Positions

Current President Donald Trump and his followers have openly advocated for the banning of mail in ballots in the 2020 elections for a variety of (unsubstantiated) reasons.

This position holds that Mandarin Chinese will replace English as the world's lingua franca. It argues that China's rising economic and cultural power makes learning Mandarin an increasing necessity, and that Beijing is actively spreading its influence through the language.

Mandatory service is essential to keep a nation's economy, safety, and political system thriving. Citizens should give back to their nation by serving to keep it safe.

This position holds that manned space flights are worth their cost. It argues that, expensive as they are, having humans physically 'be there' carries an important psychological impact for society — and that crewed missions are essential to the long-term goal of colonising other planets.

This position holds that marriage is an outdated custom. It argues marriage is merely a legal piece of paper that does not measure how committed a couple truly is, that commitment can be shown without it, and that the government has no business being involved in relationships.

In most European and Asian countries, medical students tend to skip undergrad and enter 5-year medical schools. Similar measures need to be taken in America so that more people will enter the healthcare industry and not feel burdened by the time and cost of training.

This position holds that medical marijuana should be legal. It argues the drug offers genuine health benefits—helping patients manage chronic pain and easing sleeping disorders—and that those therapeutic uses justify making it lawfully available under medical supervision.

This position holds that Medicare for All will work and is a much-needed addition to the US. It argues healthcare is a right that the government should provide, and points out that similar single-payer systems are well established and very popular in many other countries.

Microsoft should buy TikTok in order to save Tik Tok from a damaging US ban.

This position holds that military conscription should be banned. It argues that forced service violates free will and treats young people's bodies as state property, that it is costly and lowers the quality of the armed forces, and that it can cause lasting harm to conscripts' lives.

This position holds that animal milk is healthy. It argues that milk is rich in essential nutrients — calcium, protein and vitamins — and that it promotes healthy bodily functions, from bone strength onward, offering an array of benefits as part of a balanced diet.

This position holds that millennials are lazy. It argues they simply aren't willing to work as hard as older generations—shunning menial or entry-level jobs, prioritising leisure such as leaving early for yoga, and being unwilling to make the sacrifices their elders did.

This position holds that Moby-Dick is well worth reading. It argues that the novel remains philosophically relevant, that it is culturally significant within popular culture and the American canon, and that it is so well written it helped redefine what a novel could be.

Morality is irrational and can cause internal conflicts with one’s self, life would be much easier with less suffering without morals. The absence of morals can end in narcissism, which would mean not having the moral obligation to go out of your way for anything that doesn’t benefit you, and the ability to take advantage of others for a benefit to you.

This position holds that morality is relative. It argues that ideas of right and wrong have shifted dramatically over time and vary by culture and context, that morality functions as a survival tactic, and that moral norms often serve the powerful majority.

This position holds that the movie industry should focus less on remakes and sequels and make more original films. It argues that the industry has grown short on originality and innovation, and that fresh, original ideas ultimately make for more entertaining and rewarding cinema.

This position holds that multicultural literature should be taught in high schools. It argues that it lets students see themselves reflected and affirmed, broadens understanding of the wider world, supports academic achievement, deepens analysis of the canon, and stands against racism.

This position holds that multiculturalism helps societies by creating a melting pot of cultures. It argues that exposure to other ways of life introduces people to unique knowledge, traditions, and habits, building understanding and enriching the wider community.

This position holds that Narendra Modi is a terrorist. It argues that his government has used terror to advance its political aims in Kashmir, and points to his long association with the RSS, a Hindu-nationalist organisation its critics regard as radical, as evidence.

This position holds that nationalism predated the nation state. It argues there is strong evidence of nationalist-like behaviour in societies long before the modern nation state existed—pointing to the national identity of ancient Greek city states and casting nationalism as a form of tribalism.

This position holds that civilian nuclear energy contributes to the spread of nuclear weapons. It argues that the same technologies — producing plutonium from spent reactor fuel, and enriching uranium — can give a state the materials and capability to build a nuclear bomb.

This position holds that more anime should be adapted into live-action films. It argues that such adaptations signal anime's growing mainstream legitimacy, bring fresh publicity to the source material for newcomers, and give existing fans more of the characters and stories they love.

As the number of women taking birth control increases, questions are raised as to why it is not available over the counter. Many countries offer birth control over the counter, while others do not, including the United States. Making birth control available over the counter comes with many benefits, such as convenience, a reduced number of unwanted pregnancies, long term health benefits, and access for low-income populations.

From #BLM to calls for UBI and climate justice, the younger generations are seeing and working to repair the inequities of the past, and in doing so making society more egalitarian.

Panhandling can become problematic as panhandlers can become violent if they do not get their way. They also become dependent on the money they obtain without the donator knowing where or on what it was spent.

Paper books are disappearing because they take up a lot of physical space, and book lovers quickly build up a very large library. Digital books are also more useful, as e-readers often come with built-in dictionaries to help readers learn and understand new words. Readers can also take as many notes and make as many highlights as they want without risk of damaging their valuable hard copies.

This entry documents the long-running 'Paul is dead' conspiracy theory, which claims McCartney died and was replaced by a lookalike to preserve the Beatles' success. Believers point to supposed clues hidden in album art and lyrics—though the theory is false, as McCartney is alive.

This position holds that people are born gay. It cites studies linking sexual orientation to genetics—from neurological differences and the proposed Xq28 'gay gene' to epigenetics and the fraternal birth-order effect—arguing orientation is innate rather than chosen.

Charisma is one personality trait that is determined by DNA. Some people have charisma from the moment they can first form sentences, and others do not or are late to develop it. The fact of the matter is, people are born with charisma, or they are born without it.

This position holds that people can communicate through telepathy. Its arguments point to the many consistent accounts of identical twins sensing each other's thoughts and feelings, and to brain-computer interface experiments that have achieved rudimentary direct mind-to-mind communication.

This position holds that human beings have free will. It argues that individuals determine their own actions without interference from outside forces, that our lived experience strongly feels like genuine choice, and that without free will, moral order would collapse into chaos.

This position holds that people respond differently to audiobooks and printed books. It argues that a narrator's performance makes interpretive choices for the listener, and that a physical book offers an embodied, multi-sensory experience that shapes how the book is felt and remembered.

Despite the film's large budget, all-Asian cast, and high expectations, people should not watch Disney's 2020 remake. The film potentially supports human rights violations against protesters in Hong Kong and Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, China. The film also lacks Asian representation behind the camera.