Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Oratory, LD, general debate - Steve Pinker on TED.
Once again a link from TED.com. This is a brief history of violence which Steve Pinker talks about. A good overview of Hobbesian thought and the Leviathan, as well as some interesting evidence for an LD debater to use as a starting point for things like Capital Punishment or other cases involving conflict between an individuals rights and a society. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/163
Friday, September 14, 2007
LD: notes on just society death penalty - DRAFT
This is a ZIP file with notes in Word Doc format and a short article in PDF format.
Resolution is that a just society should not use the death penalty as a form of punishment.
Resolution is that a just society should not use the death penalty as a form of punishment.
Quote of the day
from TED:
"a good speech is like a miniskirt - short enough to arouse interest but long enough to cover the subject"
"a good speech is like a miniskirt - short enough to arouse interest but long enough to cover the subject"
Extemp Questions 14 Sept. 2007
- What should the role of the US military in Iraq be for the next 12 months?
- What are Iran's ambitions in the Middle East?
- Would the fall of the Maliki government be good for Iraq?
- Can Chris Dodd win the Democratic nomination in 2008?
- Does the large amount of international aid to Africa impede African development?
- Does foreign aid to Africa encourage ethnic tension?
- Is Africa too dependent on foreign aid?
- How long will it be before US troops are off the front lines in Iraq?
Thursday, September 13, 2007
PFD notes: insurance and genetic testing
Public Forum Debate notes on medical insurance and genetic testing policies. ZIP file
PFD: US losing the war on terror
Public Forum debate notes on whether the US is losing the war on terror. ZIP file.
Policy notes: detention and searching
Policy notes from previous resolution about detaining and searching people.
LD notes: school autonomy vs community standards
LD notes on school autonomy vs community standards. ZIP file. Fuck Kansas.
LD notes: nat'l security vs indiv. rights
LD notes on national security vs individual rights. ZIP file.
LD notes: univ. human rights vs nat'l interest
LD notes on universal human rights vs conficting national interest. ZIP file.
LD notes: letter vs. spirit of law
LD notes on the letter of the law vs the spirit of the law. ZIP file
LD notes: globalization vs nat'l sovereignty
LD notes on globalization vs nat'l sovereignty. ZIP file
LD notes: civil liberties vs terrorism
LD notes on Civil Liberties and combatting terrorism. ZIP file
LD notes: sanctity vs quality of life
LD notes on the sanctity of life vs the quality of life. ZIP file
LD notes: US mitigate international conflict
LD notes on the US obligation to mitigate international conflict
LD notes: moral principles over the rule of law
LD notes on moral principles vs the rule of law. ZIP file
LD notes: individual privacy vs societal welfare
LD notes on individual privacy vs. societal welfare. ZIP file
LD notes: US moral obligation to promote democracy
LD notes on the US moral obligation to promote democratic ideals. ZIP file.
LD notes: community vs national standards
LD notes on community standards vs. national standards. ZIP file
LD notes: Universal Human Rights vs Nat'l Interest
LD notes on universal human rights vs. national interest. ZIP format.
From States 2004
From States 2004
LD Notes: State power of eminent domain
Notes on the LD resoutiion for the power of eminent domain to promote private enterprise. PDF format
Bonus fun term of the day - MRE
pre-package meals known as "Meals Ready to Eat" by the military. Given to soldiers and also to victims of natural disasters during initial stages of recovery efforts. They have a shelf life longer than spam and the turkey ala king is horrible, but the orange drink powder is pretty good. Not Tang good, but still not bad.
Also known as: Meals Rejected by Ethiopians or Meals Rejected by Everyone.
Also known as: Meals Rejected by Ethiopians or Meals Rejected by Everyone.
Fun term of the day - wasta
Arabic term meaning influence through networking, graft, kickbacks, etc.
One of the hidden forces behind Arab society. Also the name the of a town in South Dakota. Go Figure.
See: http://www.danielpipes.org/article/642
One of the hidden forces behind Arab society. Also the name the of a town in South Dakota. Go Figure.
See: http://www.danielpipes.org/article/642
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Extemp Questions 5 Sept.
- Is the Republican Party too dependant on its Evangelical constituency?
- Should the Republican Party put more effort into courting non-Evangelical voters?
- Does religion have too much influence on American politics?
- Can the Democratic Party court more religious voters?
- Have American courts gone too far in pushing religion out of public spaces?
- Should the Republican Party push for a return to fiscal conservatism?
- Will Congress attempt to rein in government spending?
- How long will the US maintain a significant troop presence in Iraq?
- Does North Korea’s agreement to dismantle its nuclear program signal a move towards a lasting peace?
- How can China balance economic growth and environmental converns?Will the war in Iraq destabilize neighboring countries?
- How easily can the war in Iraq spread beyond its borders?
- Will a continued American presence in Iraq destabilize the Middle East?
- Should the federal gasoline tax be raised?
- Will Congress raise taxes to lower the budget deficit?
- Will moderate centrist politics win in 2008?
- Can someone opposed by the religious right win the Republican nomination for President in 2008?
- Does Hillary Clinton's experience give her a significant advantage over Barak Obama in teh 2008 primaries?
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