The China trade pact Congress is currently debating greatly enhances the ability of U.S. companies to invest in Internet development in China.
But over the years, it has ossified, inhibiting political debate and greatly circumscribing the list of admissible ideas.
On a more personal level, many expressed concern that any international broadcast of the debate would greatly diminish their desire to ever travel abroad or talk to foreigners.
That debate matters greatly.
One could argue that the current immigration debate is greatly influenced by the relationships Americans have to their gardeners and housekeepers, and their children's relationships to friends from immigrant families.
And now, although repression of open debate has greatly dissipated since the first months after 9/11, the narrow range of political discourse on Afghanistan is essential to the Obama administration's reported plan to double U.S. troop deployments in that country within a year.
This is a debate which greatly concerns us and which we must vigorously oppose, using the weapons of the law and legislation to oppose the weapons of violence, insofar as this can be deemed lawful.
Civility in debates is greatly overrated, because it so often comes at the expense of genuine discourse.
And the debate would benefit greatly from being less national and taking more account of experiences elsewhere.
Although the central issues involved in the problem of moral responsibility have remained the same since ancient times, the emphasis of the debate has changed greatly.
