Globalization debates II: largest corporations, TTIP, fair trade pros and cons

Is globalization good or bad overall?

This is the second post dedicated to online debates on globalization issues. In our first post we introduced debates on TTP, globalization pros and cons and overlapping national and regional identities. In this post we continue offering high quality debates emerged from the increasing interconnectedness across the globe:

Are multinational corporations replacing states as the main actors in the international arena?

Some multinational corporations are more powerful in economic terms than many states. 147 companies control 40% of the total wealth in the world. Corporations accoount for 2/3 of world exports, and 1/3 of world trade is estimated to be intra-firm trade between multinational companies. These corporations are clear beneficiaries of globalization, and have established a global oligopoly in many sectors such as autobile, chocolate, airplane, smart phone and beer industries. Since they can operate outside and across national boundaries, it is difficult to monitor and regulate any negative behavior. States, worried about possible job losses if companies move elsewhere, are loth to restrict corporations' behaviour. Therefore, multinational corporations are increasingly seen as excessively large and powerful, even a threat for governments and democracies. Are the largest corporations gradually replacing states as the main units of power in the world? Checkout this debate and poll here.

Globalization debates I: TPP, identities, globalization pros and cons

Globalization pros and cons

Globalization has become one of the most interesting social, cultural and political phenomena of the last century. The global financial crisis and migration have make many people to raise their voices against globalization. Many claim that globalization is only favoring the elites and that middle and lower classes are suffering from the increase interconnectedness and the free flows of goods, services, capital and people. 

On The Best Debates we have selected some of the most interesting online debates on the topic of globalization and we hope that you join them. No matter if you are in favor or against globalization, it is always a good exercise to think about it and to discuss constructively with others who may not share the same views. 

TPP: Yes, please or no thanks?

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is one of the most ambitious free trade agreements in history which has similarities with the TTIP between the US and EU. The TPP agreement is the successor of the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement or TPSEP signed by Singapore, New Zealand, Chile and Brunei in 2005. The US, Australia, Vietnam and Peru joined the negotiations in 2008, Malaysia in 2010, Canada and Mexico in 2012, and Japan in 2013. However, President Donald Trump is committed to bring the USA out of the TPP. Three days after arriving to the White House, he signed an executive order to start the process of disengagement. Do you think the TPP is a good idea? Is Trump right in this case? If you want to vote and find out what most people think about the TPP, click here.

American politics debates II: Trump agenda, political polarization and gun control

The state of American politics

We continue with our series of debates on American politics. The new incumbent to the White House has certainly generated much media attention. Some people are pleased with the "hyper activity" of Donald Trump and his executive orders. Other people are claiming that his decisions are extremely dangerous for the future of the US and world stability. Immigration, individual freedom, the environment, financial regulation, and international relations among other policy areas that are more likely going to be affected by Donald Trump's strategy.

On The Best Debates we want to invite you to join some of the online debates that mirror all these big public discussions and hope that you can constructively contribute to it. These are 3 of the more interesting:

• What issues should President Trump prioritize?

Donald Trump mentioned many different issues during the electoral campaign. Moreover, there are other big challenges that America will need to address sooner or later. This online poll and debate ask you to decide among a list of problems, which ones in your opinion should be prioritized by the Government such as: restoring middle-class purchase power and economic security, illegal immigration, gun crime, Islamic terrorism, instability and war in the Middle-East, climate change and environmental problems. Is you want to join the poll and debate on the major issues for the future of the USA, click here

American politics debates I: Trump promises, NAFTA and the electoral college

The US has been the most powerful nation in the world for many decades. American politics has great importance not only for US citizens but also for most people around the globe. The policies and dictates from Washington usually have direct or indirect effects on many countries.
The inaugural speech of Donald Trump on 20 January 2017 was followed by millions of people inside and outside America. Many were happy, others were disappointed with the plans of the new President of the United States.

After our selection of online debates on animal rights and protection Today we launch a series of posts which compile some of the most interesting online debates on American politics. On The Best Debates we keep a neutral role. Our goal is not to support any specific political agenda but to invite people to engage critically with important issues through constructive public debate.

These are the first 3 debates we suggest:

• Will Donald Trump deliver on his promises?

Polls got it wrong. Very few predicted the victory of Donald Trump in 2016 US Presidential Elections. His controversial inaugural speech on 20 January 2017 has confirmed that the priorities of his administration remain the same which he anounced during his campaign. Basically he will prioritze American interests over any other consideration ("America First") even if that means introduce protectionist measures and reduce the economic and military cooperation with the US traditional allies. Throughout his campaign he had already pledged to “Make America Great Again.” On this online debate you can find out more and discuss the main policies heralded by Trump concerning people's empowerment, immigration, corruption, foreign policy, security free trade and NAFTA. Would you like Trump to fulfill his pledges? Join this poll and debate by clicking here.

Animal protection II: Ban foie gras? Gorillas in zoos? Dolphins in captivity?

We continue our selection of interesting debates based on animal rights and animal protection. If you love animals and are interested in why we humans often abuse them you should probably join these public debates and polls. It is an excellent way to learn more about this very relevant issues and at the same time you will have the chance to help raise awareness and defend certain ideas.

• Should foie gras be banned?

Foie gras is a delicacy with a long history and very typical in Christmas in some countries. Although the product has been associated historically with France, its origins can be traced back to Ancieht Egypt. However, the the cruelty in the force-feeding process used in its production makes foie gras an extremely controversial food.  Foie gras is a delicatessen made of the liver of a duck or a goose which has been fattened following an extremely painful process. Usually by regularly force-feeding corn with a long tube (20–30 cm) (gavage in French). As a result of this fattening process the liver of the goose or duck swells to about 500g, 10 times its normal weight. But is it necessary a to prohibit foie gras consumption?

In some countries such as Spain, foie gras is now being produced following more ethical natural feeding techniques. Should countries follow the example of California and prohibit its commecialization? If you want to join the poll and debate follow this link.

Animal protection I: should we ban zoos, circuses, animal testing and exotic pets?

To what extent we need to care about animals? Shouldn't we prioritize human welfare?

There are many interesting online debates tackling the very important issue of animal protection. People are increasingly concerned about animal rights and we are aware that animals suffer because of human intervention.

This is a list of some of interesting online debates involving animal protection you can find currently on the Internet. I hope you join some or all of them:

• Should animals be kept in zoos? 

Animal cruelty or protection? This debate deals with the pros and cons of zoos and ask people to vote on wether zoos should be banned or not.
Zoos are extremely popular, over 180 million people visit zoos and aquariums in the US every year. However, an increasing number of animal rights advocates and animal protection organizations are criticizing the role of zoos in modern societies. There are many pros and cons that you may want to consider when joining this debate. For instance, zoos allow finding out cure for animals' diseases and prevent extinction of some species. They are also great to get children understand and love animals. On the other hand animals suffer captivity and develop psychological and physical traumas. Diseases are also spread in zoos. Would you support a ban on zoos? Join the debate here

First post - Our Mission

Dialogue is crucial in our society. Only through constructive debate we will manage to align our ideas and coordinate the social, political, economical and cultural changes our world needs.

The goal of this blog is to share with you a selection of the best debates and public discussions currently available on the Internet. We will create regular posts summarizing the most interesting debates we find about a specific subject. Best Debates - Critical Thinking will link to the top websites that are putting more effort into promoting public debates, such as Netivist.org, Debating Europe, idebate.org, and Quora

Best Debates - Critical Thinking will become a nexus where you will find relevant public discussions in which you can have a say. These public debates will allow you to inform your views and to shape the views of other people. We will only share high quality debates and discussions to avoid wasting your time. Sometimes we will share similar takes on one issue so you have the chance to look at it from slightly different angles and engage with different audiences.

So please join us in this journey! Follow us in Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus