Most Popular
1500 questions
37
votes
9 answers
Freedom of speech and where it applies
There seems to be multiple definitions of freedom of speech out there, and I hear a lot about how companies like Google and Twitter are exempt from this as they are private entities and freedom of speech only applies to the government. This seems to…
Owen
- 379
- 3
- 3
37
votes
2 answers
Have the UK Conservatives lost the working majority and if so, what does this mean?
The Conservatives in the UK are in a confidence and supply arrangement with the DUP in order to have a working majority in Parliament.
Yesterday, three Conservatives left the party to become independent, which means that they have 314 + 10 DUP,…
David
- 577
- 4
- 11
37
votes
8 answers
Why is minimum wage not tied to the cost of living?
I often heard minimum wage discussions and typically a single figure is presented (where I live it is the gross monthly value, elsewhere I hear about the gross hourly rate).
However, there are great difference in regard to cost of living within a…
Alexei
- 52,716
- 43
- 186
- 345
37
votes
2 answers
What is the meaning of grabbing the mace in the British parliament?
I gather from this tweet that grabbing the mace lying on the table of the British House of Commons is an act of protest and has some kind of significance.
What significance does this gesture have?
Federico
- 6,726
- 4
- 36
- 58
37
votes
9 answers
Why is the EU concerned about the UK "unilaterally withdrawing" from a proposed Irish backstop?
As I understand, one of the sticking points in the Brexit negotiations has been Britain's level of obligation to a proposed customs union backstop.
I understand also that this is essentially a transitional arrangement to keep the entirety of the UK…
Jimmy Breck-McKye
- 664
- 1
- 5
- 8
37
votes
11 answers
What is the point of prohibiting currently impossible things?
I treat reproductive human cloning as one of such things. Current technology is far from a success, and reproductive human cloning does not seem to be a near future possibility. So, any law against cloning seems to be a currently useless thing, like…
rus9384
- 587
- 1
- 4
- 9
37
votes
5 answers
How are GDPR fines actually enforced for US companies with no physical presence in the EU?
GDPR is a hot topic since it will start being enforced from 25 May 2018.
One of the most important characteristics of this regulation is that it also applies to companies outside the EU:
A major change made by the GDPR is the territorial scope of…
Alexei
- 52,716
- 43
- 186
- 345
37
votes
9 answers
How could the free market limit the effects of net neutrality's repeal?
How could the free market limit the effects of net neutrality's repeal? Specifically, how will consumers' internet access be protected without government regulation?
Carson
- 1,669
- 14
- 24
37
votes
9 answers
What is the point of "we are not scared"-responses to terror?
Every time there's a terror attack in Europe, people will come out with messages such as "we are not scared".
What is the point of these messages?
Each individual human is very unlikely to be a victim of terror attack. It is much more likely that…
user16446
37
votes
4 answers
Is there any objective reason why some states can have nuclear weapons but others can't?
Many countries around the world suspect that Iran is attempting to build a nuclear weapon. Regardless of whether this is true or not, is there any objective reason why the US, UK, France, and others are "allowed" to have nuclear weapons, and others…
gerrit
- 48,247
- 16
- 142
- 298
37
votes
2 answers
Is NATO obliged to invoke Article 5 if one of its members attacks another member?
Turkey is currently doing a lot of posturing against the EU in general and its neighbor Greece in particular. Assuming Turkey were to attack Greece, is NATO obliged to invoke Article 5 (Collective defence)? Is this something defined within the NATO…
JonathanReez
- 50,757
- 35
- 237
- 435
36
votes
3 answers
Was it legal according to Ukrainian law to kill Illya Kyva?
BBC:
Former Ukrainian MP Illya Kyva has been assassinated in Russia by Ukraine's SBU security service, law enforcement sources have told BBC Ukraine.
"The criminal was liquidated by using small arms," the sources said.
His body was found outside…
the gods from engineering
- 158,594
- 27
- 390
- 806
36
votes
10 answers
"Communism in the Soviet Union, China, etc., wasn't real communism" - is that true?
To my knowledge, communism is a classless society in which everyone contributes and receives according to their ability and needs.
When people bring up the Soviet Union or China as examples where communism has failed, my first thought is that…
Neins
- 511
- 2
- 4
36
votes
6 answers
What exactly does it mean for a strike to be illegal in the US?
There's been a lot of talk recently about a potential railway workers strike in the US, and Congress stepping in to prevent it. What, specifically, can be made illegal in this context?
A railway worker is probably free to simply say "I am not going…
GendoIkari
- 1,981
- 14
- 21
36
votes
7 answers
Why is Russia limiting its gas supply to the EU instead of stopping it altogether?
Recently, Russia has markedly reduced gas sold to European nations in their gas pipelines. This seems very strange to me. In my opinion, the only two logical amounts of gas to sell would be "as much as possible" (if they want to sell gas) or "none…
juhist
- 803
- 7
- 6