2debate: Recent Episodes
Dirk Primbs and Sebastian Trzcinski-Clément
Yes, it is true - 2debate ends today. This episode is a final greeting from Lydia, Sebastian and Dirk
Sebastian: The Olympics should be cancelled! Dirk: Technology will make professional photographers obsolete! Lydia: Visibility leads to Equality!
Today we debated themes as far apart as bringing back extinct species on one hand and the question of NFT powered bubbles or travel bans to safe the environment on the other... Also we derailed the trivia section, but in a good way :-)
Debating motions:
Dirk: Teenagers should be allowed to vote! Lydia: Experts, not politicians should rule!
Sebastian: No one will stop China from clawing back Taiwan!
And - Trivia!
Our two debaters meet this time to ponder life's big questions and to find out if clubhouse is worth trying...
2debate is back in your ears, this time with a third debater and three amazing motions! Was twitter right about banning Trump? Is closing borders accomplishing anything? Is it ok to show a cartoon about a guy with a rope-like penis on chrildrens TV? Plus: Ukulele and Alpacas! Lydia, Sebastian and Dirk don't quite agree on their positions but we had a blast arguing and hope you can hear that.
This episode is different. Instead of debating Sebastian and Dirk decided to look back on 99 debates and 5 special episodes and speak about what's next for 2debate...
Today's episode looks at the trend called "social scoring" where 'good' behavior earns positive scores and 'bad' behaviour is 'punished' with lower scores. Now, Sebastian will argue that this will be a force for good in the world while Dirk thinks this may be decremental to freedom, democracy and society at large... It is up to you to decide who had the better arguments.
2d96 - Only save companies from bankruptcy if they are committing to a reduction of carbon emissions
2d93 - A street photographer has the right to publish your picture, even against your will!
Recently there was an Opinion piece in the New York Times where a former facebook manager made a case for breaking up facebook. Here is our take on these arguments - let us know where you land in this debate: https://2debate.eu/2d80
What weights heavier - the changed communication style of a younger generation or the respect towards those who lost loved ones and may be offended by actions they perceive as a lack of dignity and respect?
New Zealand acted fast after the infamous shooting in Christchurch. Aside from changes in the gun laws it also censored the manifest and the video the shooter distributed and even criminalised the possession and distribution. Is that really legitimate or is it an unbalanced act of censorship?
Europeans like to point to everyone else and state that other states do not respect privacy or protect its citizen from unlawful data collection while it looks like they're acting very similarly. Are EU countries surveillance states just like it is said to be the case with China?
I didn't do it (or if I did, I had a "good" reason)
We all want to think we are law-abiding citizens. Yet we would prove unable to know or even understand all the laws of our country of residence, let alone of the countries we visit. Perhaps worse, while we hold a perfect image of ourselves when it comes to respecting the law, it's in stark contrast of what actually happens – perhaps not in the case of everyone, but most of us. We voluntarily go slightly over the speed limit because there's really no one on the road. We feel okay to illegally download a film because we tell ourselves we would never have gone up the cinema to watch it. We shamelessly consume unauthorised substances because we do it just once in a blue moon (when I say "we", it's a general "we" to encompass you listeners and other human beings, since neither Dirk nor I do drugs, hand on heart).
And so we continuously break the law for a variety of reasons. Most often it's because we deem the law to be stupid. But does that realisation entitle us to act the way we do? After all, laws were voted for (hopefully) valid reasons, by people weelected to power. It doesn't seem a democracy would work well if we suddenly decided to change the meaning, application or validity of any given law. But what if we don't live in a democracy: does that give us any entitlement – or further entitlement – to breach rules?
It's once again a tricky series of questions that are not simple to answer. And that's why we debated about them, coalesced under the motion "if a law is stupid, we should break it". As usual, we flipped a coin to assign sides randomly. This time, Dirk comes up with reasons why we shouldn't break the law in any circumstance. On the other hand, Sebastian will argue that there are a number of instances which call for civil disobedience.
On 2debate, we keep it simple: it's either thumbs up or thumbs down. And YOU get to choose with no risk of persecution nor retaliation. So go ahead, vote on our website to break the law – or to respect it – depending on who convinced you the most.Be safe.
Sebastian & Dirk
Picture: CC0, Pixabay
Trade wars are deadly. But are they really deadlier than conventional wars and is that the only measurement to take?
The internet may be still free of charge but freedom on the internet is severely under attack. How much is left? Is hope already lost?
We live in a capitalistic world based on growth and based on exploitation of resources. Is that mabe our greatest weakness when it comes to solve for problems like climate change?
2d70 - Facebook is the news, YouTube is the new TV, Spotify the new radio - we keep reinventing the wheel!
There is a lot of ugly content online and there is no doubt that illegal content needs to be removed. But what about all the other posts we keep moving out of the public discourse by enforcing community standards, safety policies and so on?
While a power struggle unfolds in Venezuela it seem like the West is picking sides. Is that ok to do?
Should Alexa or Google Home voice recordings be off limits for police and criminal investigations? Sebastian argues for just that while Dirk wonders why your recorded voice deserves more protection than your home...
It was a unique feature of snapchat that content disappeard after a while. Today this feature is copied by many other social media apps and with laws that demand a "right to be forgotten" one might think this is a critical element of modern day privacy. But is it really?
What do you need more: Competency or the appeal to the masses? Is the role of a head of state more ceremonial and communicative or do we expect them to make competent decisions?
Not too long ago Canada legalized marijuana and is one of very few countries taking that step. Maybe it is not a very good idea after all?
Drones are one of these fields that grow like crazy with over 1m devices in private use in the US alone and a growing scene of drone fans. Should we put a stop to that and keep drones out of the hands of the public or is there no need for banning?
Today's episode is about the brutal murder of Jamal Kashoggi, about the Saudi regime and about the war in Yemen which it fights without any regard for the loss of civil lives and with weapons and money from the West.
Can we weight one against the other? Well, Sebastian and Dirk try...
There is one thing Sebastian and Dirk agree in this debate: In a free democracy clowns and satire politicians have a right to run for office and no one should ban them. But then Dirk would insist that this not to say that having clowns in races is necessary or even critical.
This debate was one of the rare examples where we were in the same room and did not debate through an online connection. Let us know if you can hear the difference :-)
Billions of dollars are passed on between generations each year and it is an interesting thought to use this money for the public good instead of leaving it in the hands of individuals that never worked for it. So the question is: Should we cap inheritance money and pass it on to uncle sam instead?
Filterbubbles, echo chambers, network effects... there are many ways to claim that the new media world and especially the social media giants in Silicon Valley are to blame for everything that goes wrong these days. Who knows, maybe this is even a threat to democracy itself? Today Sebastian will argue that this is nothing but a relabeling of something that is as old as humankind and Dirk will make a case for the differences in a hyperconnected world...
Supreme court judges are among the most powerful figures in each democracy and need to be independent from political parties and other influences. But does that mean that they need to be appointed for life-long terms? Is it maybe even counterproductive?
Executives sometimes make an obscene amount of money and without doubt at least some are not worth as much investment nor does it feel fair to employees that struggle with significant lower salaries. But does that mean we should put a cap to it?
Today's episode is about the future of humankind and talks about something that is actually already happening. Biohackers everywhere build their own labs and start experimenting with new technologies like genetic engineering. Too dangerous or a huge chance? In the end it comes down to a question of risks...
This motion has been suggested by Giovanni and Agatha from UCL. We discussed with them as well and added that conversation as bonus to this debate.
If you haven't been living under a rock you very likely heard of bitcoin. This so called cryptocurrency is based on a technology called block chain and many claim that this is a revolution for computing and society. In our 53rd episode we debate this very question and wonder if it is really that special...
We decided to debate this motion in 2d45 - Cameras increase security when Dirk shared the observation that you can find Graffiti in Singapore despite omnipresent surveillance and laws that allow to receive a beating if you're caught. So our debate then circles around the questions what Graffiti really could be if not vandalism and if one categorization trumps the other.
"Copy humans?!", you ask? - Indeed we debated a rather futuristic scenario today. What happens once we developed the technology to copy the human mind or maybe even the entire body? Should we allow humans to copy themselves? Would it be ok to have a digital copy of oneself active?
Getting grades in school seem to be one of those constants in life and a given... until you challenge the idea. Today we will challenge it. Sebastian is against grading students whereas Dirk makes a case for it.
Ever used an online dating app? What if I told you that a significant number of profiles in these are actually not real but bots or employees of agencies that get paid for interacting with customers? Would you consider that unethical? And if so: Would it change your view to learn that this may even increase the number of "real" interactions in the long run?
Let's have a debate!
Genetic engineering is already a part of everyday live, whether we change crops, treat diseases or try to understand how our body works. But would it be ok to bring that one step further into a world where we use genetic engineering techniques to change what it means to be human?
There was a time when we thought that Social Media will solve all our communication problems but the doubts about its value is growing. It seem to eat up time, make people more anxious and maybe is used as distraction from work. Therefore - would we be better off when we simply place it into our free time and ban it from work?
Referendums, direct votes, call down votes are all instruments of direct democracy and people lead heated debates whether they increase or decrease democracy. In our debate we will focus on a similar question - do we need more or less direct democracy and why?
When cameras are used in public it is often with the argument that they increase security. But is that really the case?
We all grew up with visions of flying cars and transportation systems and these visuals are in virtually every SciFi movie. Yet, is that really the future or should we take a close look at underground transportation systems?
Often people claim that our society turns into the kind of world that has been described in George Orwell's famous book 1984. But is that truly the case?
Some say that the idea of a universal base income will be a necessary step to solve poverty, others doubt that it is even a realistic option.
The right to go on strike is an important way to settle disputes between employer and employee. But what about strikes in businesses that the public relies on like public transportation? Should they really be allowed to stop working?
Some people say that the American century is over and that America gave up its leading role in the world. But is this actually true?
At the time of this recording the world still has a chance to see the first meeting of an US president and the leader of North Korea. Is it worth it?
In this special episode Sebastian and Dirk get to chat with Jay Heinrichs, a bestselling author and professional persuasion consultant. We learn a lot about the proper use of humor, how to send love beams out of your eyes and why Brits laugh when they are asked to lick each others necks...
What is considered taboo or impolite to say varies widely but it looks like every culture has its rules governing what we should and should not say. In today's debate we'll be debating if that is necessary and if it truly matters (and should matter) what words we use.
What happens when people join a terrorist organization and want to return? Should their home countries accept them back?
At the time we recorded this debate stock markets approached record highs and most leading economies were roaring. Can we trust this or is the next bubble about to burst?
Societies differ in how they manufacture consent, where decisions are made and who has the power to change direction. Two main models to organize these questions seem to either concentrate power in the hands of few or alternatively empower the people being governed themselves. Even the ancient Greeks said that the best government possible would be the dictatorship of the wise. Yet we all know that there is only limited supply on truly wise leaders.
Ivy League schools depict themselves as promoting the high standard of education and academic accomplishment, but is this really true?
Twitter is Trump's channel of choice when it comes to direct communication with his voters. Arguable his tweets often are controversial and many of them are in violence to Twitter's own terms of service. So the question therefor is: Should twitter act and ban Trump from using its service or is it in fact right by keeping his account online?
Is fake news a real thing and is it worth fuzzing about? Today's debate has been in Dirk's editing backlog a while longer. Scaramucci was just announced as press secretary when it was recorded. Decide for yourself if things have changed since...
Picture: CC0, Pixabay
Dirk was a guest at Alexander Laurin's The Podcaster's Life and talked about 2debate, his relationship with Sebastian and podcasting in general.
The Podcaster's Life Podcast: http://pca.st/5yv1 The Podcasterscoach - Alexander Laurin online: http://www.podcasterscoach.com
Catalonia's referendum for independence from Spain posts a series of problems and it starts with the core question: What weights heavier? The interest of the many or those of the few?
Virtually every aspect of our lives is about avoiding death and billions are spent to find ways to extend it or maybe even turn us into immortals. But should we really desire that?
When Great Britain voted for leaving the EU, all other member states stared at the vote in disbelief. Can they do that? It turns out that the EU has been designed in a way that allows for a divorce. The question then is - should the EU try to make an example of UK in order to avoid other states following the example or is it in our interest to ensure an as friendly exit as possible?
Picture: CC0, Pixabay
Star Wars is one of the most valuable franchises of the movie industry and is a story still living on today. But at closer look - is it actually really worth it?
"May we live in interesting times" is a good wish and curse at the same time. For better or worse, times are indeed interesting. One particularly interesting aspect is the president of the United States who in his 10 months of power showed a political style that is surprising to some and scary to others. Now, while Sebastian and Dirk are both not crazy about the themes that brought him in power, they disagree over the question whether it is still worth having him anyway?
Some claim there are more failed boycotts than successful ones. So, should we conclude then that boycotts do not work?
Thanks to John Kwesi “Wabbit” Hankins, aka @thekrazywabbit and founder of the PodWabbit Podcast Network for suggesting this motion!
Secrets are truths that are protected from the public and often go hand in hand with lies or do they?
Uber and Airbnb are just two companies who claim to revolutionize the market with shared goods. But is it really that new a concept and is it even real?
Are robots really eating our jobs? Sebastian and Dirk debate how the current AI revolution will turn out. Maybe there is no reason to be alarmed in either case?
The odds are against us - we're all going to die. But few causes of death seem to mobilize as much effort to avoid than the threat of death through terrorism. Since terrorism attacks us at our freedom and our perceived security it is a danger to society and democracy. Maybe that warrants to rally all available forces against it?
Cash has been around for thousands of years and everyone knows how to use it. But in modern times credit cards, virtual currencies or other means of payments provide an alternative. Is it time now to get rid of cash?
We live in a world where access to data is considered the new oil and especially the promise of security is often used as reason for more and more state surveillance. But shouldn't we actually trust our states? Who if not states should have access to private data for protection and development? Sebastian and Dirk disagree as usual and debate the motion "Governments should have access to private data!"
We live in the age of fake news and are constantly bombarded with breaking or otherwise important news. But do we really need to follow those? Sebastian argues we don't for there are other sources of information more complete and useful and current news sources are often flawed. Dirk defends the motion because press can only speak truth to power and hold them accountable if they have an audience and decisions need to be informed... Who has the better arguments?
In this day and age programmers are in high demand and everyone seem to buzz about it. Should we dial down the volume? After all programming seem to be an unglamorous business by now and may not be that special after all...
Those of us who work in offices know it and fight it: The email monster! It is a modern menace and most of us hate it. But arguably it often is the tool of choice for information exchange and it can be incredibly useful. Mail management courses, productivity gurus and top achievers like Sebastian insist: You should work hard to stay on top of your inbox game and reap more opportunities, respect and productivity as your reward. Dirk on the other side argues that we put too much emphasis on email and that we should accept that we have no real chance to stay on top of it, nor should we. What is your take?
We all die eventually but whenever we die through actions from others, we expect that to be tightly regulated. Even war is governed by international law. Whenever killings happen outside these legal frameworks or in obvious ignorance of the law we talk about extrajudicial killings. Sometimes, some say, cases exist where it is ok, maybe even necessary, to kill without a trial. In modern times these killings are often performed with drones but we debate today every situation in which killings happen and where the people making that decision claim there was no other way.
This is where Sebastian and Dirk disagree on this week - are extrajudicial killings necessary?
Wikipedia defines a whistleblower as a person who exposes any kind of information or activity that is deemed illegal, unethical, or not correct within an organization that is either private or public. Often whistleblowers face great risks while arguably performing a service to society. Therefore an argument could be made that such risks should be compensated for and in fact it may be considered to pay whistleblowers. This is what Dirk and Sebastian debated in this episode.
Is racism simply an opinion we need to live with or should voicing such an "opinion" have consequences? Remember: Sides were assigned randomly :-)
North Korea is a dictatorship and believed to have nuclear weapons. Now, that the country develops rockets that reach the West, wouldn't it be wise to strike first?
Sebastian and Dirk didn't stop after their debate, they went on. Listen in on their discussion in this special episode!
As Russia is controversially discussed for its doping practices debate Sebastian and Dirk if it wouldn't be smart to legalize it alltogether... What do you think?
It was a complete break of diplomatic convention when Trump spoke with Taiwan, but should it? In this episode Sebastian and Dirk try to decide if diplomatic protocols are really that essential to peace and international conduct.
It is a popular demand: "Learn the language of the country you move to!" But is it fair or even practical to make such a statement?
Practically all organizations hire their employees after an extensive interview and it is commonly assumed that this is a good method to identify the people that fit into a vacant position. But is that really the case? Dirk says "no, it isn't" while Sebastian makes a case for interviews.
Sometimes Sebastian and Dirk continue the debate. This time it was so interesting that we decided to create a special edition episode. Have fun!
In 1987 Turkey officially applied to become a member of the European Union and has been in the process to join the union ever since. Turkey is already closely affiliated in a number of related agreements and is an important economical partner. Yet, there is still a lot of work to do before Turkey is on the same level of regulation and standard as many European countries. In this debate Sebastian argues for Turkey joining the EU and Dirk takes a stand against that idea.
Homeopathy is a method of treatment that is part of the so-called alternative medicine. In this debate Sebastian and Dirk basically agree that homeopathy is not scientifically proven nor a method they personally trust. Yet, Dirk is defending strongly the position that homeopathy still deserves a place in the selection of tools used by medicine.
Important: Neither Dirk nor Sebastian are trained medical professionals. Please do not take our debate as advice on the matter. If you don't feel well, go and see a doctor!
BREXIT and the US election are only two examples of many where election polls published earlier seem to have gotten it wrong. Some even argue that election polls may even distort elections at large and deflect from real issues. Today Sebastian and Dirk debate whether we should therefore go ahead and ban election polls all together.
It is a much researched and widely accepted fact that diversity - whether it is gender, ethic or other forms of diversity - is good for business and society. But how do we achieve this in a world that clearly favors men over women or has a hard time balancing numerous conscious and unconscious biases? Sebastian and Dirk debate one of the common tools in that battle - quotas and Dirk argues against their use while Sebastian starts by advocating for it.
Sometimes people say things that indeed make you wonder: Should there be limits to freedom of speech? Sounds like the making of a debate and Sebastian and Dirk had it...
According to the universal declaration of human rights it is a human right to leave your country and to return to it. Does that automatically mean that we should have no restrictions at all? Dirk argues against this idea and Sebastian makes a case for it.
We love playing devil's advocates but we hate if that takes ages. In this first episode we introduce our short form debating podcast and ourselves...