Here are a few popular dogmas of modern society:
THE ECONOMIC STUMULUS DOGMA.
Everyone says our country needs an "economic stimulus." What is
an "economic stimulus" and why is it a good thing?
THE TERRORISM DOGMA.
What is "terrorism" and why is it a bad thing? (If it means
targetting civilians, then was it "terrorism" when the U.S.
bombed Nagasaki and Hiroshima?)
THE TRADE DEFICIT DOGMA.
Why is the trade deficit a bad thing?
THE JOB CREATION DOGMA.
Are businesses not creating enough "jobs"? What is the purpose of
these "jobs" which they are not creating but should create? Is the
purpose of these "jobs" to get needed work done for the benefit of
consumers? Or is it only to provide slots, out of pity, for unneeded
job-seekers?
THE "ECONOMIC GROWTH" DOGMA.
What is "economic growth"? An increase in trading/exchange? What
if person A pays person B $1,000,000/second to twiddle his thumbs
and B pays A the same to twiddle his (A's) thumbs? Why would that
not be an increase in the GNP by $120,000,000 per minute?
Is it really good for the economy when the stock market "goes up"? Or is it good only for the particular buyers and sellers, companies which profit and consumers who buy from those companies?
If more buying and selling is necessarily a good thing, then does that mean that the ideal society is one where everyone spends all their waking hours buying and selling and nothing else? If not, then isn't there a point where more "economic growth" becomes a bad thing rather than a good thing?
If you can explain any of the above dogmas, or if you have a dogma you'd like to add to the list for someone to explain, e-mail your comments to Polemiks@aol.com).
Not all dogmas are necessarily false or erroneous or fraudulent. Our purpose is to challenge them and determine which ones are legitimate or true, and which ones are not.
Here are a few links of interest:
WeDebate.com (another debate website).
WhyTheyHateUs.net The "war on terrorism" \\ Militant Islam vs. the West
OK2Kill.com When is killing right and when is it wrong? Capital punishment, euthanasia, etc.
The Minimum Wage pros and cons. Similar to a debate format, but not an extended back-and-forth dialogue.