Basic Downloads

Are you new to speech and debate? The following downloads are for you. They contain introductions to various events that the Monument Membership explores. These downloads are updated every summer to prepare for the new year of competition.

Your Basic Downloads Source Material for Season 22:

File Name	S21-Policy-NCFCA-27-NEG-BlueCard.docx
File Size	226.76 KB
Date added	February 15, 2021
Category	Archived
Tags	Debate, NCFCA, Policy, Season 21
Author	Vance Trefethen

Blue Cards are an EU visa designed to attract highly skilled workers to immigrate. They don’t get a lot of use because they’re a lot of hassle and expensive, and not very attractive to foreign workers. AFF plan will reduce the cost and try to expand their use to improve EU’s economy by having more high-tech workers under the theory that the EU economy has “skilled labor shortages” and importing workers from outside is the solution, and that this would grow their economy. This brief challenges all of these assumptions, and also argues that even reformed Blue Cards wouldn’t significantly increase skilled workers in the EU. The shortages are exaggerated. Importing workers isn’t the solution (we should train Europeans better instead) and it won’t grow the economy.

VERY IMPORTANT: Evidence about Blue Cards (good or bad) must be checked for dates and applicability to what AFF is doing. AFF is running a plan to implement a Blue Card reform proposal that was developed in 2016, but never implemented. It’s not enough to read evidcnce that Status Quo Blue Cards don’t work – AFF will agree with that.
This NEG brief will show how Blue Cards won’t work EVEN IF the 2016 reform proposal is adopted. Disads 3-6 link to the reason why the 2016 reform was never adopted: It was too controversial and a lot of the EU member states didn’t like it. AFF can fiat that the EU adopts the reforms, but they can’t fiat that there will be no consequences nor can they fiat that everyone will like it. EU countries today like having their own individualized skilled-worker immigration policies, and the 2016 reform would make them give up individual policies in favor of the single uniform EU Blue Card policy. The backlash and anger it could generate will fracture the EU and lead to the disadvantages.

In addition to all this, there is also a process underway in Status Quo to “reform the reforms.” The EU is amending the 2016 reform proposal right now to come up with something better and fix its flaws. NEG can argue that we should wait for that process to finish. (Inherency #1 and would also prevent the disadvantages from happening by solving for the anger and backlash at being forced to accept the unpopular 2016 plan).

Download Your Preseason Documents, too:

You may still access Season 21 downloads here.

All Season 22 Basic Downloads will be updated by August 31, 2021. They will remain available through Season 22.

Easy Entry to the World of Speech and Debate

All Members have access to the digital copy of Easy Entry to the World of Speech and Debate by Chris Jeub. Download it below or order a hard copy.

Season 22 Release Schedule

Monument releases content all year long, from one national tournament to another, in what we call "seasons." We are entering Season 22 (2021-2022). For a list of all Member downloads for Season 21, click here. The following is the general release schedule for Season 22:

End of Season 21 - Officially archived on June 28, 2021. The new Season 22 releases begin July 5, 2021.
July-August - The first Monument Monday releases July 5, 2021. Basic informational material will continue through the summer (e.g. summaries, resolutional articles, etc.).
August 30, 2021 - End of the Pre-season, beginning of the official year of Monument Speech and Debate.
~~Christmas~~ Thanksgiving 2021 (we finished early!) - All foundational downloads are complete! Summaries of all releases are now available.
Through March 2022 - BONUS material released to members on a more as-needed basis using our Coaching Request Form.
April-June, 2022 - Qualifier and Nationals Preparation work is arranged...and Monument Members will be prepared to win!

Season 22 Debate Resolutions

Resolutions for Season 22 are posted here as they are announced by various speech and debate leagues.

Policy (all season):
- NCFCA: "Resolved: The United States Federal Government should significantly reform its policies regarding convicted prisoners under federal jurisdiction."
- NSDA: "Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its protection of water resources in the United States."
- NSDA Vote for Season 23 (Due December 15, 2021):
  - OPTION 1 – GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE – Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its support of multilateral greenhouse gas emission reduction regimes.
  - OPTION 2 – GLOBAL GEO-POLITICAL CRISIS: EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES – Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its security cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in one or more of the following areas: artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cybersecurity.
- Stoa: "Resolved: The United States Federal Government should substantially reform the use of Artificial Intelligence technology."
Lincoln-Douglas:
- NCFCA (all season): "Resolved: In the context of innovation, the proactionary principle ought to be valued above the precautionary principle."
- NSDA releases six resolutions through the year:
  - Sept/Oct Novice: "Resolved: Civil disobedience in a democracy is morally justified."
  - Sept/Oct Varsity: "Resolved: The member nations of the World Trade Organization ought to reduce intellectual property protections for medicines."
  - Nov/Dec: "Resolved: A just government ought to recognize an unconditional right of workers to strike."
  - Jan/Feb: "Resolved: The appropriation of outer space by private entities is unjust."
  - Next release is due February 1, 2022.
- Stoa (all season): "Resolved: In the field of biomedical engineering, restraint ought to be prioritized over scientific advancement."
Other Formats:
- Big Questions Debate (all season): "Resolved: On balance, societies benefit from religious belief and practice."
- Public Forum for Sept/Oct: "Resolved: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization should substantially increase its defense commitments to the Baltic states."
- Public Forum for Nov/Dec: "Resolved: Increased United States federal regulation of cryptocurrency transactions and/or assets will produce more benefits than harms."
- Public Forum for January: "Resolved: The United States federal government should legalize all illicit drugs."
- Public Forum's next release is due January 1, 2022.

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