Use this tag for questions regarding "government" as a concept. DO NOT USE in lieu of "United States".
-2
votes
0answers
113 views
Can the president of the USA be refused access to classified information? [closed]
Former US President Bill Clinton was quoted as saying in a speech, talking about the alleged extra-terrestrial landings in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947:
"Well I don't know if you all heard this, ...
10
votes
1answer
1k views
Did Obama tell people to ignore those warning against tyranny?
Did Barack Obama say the following?
"They'll warn that tyranny is always lurking just around the corner.
You should reject those voices."
This is contrasted to Jefferson saying "When the ...
3
votes
1answer
502 views
Did a firefighter rescue a cat from a still-burning house?
From twitter user @Earth_Pics:
Firefighter in Denmark rescues cat from burning house.The way he hugs
cat and the expressions of cat says it all.
Note: the white stuff is probably snow, not ...
17
votes
4answers
3k views
Does Texas have the right to secede from the United States?
There's a common folklore among Texans that Texas was the only state to specifically have it written that Texas may secede, although I've heard that other states have that right as well.
In 2009, Gov ...
0
votes
0answers
155 views
How did the number of employed go up 873K in September 2012, while there were only 114K new jobs? [closed]
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, says that total non-farm employment went up 114,000, but in the the latest summary data says that there are 873,000 more employed in September than there were in ...
13
votes
1answer
647 views
Was fluoride grandfathered in by the FDA because it was sold as rat poison prior to 1938?
This site makes the claim that the reason the FDA never tested fluoride for human consumption was because it was on the market prior to 1938, when the FDA was formed. This claim is pretty well ...
3
votes
1answer
637 views
Is Paul Ryan's Congress record of two bills passed unusual?
According to this article, Paul Ryan has passed only two bills during ~13 years in Congress. (By passed, I assume the article means authored or co-authored bills passed in at least the House.) Is this ...
8
votes
1answer
280 views
Are voter ID laws effective tools at *suppressing* voter fraud?
Recent bickering over who should require what to vote where have suggested that requiring a person bring some form of ID to the poll might help alleviate fraud. This makes important assumptions:
...
9
votes
1answer
314 views
Does US Congress cost $30m per day to run?
What does it cost for The United States Congress to be in session for a single day? I recently heard a quote of $30 million, but did not see any supporting facts to back it up.
What would the total ...
14
votes
2answers
1k views
Have communist governments killed more than 80 million people?
It's May Day, when some people celebrate and others mourn. Specifically there are claims that communist governments have killed 80 to 100 million people in the last 100 years. Are communist ...
7
votes
0answers
315 views
Did ninjas use Pythagoras' theorem to determine the depth of moats?
Ninjas are alleged to have determined the depth of moats by taking a reed that's attached to the bottom of the moat, and measuring the height of the reed above water, and how far forward they had to ...
8
votes
0answers
171 views
Does Wikileaks have direct ties with US governmental organizations?
According to this blog post post (I agree, this is not a very valid source of information), Julian Assange had ties with US government workers, especially in the CIA:
The sender is talking about ...
15
votes
1answer
1k views
Did the US government spend millions of dollars to train Chinese prostitutes to drink responsibly?
According to this site, "Washington is spending $2.6 million training Chinese prostitutes to drink more responsibly on the job." Is this true, and, if so, what program are they referencing?
11
votes
1answer
217 views
Is the Chinese government responsible for hacking U.S businesses and government?
Over the past 18 months there have been several news articles pointing the finger at the Chinese government over hacks on U.S government and businesses.
Most recently: China Suspected of Hacking US ...
12
votes
1answer
516 views
Is Congress's pay protected even if the US defaults?
Today around the watercooler, us active duty military, and civil service employees were discussing the possible effects of the US defaulting. Since we are all paid by the government, this is a very ...
12
votes
2answers
409 views
Are generic drugs equivalent to the “name-brand” alternatives?
I can buy 300 10-mg tablets of Loratadine for about $15, and 90 10-mg tablets of Claritin™ costs about $35. These days my health insurance charges me $50 for the name-brand, and as little as $2.91 ...
9
votes
2answers
2k views
Is asking about U.S. citizenship an illegal interview question?
From About.com,
Are you a U.S. citizen?
Every interview I have had has asked this. Even pre-interview screening includes this question. Is it really illegal for them to ask this?
Note: Not ...
33
votes
2answers
2k views
Does the U.S. President have a red phone?
From a 2010 news article:
Obama noted that Medvedev had opened a
Twitter account while visiting the
company's headquarters in California.
"I have one, as well, so we may be
able to ...
3
votes
1answer
649 views
Did people believe that the Catholics were responsible for the Great Fire of London? [closed]
After the Great Fire of London in 1666 two urban myths were born. The first of these was that the Catholics did it. The second was that the King did it plausibly because he knew that the Catholics ...
6
votes
2answers
498 views
Have Vegemite, Marmite and other yeast extracts been banned in Denmark?
Have Vegemite, Marmite and other yeast extracts been banned in Denmark?
Background: I've heard this being claimed in the news, but there was a false report of it being banned in the United States ...
12
votes
1answer
445 views
Does addressing the issues focused on by the Broken Windows theory have a measurable impact on crime?
These are excerpts from what could be considered the source for the Broken Windows theory (emphasis added):
[A]t the community level, disorder and crime are usually inextricably linked, in a kind ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
Are media reports about squatters' rights accurate?
So a few months ago there was a spout of stories in the UK papers pertaining to squatters, and the fact that they have just been breaking into houses and changing the locks whilst the owners had been ...
18
votes
1answer
359 views
Do lower speed limits reduce gasoline usage?
There are three parts to this question:
Does speed have an effect on miles-per-gallon? Is there a more accurate causal effect than speed that would also cause a connection at varying speeds? ...
77
votes
4answers
10k views
Is it possible to fly 4 helicopters anywhere in a country without official knowledge?
According to reports, there were 4 helicopters used in the raid on Osama Bin Laden. They apparently left from Ghazi.
Is it conceivable that even one helicopter could be flown so close to the capital ...
11
votes
2answers
546 views
Does US Intelligence have built-in interfaces in major social networking sites that allow them to browse personal information at will?
From this interview from Julian Assange:
He believes the social network is joined by Google, Yahoo and other major US organisations that have “built in interfaces for US Intelligence”:
...
4
votes
0answers
653 views
Are the claims about “Others beside Bush claimed that Iraq had WMDs” valid? [closed]
Short version:
Is there any validity to claims of "reputable people/organizations are on record stating that they believe that Saddam had WMDs prior to the invasion of Iraq"?
This link has a pretty ...
19
votes
2answers
1k views
Do secret societies that wish to bring about a new world order still exist?
Do secret societies that wish to bring about a new world order still exist? Who are they, what evidence points to their existence today, and what are their overall goals? Also, who are the foremost ...
12
votes
1answer
720 views
Was there a large, illegal CIA project called “MKULTRA”?
Was there an illegal CIA project called MKULTRA, and if-so what did it involve and when did it end? Did it involve, as suggested in a quote from Ted Kennedy, a massive conspiracy involving dozens of ...
30
votes
3answers
6k views
Does the CIA own part of Facebook? [closed]
Does the CIA own part of Facebook? That is the Internet rumor, and it is gaining believers as Facebook plays a role in destabilizing regimes from Libya to China.
I am looking for experts to offer ...
10
votes
1answer
539 views
Is asphalt less durable than concrete roads?
I've heard that asphalt roads have a much shorter lifespan and much higher maintenance cost than concrete roads. Is this true?
Incidentally, if this is true, why do most governments seem to prefer to ...
13
votes
2answers
421 views
Most beneficiaries from farming subsidies are big corporations
I've heard that big companies are the biggest beneficiaries of agricultural subsidies (in the US and other western countries). This would to me seem to be the opposite of the intention of those ...
9
votes
2answers
347 views
Has any government been farming human organs?
Is there any solid evidence that any country's government has been engaged in and has been proven to have farmed human organs for sale on the black market?
