1470
rating
50
debates
40.0%
won
Topic
#1991
Should we be allowed to instigate as Con?
Status
Finished
The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.
Winner & statistics
After 4 votes and with 7 points ahead, the winner is...
User_2006
Parameters
- Publication date
- Last updated date
- Type
- Standard
- Number of rounds
- 2
- Time for argument
- Two days
- Max argument characters
- 7,500
- Voting period
- One week
- Point system
- Multiple criterions
- Voting system
- Open
1432
rating
11
debates
22.73%
won
Description
My opponent has posted a comment that we should, not ever, instigate as CON. I am here to oppose her idea.
Round 1
If you see clearly, you should see a choice of instigator's position:
Pro
or
Con.
The reason the website put in this choice is that this should be allowed.
Pro thinks we should be allowed to instigate as con, based solely on the fact that we are allowed to instigate as con. This is terrible logic, by the same logic we should be able to rape 13 year olds, if that is legal.
What pro fails to realize is that what should happen is far different from the reality of what does happen.
So the word "should" is really a statement on what is superior. Instigating as con or pro, or are they of equal value.
When instigating a debate you are making a statement about the belief system you wish to defend. If you are going to start off defending it, it seems silly to start with the con side. Look there is a reason why websites have pro and con lists and not con and pro lists, when we make a tough decision, we use pros and cons list not visa versa. It's dumb.
When you instigate as con, it implies that you aren't really looking to defend your belief but attack another person's belief. If you are pro choice it is easy to instigate a debate that says
"This house believes abortion should be legal" If you are pro life you should easily be able to instigate by saying "This house believes that abortion should be illegal".
There is also the subtle distinction between a positive statement and a negative one. Creating a debate and defending your belief should be done with a positive statement so you assume a fair amount of the burden of proof. For example if you believe aliens have never visited the Earth, by wording it so you are con you take the easy route and eschew any burden of proof and put it on your opponent.
Here is how a coward would word the debate "Aliens have visited the Earth" and then take the con position, putting a perceived extra burden of proof on the person accepting the debate. However if they were to word the debate "It is unlikely aliens have visited Earth" than they would be making a positive assertion and have a fair amount of the burden and they can begin making talking points such as how difficult light speed travel is, instead of taking the con possition and cowardly shooting down pros arguments and never making a case themselves.
In reality debates should mostly have both sides with some burden of proof, but given the fact judges are not sophisticated enough to know the appropriate burdens to place on debaters, than they can gain an extra advantage by instigating as con and merely shooting down arguments.
You can honestly see this cowardice with most instigated debates in one form or another, if the debater is not trying to game the system by taking a topic where they are arguing more of a truism like in every one of oromagi's debates than they game the system by instigating as con so they can be percieved as having a lower burden of proof by unsophisticated judges
Round 2
This is terrible logic, by the same logic we should be able to rape 13 year olds, if that is legal.
That is why it is illegal. And BTW, this is the definition of "legal". If it is legal for you it means you should be able to do. You might not want to do this, but you are able to do it. If the site owner(Who, unlike DDO's, is still active) has put the choice of "Instigate as Con", There are reasons present. Your argument can be easily exploited.
So the word "should" is really a statement on what is superior. Instigating as con or pro, or are they of equal value.
They are of equal value. In fact, "should be able to" sometimes allows something inferior. According to this logic, PS2 controllers should not be allowed, knowing that PS4 is already of public.
"This house believes abortion should be legal" If you are pro life you should easily be able to instigate by saying "This house believes that abortion should be illegal".
You could easily put pro on "Donald Trump isn't a great president". The words you are looking for are of such: "Is", "does", "should", "can", these would mean that the topic is Pro and that means the person is defending the argument; "isn't", "doesn't", shouldn't", and "can't" would mean that this topic is Con and that the person disagrees with Pro's position and attacks.
In simple words, Instigating as Pro for a topic that assures a negative perspective still counts as Con in the overall topic, and "Donald Trump is not a great president" in terms of instigating as Pro would be the same as "Donald Trump is a great president" instigating as Con. Ce n’est rien.
That is all I have to prove.
Conclusion: It makes no difference for instigating as Con or Pro because this system can be easily exploited by the instigator by stating Con's claim on a topic under Pro's claim.
Forfeited
I'm just going to say this here, and not make it part of my vote verbiage, but I've come to believe a debate posed by using an interrogative is not the best form. I've done it myself, so I'm not throwing stones, other than at me. For example: https://www.debateart.com/debates/1805/are-democrats-tired-of-losing-against-trump
So, avoiding that bad form, I'll vote...
*******************************************************************
>Reported Vote:K_Michael // Mod action: [Not Removed]
>Points Awarded: 3 points to Con, 1 point to Pro.
>Reason for Decision:
"The argument made by Con is pretty simple. That X is allowed does not make it follow that X should be allowed. The justification in the second round is flimsy. Even if you presume that everything is allowed for a well thought out reason doesn't mean that the reason is good. Hitler had thought-out reasons for every law passed that persecuted Jews, gays, etc. This doesn't make it right. This is essentially the point that Con made in R1, and it preempted the R2 rebuttal by Pro. Arguments to Con.
Although I think 2 rounds is ridiculous, Con did forfeit half the rounds. Conduct to Pro."
>Reason for Mod Action: While the voter did cast his vote for the side that forfeited, he has met the requirements of the Voting Policy. Therefore, this vote does not merit removal.
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Going to have to step it up pro. Con is right, "we are currently able to therefore we ought to be able to" is pretty weak...