October 31, 2005

BalancedPolitics.org. Here's a good idea: a website that summarizes the basic arguments pro and con of Big Issues. Abortion, Affirmative Action, Euthanasia... Oh, and should the minimum wage be abolished?
posted by StoryBored 19 years ago
  • Nice troll, StoryBored. (I keed!)
  • Yes, a very good idea. But what happens when some of the positions -- presented as facts -- are just wrong? For instance, under the "NO" side on Universal Health Care, this gem appears:
    Profit motives, competition, and individual ingenuity have always led to greater cost control and effectiveness.
    Good one! Now tell us the story about Jack and the Beanstalk! I do think this site is a good idea -- but unless you are passionately meticulous about your word choice and source-citing, you're bound to have many such problems.
  • This doofus was the man behind conservativelibertarian.org. I'm sure he's non-partisan. I love the Ronald Reagan quotes from the cached version of his old site. Another republican shill. /retch
  • Dear god, my nutritiona during midterms is more balanced than that site. And dinner last night was coffee, ritz bits and mentos. Yes of course people should make less than 5.15 an hour--just think of the profits! Raise the minumum wage? Hells no, let's just get rid of it entirely so that it's even less possible to earn a living wage in this country!
  • Did the Minimum Wage question actually not ask whether it should be increased (the actual political "debate"), but asked instead whether it should be abolished? That is called "framing the argument." It does not matter what people decide about whether wthe minimum wage should be abolished. Once that argument is even acknowledged, then the idea of raising the minimum wage seems absolutely absurd.
  • The one about CIA led coups is funny. Nine reasons for and five against, none of which say, "hey, maybe we should leave other countries alone and not try to overthrow the governemtns of soveriegn nations..." The number one reason against is that it would lead to wild conspiracy theories!
  • Yeah, this looks balanced, if you're way out on the right wing of U.S. politics.
  • This doofus was the man behind conservativelibertarian.org. Oof! My bad.
  • The section regarding affirmative action (as it applies to federal compliance) was totally bullshit-bogus. It is illegal to make employment decisions hiring/firing/not-hiring/promotions based on race or sex. Any race or any sex. In terms of hiring, your only obligation is to hire the most qualified, not the black chick, because that is racism. Also, affirmative action exists for veterans... but you don't hear the pink soft balding armchair pundits of the world outraged about that.