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Re: topics

Steve Rowe of Whitman college and I wrote a bunch of Latin america topics 
a couple of years back we were going to send to the topic committee.  
What follows resembles one of those I remember...Maddog might even have the 
original list, I don't know. I'll try to post more suggestions soon, but 
I'm pressed for time.  

A suggestions for a topic:

R:  that the United States Government should significantly increase 
foreign aid to one or more of the following countries:  Mexico, Peru, 
Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Belize, Colombia.

I think this topic provides substantial case ground while not hosing the 
negative out of generics.  The word "significantly" serves more of a 
purpose in this resolution because foreign aid can often be quantifiable, 
thus kicking in the percentile definitions CEDA-L discussed earlier.  Of 
course, what is "foreign aid" is up for debate, but several good 
definitons exist for negative topicality arguments. yet i think the term 
is broad enough to provide affirmatives some ground to interpret.
"Foreign aid" can be military, or food-based, debt-for-nature swaps, or even 
advice to help stabilize a government...etc etc.  And those Topicality 
definitions I mentioned should serve to check the topic from getting too 
broad.

The list of countries serves to give the topic a focus.  Also, I think 
(and this is part of the reason I favor a Latin Americ topic in general) 
these countries have a lot of interesting/troubling events occuring in 
them which are important topics for discussion.  naturally, this list can 
evelove, and probably should:  That is, these countries are off the top 
of my head as ten diverse areas.  (Issues like Rainforest policy, drug 
policy, military policy, etc. are all covered)  This isn't to say, 
however, that the topic committee should only consider these countries 
for inclusion.

Another topic could be forthcoming soon, I've got to go to work.  I think 
Tim Mahoney is right, though, that to discuss which topic area would be 
best we ought to discuss what topics we'll be choosing under that area.

*Jeff...shaw@lclark.edu*******************************************
*My Chakra is jammed, and I'm having trouble breathing out of my *
*			 left eyelid.	                         *
******************************************************************
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