When we do these debates, we like to ask everyone watching, not only to contribute questions in the Chat that the moderator can ask the debaters, but also to register their opinion in a poll at the beginning and an identical poll at the end: Can war ever be justified? Yes or No? (Is any side of any war ever doing the best thing it could be doing? Is it ever the moral choice to wage war?) We like to observe how the poll results change from prior to the debate to after it. Sign up here if you want to take part.
It's something I like about the people on this email list, that I already know I will receive a number of emails lecturing me about the harmfulness of competition and my interest in "winning" a debate, after giving this email the subject line I have given it.
We don't declare any winner. We expect everyone, including the debaters, to learn something from everyone else. I remain open to changing my mind if my debate "opponent" persuades me. No debater gets any prize. But the entire point of the thing is to guage whether providing some basic facts and arguments can persuade anyone. In every debate I've done thus far, many more people have said war could be justified at the beginning than at the end. Otherwise why do them?
But this debate will be different. Typically my past debate opponents have defended imperialistic U.S. wars, or Israeli wars, or the vague concept of war while refusing to name any specific wars. This time I expect my opponent to defend leftist revolutionary wars, Palestinian violence, the Cuban revolution, perhaps Russia -- certainly not NATO. Do the same facts and arguments matter when the type of wars being justified changes? I guess we'll find out! Click here to get the free zoom link.
Yes, even all you "What else could Russia possibly do?" friends -- especially you!
But also all of you "What else could Ukraine do?" brothers and sisters -- especially you too!
PS: Sometimes even people who think I "won" a debate think I did a lot of things wrong. But they don't tell me. I hear the criticism third-hand. Do me a favor and tell me. I already know I do things wrong; you're not going to shatter any illusions, and you just might help make the next debate better.
—David Swanson
This free, public webinar will feature a friendly debate on the proposition "War Can Never Be Justified."
Participants will be able to suggest questions for the moderator to ask.
Arguing the affirmative will be David Swanson, an author, activist, journalist, and radio host. He is executive director of World BEYOND War and campaign coordinator for RootsAction.org. Swanson's books include War Is A Lie. He hosts Talk World Radio. He is a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and U.S. Peace Prize recipient.
We apologize for all the confused questions as to why I would argue the affirmative on a question of war. Please read the proposition very carefully: "War Can Never By Justified." Yes to that is No to war.—David
Arguing the negative will be Arnold August, a
Montreal-based author of three books on US/Cuba/Latin America. As a
journalist he appears on TelesurTV and Press TV commenting on
international geopolitical issues, is a Contributing Editor for The
Canada Files and his articles are published world-wide in English,
French and Spanish. He is a member of the International Manifesto Group.
Moderating will be Youri Smouter, host of 1+1, a topical history and current
affairs program on his YouTube channel 1+1 hosted by Yuri Muckraker aka
Youri Smouter. He is based in Southern Belgium and is a left-wing media
critic, NGO critic, anti-imperialist, an advocate for Indigenous
solidarity and a Native Lives Matter movement and socially liberal
thinker.
The timing will be the International Day of Peace,
September 21, 2022, at 1 p.m. in Honolulu, 4 p.m. in Los Angeles, 6 p.m.
in Mexico City, 7 p.m. in New York, midnight in London, and Thursday at
9 a.m. in Sydney, and 11 a.m. in Aukland.
World BEYOND War is a global network of volunteers, chapters, and affiliated organizations advocating for the abolition of the institution of war.
Donate to support our people-powered movement for peace.
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