Debate

Intelligence Squared Debate: Flexing America’s Muscles in the Middle East Will Make Things Worse

by robertrosenkranz on July 11, 2016

Debate Overview:

As events such as the Arab Spring, Syrian civil war, Israel-Palestine conflict, and the rise of ISIS have revealed a region in turmoil, some argue that the United States has shown considerable restraint in its relations with Middle Eastern countries, when compared to its history of global intervention. While some see a lack of action and praise it as disciplined leadership, others criticize it as a display of weakness and declining influence. As a global power, does America hold a responsibility to enforce order in this unstable region? Moreover, how does the role of peacekeeper fit within its broader foreign relations and ethical obligations? Intelligence Squared US (IQ2US) took on this polarizing topic with a debate on the motion, “Flexing America’s Muscles in the Middle East Will Make Things Worse.”

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robertrosenkranzIntelligence Squared Debate: Flexing America’s Muscles in the Middle East Will Make Things Worse

Intelligence Squared Debate: Mass Collection of US Phone Records Violates the Fourth Amendment

by robertrosenkranz on July 8, 2016

Debate Overview

The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution protects “[t]he right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,” stating that this right “shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” In 2013, the disclosures of former National Security Agency

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robertrosenkranzIntelligence Squared Debate: Mass Collection of US Phone Records Violates the Fourth Amendment

How To Fix America’s Presidential Debates

by robertrosenkranz on June 20, 2016

Originally Published on The Huffington Post on June 16, 2016 by Robert Rosenkranz

Finally, America may have a shot at real presidential debates — debates that require the candidates to discuss substantive issues with depth and nuance, to marshal relevant facts, to respond to challenges, and to demonstrate their ability to transcend memorized sound bites and actually think on their feet. The current format is not real debate: it’s reality television and, we can all agree, it’s absurd.  It’s time to fix the presidential debates.

 

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How to Win at Intelligence Squared US

by robertrosenkranz on April 23, 2016

I’m a big fan of the Intelligence Squared US (IQ2US) debate program, so when I learned that the program had compiled data on the 119 debates it had held since 2006, I was eager to dive in. And in doing so, I learned a few things: People do change their minds a fair amount. They are more likely to change their minds on science and technology issues; on politics and economics, opinions tend to be a little more stable, though still somewhat fluid. Also, what appears to be consensus at the start of a debate is often illusory.

Yes, this is a small and nonrepresentative sample with a self-selected audience — and generally thoughtful debaters on both sides. But the relative fluidity of opinion is important. It suggests that ideas and arguments can actually matter, and that when both sides get a fair and equal shot to make their case, minds can indeed be swayed.

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Debate Opening Remarks: Are Lifespans Long Enough?

by robertrosenkranz on March 23, 2016

What if human beings didn’t have to grow old and die?  That’s how we framed the latest Intelligence Squared U.S. debate, “Lifespans Are Long Enough.”

Life expectancy has increased significantly in the last hundred years thanks to medical advancements, among other sociological changes.  As aging and biotechnology research rapidly progresses, new treatments have emerged that some believe can “cure” aging.  What are the ethical and sociological implications of increasing human lifespans from 78.8 years to 125 years to even 1,000 years, as our debater Aubrey de Grey has famously claimed is possible?

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robertrosenkranzDebate Opening Remarks: Are Lifespans Long Enough?