Ask me anything!

• My thoughts on trends in modern competitive debate 
  
• Any of my political views
  
• Anything about India
  
• My honest opinion of you, if I have one 
  

• What is your reaction to India's Joint Military exercises with China in Russia this week?

Are there any blind spots in America's actions or views, that you might see, but many Americans miss, that come to mind?

Give me your honest opinion of me.

What is your reaction to India's Joint Military exercises with China in Russia this week?

Hi! I’m Tejretics. I joined DDO in 2015, and DART in 2018. I was this site’s first Voting Moderator, and was on the DDO Hall of Fame. I’m currently a college student in the United States studying math and economics, and am from India. I’ve got a fair bit of experience doing formal parliamentary debate, and care a lot about effective animal advocacy and international development. Ask me anything!

Some things I can talk about:

• My thoughts on trends in modern competitive debate 
  
• Any of my political views
  
• Anything about India
  
• My honest opinion of you, if I have one 
  

That’s a non-exhaustive list!

Why did you choose to study in the US? And how’re you liking it? 

Also, how have your political views changed over the last few years and why? 

• I’d say I was quite left-wing in late 2016 and through much of 2017, and I moderated a lot (became broadly pro-capitalism, pro-free trade, and anti-excessive economic regulation) in 2018. I went from socialist to regular liberal. 
  
• I became a decent bit more hawkish on counterterrorism measures, and less dovish (though not quite hawkish) on military intervention. For example, I got convinced that the War on Terror was largely a success, drone strikes seemed often (though definitely not always) effective at saving lives, and that the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan did more good than harm. I still think the Iraq War was bad, as was the 2011 intervention in Libya, though. In part, this opinion was formed by watching the fall of ISIL, as well as the serious failures of the pull-outs in Syria and Afghanistan under Trump and Biden. 
  
• I think I became a fair bit more conscious about the importance of reducing caste inequality in India, and its importance to intergenerational mobility. This wasn’t necessarily a shift in views, as much as views forming -- but I gained some appreciation for, for example, Tamil Nadu’s Dravidian politics and the Self Respect Movement. 
  
• I used to be in favor of legalizing all drugs (as you, no doubt, remember). I’m still in favor of legalizing soft drugs (especially if they can substitute smoking, which is terrifyingly bad), but I oppose legalizing hard drugs. 

--> @Tejretics

Why did you choose to study in the US? And how’re you liking it? 

Also, how have your political views changed over the last few years and why? 

There is no debt forgiveness in Indian universities unlike in the US.

> @Shila

There is no debt forgiveness in Indian universities unlike in the US.

The cost of attendance at Indian universities is lower even in PPP-adjusted terms. 

Regardless, I received a significant aid package from my current university, so this wasn’t a factor -- I don’t have any student debt, because I qualified for financial aid.

So I was right. There are financial reasons for you picking an American University.

--> @Shila

So I was right. There are financial reasons for you picking an American University.

No, because I’d have paid a similar amount for a top university in India (because that would have a cheaper base price). My claim is that for the same cost, American universities are better. 

But also, your claim wasn’t “financial reasons.” It was specifically about “debt forgiveness” -- which is one possible financial reason, but not the correct one. 

That is two financial reasons you admitted  made you pick an American University.

-->

@Shila

That is two financial reasons you admitted  made you pick an American University.

This argument is pointless, but you’re misreading what I said.

Debt forgiveness is a possible financial reason. But it’s not a reason for me -- i.e., it is a possible reason that someone might make a decision, but it was not a reason I considered.

“For the same cost” is barely a financial reason. Because the point is it’s an equal cost, not cheaper -- in fact, it’s actually a bit more expensive to study in the U.S., even with my aid package.

Which is your favourite debate on this site?

• The rematch between Bsh1 and Whiteflame on military contractors. I’m sad it didn’t get any votes; probably the best debate that happened well after DDO’s decline. 
  
• Thett and Whiteflame’s debate on jury nullification. Just a really enjoyable back and forth, interestingly written and well-argued, even though both cases had some missing links. 
  
• F-16 and Raisor’s debate on whether the U.S. should eliminate its nuclear-armed ICBM force. A great lesson in how to do a “plan” topic well. I also think Bluesteel’s RFD here has some really informative feedback; also check the comments, where Bluesteel has further excellent thoughts. 
  
• I believe Yraelz and Raisor had an excellent debate once, but I can’t remember what it was about. I’d love if anyone could link me to the archive of it. 
  
• Probably some of Bluesteel’s older debates, like the short one against FourTrouble on whether same-sex marriage bans fail the “rational basis test” (to be clear, both were pro-gay marriage, it was a specific debate about a legal technicality; I’m actually not sure if Bluesteel deserved to win this, it was very close), the one against F-16 on whether an amusement park should build a steel or wooden trolley, and the one against Innomen on the Nicaraguan election (though the last one was controversial, since Bluesteel lost essentially through a bunch of vote bombs -- and I actually think he won it pretty clearly). 
  

--> @oromagi

What is your reaction to India's Joint Military exercises with China in Russia this week?

I’m not sure it’s very high impact (and potentially reduces risky tensions with China), but I’m really concerned about India’s willingness to continue treating Russia as a major military partner in the aftermath of the (illegal, illegitimate, and immoral) invasion of Ukraine. 

Hi! I’m Tejretics. I joined DDO in 2015, and DART in 2018. I was this site’s first Voting Moderator, and was on the DDO Hall of Fame. I’m currently a college student in the United States studying math and economics, and am from India.

Ask me anything!

• My thoughts on trends in modern competitive debate 
  

• Any of my political views
  

• My honest opinion of you, if I have one 
  

Do you plan on post-graduate study?

What are your thoughts on the debate format of this site?

Rather than your political views, may I ask to which school or schools of Economic thought you subscribe?

Go for it.

I’m strongly considering an econ PhD! Or potentially a masters in economics from outside the U.S. (e.g., at the LSE). 

I worry that it unfairly favors whoever gets the last word -- because in, say, a 10,000-character round, you have 10,000 characters of the final round, and that’s a huge advantage under tabula rasa judging. It’d be nice to replicate LD or Policy, and have a Neg block followed by a short last word for Aff. 

Otherwise, I like it. I appreciate that it allows for incorporating evidence and making compelling arguments. I think the 4-point system is a bit silly, though (luckily you can opt out of it!), and the judging quality is not the best (nor is the quantity good). 

I feel like people on online forums care more about broad schools of economic thought than most economists do. I feel like it’s a fairly easy label or identifier that doesn’t capture much nuance. 

That said, I’d say on business cycle macroeconomics, I’m somewhere in between the New Keynesians and market monetarists; I’m not sure that New Keynesians are right to treat price stickiness as more important than wage stickiness (i.e., their models often come to the conclusion that prices being slow to change affects the business cycle more than wages being slow to change) -- especially since we’re in the midst of an economic expansion where real wages are falling, which would be a bit more in line with old Keynesian or market monetarist thought.

As far as long-run economic growth goes, as well as microeconomics, I think the standard neoclassical paradigm is alright, but needs to be moderated and more driven by empirics.

I don’t believe I’ve interacted with you on this site! So I’m not sure I have one. Sorry about that!

Since your studies are focused on both Economics and Mathematics, are you considering an M.S. or phD in Econometrics at the London School of Economics? 

I’m considering the MSc in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics at the LSE, yeah! 

For a PhD, I’d just do an econ PhD, preferably in the US (if I did end up doing one). Econ PhD admissions generally expect that undergraduate students do a lot of math.

--> @Tejretics

I’m considering the MSc in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics at the LSE, yeah! 

I wish you the best. I got a lot out of the experience when I did it--though not at the London School of Economics. As long as you like the math, you'll be fine. 

For a PhD, I’d just do an econ PhD, preferably in the US (if I did end up doing one). Econ PhD admissions generally expect that undergraduate students do a lot of math.

Are you considering teaching Economics?

Your profile says you have a high school diploma.

I’m currently a college student in the United States studying math and economics, and am from India.

... ... ...interesting.

-> @Shila

Your profile says you have a high school diploma.

I do have a high school diploma, as well as a number of others. My profile is meant to poke fun at those who treat personal information on these debate sites like BattleCards (not to be confused with Battle Cards.) If you've interacted with me much when I was at DDO, then you'd be hard pressed to not know that my DART  profile is mostly satirical--i.e. my choosing the most ridiculous options available. If one has bothered to have a decent conservation with me, they too would know that my profile is mostly satirical. I admitted as much when I starting posting on DART, amused by the questions and often misfired ad hominems when "my subscription" to notions like "Confucianism" and "Monarchism" were concerned. FYI: the only accurate items on my profile are my (native) country, and my native language. 

As far as the subjects Tejretics and I were discussing, when I was at university I double majored in Mathematics and Economics. Thus my stating: 

Athias Post #23:

I’m currently a college student in the United States studying math and economics, and am from India. 

... ... ...interesting.

And I knew to ask Tejretics about Econometrics given that it's the most logical post-graduate pursuit after undergraduate studies in both Mathematics and Economics. One of my M.S.'s is in Econometrics. So this is my incredibly prolix way of telling you that my "education" isn't limited to High School--only my humor is.