Idea: Bring back Lincoln—Douglas debates.
- Rules: One hour per debate on a single topic. One on One.
- Example: Elon Musk vs. Elizabeth Warren on the Value of Regulations.
- Make these the main event(s) at Utopic Live.
Problem: Modern debates (especially US Presidential debates) are horrible.
- Too many people on stage.
- Too little time per topic.
- Weak, haphazard mediation.
Solution: Competitive 1:1 debates. One hour. One topic.
- Debaters know the topics and choose their side ahead of time.
- Presidential debates should use this format and do a series of 10+ debates on 10+ different topics.
Who: Not just for politicians.
- This is a great venue for different types of leaders to debate the best ways to solve the World’s Biggest Problems.
How: Let’s debate ideas, not people.
- Strongly attacking someone’s ideas is fair play, but criticizing people is off limits.
This idea is a work-in-progress. If you’d like to help plan a debate, DM me @neilthanedar on Twitter!