Monthly TT debating session

With all the debates on TT forums concerning things like:

1. Copyrights (CD/DVD Borrowing/Downloading)
2. Best TV (Brit or yank)
3. Best car
4. Satallite dishs and tv setup in general
5. Software (What to use and how)

What do the TT'ers think about setting up a Debate session each month or quarter?

Teams would have 5 members each (Max 2 teams) and 2 stand-by's
The debate will be controlled by 5 judges (Who must be complete unbiased on the topic)

Audience Open to Anybody who wants to watch...

I think it could be very intresting, what do you think?

I think you could not find an unbiased judge!

The 5 judges might want to be kitted out with body armour, mace, tasers and anything else necessary to control TT'ers on the rampage.

Imagine the "Horrorscope" thread in an enclosed space ?

First debate:
Horoscope: Truth or Fiction!

Not true unless there are bananas around.

[img]http://www.codemonkeys.com/images/legal.gif[/img]

I'd pay good money to see some TT'ers putting their dukes up.

Ding ding ding, Round One!

Or think about a debate over "whether the USA was right to invade Iraq" going on face to face between TT's?

Team members are required to have a remote shock device connected to their "nether regions", that outta work

Count me out. I suck at debate.

Edit: and I'm afraid of the nether region device!

I found two judges, ring girl and a referee.

Leeeetttttttssss Gettttttt Reeeeaaadddyyy Tooooooo Ruuubmmmbbbbllleeee!!!

Sounds like a fun idea.

Actually, to be honest, give me something worth debating (or at least fun) and I am in!

Do we have any Swiss out there- they are supposed to be neutral!!

I Love a good debate, if I am versed in the topic.

Why not have the topics be this:

1. Iraq War
2. How much Bush sucks
3. How much religion sucks
4. How much Bush sucks
5. How much the US sucks

Because if this debate were to follow the normal path that every topic in here follows, it all boils down to that at the end anyways...

I think this is an awful idea and I'm willing to argue the point with anyone who disagrees with me.

Actually, I've stopped reading most threads that are longer than a couple pages (and definitely most of the Misc threads) because most of the people who write the posts couldn't debate/argue/sensibly-rationalise themselves out of a paper bag when a keyboard is not longer in front of them. Actually, I feel that most of them can't do it even with a keyboard in front of them, it just takes longer to belabour the "point".

I would be interested to watch and see if any can do it reasonably in real life.

Watch out there or the mods and the old school people will give you shit for suggesting such a thing. Hell, I joined and then didn't even post for a year because it was nothing but anti-American BS in every thread. I even got a PM from a mod suggesting that that wasn't the case, but hell I am American and it most certainly was the case in my book.

Eurovol, I've been around longer than you, and there certainly wasn't anti-US BS in all the threads. Not even close. It's the posters who are full of BS, including yourself.

Some members would be interesting to watch in such a forum, but a lot of what passes for debate here is decidedly not.

I do tend to be amazed at the difference in interaction between what happens on these pages, and what happens during TT get togethers...generally a far different animal. I do think it could be interesting if the topics were limited to NOT talking about Iraq...at least for the first 20 sessions or so...

@papa geno

Why do you not want to talk about Iraq? Are you just going to try and sweep all that wrong-doing under the carpet and pretend it never happened? Do you think we will all just forget about the atrocities caused by the US-led invasion if it is not debated properly. And what about that Bush eh?...

Ah yes... Get your point...

I agree with UpQuark...

The first TT Debate should be on the motion:

"Is an open TT Debate a good idea?"

Bollocks to the idea. Sounds far to formal and organised.

TT is a very spontaneous thing. Someone such as myself gets joyful or angry about something and decides to post, out of the blue. I can't be arsed to formally contribute to it.

The anti US thing has indeed become a problem and I don't like it either. That's the reason I started the "What have they given us?" thread in the Monty Python sense like "what have the Romans ever given us?" to praise the US for a change.

TT is unique. Sometimes it is full of shit and sometimes it is phenomenally useful and a good means of support to every English speaker in Munch. Keep it that way.

I think it would be more Gerry Springer than reasonable debate.

Thus the first topic:

Resolved: Given the opportunity to bonk your brother's wife, you should. Argue for or against.

Or how about "Fight for King and country" debate, as is traditional at Oxford.

Some ideas for topics:

'The French and Dutch were right to reject the EU Constitution'

'In Star Wars, George Lucas has created a modern saga rivaling the best greek tragedy'

'The Olympic ideal now only lives on in the Para-Olympic movement'

...that one's likely to end up just as messy as the Iraq topics...

(& heaven forfend we have a Star Trek vs. Star Wars debate...)