Reynold Jupudi (PRO)There are probably thousands of reasons I could give to support why the world is better today than it was in the past but I will give just a few and I ask my opponent to respond to them if possible. Note that the majority of these points apply to Western society as many places in the world still operate in the Stone Age.
- Tolerance. As a global society, we are more tolerant of other races, cultures and lifestyles than ever.
- Communication. Today, we are able to communicate with anyone anywhere on the planet. In the past, you were restricted your local neighborhood or city.
- Knowledge. With the Internet, knowledge is more abundant than ever. I would go as far as to say the Internet today has more information than all of the books ever written in the past ten thousand years.
- Humane Methods of Punishment. In the past, beheading, stoning and other barbaric practices were common. Today, the West condemns such practices and most Western countries have even outlawed the death penalty.
- Freedom. We have freedom of speech, religion, etc. In the past, you as an individual had no rights. You were just a part of your society or group. Today, you have your own rights and have the freedom to live the way you want to live.
- Medicine. Advances in medicine have saved billions of lives. Mass plagues like the Black Death could not be prevented because there were no proper medication at the time. Today, majority of diseases can be treated.
- Technology. Technology has made life so much easier. No longer do we need to grow crops or sew clothing. There are machines that do that for us and much more.
- Less Wars. Despite common misconception, there are fewer wars today than there were in the 20th century. Thanks to international organizations and an overall mobility towards diplomacy, the world has seen an era of peace and stability compared to the past.
- Gender Equality. Men and women are equal, a phenomenon that has never occurred in the history of mankind (and womankind).
- Racial Equality. All races in America are equal, a notion that would have been blasphemous just a few decades ago. There is room for improvement but racism is no longer institutionalized by the government.
Our world is imperfect. No doubt about that. But we should also appreciate the fact that we live in the best era in human history thus far. It might not be your ideal world but it still far better than what our ancestors dealt with in the past.
Return To Top | Posted:
2017-12-15 13:10:12
| Speak RoundKevintran72 (CON)My opposition has used Western societies in their argument. However the remaining third world countries are neglected. These countries differ greatly from Western societies and account for more than 80% of the World population. Almost all of these countries live on less than $10 a day and therefore live in poverty.
In addition to the poverty, wars are also rampant in third world countries. Conflicts in Somalia, Yemen and the Congo are barely recognised by Western media. The turmoil and danger of these belittled wars are further fueled with the advancements in technology and machinery with soldiers and child-soldiers being equipped with rifles, firearms and large weaponry. In the past, soldiers had to be trained on how to throw simple spears and fight with swords. Children could not physically fulfill these occupations and so only grown men were allowed to engage in combat. However, now an adult in a war-torn country can recruit young children to fight and win battles as child-soldiers. The children are simply given a rifle and are told to fire at the opposition. At first this may be frightening but eventually, this action becomes common and less difficult.
On a tangent, the power of communication has also led to easier access and management of under-ground crime syndicates. Potential customers are able to request services on hidden communication networks such as the Dark Web and the Deep Web. Organised crime groups can offer illegal and prohibited services and traffic illegal goods and substances. Due to the hidden networks, covert crimes and illegal activities can take place with out the public's attention.
Additionally, communication has negatively affected the skills and mentality of today's youth. With the internet, adolescents and young adults can easy communicate with others. This ostensibly useful communication tool imposes negative effects in addition to its practicality. Today, millennials are proven to be the least socially active individuals in contrast to generations prior. This is due to the influx in internet communication. Internet communication has become so frequent for millennials that in 2010, a researcher stated that teenagers, between the ages of 12-17, report using text messages in their daily lives more than any other form of communication, including face-to-face interaction. The power of communication is helpful in some circumstances but can severely affect our demeanor.
In essence, it is true that my oppositions points were valid in their own rights. I believe that the ongoing crisis of poverty and the fact that wars have become more rampant due to technological advancements should be noted. I would also like to state that the improvements in communication have not necessarily benefited individuals but have in fact made them less socially outgoing and more socially awkward.
Return To Top | Posted:
2017-12-17 11:20:26
| Speak RoundReynold Jupudi (PRO)My opponent claimed that poverty is prevalent in the world today and I agree. Poverty exists. However, Con did not address the fact that the situation is greatly improving than it was in the past. According to the World Bank, in 2013, 767 million people lived on less than $1.90 a day compared with 1.85 billion people in 1990. In 2013, 10.7 percent of the world population lived in extreme property compared with 35 percent in 1990.
My opponent claims that conflicts in Somalia, Yemen and the Congo prove that the world is worse than it was in the past. Here is a breakdown of the deaths in these three wars:
Somali Civil War (1991-present): 300,000-500,000
Yemeni Civil War (2015-present): 8,670-10,000
Second Congo War (1998-2003): 350,000
Compared these numbers with world wars of the 20th century:
WWI (1914-1918): 18 million
WWII (1939-1945): 50-80 million
The wars in modern times don’t even compare to the deadly conflicts of the 20th century.
Con also claimed that children are forced to fight in wars. This is irrelevant as millions of children in WWII were conscripted by various factions including the Hitler Youth, SS Youth Division and the Home Guard (UK). Therefore, the fact that children are fighting in wars doesn’t necessarily mean that the past was better than the present.
My opponent claims communication has made the world a worse place. He gave examples such as the Dark Web and Deep Web as channels for illegal activities. This is true but the majority of people do not have access to these browsers and the police hunt down a lot of criminals using these services. Compare this to medieval times where kings and queens could killl anyone they wanted to without consequence or law enforcement.
Con also claimed communicating today is easier than ever and provided a statistic that showed texting was the main from of communication. How is this a bad thing? Texting has made communication much faster and less time is wasted. This is nothing but a blessing.
In the next round, I ask my opponent to respond to some of the claims they failed to respond to in this round (tolerance, knowledge, humane methods of punishment, medical innovation, etc).
Return To Top | Posted:
2017-12-20 05:14:47
| Speak RoundKevintran72 (CON)Round Forfeited
Return To Top | Posted:
2017-12-23 05:16:02
| Speak Round