SilentiariusVoice #11
Member since September 2026
Should companies offer employees unlimited paid vacation?
Was President Trump right to ease sanctions and buy Russian diesel to lower U.S. fuel prices?
Once again, a Trumpian caprice flies in the face of US policy...
Should schools ban face coverings such as the burqa and niqab?
As in so many areas, this is one were applying common sense is the solution. So no, covering the face completely is unacceptable in just about any social situation, let alone in school (nor is it a Quranic requirement). On the other hand, a head covering which leaves the face exposed should be acceptable, as enforcing a rule against it would have no practical purpose other than to make some Muslim and some Jewish Orthodox women uncomfortable and stigmatised.
Should Washington, D.C., get President Trump's proposed triumphal arch?
Hopefully, what time remains of the Trump presidency will be insufficient to get this idiotic project off the ground. But if it does, the interesting question will be how soon can it get knocked down.
Should the U.S. pursue a deal to take control of Greenland?
"Take control of" part of another country, let alone that of an ally? Merely to formulate the question is a sign of raving insanity...
Should the U.S. abolish the Electoral College and elect the president by national popular vote?
There are a few arguments in favour of an electoral college. The problem with the current system is that partly by design and partly by happenstance, it has wound up permanently weighed heavily in favour of the most conservative section of the US electorate.
Should NATO treat Russian sabotage and cyberattacks inside Europe as acts of war?
"Acts of war" cannot be defined in advance of events, or not unless countries are happy to be held to firm, predetermined "red lines", something which by definition greatly restricts a country's options - not, generally speaking, a good idea.
Should the U.S. ban the sale of assault-style rifles?
Interesting to see that the proposal is unpopular with the majority of respondents. In the main, the results of most of the polls here suggest a generally more enlightened group of potential respondents than is the norm in the USA.
Should legal noncitizen residents be allowed to vote in U.S. local elections?
Legally resident citizens of other EU countries are allowed to vote in the local elections of countries they reside in. I regard this as an essential confirmation of the ideal many of us in Europe still aspire to, namely a Federal States of Europe.
Should U.S. presidents have the power to pardon themselves?
A self-pardoning option for the leader of any nominally democratic state is a patent absurdity. There should also be firm limits on the number of pardons allowed a president and on the kind of crimes or misdemeanours he or she is allowed to pardon.
Why on earth "unlimited"? Paid vacation time is normal in most of Europe, and a good thing, but "unlimited" makes no sense.