HWS Round Robin

HWS ROUND ROBIN 2019

R1

This House regrets the decline of the humanities in higher education.

In academic settings, “the humanities” is contrasted with the study of natural sciences, social sciences, and professional trainings. Core fields in the humanities include: literature, philosophy, history, religion, art.

R2

This House supports laws that protect the health of fetuses (whose mothers intend to carry them to term).

R3

In the event that current talks produce a compromise Brexit deal, this House would put it to a referendum with “remain” as an alternative.

The British Labour and Conservative Parties are currently in negotiations for a compromise Brexit deal. Any deal that is likely to emerge will be a “soft” Brexit.

R4

This House would take a pill that permanently made one contented with one’s current life situation.

For the purpose of this debate, the state of being contented refers to one’s overall satisfaction with one’s life. A contented person may have good or bad days, and fluctuations in mood, but their wholistic assessment of their life is that they are content with what they have, even if what they have changes.

R5

This House Opposes the centrality of sport to national identity

GF

This House believes that the Black Lives Matter movement should embrace open carry gun laws and engage in armed community patrols.

The Black Panthers began as a group of black citizens in Oakland, California who engaged in armed patrols of the city streets, specifically focusing on observing police behavior and arrests. In response, California enacted much stricter gun control legislation.

HWS Round Robin (2018)

R1

THBT the criminal justice system should not consider retribution as a factor in sentencing.

R2

THP a world in which universities charged tuition based on student earnings after graduation.

R3

This house believes that governments should prioritize the economic improvement of minority communities over the preservation of their culture.

R4

This house prefers a world in which, upon childhood, all people intuitively come to know their natural expiration date.

R5

When responding to civilian casualties, this house believes that the military action taken does not have to meet the principle of proportionality.

Open GF

This house believes that the interests of the Chinese people would be better served by a peaceful transition into a democracy, rather than a continuation of one party rule.

HWS Round Robin (2017)

R1

This house supports the use of “eye in the sky” policing in urban areas with high crime rates.

R2

This house supports democratic governments using social disgust as a grounds for restricting public speech or display.

R3

This house regrets the shift in focus within the academic study of history from studying great figures and institutions to studying cultural forces and the experiences of ordinary people.

R4

Given the choice as an individual who is a typical, healthy 30-year-old, THW elect to never again feel the emotion of sorrow.

R5

This house believes that the US should issue guest worker visas, under which minimum wage laws would not apply.

Open GF

THBT governments should abandon the strategy of “decapitation” in fighting terrorism.

HWS Round Robin (2016)

R1

THW require the use of a draft by lottery when engaged in extended military interventions.

R2

THS filial responsibility laws. (infoslide provided)

R3

THBT criminal defendants who hire private counsel should not be afforded the right against self-incrimination at trial.

R4

TH prefers a world with memory writing technology.

A memory writing machine is a device that is capable of imprinting or replacing memories in people’s brains in a manner that is medically safe.

R5

THBT Israel should set aside a certain percentage of seats in the Knesset to be elected by diaspora Jews.

Open GF

THS health insurance companies offering terminally ill patients the option of a lump sum payment to forgo expensive life-extending treatments.

HWS Round Robin (2015)

R1

THS establishing an independent state of Kurdistan.

R2

THW measure gross national happiness and base policy decisions on those measurements.

R3

THW disallow exclusive private arbitration for contracts between corporations and individuals.

R4

Setting aside infectious diseases, THW work to prevent interaction with tribes who have not had contact with the modern world.

R5

THW prohibit religious institutions from considering applicants’ religious affiliation for any position whose primary function is not the performance of religious rites (e.g., administrators, teachers, fundraisers, etc.).

Open GF

THBT prominent civil society activists should choose not to run for public office.

HWS Round Robin (2014)

R1

THW measure the efficacy of charities and strip those with comparatively low social value of their charitable status.

R2

THBT a world without organized religion would be a better world.

R3

THS the boycotting of Israeli academics.

R4

THBT full gender emancipation requires the end of monogamy as a dominant social norm.

R5

THW permit parents to stunt physical development of their severely mentally disabled children.

Open GF

THBT, within broad budgetary constraints, environmental policy should be decided by unelected scientific experts selected by their peers.

HWS Round Robin (2013)

R1

THW allow legislation through voter initiated referenda.

R2

THW establish a US federal court with the authority to approve targeted killings of unlawful combatants.

R3

THW prohibit provincial and local governments from offering tax incentives to lure corporations to open business in their domain.

R4

THBT the discovery of a means to stop the human aging process would be a curse to humanity.

R5

THBT governments should use corporal punishment instead of incarceration for a significant number of crimes.

Open GF

THS diversity quotas for university admissions.