Debate and Discussion
For more formal discussion for politics, religion, current affairs and other matters
364 topics in this forum
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GOD : 'Generator Operator Destructor' There is nearly no evidence to support the existence of GOD. But some people really claim that GOD exists, by telling that they have seen him. Unless there is strong evidence to support the statement, you cannot consider it as 'truth'. But still mass majority of people live with the blind belief that GOD exists. What do you think, does GOD exist? Or humans just do not want to accept the truth due to 'neediness', by thinking if i pray to GOD, then i will get the thing i want.
Last reply by Rosalina, -
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- 1 reply
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hey guys! i am done with the first semester and i got 32 which is so bad and i may go back to my previous school any advises what to do from a dp2 or bigger? please help because i think its hard to decide what should i do thank you
Last reply by kw0573, -
- 0 replies
- 1.6k views
Hi guys, I currently have a 6 from German B SL. My Paper 2's are usually moving around 20 to 22 points out of 25, so basically a 6, however my huge weakness is the Paper 1, which I sometimes even get a 4 on. I have a question. I cannot seem to understand how I can prepare or improve my skills in the Paper 1's, do you guys have any special techniques or any tips? My MYP German teacher was completely useless and I feel I am catching up everything in these two years. I am graduating soon, so any feedback would be appreacited. By the way, I have a lot of vocabulary papers, concerning Grammar as well. Thanks for your help, any feedback or help appreciated.
Last reply by 6tk, -
- 0 replies
- 1.3k views
This Saturday, the UN Security Council voted on a resolution condemning Israel's illegal settlements. So, it occurred to me that having a discussion on whether the actions (settlements, policies, etc..) of Palestine/Israel can be justified, would better our understanding of the topic. * Remember to be sensible and reasonable.. P.S: I am having my History IA written on this topic, so I've done my share of research! Looking forward to an objective debate!
Last reply by Ziadbar, -
- 3 replies
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Hey people, Just out of curiosity, what do you think about Syrian refugees and Europe? On one hand, Europeans claim that they give taxes for living a better and safer life, not for those uneducated Muslims to come our country and destroy it. On the other hand, those refugees (excluding the terrorists among them, which are very few compared to the innocent ones) did not choose to be a refugee. They've been obligated to leave their country. At the end of the day, they are victims of this conflict. I was wondering where do you stand in this debate? And why?
Last reply by Empiral, -
- 8 replies
- 2k views
Sorry if there has already been a topic posted that's similar to this, but since I didn't see one, I decided to start one myself. Anyway, the question's pretty self-explanatory: Does one biological gender have it better in the country you live in? (Sorry, but please don't make this about transgender people- that's coming from somebody who is transgender.) Why or why not? I know that, since this is a debate, it can't be helped some people might be offended by what you say, but please just rationally bring up your points and defend them based on logic, not emotion: You can't win a debate by saying your feelings were hurt. It could be argued you can't win a debate at al…
Last reply by Kany, -
If you want peace, prepare for war
by Guest- 11 replies
- 16.2k views
"The only way to prepare for peace, is to prepare for war." We discussed this in class recently. What do you guys think? Is war and peace mutually exclusive? Or should a country have an army to be at peace?
Last reply by Amina13, -
- 0 replies
- 1k views
Does anyone want to be part of an international chat group on kik where we get to know each other and have interesting discussions? If anyone wants to join, just message me your kik user and i'll be happy to add you. Spread the word too!
Last reply by usernamed, -
- 5 replies
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Hello girls/guys: This is courses I chose now. English LL HL Chinese LL HL Mathematic HL Physics SL History SL ECON SL There is a question take me into a dilemma that whether I should change my HISTORY SL to CHEMISTRY SL? Because I would like to major Actuarial Science in the future, so I just realize I do not need to do so much research papers. Is that a better idea to change history to something more science? If I chose chemistry SL, how hard it is compared to History? AND basically how much did you get in a summative task？ Looking forward to getting some reply. Thank you so much.
Last reply by Rosalina, -
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Hi guys/girls, So I am writing because I chose: - Maths HL - Physics HL - Economics HL - Chemistry HL - Spanish B SL - English Lang. & Lit. SL Although I believe I could work through this as I have quite good grades (not trying to be cocky), I think this will be too tiring for me... I was thinking of changing Chemistry for something much easier. I would like your opinion as well as a short summary on the following courses please: Geography SL, Business SL (I don't want to take Econ and Business but it's still an option), Computer Science SL (I have a very basic knowledge of programming). If it interests you, I am not sure…
Last reply by Thisnotgood, -
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Hi! My friend and I are starting a newspaper focused on Foreign Affairs and are looking for good writers. It definitely counts for CAS and doesn't require too much work! Email us if you're interested; we are looking for good writers with an interest in politics, foreign affairs, government or anything of the sort! [email protected] www.youngdiplomacy.com
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Recently it's been found that pornography is addicting and there are also a bunch of porn addiction forums and such such as Reddit's No Fap which are becoming famous. Do you believe the negative effects of porn on society are too much and that governments should restrict porn? Apparently porn is illegal for children in many countries yet porn is hardly a simple type and enter away. Should porn be regulated just like other demerit goods like alcohol? Or do you believe that pornography is harmless and isn't causing any problems? In that case, do you think that porn addiction is more of a bad habit more than anything else? I believe that governments should restrict porn on…
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- 5 replies
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Hey, guys! I want to take IELTS exam by the end of this year. I need to know which one is better: IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training. As I know, IELTS General Training is if you know for sure that you will go to study to an English-speaking country, and I am not sure that I will do this. Even so, I did not get for what is IELTS Academic exactly. Can you, please, explain it to me and also tell me which IELTS do you think is better to take? Thank you!
Last reply by Stefani, -
- 6 replies
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Guys, I am currently going for my 2nd Year in the IB. Since I would like to study abroad, more specifically in the UK, August/September are the months "destined" to start thinking on college and courses. I am going to be honest: my dream was to become a writer. I have a few forgotten sketches in my room, and I guess I do have an imaginative and sensitive flair for that. I imagine myself waking up every morning with a happy smile knowing that I would spend the rest of the day with the placidity that writing gives me, I mean the fact that I am dwelling in another world, a more unpredictable one designed with the immense figures of speech that I like to use as a means …
Last reply by Gaby, -
- 9 replies
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I wanted to ask you guys what your opinion is on organ donations. Are you registered organ donors? Why? Why not? I feel it is an extremely important issue, an opinion even further reinforced by a piece of news I watched today. In Poland, there is a shortage of child donors, and thus, organs for child recipients. And it's not because children are not dying (unfortunately, they are), but because doctors do not approach the families about the issue. Because of that, even more children are dying, ones that could carry on living. I personally feel very strongly about the issue. Signing a donor register was one of the first things I did when I turned 18. But I…
Last reply by Gaby, -
- 16 replies
- 2.2k views
Hey there! I just wanted some advice and tips on what to do if I found someone cheating in my class on their homework in quizzes. It's hard for me to tell my teachers about this because my teachers really like this student and find no fault in this student.
Last reply by Merril889, -
- 13 replies
- 2.9k views
Potentially soon to be the United Kingdom of England and Wales, neighbours of the independent kingdom of Scotland. I am sure any of you who follow world news at all will know about the recent "Brexit", namely the vote by a very narrow margin (52% to 48%) for the United Kingdom to give up its long standing membership of the European Union and thereby free access to the single market and all benefits and responsibilities of being a member of the EU. I thought it would be interesting to see what other people thought of it, from wherever in the world you are, and speculate on such things as whether it'll actually go through, and what on earth is going to happen next…
Last reply by Keel, -
- 10 replies
- 1.8k views
Many people view the confederate flag as a symbol of racism and hatred - even to the point of wanting it to be banned. Its presence is prevalent in the South and southerners claim that it's an important part of their heritage. Thoughts?
Last reply by iiimee, -
- 14 replies
- 2.2k views
I would like to start this dicussion by saying that, people have different opinions. while its true that i do not enjoy literature, i am sure that there are others out there who swear by the subject. however, i would like to question the point of making literature mandatory in iB. there are certain people, such as myself, who enjoy logical and statistical subjects, such as physics, chemistry and math. to me ( a person who aspires to become a physicist ), the usefulness of literature is tainted. it would be more efficient if there were alternative subjects to literature as i just straight up cant see the point in literature. i dont understand where people get their id…
Last reply by Emilia1320, -
- 18 replies
- 7k views
This will be a viral topic for you guys to discuss about because of the recent incidents on the exam papers of May 2016. First of all, before I would like to say anything, I have heard a lot of rumors of what happened in the Physics Exam, and I am really sorry to those who really suffered a traumatic experience especially in Physics Paper 2. However, recently, another petition has surfaced on the internet for Biology HL / SL Papers too, claiming that IB has departed from their regular exam patterns. These questions / concerns began to appear in my mind. Although, this could be a personal opinion that may not agree with your stance. Do you think petition will b…
Last reply by Seung Hun Han, -
- 4 replies
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Hey guys, so I'm interested to hear your opinions on this subject because I always hear from people around me that you should respect your parents no matter what and my family basically has the mindset: respect your elders no matter how they treat you. Do you guys agree with that or do you think respect is something everyone needs to earn? Personally, I think respect should be earned. Yes you should treat everyone with basic respect, but sometimes if the person is disrespectful towards you I'm just thinking: why should you respect them if they don't respect you?
Last reply by Sandwich, -
Teacher hates one particular student?
by Guest M.Windt- 2 replies
- 1k views
Okay hello everyone, The situation: History Class, the teacher and one particular student keep clashing. The teacher has an obvious dislike towards this one student, he might have a valid reason for this BUT he keeps "fighting" with this student during class time, the rest of the students are not being taught and are wasting their time. How should we as a class deal with this?
Last reply by IB_taking_over, -
- 6 replies
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Do you also have this type of teachers, which clearly do not care if you can handle the work they give? Sometimes, they give homework as if we did not have other classes, and it is becoming overwhelming, even though I'm only in my first year of IB, but with IAs all coming at once in all the subjects... It is really becoming stressful. Do you,or have you felt the same way as me?
Last reply by Moony_PirateKing, -
- 2 replies
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So I don't know how much you guys follow YouTube news, but there has been a huge story regarding the FineBros who run the famous React shows on YouTube (e.g., Kids React, Teens React, Elders React, etc.) The FineBros wanted to start a new React World, which would be an extension to their current business. What is React World? It would be a franchising system. Say you watched the FineBros videos in South Korea and thought it was a great idea and wanted to do the same but with a Korean focus. You could sign a licensing agreement with FineBros Entertainment. With this license, you would be able to create your own Korean versions of the React (and other FineBros) sho…
Last reply by Nabz, -
I think this is a very good topic, and it can bring a very good conversation. I have a few rules though if you are going to participate: NO CURSING RESPECT OTHER'S IDEAS NO FIGHTS I can't wait to see what you guys say!
Last reply by Nabz, -
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- 4 replies
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I've been fascinated with the concept of psychedelic drugs. From Aldous Huxley, all the way to the Beatles, drugs like LSD and Psilocybin mushrooms have played an enormous role in influencing contemporary literature and arts. Whether they expand human consciousness and creativity or if they only provide an illusionary means to avoid reality is debatable, and I don't care what the outcome is. What irritates me is the unreasonable taboo that's behind them. The other day, this pseudo-liberal pothead was ranting to me about how we should legalize pot, and I asked him if he had ever dropped LSD. He was instantly offended by this for some strange reason and went on the defens…
Last reply by mac117, -
- 1 reply
- 799 views
I've been lurking a while, but this topic found its way into my personal life fairly recently so I decided to seek some good advice. How do you guys deal with articulating your values to people who are more traditional without being disrespectful? I find that whenever I talk to someone outside of IB who isn't a generally more accepting person, its for me to explain my choices and views. For example, I am going to go to a college that is lower ranked than other ones I got into so that I can be with my best friend. When I try to explain to my more traditional parents or other adults or kids that relationships are more important to me than money, I usually just get into an a…
Last reply by WesPotts2k16, -
- 6 replies
- 1k views
So i got the country algeria and the topic is "Human rights violation in prison" so the country i got is said to be not too keen on human rights and therefore i am most probably against human rights for prisoners but i need to pass a resolution but i need ideas of resolution that wont be rejected immediatly. need more information just post. I need to pass a resolution because i want to get the best delegate but i cant find any ideas for resolution which i can think without violating my forign policy. I am not keen on violating my forign policy because the others can easily reject me for going against it.
Last reply by Kunal, -
- 6 replies
- 1.5k views
During IB1 I wanted to Physics HL, but was denied because I was deemed as "unintelligent" and as a poor academic student although I was managing around 30-33 points and I was forced to take Biology HL. I asked if I could do Chemistry as a second science at least, and my school did not let me. During my mock exams in the IB1 I didn't do terribly. I got an average of about 5 points in each subject except for economics which I had not studied too often and I bombed it like usual. I got a 2, and my predicted grade went from around 30-32 to 24-26. I don't even know what the point is in trying. I'm not going to be able to study physics in University, and although my math …
Last reply by A_Happy_Monkey, -
- 6 replies
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I know this is an age old question, but I would like to hear your views on this, as intellectual IB students. Also depending on what answer you come to is this good or bad? So, if you have ever thought about it, do we actually have any control over the actions that we do. Our thoughts are just chemical reactions in our brain, caused by stimuli. When you are conscious of the a thought, the chemical reaction has already happened. So the question turns to do you have control of these chemical reactions? A chemical reaction needs to be started by something so how could you be creating these reactions just by shear force of will, which would also be an chemical reaction. …
Last reply by Vioh, -
- 51 replies
- 8.3k views
Hi everyone, So the reason I am bringing up this topic is that my grandfather is a homophobe. He hates the legalisation of Gay marriage for reasons I cannot comprehend. So, back to the topic at hand, I am interested in your opinions regarding homosexuality and/or homophobia. I for one, believe that everyone should have the right to marriage and love, irrespective of gender, but there probably are people who don't agree. I personally support the United States, and other countries in legalising this, and hope that Asian countries follow suit. So let me know what you think about this. Cheers, King112
Last reply by Moony_SkyFullOfStars, -
- 7 replies
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OK, so first up, I know this is controversial, and I have no intention of trying to cause problems. I apologise upfront if this offends anyone. So, a few days ago, I see this on the web. http://www.anphoblacht.com/contents/24642 SAS war Vet, Andy McNab states his support for the use of torture. In my opinion, I feel that torture is justified if used upon terrorists or people who threaten your country. While I disagree with unnecessary violence, I have to say that torturing a spy/terrorist to protect your country and its interests is justified. A argument may be that the information is wrong, however, as McNab states in another interview, swift, sharp torture normally…
Last reply by 17robinson, -
- 8 replies
- 1.1k views
In BBC's documentary about the 2012 Delhi Gang Rape, "India's Daughter", one of the rapists had been interviewed and had given the following statement: "A girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy." Honestly, I am extremely infuriated and violated with his response, though after a while I realised that it's the environment he was nurtured in that shaped his personality to be like that. Then I began to think if maybe we're biasing ourselves too much against the criminals without understanding their point of view. I'm not saying that I agree with him, and that the rape and murder he committed is reasonable, but to a microscopic degree I do, and that really bothers me…
Last reply by Emilia1320, -
- 9 replies
- 6.3k views
Not sure if this is the right forum. I know they prefer you to take English at A Level, but if you take it at SL in IB does it make a difference? Has anyone managed to get into a leading university to study LLB without taking HL English?
Last reply by Gaby, -
- 4 replies
- 2.5k views
HEY ALL, We had this TOK debate in our school on the topic "CAN HAPPINESS BE MEASURED" ? so i just thought we could have this debate here also ..(cause I find this topic bit interesting )
Last reply by ibstudent77, -
- 9 replies
- 1.9k views
So I guess since we're on the string of controversial/depressing topics, I want to now hear your opinion on suicide/being depressed or suicidal. Do you think people have good enough reasons to cut? Do you think suicide is the cowardly "easy way out"? And do you think drug use shows that someone wants to die? I just want opinions. On this topic, let me tell you this: If anyone needs to talk to someone about being depressed or suicidal, I'm the person. I'm here for anyone who wants to talk just in case.
Last reply by Darknaut031, -
- 12 replies
- 1.6k views
Hello again intelligent IB survivalists! What are we doing "wrong", what will future generations look back at us and criticize? If we recognize these issues is it too late to change? Will we change? Looking forward to your answers!
Last reply by Clockwork, -
- 2 replies
- 968 views
Hi guys! It's been a while since I've made a good ramble. Here goes: It's the year 2015. With technology and innovation rapidly moving forward, there is literally a plethora of new products at our disposal. However, some things that technology has achieved can be said to make society counterproductive- things that we use or binge on that prevent us from being efficient, or getting work done. For example, when too much time has been spent on social media, gaming, or just scrolling your new phone,work is not getting done(I am guilty of all three). Some particular advances in technology will continue to hinder our efficiency, distract us from working, or simply make us bec…
Last reply by Excalibre, -
- 24 replies
- 3.8k views
Greetings fellow survivors! (As well as those that are currently trying to survive.) I have below a quote from the renowned poet and novelist, C.S. Lewis, on his take on the subject of Love. I, personally, find it a little dark, since it points to a negative outcome regardless of what path you choose (i.e. to love or not to love). However, he views the act of not loving at all leading to "damnation." Do you agree? If so, please state your reasons (they don't necessarily have to be based on pure logic alone). Speaking from my experiences so far (age 18), I don't understand why love is made out to be such an important factor of life. I mean I understand the role of…
Last reply by Excalibre, -
- 14 replies
- 1.9k views
As Plato suggested in the Republic, the best form of government is a dictatorship in which the dictator is both benevolent and competent. Some examples of such dictators off the top of my head are: Peter I of Russia, Den Xiaoping, and Kemal Ataturk. However, every type of government has it's faults. But some are arguably better than others. So what form of government do you guys think is the best in terms of efficiency, justice, economy, etc? Thought?
Last reply by theswizzlerbruh, -
- 35 replies
- 7.4k views
Hi guys! So, I know this might be a TOK type of thing, but I really would like to hear the opinions of others about this. For about a year now I've been thinking that eating is a huge waste of time and a human flaw. We spend over 3 hours everyday eating, preparing the food, or even ordering it in a fast food restaurant. Don't you think that this time could be used much more efficiently doing other things such as research, creation of new technology and many other things? Think about it in a perspective - what if people didn't have to spend so much time eating everyday? What if we could just eat some kind of smoothie every morning (or once a week) that would have the c…
Last reply by IB Memes, -
- 2 replies
- 1.1k views
So during my english class it was recommended we look at various media in our spare time and try to decipher meanings and motives within the piece given its context. I really like this idea so i thought we as a collective should post a piece of (preferably short) media and then have a discussion of sorts. Here is a video i'd like to open this forum with:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-eAx3Dxpj4 this video is of relevance to me because the rapper lil' jon is from my home state atlanta also while im here i was thinking about the site name and this occurred to me: 1. ibsurvial 2. shorten to ibs 3. ibs - irritable bowel syndrome this train of thought triggered me to t…
Last reply by homie kdot, -
- 3 replies
- 1.3k views
I dont know about you guys... but I think it is. What purpose does being confident serve?...Seriously think about it??? I mean, there is little evidence for the positive effects of high confidence, and more evidence for its detrimental effects. Think about it this way: If you think you're bad at presenting(standing infront of a large group of people and presenting something to them), you are more likely to prepare more for your presentation. But if you're really confident about it, you are less likely to prepare yourself. Also its been proven that most people over-estimate their abilities, so you are probably not as good as you think you are at something. So I just think…
Last reply by Cathy, -
- 4 replies
- 2k views
Yesterday I watched an interesting movie called Stalin's Back (2009). The author of this movie was travelling across former SSRS (Stalin's hometown in Georgia, Moscow, Volgograd, Syberia..) in order to know what people think about Stalin these days. The truth was kinda schocking to me. People in Stalin's hometown were extremely glad when they saw a man who looked simmilar to Stalin, they wanted to shake his hand, said that they lived better when the communists were ruling the country and so on... Kids in school said that they think Stalin was a good person. In Moscow the author found out that kids are learning from "positive history" textbooks in which there are barely no…
Last reply by takeiteasy, -
- 15 replies
- 3.3k views
I always complain about teachers. My school is new to IB so lots of the teacher don't have experience in teaching IB. Their instructions seem very vague to me but at the same time I am sure that they are having a hard time teaching this course as well. So I was just wondering how are the teachers at your school?
Last reply by Ann Vyshinsky, -
- 13 replies
- 21.8k views
Hi there everyone, back after a long time! Well I want your views so that you can bail me out in debate. Well we have inter house debate competition (which my house forcefully put my name in it) and I have to support for the internet. The main problem is that in my team (3 students per house team), one is inexperienced (that's me, although I speak well), the other one doesn't use his brain and utter nonsense and the third one has nervous breakdown type attitude. But my main prob is my opposition team has excellent orators and debtors especially my friend in Sapphire house (there are four houses Ruby,Emerald, Sapphire and Topaz (my house) ). So since I am saying that in…
Last reply by azara, -
- 7 replies
- 1.5k views
I just want to know your opinion on these different orientations... As someone who's bisexual (just a little I guess lol), I have no issues with whatever orientation someone may happen to be. But I want to know your opinions. Go ahead...
Last reply by OMGIBISFUN, -
- 14 replies
- 1.7k views
Hi guys. I know this might be a TOK type of thing, but I really would like to hear the opinions of others about this. Climate change is a serious issue nowadays. Some says that people can do nothing about climate change. Well, in my perspective, I think we can stabilize the climate. We can do many things such as recycle, car pooling, use eco-friendly products and etc. So, what do you guys think? I'm very interested in your responses!
Last reply by Emilia1320, -
- 7 replies
- 1.7k views
Hey everyone , Would u mind to share about taboos and whats socially acceptable in UK ? Maybe some of ure from UK or who have any ideas and knowldge bout it ? Coz we're gonna do this topic for our presentation . Maybe ur ideas are better about it ?
Last reply by laurentjane, -
- 5 replies
- 1k views
Read this please Apparently,these guys were trying to highlight the "hypocrisy" of animal welfare campaigners....by killing a rabbit on air with a bicycle pump and then proceed to announce they'll eat it. I think they did this solely for ratings. After all, I have seen A LOT of activism for better treatment of animals on farm and banning experimenting on animals. Do you think they did this for ratings? Could they have presented their topic in a more civilized manner? Does anybody get the urge to smack them ?
Last reply by laurentjane,
