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HELP!!!!!! (Parlimentary debate topics)

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Megan Robinson

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Good day,

I have recetly joined the Parlimentary debate team at my university. I used to participate in Lincoln-Douglass debate in high school, but new resolution was provided by the National Forensics League every two months. Parlimentary debate requires that you write your cases on a topic you make up. (WHAT?!!)

I'm stuck. My partner and I have one case affriming re-instatment of the gold standard, but we need one more. The case can be about ANYTHING. Infact, the 1st case I debated at Temple was that Brittany Spears ought to divorce her current husband.

Please....You are all of able mind, many more able than my own.

Do you have any suggestions?

[Edited to clarify topic. - GC]

Edited by GreedyCapitalist
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Are there any criteria for issues?

Draft vs. Volunteer Army

Arnold Schwartzenegger should be allowed to run for president . . .

Random Metal Chunks are Not Art . . .

Nuclear power = good . . .

Just pick up a newspaper and turn to the editorial page: likelyhood is that you'll find some offense against good sense within 10 seconds.

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I had some great times doing debate in high school doing LD, CX, FX, and OO. (Debaters should know what that means.)

I don’t know how practical these are, but I would do some fun (and valid) issues:

Prevent nuke war: Nuke Iran and North Korea

World Peace: Expel the UN from the USA

Save forests: Sell all the national forests to the logging companies

Save lives: Legalize the trade of babies/body organs

Eliminate corruption: Can the FCC/FTC/SEC/DHS/ATF

Improve transportation: Privatize USPS/Amtrak

Help the third world: No federal aid to tsunami victims

Yes, these are extreme, but inverting conventional logic is bound to trip up your opponent's evidence files.

Edited by GreedyCapitalist
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GC,

Wow! You speak my language. I never got into FX, but DX, OO, PO, and LD were definately my events. My partner (known to you all as lowentropy) did CX, and FX in high school.

Your idea of inverting *conventional* logic is an excellent idea. Although come of your idea are a little extreme for a debate round (in that it would be difficult to convince a judge in an hour), I did like your transportation privatation suggestion. I'll think about that a little more, it may just be workable.

Jennifer, (you have my name in your avatar) :D

It's a little harder than looking in a newspaper (that was my first attempt). The problem is that if a debater is not forced to debate a subject, she'll keep wandering around until she finds something to sink her teeth into.

Thank you both for your suggestions.

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I had some great times doing debate in high school doing LD, CX, FX, and OO.  (Debaters should know what that means.)

My ruby shudders from the memories. I actually found impromptu helped me more than CX given I went into sales type jobs.

I don’t know how practical these are, but I would do some fun (and valid) issues:

Prevent nuke war: Nuke Iran and North Korea

World Peace: Expel the UN from the USA

Save forests: Sell all the national forests to the logging companies

Save lives: Legalize the trade of babies/body organs

Eliminate corruption: Can the FCC/FTC/SEC/DHS/ATF

Improve transportation: Privatize USPS/Amtrak

Help the third world: No federal aid to tsunami victims

Yes, these are extreme, but inverting conventional logic is bound to trip up your opponent's evidence files.

I remember that the debates in college tended to be either inane or very political. Apartheid, Iran, and communism were big topics. Actually ARI used to provide really good case evidence as did Reason magazine specifically for NFL topics. We leveraged alot of their info for our topics.

We always faired well by taking a topic that was somewhat controversial, any of David's are dead spot on, and make sure that we prepped. As long as you prep well, they will be forced to be on the defensive. Half of the battle in a debate is getting your opponents to not do what they do best and not blindly accept "conventional wisdom." See, when you shine logic on flawed ideas, they tend to rot. That is a really uncomfortable place to be in the debate and you can pretty easily turn it against them. No matter how strong their case, a good CX will kill their them.

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I was an LDer for three years (I qualled to Nats and split rounds with Oscar Shine and Jen Larson who were the respective national and TOC champions that year). I also did the new Public Forum Debate (the year that it was created) and was an octafinalist at nats that year.

I'm 19, and I coach high school debate a bit and my girlfriend who is also an Objectivist also teaches at VBI (one of the best LD camp in the country).

If you need any help with cases, topics, etc..you can contact me via AIM.

My SN is Tryptonique.

In the mean time, I will think about this topic and get back to you on it in a day or two.

-Evan

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First off,

Give us some information about Parli.

1) What is the time format? How long is your first constructive? How do you decide who goes first? If you don't have a case concerning the other team's topic, what do you do? Are you given time (like in FX or DX) to come up with a case?

2)What are the speech lengths? I think LDer knows the classic 6,3,7,3,4,6,3 for speech times in LD, but what are Parli times?

3) Is cross ex open ended? Can you tag team? Is it a free for all (like the new PFD) or is it more closed like LD?

I think this information would really help in crafting topics...

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