators rather than bringing it to an end.

An independent Catalonia will be detrimental to both Spain and Catalonia. Spain is a sovereign nation whose Constitution and national history should be respected.

This position holds that an unsolicited remark in the street, however unwelcome or crude, is not harassment. On this view harassment requires persistence, targeting or power over the person, and stretching the term leaves nothing for the serious cases.

This position holds that cell phones do not cause cancer. It argues on two fronts: that large epidemiological studies find no rise in cancer among phone users, and that the physics is reassuring — the non-ionising radiation phones emit lacks the energy to damage DNA.

This position holds that personal appeal does little to decide elections: proponents argue that party loyalty, economic conditions and the make-up of an electorate account for most of the result, and that charisma is read into the winner after the fact.

This position holds that cheerleading is not a sport. On this view its defining role is to support another team's contest and to work a crowd, and a performance placed on presentation is better classed as an athletic art.

This position holds that chess is not a sport. It argues that sport is defined by physical exertion and delivers bodily health benefits, while chess is decided by calculation and memory, involves no meaningful physical activity, and so falls outside what the word 'sport' properly describes.

This position holds that childhood experiences do not determine adult behaviour. It argues that behaviour is a present choice, that adults have the free will to change self-limiting patterns and challenge childhood beliefs, and that blaming one's childhood is merely a scapegoat.

Genes influence the personality you are born with. This can include your temperament, which helps to determine how you react to situations and how easy-going you are. Genetics, of course, also determines how someone looks. As humans, we all make judgements and our actions follow those judgements.

This position holds that children should not be homeschooled but should attend public school. It argues public schools socialise children and let them learn from subject experts, whereas homeschooling deprives them of socialising and athletics and forces parents into two demanding roles.

This position holds that children should not be paid to attend school. On this view payment recasts learning as work done for a fee, crowds out the interest it was meant to support, and leaves nothing behind once the money stops.

This position holds that China will not become the next superpower. It argues that the US can hold China back through sanctions and bans on exporting cutting-edge technology, that American media and tech influence is too dominant to overcome, and that China has no intention to dominate the world.

This position holds that China's rise as a global superpower will not be peaceful. It argues that China's authoritarianism, poor human-rights record and increasingly aggressive foreign policy — its territorial disputes and economic rivalry with the US — make conflict likely.

The tax-exempt status of churches protects religious freedom and the common good by making it easier for churches to survive and do positive work for their community.

This position holds that the American version of Cinco de Mayo has become a commercial drinking occasion detached from the heritage it claims to honour, and that celebrating it in that form invites caricature rather than respect for Mexican culture.

Cinema is an industry and nothing more. It is mindless entertainment meant to provide a temporary escape from our day-to-day lives, making it a product to be sold like any other. All of the "artistic" processes that go into making a film aren't done with art in mind, but with marketing and profit.

This position holds that cinema has changed its channels of distribution without ceasing to exist, since films are still made, watched and argued over, and a medium with a living audience and new work is altered rather than dead.

This position holds that cities cannot withstand the permanent loss of the commuter, because the office values, transport systems, public revenue and city-centre trade that depend on people arriving each day are what hold the centre together.

The case against incentivising cleanliness drives: that payment turns a civic disposition into a transaction that stops when the money does, and that rewards can only attach to proxies which are gamed and spent where need is least.

The data on global warming is unclear, and there are a lot of special interests pushing the idea of climate change for their own gain. Climate change is not really happening.

This position holds that college education isn't worth it. It argues crippling tuition debt follows graduates for life, weighing on their choices and mental health, that a degree isn't needed to reach the top, and that college fails to prepare students for the modern job market.

Legacy admissions contribute to the strength of the college community. It helps keep alumni engaged and active in their financial donations. The legacy preference often serves as reasonable tiebreakers and never benefits a student who doesn't deserve admittance.

This position holds that comic books should not be political. It argues that comics are a pastime — and one historically aimed at children — that should stay free of controversial subjects like politics, keeping them as escapist entertainment rather than vehicles for contested messages.

This position holds that comma usage should not be universal. It argues commas were never meant to be standardised, that their conventions are and should remain flexible according to language and context, and that rigidly enforcing uniformity detracts from meaning.

According to history, communism has a bad reputation in the USA. It would take more than the promotion of communism and its possible perks for it ever to be viable or implemented.

This position holds that Confederate monuments should not be removed. It argues that they are part of national and Southern history that should be preserved rather than erased, that slavery is long over, and that the statues serve as a reminder of the past without harming anyone.

This position holds that conversion therapy does not alter sexual orientation. It argues the practice rests on the false premise that being LGB is a defect to cure — which major medical bodies reject — and that it is condemned as unethical and harmful by health and human-rights authorities.

This position holds that coronavirus is easing religious tensions in India rather than worsening Islamophobia. It argues the shared fight against the disease has united religious communities, with the nation standing as one against a common threat that affects everyone alike.

This position holds that corporal punishment is wrong and has no place in modern society. It argues that it legitimises violence, causes long-term psychological harm, hinders emotional development, offers no real restitution, and is never administered evenhandedly.

Corporations are the sum of individual decisions. They don't know right from wrong and cannot be punished. Therefore, it makes far more sense to limit morals to the individual.

On this view insurance exists to pool the cost of illness and injury, and cosmetic surgery is neither. Proponents argue that funding elective procedures charges everyone for the preferences of a few, and that the demand has no natural limit.

This position holds that countries should not accept immigrants. Its arguments contend that immigration erodes local culture and traditions, places an unnecessary strain on public services, and increases competition for jobs while driving down wages.

This position holds that Covid-19 did not set back women's equality. Its argument is that, with public life online during lockdowns, social media gave women an unprecedented platform to share the particular burdens they faced and to have those experiences heard rather than silenced.

This position holds that creationism should not be taught in schools. It argues church and state should remain separate, that creationism is religious rather than scientific, and that classrooms should teach Darwin's theory of evolution instead.

This position holds that cursive should not be taught in schools. It argues that cursive is outdated and that forcing children to learn it benefits them no more than other elementary skills — or modern ones like typing — so making an unnecessary skill mandatory is unreasonable.

This position holds that cyberbullying should not be a criminal offence, arguing that the conduct cannot be defined without catching ordinary speech, that most offenders are themselves children, and that schools and civil remedies suit it better.

Data is not meant to be kept private. Just like public records are available for anyone to obtain, data is similar in that it is easily accessible to anyone who knows how to get it. It is also a commodity, as users often buy or sell data for various purposes. Data rights are different than human rights, because they are just like public records and information.

Democracy in America is operating just fine. If recent events have show us anything, it's that democracy ultimately wins out in the end. From thwarting Trump's attempts to overturn the election, to proving that America is indeed handling the Covid-19 pandemic to the best of its abilities, democracy is operating as strongly as ever. Democracy in America is not under any kind of threat; in fact, it is thriving.

This position holds that the destruction of nature did not cause the Covid-19 pandemic. It argues that, devastating as the virus is, its origins lie elsewhere — in the wildlife trade — and that pandemics simply happen periodically, independent of human environmental damage.

Although Dickens drew attention to working-class issues, his approach was largely melodramatic and was designed to entertain his middle-class readership. Additionally, he displayed anti-Semitism and racism in several instances, including in defending the actions of the British Empire and equating Jews with criminals in "Oliver Twist".

The position that authoritarian rule is poorly suited to development, holding that unaccountable governments lack both the information and the incentive to serve the population, and that whatever gains they produce are fragile and unevenly shared.

This position holds that multiculturalism does not help societies, because difference breeds tension. It argues that a heterogeneous society inherently contains differences among its people that can cause friction and unrest — and that failing to understand cultural differences fosters bias.

Disney movies are not racist because they try represent other cultures fairly. They do research to ensure they are portraying other cultures accurately, and have in recent years made efforts to correct racist portrayals from their past movies.

This position holds that Donald Trump has been a bad president. Its arguments point to his record over four years: indulging in cronyism and nepotism, driving up the national debt, and alienating America's traditional allies abroad.