BeIR/webis-touche2020 huggingface dataset:
America's cheap food is good for Americans

I think that America's cheap food is, in turn good for Americans. Based on your second sentence: "Because of our abnormally low-priced restaurants (double cheeseburgers for as low as $1.00), and our low-priced foods, Americans are becoming worse off. I will continue this after my opponent's responds. ", I will assume you are talking about fast food restaurants, correct me if I'm wrong. If not, a recent TIME magazine study showed that because of America's current financial crisis, less and less people are eating out at non-fast-food resturaunts. 56% to be exact. That's 133,682,841 LESS people who are eating out. Take for example Subway. The fast-food chain has lowered prices mainly because to the high demand their getting. Now, a five dollar footlong with healthy greens and whole wheat bread? How is that bad for Americans? In this financial crises, many people have cut back spending for various things such as entertainment, clothes, even doctors' visits. This presents one conclusion; Americans are keen on saving money in every possible way. So if a fast-food resturaunt is serving 5 dollar footlongs enough to feed two people, the people will probably choose that. Because these healthy, not to mention cheap, items are available, Americans may be mentally and physically happier, with the thought of knowing you spent little money for such a healthy meal. Happiness would probably be considered "good", and since happiness is contagious, the cheap food fast-food resturaunts are serving make the buyer happy, which in turn make other people happy and so on. All in all, America's cheap food is good for Americans. Now, you're probably wondering about the "other" fast-food resturaunts like McDonald's and Burger King. Lasting pressure from health officials have prompted many fast-food chains to create healthier, cheaper foods and nutrition charts as well. Take for example Wendy's, which has over 25 food choices with under 400 calories and 15 grams of fat. Included in this selection is the Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Jr. Hamburger, and Jr. Cheeseburger. These items are not only cheap but are not extremely fattening, etc. In conclusion, America's cheap food is not only physical but mentally good for Americans. It provides the buyer with a sense of accomplishment that they have managed to find such a great deal, both money and nutrition wise and all the while is not extremely bad for your health.
The Electoral College should be Abolished

Oh its totally fine, but people need to understand the EC. Those are the main arguments for it. But I will add on to them. Gives power to the small states: It gives the small states more EC votes per person, which may sound unfair, but it is not. Every state as at least 3 electoral votes. In a popular vote system those small states would never sway an election, giving these small farming communities more power lets their vote count. So it helps the smaller states. It is not an elitist Well I can't add much more because you had no counter argument, but the electors are voted on by the state, the way their elected makes it the peoples will. Living constitution Just cause we can change it doesn't mean we should change that part. Also ow I cann add on to my 4th point The EC cant be changed in our constitution at this time: Thankfully, the question of abolishing the Electoral College is moot because the hurdles a constitutional amendment would have to jump to accomplish that end are simply too high. Too many small states would block it, as they have successfully done on numerous previous occasions. They understand that doing away with the Electoral College would shift the focus of presidential elections to a handful of large, populous states. [1] So the small states would block it because they do not want the bigger states to have all of the power. Since my opponent just wants to see my side of the story he conceded in a way, so I win by default. Vote CON! http://www.mackinac.org... [1]
The Electoral College should be Abolished

I do not own the rights to this argument. This debate is merely for the purpose to say what other people have to say about the subject on the other side. please state many points. For the purpose of this debate I will abbreviate Electoral college as EC Contention 1: Will of the People The will of the people is infringed upon by EC. In many cases, a candidate who won the popular vote lost in the EC, and this means a candidate who the people want elected doesn't get elected into office. In the Presidential election of 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote, but after the Supreme Court's intervention Florida's EC votes were given to Bush. This pushed Bush just over the necessary line, and won a candidate who didn't win the election the presidency. The EC takes away the people's say, and it must be eliminated for America to retain the democratic values it holds dear. Contention 2: Living Constitution Our Constitution has been interpreted in many ways. One of which is a living Constitution, which means that our Constitution constantly needs to be interpreted and changed in order to meet the needs and wants of the people is serves. The EC needs to be removed. It is an expansive, elitist, and ineffective organization, and the people need to have their voice shine through that of a corrupt institution. The Constitution needs to be shaped to fit the say of the people, and the living Constitution dictates that would should get rid of the EC to do this. This is the best option for America to defend the rights of its citizens. Let's say John Dough steps up to the voting podium and he is not entirely sure who he will vote for. He will choose the one who drilled their name into his head which is the one with the most money. Therefore, the EC is useless and unfair. Contention 3: Elitism The EC was, is, and always will be an elitist organization. If a candidate wins only a slight majority of votes in a state, he or she receives ALL of the EC votes. This is a highly polarized system that has to be eliminated. Those with the most money, the most supporters, and other resources to draw from win the election most of the time simply based on spending. Conclusion: The EC takes away the say of the people, furthers elitism, and can easily be eliminated to better the lives of Americans. To please the people, to purify the system, and to better the nation, it is a must to eliminate the EC. Abolishing this ancient, decrepit system would be one of the best things to take place for America.
Gun control America needs to change

1. You cannot reduce gun crimes with more guns! The mores guns there is the more violence in the world. Bedsides if you just got rid of guns altogether or had stricter gun laws then it is not likely that there would even be a shooter in the first place. Look at the UK, There has only been 1 mass shooting since stricter gun laws were put in place. In America, Mass shootings are happening on a regular basis and your solution is more guns! You have tried that and it clearly has not worked, It is time for America to make a change! Masses of people are dying on a regular basis and you are doing nothing effective! 2. Why waste money on things that can kill people? ! I think just like your driving test you should have to pay for this test and to have a licence for a gun. The practical test would ensure that you actually know how to use a gun safely. The theory test would be the part where you mental health, And your background is checked and yes I admit people could lie BUT it would still make it that little bit harder for people to access guns and could prevent some gun crimes from happening. It is worth doing even if it only saves a few lives. 3. If you don't like the way your country is run you should not be protesting with a gun anyway as that would be murder. The police and the military are there to protect you from any foreign invasion so you do not need a gun for that either. "a gun behind every bush" I believe is a terrible saying because that implies that you are living your life in constant paranoia and fear and that is no way to live. America has a very good police force and military as far as I am aware and they are there to protect you so I do not think you need to worry about having a gun on you at all times. 4. How is taking away guns going to make more people die of gun crime! You cannot shoot your way to peace! 5. Cancer is not something that can be prevented. It is not a choice. You cannot compare someone dying because somebody shot them to somebody dying of cancer. America has the power to reduce gun crime, That is a fact you can reduce the amount of deaths due to a gun. I don't understand how you even think its okay to compare cancer and murder. 6. Yes there will always be the black market and you will never be able to completely get rid of the guns in America but putting these laws in place will decrease gun crime massively. It will make it so much harder for people to access guns and therefore the amount of shootings will go down. Look at the UK, Japan and many other countries who have enforced strict gun laws. Look at the amount of gun deaths in them counties and then look at the amount of gun deaths in America and try and tell me that the number of shootings will go up. These laws have worked everywhere else so now America it is time for you do make a change and help the people in your country. You can reduce the gun crime massively if you take a step, Be brave and stop hiding behind you guns.
Gun control America needs to change

I accept: >There should be a much stricter process when buying a gun : there should be age restrictions, People with a criminal record should not be able to get a gun, Somebody with mental health should not have a gun, Like when you are learning to drive there should be theory and practical test that you have to pass. Having limitations of criminals and mentally ill people are already in effect, There are already age regulations on acquiring a weapon per a state wide basic legally. Having citizens armed can actually stop shooters, Robbers, Or rapists by withdrawing the gun. >If you pass all this then you can only have a certain type of gun and it should be kept locked away when not in use so nobody is able to take it easily. If there is a shooter, And your gun is at home locked in a safe, It it useless. If you have it concealed carry you can actually save lives by targeting the shooter with the gun. > there should be theory and practical test that you have to pass. If you pass all this then you can only have a certain type of gun and it should be kept locked away when not in use so nobody is able to take it easily. Also this test and process c=should be redone every year. Why waste taxpayers money and time with reeducation classes every year and how on earth will this be enforced? With the police showing up with guns? What would this test even include "don't go on mass shootings and kill innocent people". Well that is obvious and anyone crafty enough can lie on an examination. Guns protect a citizen from an authoritarian regime as well. If America becomes a military state with only authority having guns, Citizens having guns is the primary way to make a stand against corruption. Having everyone have weapons also helps secure the defense of America against any form of foreign invasion "A gun behind every bush" is what was >You need to change because if you don't then more and more people are going to die. Everyone dies. Heart Disease, Obesity, And Cancer kill far more people then any shooter, Does this mean that we should outlaw Mcdonalds and other junk food too? Should we force obese people to take health classes every year and have cards which limit junk food consumption? Your entire argument falls apart with one thing: The Black Market. Even if the USA made having a gun illegal, People can easily bypass all tests, Background checks, Law and restrictions by purchasing a weapon on the deep web/a secret gun show. We have learned from prohibition that the sale/purchasing of illegal things Increase when it is outlawed.
Gun control America needs to change

I love the country America i do but when it comes to guns it is seriously behind the times. There have been mass shootings happening more and more frequently and people are saying that we need more guns! You can't shoot your way to peace! I hear people saying "guns don't kill people, People do". Well that is partially true but if that person did not have a gun then they would not be able to kill people so easily. Yeah people kill people using guns but by letting more or less everyone have access to guns you are making it easy for them to kill people on this big of a scale. Even if you are not willing to give up your guns at least don't let anyone have access to them. There should be a much stricter process when buying a gun : there should be age restrictions, People with a criminal record should not be able to get a gun, Somebody with mental health should not have a gun, Like when you are learning to drive there should be theory and practical test that you have to pass. If you pass all this then you can only have a certain type of gun and it should be kept locked away when not in use so nobody is able to take it easily. Also this test and process c=should be redone every year. America, You need to change because if you don't then more and more people are going to die. Natural disasters are just tragedy's we can't prevent them but deaths by guns and mass shootings you can stop that and you need to stop that. Please American government do not let anymore people die because you are to stubborn and idiotic to change a law to reduce the number of shootings in your country.
The Government should not raise the Minimum Wage

I just needed to make sure I had the correct facts and statistics to support my claims. Jobs-"Indeed, evidence of employment losses goes all the way back to 1938 and first federally imposed minimum wage. The U. S. Department of Labor concluded that that first 25-cent minimum wage resulted in the loss of 30,000 to 50,000 jobs, or 10 to 13 percent of the 300,000 workers affected by the increase. More recently, Michael Hicks of Ball State University looked at the impact of the July 2008 minimum wage increase on unemployment rates in the United States and concluded that a 10 percent increase in the minimum wage results in a roughly 0.19 percent increase in unemployment, meaning the loss of about 160,000 jobs. " A study was also done by Joseph Sabia and Richard Burkause for the Employment Policy Institute concluded that even if one were to raise the minimum wage, it would result in a loss of 1.3 million jobs. According to their research, the minimum wage increases between 2003 and 2007 have no significant impact on poverty rates. The minimum wage does not solve the jobs problem, but it actually makes people lose jobs. . http://www.cato.org... Hurts small businesses- America is a popular place for start-ups. One of the essential things to helping a small business grow is not raising the minimum wage. Lets take Europe for an example. Most countries in Europe have high minimum wages, or a living wage. . https://en.wikipedia.org... France has a minimum wage between 10 and 15 dollars. 66% of people say it is hard to start a business there. Great Britain also has a minimum wage between 10 and 15 dollars. 59% of people say it is hard to start a business there. Germany has a minimum wage between 10 and 15 dollars. 46% of people say it is hard to start a business there. . http://smallbiztrends.com... All this data proves is that minimum wage hurts small businesses, and it makes it easier for large corporations to rise. This ruins innovation and creativity that capitalism has to offer, and in turn creates crony capitalism. Raising Prices- Raising the minimum wage will also raise prices. . https://www.purdue.edu... Statistics show that raising the minimum wage to 15 dollars an hour will cause prices to increase 4.3%. Harms of raising minimum wage: Loss of 1.3 million jobs Makes no impact on poverty Makes it harder to start a business Prices increase 4.3%.
The Government should not raise the Minimum Wage

I'm not ultimately in favor of any Government mandates but considering that there are already laws in place enforcing a minimum wage, the Government will inherently be forced to raise the minimum wage if our current monetary policy does not change. If we were still on the gold standard where there was practically no inflation, then I would take the same stance as you. But in a fiat currency system, it's inevitable. Otherwise you're just going to bankrupt the poor and make people even MORE reliant on government subsidies. Therefore, Government is forced to continually increase the minimum wage.
The Government should not raise the Minimum Wage

. http://www.npr.org... Our inflation rate is very low as stated in this article, because the Federal Reserve is pumping trillions of dollars into our economy. You never really give a statistic saying how inflation is high. All you say is that we need to increase the minimum wage to keep up with inflation which is not clear. This evidence that I have stated here claims that inflation is low, and will stay low. Minimum Wage will have no impact on poverty: . http://www.politifact.com... 2% of Americans are paid minimum wage which is an extremely insignificant number. People cannot act like the minimum wage actually has an impact on the economy. It is just the start pay for a job. Also, you never explain the link between the minimum wage and inflation. Especially, since only 2% of American are paid minimum wage, than how does your link really work in the circumstances of the status quo, You also have not disputed the harms of raising the minimum wage. It is almost certain that if you raise the minimum wage, there will be jobs lost. Here are the numbers: 25 cent raise=30,000 to 50,000 jobs lost. 10% increase=160,000 jobs 2003-Minimum wage=$5.15 2007 Minimum Wage=$5.85 These increases lost jobs, and had no impact on poverty. Con must answer these questions in the next round: How are you going to handle a job loss that is over 160,000 jobs? (Especially with a congress split on what to do in such a situation)? Explain the link between inflation and the minimum wage. Under the circumstance(2% of Americans get paid the minimum wage), how are you even going to raise the minimum wage with inflation already controlled?
The Government should not raise the Minimum Wage

Thank you for the case ProLet me point out a few things that led up the the Legislation of minimum wage that Roosevelt instituted back in 1938. You have the Federal Reserve starting in 1913, lax borrowing that Americans used to gamble on Wall Street (creating the Roaring 20's). Let by a recall of the loans, sucking the money out of the market, leading to the crash, leading to the confiscation of American's wealth (outlaw gold), followed by many progressive types of legislation (including the minimum wage). You have to keep in mind that with the legislation of a minimum wage, there were also minimum hours required too. The U.S. federal minimum wage was first established during the Depression, and it has risen from 25 cents to $7.25 per hour since it was first instituted in 1938 as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Despite the increases, inflation has eroded its value; returning it to the value it held in 1968 would require an increase to nearly $10 per hour. - See more at: http://journalistsresource.org...Keep in mind, I'm stating that the minimum wage must be increased (to basically keep pace with inflation). Not saying I'm in favor of any specific dollar amount (ie. $10, $15, $20 a hour), but in due time, it will have to reach these dollar amounts eventually. To support my argument, I will be focusing on inflation (monetary).Based on our current fiat monetary system, the money supply is dependant on the creation of debt to create new money to put into circulation. We didn't see practically an inflation (aside from a few wars), until the creation of the federal reserve in 1913. So the ideas of minimum wage couldn't have even been contemplated until we started to have a decrease in our purchasing power. Of course, with Bretton Woods and the stealing of our gold by the federal government, resulted in a 57% drop in the value of our dollar overnight. In your last two paragraphs, may I mention that those individuals are basing their estimated projections from setting the minimum wage at a set dollar amount ($15). I cannot argue with their projections, I however am taking the stance that (Minimum wage in General, will have to increase).
Resolved: Baseball Sucks

I appreciate my opponent's example of the slang usage of the word suck. It was good for a chuckle. ****CONCLUSION**** My opponent has not given me a sufficient counter argument, just a correction for his original argument. Therefore, there is nothing I can argue about now. Also (even if it was humorous), I find it a bit inappropriate and rather obnoxious to find it necessary to insult me during this event.
Resolved: Baseball Sucks

***DEFINITIONS*** Baseball: "a game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players each on a large field having four bases that mark the course a runner must take to score; also : the ball used in this game" - . http://www.merriam-webster.com... Sucks: "to draw (as liquid) into the mouth through a suction force produced by movements of the lips and tongue" -. http://www.merriam-webster.com... ***Resolution*** There is no possible way for Baseball to suck, for the reason that Baseball is a game which does not have a physical presence. Therefore, I find it very hard to believe that something without a physical presence can draw (as liquid) into the mouth through a suction force produced by movements of the lips and tongue. Also (as stated in definition), Baseball does not have a mouth which is needed to suck.