[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index]
Return to main CEDA-L Archive Page

Re: CFR is boring

I wasn't sure exactly how to express my concerns about the 'excitingness'
if you will of the CFR topic.  Part of this certainly derives from
unfamiliarity with the literature, certainly.  I think Martin interpreted
my thoughts for me inadvertently -- I think my main concern is that there
will not be enough aff flexibility.  And I don't mean this from the
plan/solvency standpoint.  Certainly there are many ways in which to
address the problems of campaign finance.  My concern is having debates
that are focused around the same harm/advantage issue every round.  Please
-- disabuse me of this notion if I am wrong, but having a debate about HOW
to solve the same problem, or arguing whether the same problem is a
problem, etc, every round would drive me silly.  It's not that I want to
debate geopolitical questions necessarily, either - I'm a big fan of a
social policy oriented civil rights topic.

As to the question that Steve raises about the issue being more about the
amount that we learn being more important than what we learn about, I
agree and disagree.  Certainly all of us have found issues in debate that
we researched without really wanting to which broadened our perspectives
and were of great benefit.  At the same time, for those of us entering our
senior year, I don't really have a problem with expressing preference
based on what will be interesting to research.  (Although admittedly I
thought that health care was going to suck for my sr. year in high school
and ended up enjoying it immensely)  I am all for finding a topic that is
balanced between the affirmative and negative, but at the same time want
to ensure enough issue flexibility to have interesting debates.  CFR is a
very very important political issue that I feel passionately about, and
still am unsure about how fun it will be to debate.

Matt

***************************************************************************
Matt H. Rice
ricem@umich.edu
A. Hi
B. Hello
C. Good Evening
***************************************************************************

On Wed, 30 Apr 1997, Martin Che Harris wrote:

>     What is it about the topic area that makes you not want to run to the 
> library and do it? I personally think it would be a great topic but find 
> it difficult to give reasons why without knowing your reservations. Is 
> it the topic would get stale fast, there is no disad ground,not enough 
> affirmative choice, no nuclear war potential, not enough foreign policy 
> focus? You should get my drift. I am not trying to be antaganostic or 
> confrontational, I would really like to give you some of my thought but 
> not sure what thoughts you are looking for. 
>    Having researched it fairly deeply while working with Common Cause I find 
> the topic fascinating and extremely difficult. I think the affirmative would 
> have a tough time winning a workable plan (one of the reasons nothing passes 
> at the federal level very often), and most state plans have been gutted by the 
> courts over and over. The topic is the best fit for the Mancuso difficulty test 
> to balance aff and neg.
> 
> Justice, Peace, and Love
> Martin Che Harris, TSU Research Coordinator
> 
> "To sin by silence when we should protest makes cowards out of people"
> 
>
Archive created by Jonathan Stanton (jonathan@cs.jhu.edu)
Return to main CEDA-L Archive Page