Commitments made to seniors decades ago failed to foresee the harsh economic realities of the present. Do entitlements saddle our children with unmanageable debt, asking them to sacrifice their future for the sake of the elderly? Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid were created to provide a social safety net. But if we cut these programs, are we balancing the budget on the backs of the aged and sick, leaving behind society’s most vulnerable?
For the motion: Margaret Hoover & Mort Zuckerman
Against the motion: Howard Dean & Jeff Madrick
John Donvan, correspondent for ABC News Nightline, moderates the IQ2US debate series. The debates are held live here at the Skirball Center, broadcast on NPR and Bloomberg Television and available for download through iTunes.
Visit Intelligence Squared U.S. for more information on these political debate events including photos, videos and transcripts.
Intelligence Squared U.S. Debate Packages are currently available in sets of five or ten tickets to the Fall 2011 - Spring 2012 series. Dates and tentative debate topics are:
Fall 2011
September 7 | It’s time to end the war on terror
September 20 | Men are finished
October 4 | Grandma’s benefits imperil Junior’s future
October 25 | First-ever 'Insta-debate'
November 15 | The world would be better off without religion
Spring 2012
January 10 | The U.N. should admit Palestine as a full member
February 7 | Obesity is the government’s business
March 13 | China does capitalism better than America
April 17 | The internet is making us more politically narrow minded
May 8 | Ban college football
*Please note - in remaining current and relevant, debate topics and motions are subject to change.
