Chiron Debating Teams

Mr. President · September 13, 2003, 00:46

Message from one Kody of the Hive:

The Hive is running out of ideas for scandals to liven up the ACDG forum, so a few Hive members are considering starting a debating competition between the 5 factions. Be warned if there aren't enough participants the Hive spamming of the public forum will continue and we will also post nude pictures of Claire to the public forums making it a hardcore pornography site. If that fails to make you submit to the will of the Hive then we will be forced to unleash the Tassadar!

Would a few members of your team be interested in joining?

I'm considering inviting a few forum posters that are interested in SMAC, but aren't involved in the ACDG to act as judges. Also I'm hoping to convince the Hive to set aside a few ECs as a prize for the winner.

PS: This message as been carbon copied to each of the other factions.

Kody

GeneralTacticus · September 13, 2003, 01:13

Looks interesting... what kind of stuff would be debated?

Mr. President · September 13, 2003, 01:49

Hmm. You know, I'm not sure. I'll get back to you on that.

AdamTG02 · September 13, 2003, 18:53

I'm up for it for as long as I have time, but after this month things might get heated with school and extracurriculars. It definitely sounds interesting, though.

Mr. President · September 14, 2003, 03:43

Kody says,

I figured each debate should have a few options that can be voted on in the public forums. The winning option has to be debated by two teams. The topics will probably drawn from suggestions in the public forum. (Planned versus Freemarket is banned as a topic though).

...

Atm I figure 1 silly topic (Are rovers more fun to drive than needlejets?), 1 philosphy (Are people born with their fundamental personality?), 1 serious topic (Will the predicted running out of fossil fuels be a problem?)

GeneralTacticus · September 14, 2003, 03:45

(Planned versus Freemarket is banned as a topic though)

AdamTG02 · September 15, 2003, 18:42

GT has generously offered to lead the Uni team. I will also be participating, at least for a while. (If the weather doesn't knock out my commlink that is.)

Is anyone else interested in participating?

Archaic · September 16, 2003, 04:43

I may, if and when I have time.

No Planned Vs. FM? Bugger. ;;

GeneralTacticus · September 16, 2003, 04:45

Good thing, too. Anyone who wants to debate that should go build themselves a time machine and go back to November last year... and I'm not even sure what my position on the issue is any more (that is, I'm not sure which side to take - I know perfectly well which side I took).

GeneralTacticus · September 16, 2003, 23:09

Right, well, it looks like the debates are already starting, and we're in one. The first topic is:

Repeated Nervestapling is Perfectly Safe.

Guess we'd better start writing up some arguments...

Mr. President · September 16, 2003, 23:35

So we're against, correct? Specifically, our position is that repeated nerve stapling is not safe?

We could start with "real-world" examples. Something along the lines of "Have you ever seen a drone smile?" except more clever.

GeneralTacticus · September 16, 2003, 23:37

Yes, that's our position. Does anybody remember if repeatedly nerve-stapling a base has any ill effects other than commerce sanctions and increased resistance?

Archaic · September 17, 2003, 06:23

You could always go by the descriptions of the Nerve Stapled Hive citizens and captives in the 2nd AC novel...

GeneralTacticus · September 17, 2003, 06:24

Ah, yes, that's a good suggestion... although not everyone's read it, and they may claim that it's not 'canon', merely Michael Ely's interpretation.

Mr. President · September 18, 2003, 18:55

Originally posted by GeneralTacticus
Yes, that's our position. Does anybody remember if repeatedly nerve-stapling a base has any ill effects other than commerce sanctions and increased resistance?

Eventually the drones become resistant to it. I'm not sure if that would be pertinent, though.

GeneralTacticus · September 19, 2003, 03:35

So, let's see what we can come up with:

- It makes people resistant to it, thus making any benefits unsustainable.
- It turns outstanding Talents into average Citizens.
- It necessarily damages the nervous system of those subjected to it (see above point).

Anything else to be added before I write up a full rebuttal?

Mr. President · September 19, 2003, 03:46

I can't think of anything else right now.

AdamTG02 · September 20, 2003, 12:13

The Talent destruction seems to be the kicker. This strongly implies that nerve stapling destroys individual thought and initiative. We can probably base our argument around that.

As for other arguments, the Hive believes in the self of the group, right? Nerve stapling can highly endanger the health of the group, by allowing other factions an excuse to come knocking on the Hive's Perimeter Defenses with Hovertanks. Repeated nerve stapling loses what meager benefits it once possessed as far as order and stability go, meaning the Hive is only putting off a drone problem. Does the Hive believe in foisting its problems on its children and grandchildren?

GeneralTacticus · September 20, 2003, 20:23

Ok, that should be enough to write up a decent argument... especially since we should probably post it up ASAP.

AdamTG02 · September 27, 2003, 12:00

Should I make another post, given HongHu's arguments? They seem pretty specious... if "safety" does not encompass the safety of the mind, what does it encompass? The phjysical safety of the body? Without consciousness, the body is a vegetable.

I can write up an argument along those lines, but I'd like to knowe if GT or CS, if he's still available, would like to post something.