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1500 questions
27
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3 answers
Why didn't Democrats legalize marijuana federally when they controlled Congress?
A notable majority of the US is supportive of legalizing marijuana, with Democrats having a much higher level of support, and Biden's own platform including legalizing it. Given the overwhelming support for it among Democrats and that the Democrats…
dsollen
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27
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5 answers
What is this political cartoon by Bob Moran titled "Amnesty" about?
I saw that Bob Moran made this political cartoon that he posted on Twitter:
When I first saw this cartoon, I assumed it was poking fun at the "False Balance" AKA "bothsidesism" argument that is usually deployed in conservative circles. Also I see…
Nova
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27
votes
5 answers
Why are mandatory ultrasounds considered problematic by abortion rights activists?
Why do pro-choice activists oppose mandatory ultrasounds? They don't prevent women from having abortions; if a woman initially requests an abortion but then declines after seeing an ultrasound, doesn't that mean her initial request was not informed?
Someone
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27
votes
6 answers
How effective are sanctions in overthrowing regimes?
One can read constantly in the media, that the West and especially the US announce sanctions against some countries. North Korea, Cuba, Iran and Venezuela are some examples.
In some cases like Cuba and Iran, these sanctions are in force for decades,…
TMFG
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27
votes
7 answers
Why is the US residential model untouchable and unquestionable?
In the past I asked a question about the environmental impact of the the US residential model. Some users replied that such residential model was inherited from the past, that it was too late to change it, and on that ground they closed the question…
FluidCode
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27
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7 answers
Is the Ruble exchange rate a reliable indicator of economic stability in Russia?
Back in February 2022, it seemed like the Ruble would rapidly collapse. However, nowadays, the USD/RUB exchange rate looks better than at any time in the past year:
You could argue that this is a "fake" exchange rate, but it seems like Russia keeps…
JonathanReez
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27
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5 answers
Why would far-left groups oppose Macron’s re-election?
As a background to this question, I know next-to-nothing about French politics other than briefly reading a few news articles about current events.
In response to the re-election of Emmanuel Macron in the 2022 election, some violent protests and…
GendoIkari
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27
votes
7 answers
Is there a food crisis linked to the Ukrainian war or a massive speculation?
As of now at the end of March 2022, it is quite common to find articles in the media and also some declarations by world leaders talking about a food crisis caused by the Ukrainian war. Here are some random examples from a quick internet search:
The…
FluidCode
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27
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5 answers
What would Ukraine gain by disclosing intelligence information about Putin assassination plans?
These days, there have been media reports claiming that parts of the Russian elite have plans to assassinate Putin, citing Ukrainian intelligence as sources. However, I am not aware of details on how this information was obtained and became public.…
user149408
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27
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7 answers
Do heavy human losses put pressure on an autocratic leader like Putin?
In democratic countries, there tends to be great aversion to loss of life from military operations, and there are checks and balances that ensure a displeased populace has some capacity to vote in other candidates.
Former Australian Army General,…
stevec
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27
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7 answers
Are there countries where politicians and senior government officials can be forced to be personally invested in their official decisions?
One criticism of the modern day regulatory state is that politicians and various senior government officials promulgating new policies have no "skin in the game"; that is, they have little to no personal liability in the results of their decisions.…
JonathanReez
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27
votes
2 answers
What is the rationale of Lithuania allowing a diplomatic mission under the name of Taiwan, thus deteriorating the diplomatic relation with China?
This article provides some insight into the recent diplomatic tensions between Lithuania and China:
Taiwan announced the new mission last month, saying it would be called
the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania, the first time the
island’s…
Alexei
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27
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2 answers
Was Speaker Nancy Pelosi's rejection of Republican representatives Jordan and Banks "unprecedented"?
Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi decided to block two Republican House members from the house select committee formed to investigate on January 6th. The Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy has characterized her actions as "unprecedented" and an…
Burt_Harris
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27
votes
2 answers
Empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of writing to your representatives
Letter writing (including email) and phone call campaigns are popular actions people are called to participate in to create pressure and change legislator behavior. It's taken as axiomatic that this is effective.
I've done my damnedest to search…
William Walker III
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27
votes
2 answers
Appeal process for being designated a "Terrorist Group" (Canada)
Yesterday, the office of Canada's Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness designated 13 groups as "Terrorist Groups". According to CBC, the result is that it is not necessarily a crime to be a member of a listed group. But banks and…
Bertrand Einstein IV
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