A Modest Proposal?
OK, Schmoliticians. I'm proposing an 8- or 12-week course of debate about "the big issues". I'm thinking this will work best if each of us can commit to posting his/her opinion -- in a fairly well-articulated fashion -- on a few select topics. Some of you will want to weigh in on each topic (Pete). Some of you will weigh in on just one or two issues. Mostly, I'd like to do a more deliberate surveying of our little salon, to gauge where we stand, how we differ, and why we think what we think. Toward this end, I propose one of us lead that week's topic (by creating the initial discussion post), and "guide" the debate from there. I volunteer to lead the first week's discussion, whatever we determine it to be:
- Welfare [Sean] - 1/16/06
- Environment, global warming & impact on business [Shanan]- 1/23/06
- Affirmative action [Rob] - 1/30/06
- Separation of church & state [Randy] - 2/6/06
- Foreign policy [Josh] - 2/13/06
- Free trade, globalization, and labor outsourcing [Todd] - 2/20/06
- Income taxation
- The U.S. political climate
- The role of the Executive
- Domestic spying
- Judicial activism
posted by Sean @ 1/13/2006 11:20:00 AM
6 comments
6 Comments:
I think this is a great way to structure our sometimes random assortment of topics. If I may, I'd like to lead the outsourcing/global economy topic, but I'm afraid I can't dedicate enough time to being a thoughtful initiator until February.
Has GM or GE or Microsoft bought this blog? When did we sell out to the man? I must say, however well-intentioned (as I'm sure it is), I fear this proposal will take the blog away from the free-flowing, discuss-whatever-strikes-our-fancy, 18th/19th century Parisian salon-type atmosphere to one more akin to the Harvard Debate Club. And I don't even OWN a blazer.
My two cents.
Yep, Shanan, that's exactly my intention. Pete, I don't expect/anticipate that these discussions will "block out" everything else we discuss, just supplement/complement them, as Shanan mentioned.
Does that seem likely/possible?
I'll take a stab at leading the 'affirmative action' discussion.
I'm all over "Foreign Policy", if you will have me. :)
I also like the idea of doing a structured debate / idea exchange. I don't think that it will take away from our usual style; if there is one thing teh w3b is good for, it is asides...
Cheers!
Dibs on Church and State!
Post a Comment
<< Home