IC #7 Official Debate Thread--Round 2 Begins!

[Lilytiger]

Round 2

Topic B: Age discrimination should be illegal in the workplace
Team: For

In the United States, the Age Discrimination Employment Act ensures that workers over the age of 40 cannot be discriminated against based on age. In 1990, The Older Workers Benefit Protection Act went one step further by making it liiegal to deny benefits to older workers. Why were these Federal laws enacted? Simply to protect the freedoms and rights of older workers who were being downsized or treated unfairly simply because of their age.

Statistically, it costs more to employ an older worker who has had a long history with a company. Companies who are unionized often give yearly cost of living raises to their workers as part of their MOUs (worker contract agreements). A worker who has been with a company for a long period of time has accrued raises, extended vacation periods, and more sick leave days. That's simply what happens when you have longevity with a company. Unfortunately for the company, these benefits come at a cost. It would be must cheaper to hire a new, younger worker. To keep companies from firing older workers, the two Federal laws were put into place.

It is obviously more cost effective for the government- and for taxpayers- to keep older workers in the workforce. When older persons are still working, the government needs to spend less money on unemployment, social security, or MediCare (or other government sponsored health coverage.) Employed workers contribute to tax revenues instead of depleting them.

Having older workers also benefits the company. Aside from offering experience and expertise to any job, older workers allow for lower turnover and thus lower recruitment costs and effort, because workers stay on at work longer than they would otherwise have done. Age discrimination discourages potentially talented job seekers from applying; therefore, employers lose by have a smaller pool of workers from which to hire. When age discrimination plagues the workforce, we all lose.

[Lilytiger]

Round 2
Topic C: It is morally acceptable to experiment on non-human animals to develop products and medicines that benefit human beings.
Team: For

I know some people won't like this, but animals are not people. Animals are not human. Although chimps share 99% of our DNA, they still are not people. Don't get me wrong- I love my pets. I love all animals. But I have never mistaken a pet or an animal for a person. Animals are wonderful. They bring us joy, they work for us, they entertain us, and the often love us unconditionally. But they also save our lives.

In the United States, the FDA requires that all new drugs be tested on animals before they can go through human trials. What this means is that drugs for chemotherapy, drugs for high blood pressure, drugs to control diabetes and drugs that fight infection would never have been made available if they had not been tested on animals first. Millions of lives would not have been saved if the drugs had not been tested on animals first.

Invaluable advances in medicine have been made because of the tests completed on animals. That animals often suffer cannot be disputed- but experiments can be conducted in humane conditions. The suffering of humans should never be discounted in this argument. It is morally wrong to make humans suffer when a solution can be found.

[panzerizz]

my turn, we gonna win this, haha

Topic A: African disputes and conflicts be handled by African countries themselves, rather than by external international organisations

I definitely agree that only african countries should handle their own disputes and conflicts based on several reasons. First, location, obviously, african countries are situated near each other which enabling them to sent help in time preventing further international crisis. For example, a case in point was during an uprising in the kingdom of Lesotho (Southern Africa), where South Africa sent in troops and was able to stabilise the country and restore the rightful ruler, thus preventing what could have degenerated into the civil wars we see elsewhere on the continent.

Secondly, every continent including africa has their own culture and religion to be understood and to be respected. Third party involvement such as UN can only function in peacekeeping. Once the soldiers leave, their philosophy leaves too, war can still go on. By having regional groups intervene, we can be sure that the influences they have in the country will not leave once the troops have, as regional politics will ensure that progress after peacekeeping is continued.

[panzerizz]

Topic B: Age discrimination should be illegal in the workplace
Team: For

I agreed. Mature executives deserved higher hierarchy because they are more wise and experienced in making crucial decision which can benefit the company.

Younger generations should utilizes their youth energy more in production areas as well as gaining more experience.

[panzerizz]

Topic C: It is morally acceptable to experiment on non-human animals to develop products and medicines that benefit human beings.
Team: For

i agreed too. Being in medical field myself, sometimes, it is necessary to test some drugs on non-human animals (rats) such as anti-cancer drugs because they have narrow therapeutic index and severe side effects. Doing it laboratically can result in false negative and false positive results.

[barney]

Topic B: Age discrimination should be illegal in the workplace
Team: For

This is a hrad topic to be for or not because it is a point that can not be in the US you may not discriminate because or age reace or sex.
Ok hear is my agruement for which mind you Iam not happy about because I have been dined several jobs because Iam in the over 40 group.

Many older people are less likely to be hired becasue they cause more injuries then younger ones (not from any sorce just expirence) they are not on their game and since they are older they tend to try to keep up with the younger workers just to porve they can still do the job. So they are more likely to get hurt and be out of work for longer peroiods of time which in turn costs the company more money by having to hire someone to do the work or have to pay over time for time off they need to recover. Also the cost of insurance for workers comp is higher on older workers. So in short having older empolyees costs the employer mosr out of pocket dollars then younger workers.

[barney]

Topic A: African disputes and conflicts be handled by African countries themselves, rather than by external international organisations
team for
It is important for the development of democracy in Africa, that African countries be seen to be successfully pursuing and encouraging it themselves. Many African leaders still carry colonial resentments that make foreign intervention difficult or impossible – A case in point being president Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. Leaders such as this will be willing to listen to African approaches to a problem, whilst foreign ones, however well – intentioned, will be automatically distrusted.

[yang]

Note: Barney's arguments are null and void regardless of how good or bad they are because Yang specified that for this round there are only 2 posts per topic per team.

Also, the deadline is officially up, but no one from team against has even posted anything...therefore, Yang will generously extend this deadline to when he gets home tonight (between 10pm and 1130pm EST) from work because Yang thinks this is only fair since the last round was extended. HOWEVER, THE FINAL ROUND WILL NOT BE EXTENDED AT ALL...NO EXCEPTIONS.

Results for Round 2 will be up tonight regardless of whether Team against shows up to post or not.

[barney]

I miss understood your directions I thought that you meant 2 for each post so in other words if I post for something them someone must post no more then 2 for that topic I posted my mistake sorry.

Barney