topic
stringlengths 3
73
| argument
stringlengths 24
222
| label
stringclasses 2
values |
|---|---|---|
Geoengineering, solar shading
|
Volcanoes perform solar shading; why is it wrong for humans to do so?
|
PRO
|
Geoengineering, solar shading
|
Solar ring is cheapest solar shading solution
|
PRO
|
Wind energy
|
Wind energy comes naturally from the environment.
|
PRO
|
Carbon emissions trading
|
Emissions trading has govt not markets set cap
|
CON
|
Carbon emissions trading
|
US cap-and-trade in sulfur dioxidew was succesful
|
PRO
|
Carbon emissions trading
|
A cap-and-trade system is progressive
|
PRO
|
Natural gas vehicles
|
Natural gas vehicles are not yet commercially viable.
|
CON
|
Natural gas vehicles
|
The performance of natural gas vehicles is not notable.
|
CON
|
Natural gas vehicles
|
Natural gas utilities have a long record of safety
|
PRO
|
Random sobriety tests for drivers
|
Random sobriety tests are a just public safety intervention
|
PRO
|
Random sobriety tests for drivers
|
RBT has been successfully implemented in many modern democracies
|
PRO
|
Random sobriety tests for drivers
|
Good use of police to cultivate awareness on drunk driving.
|
PRO
|
Hybrid vehicles
|
Power of hybrids is senseless in the face of global warming.
|
CON
|
Hybrid vehicles
|
Hybrid cars are simply a way for oil companies to maintain profits.
|
CON
|
Hybrid vehicles
|
Hybrids are more economical than electric cars.
|
PRO
|
Hydrogen vehicles
|
Too much energy required to compress hydrogen for cars
|
CON
|
Hydrogen vehicles
|
Hydrogen can't be compressed to give sufficient driving range
|
CON
|
Hydrogen vehicles
|
Hydrogen is more challenging than alternatives
|
CON
|
Hydrogen vehicles
|
It's OK to use more energy to make hydrogen than is obtained out
|
PRO
|
Hydrogen vehicles
|
Hydrogen is non-toxic, unlike most fossil fuels.
|
PRO
|
Hydrogen vehicles
|
Hydrogen cars are like high-performance electric cars
|
PRO
|
Electric vehicles
|
Public transportation is a better idea than electric cars
|
CON
|
Electric vehicles
|
Electric vehicles are more resilient to price pressures.
|
PRO
|
Electric vehicles
|
Electric car battery technology and costs are improving rapidly
|
PRO
|
Electric vehicles
|
Electric car power and speed can be precisely controlled.
|
PRO
|
Tidal energy
|
Tidal barages produce more energy than other forms of tidal.
|
PRO
|
Tidal energy
|
A tidal barrage can safeguard coastlines from storms.
|
PRO
|
Natural gas
|
Natural gas vehicle fuel tanks are very strong and safe
|
PRO
|
Natural gas
|
Natural gas engines are as efficient as gasoline engines.
|
PRO
|
Natural gas
|
Liquefied natural gas can be a good fuel for vehicles.
|
PRO
|
Natural gas
|
Natural gas has very diverse applications in the home.
|
PRO
|
Hydroelectric dams
|
There are better ways to store water than dams.
|
CON
|
Hydroelectric dams
|
Human displacement does not inherently accompany dams.
|
PRO
|
Solar energy
|
Solar electricity cannot significantly reduce dependencies on oil.
|
CON
|
Solar energy
|
Nuclear power is a more potent and efficient source of energy.
|
CON
|
Solar energy
|
Clouds and smog undermine solar energy unlike other energy sources.
|
CON
|
Solar energy
|
Producing solar cells need not use fossil fuel energy.
|
PRO
|
Solar energy
|
Solar energy can be stored in ways other than batteries (i.e. hydrogen).
|
PRO
|
South Ossetia independence
|
The world needs fewer borders; A S. Ossetian nation adds more.
|
CON
|
South Ossetia independence
|
S. Ossetia has a definite territory.
|
PRO
|
South Ossetia independence
|
S. Ossetia 2006 referendum should be recognized
|
PRO
|
South Ossetia independence
|
Russia supports S. Ossetia's 2006 referendum and right to independence.
|
PRO
|
South Ossetia independence
|
Modern Georgia never really controlled S. Ossetia.
|
PRO
|
South Ossetia independence
|
Name Ossetia has history independent of Georgia
|
PRO
|
Falkland Islands, return of
|
Relations with Argentina are not important to Britain.
|
CON
|
Falkland Islands, return of
|
The Nookta Sound convention did not affect Britains rights to the islands as they already had an agreement with Spain where both nations rights were secured in 1771
|
CON
|
Falkland Islands, return of
|
Britain sent its soldiers to fight an unjust war in the Falkland Islands.
|
PRO
|
Home plate collision rule in baseball
|
Home plate contact isn't an important part of game.
|
CON
|
Home plate collision rule in baseball
|
Home base collisions are essential characteristic of hardball.
|
PRO
|
Obama, meeting with hostile foreign leaders without preconditions
|
Iran sponsors terrorists; wrong to talk with them
|
CON
|
Obama, meeting with hostile foreign leaders without preconditions
|
Iranian leaders are evil; wrong to meet with them
|
CON
|
Obama, meeting with hostile foreign leaders without preconditions
|
It is irrational to meet unconditionally with irrational leaders.
|
CON
|
Obama, meeting with hostile foreign leaders without preconditions
|
Obama's position on meeting hostile leaders is naive; poor judgement.
|
CON
|
Obama, meeting with hostile foreign leaders without preconditions
|
Talking to your enemies is not a concession
|
PRO
|
EU constitution reform treaty (Lisbon Treaty)
|
The Lisbon Treaty simply repackages the failed EU Constitution
|
CON
|
Cluster bomb ban
|
Cluster bombs are usually used in uninhabited areas
|
CON
|
Cluster bomb ban
|
Importance of cluster bombs against threats makes a ban infeasible
|
CON
|
Democratic peace theory
|
Democracies mostly only engage in defensive wars with non-democracies.
|
PRO
|
Democratic peace theory
|
Democracies are founded on similar principles so they should not go to war.
|
PRO
|
Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki
|
The bombing of Japan was illegal under the international law of the time.
|
CON
|
Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki
|
Bombing Japan was to take revenge on the civilians.
|
CON
|
Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki
|
Soviet victories in Manchuria were core cause of Japanese surrender.
|
CON
|
Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki
|
No international law forbade the bombing of Japanese civilians
|
PRO
|
Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki
|
Bombing Japan was the lesser evil among the alternatives
|
PRO
|
Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki
|
Bombing Japan was ethical in context of the horrors of WWII
|
PRO
|
Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki
|
Bombing Japan was justified in the post-Okinawa context
|
PRO
|
Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki
|
Hiroshima was a strategic military headquarters and target.
|
PRO
|
NATO expansion
|
Croatia is doing well at securing stability
|
PRO
|
NATO expansion
|
The expense of NATO expansion is marginal when compared to the defence budgets of the major NATO States.
|
PRO
|
European missile defense
|
Both missile threat and missile defense do not exist
|
CON
|
European missile defense
|
The majority of poles oppose missile defense on their territory
|
CON
|
European missile defense
|
European missile defense is a necessary part of a layered defense
|
PRO
|
European missile defense
|
Real threat of rogue states missile attacks
|
PRO
|
European missile defense
|
Missile defense systems are becoming effective and reliable
|
PRO
|
European Union Expansion
|
European Union should include all of Europe; it's in their name.
|
PRO
|
European Union Expansion
|
Cheaper labour is good for the economies of richer European nations.
|
PRO
|
Banning cell phones in cars
|
Many things in cars are just as distracting as cell phones
|
CON
|
Banning cell phones in cars
|
If you can't ban sleep-driving, why ban talking on phone in car.
|
CON
|
Banning cell phones in cars
|
Markets are better at regulating cell phone use in cars
|
CON
|
Banning cell phones in cars
|
Cell phone use in cars is unnecessary; people went without them before.
|
PRO
|
Banning cell phones in cars
|
Cell phones should only be used while driving in dire situations
|
PRO
|
Banning cell phones in cars
|
Careless driving laws are inadequate; cell phone ban is necessary.
|
PRO
|
Banning cell phones in cars
|
State has authority to regulate actions of drivers (by cell phone ban).
|
PRO
|
Child beauty pageants
|
Pageants based on bad idea of children being better than others
|
CON
|
Child beauty pageants
|
Parents should be trusted on entering kids in child beauty pageants.
|
PRO
|
Child beauty pageants
|
Plenty of other activities are exclusive to boys/girls.
|
PRO
|
Death penalty
|
Life in prison is a sufficient punishment; execution is excessive
|
CON
|
Death penalty
|
The death penalty does not bring back a loved one
|
CON
|
Death penalty
|
The death penalty is often motivated by discrimination
|
CON
|
Death penalty
|
Capital punishment is compassionate to the victims
|
PRO
|
Hunting for sport
|
Animals should be treated as we would want to be treated
|
CON
|
Hunting for sport
|
Wrong to hunt harmless, defenseless animals
|
CON
|
Hunting for sport
|
Modern humans have lost touch with animals and our likeness
|
CON
|
Hunting for sport
|
Evolutionary science debunks the idea of human dominion over animals
|
CON
|
Hunting for sport
|
There is an inherent human passion for hunting
|
PRO
|
Hunting for sport
|
Exploiting animals is more dignified than their living in the wild
|
PRO
|
Hunting for sport
|
Human life is of greater intrinsic value than animal life
|
PRO
|
Prisoners right to vote
|
Unhelpful to ban voting by prisoners serving for 6 months
|
PRO
|
Prisoners right to vote
|
Prisoners must be able to influence world they will re-enter.
|
PRO
|
Prisoners right to vote
|
Depriving prisoners of a vote is simply mean spirited.
|
PRO
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.