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-Stoa-15-AFF-TaiwanRelationsAct.docx
File Size	83.14 KB
Date added	November 9, 2020
Category	Archived
Tags	Debate, Policy, Season 21, Stoa
Author	Jonathan T. Helton

First a little background. Starting in the 1920s, a Communist rebel movement began developing in the countryside of China. It battled the main governing force of the Nationalists into the 1930s, when Japan invaded. They called an uneasy truce, then picked up their civil war again after World War 2 ended with the Japanese defeat in 1945.
The Communists won the civil war in 1949 and the defeated Nationalists fled to the island of Formosa, better known today as Taiwan. Both the Communist government on the mainland in Beijing (the “People’s Republic of China” PRC) and the Nationalist government in exile in Taiwan (the “Republic of China”) claimed to be the one true legitimate government of China. Pres. Nixon began diplomatic overtures to normalize US relations with Beijing, and Pres. Carter formally concluded the process by recognizing the mainland government as the government of China, instead of Taiwan.
Congress, worried that we would be abandoning a Cold War anti-communist ally, enacted the Taiwan Relations Act in 1979. The TRA guarantees the U.S. will sell Taiwan weapons and implies, without coming out and saying it, that the U.S. will protect Taiwan in a conflict. The goal was to prevent the mainland from forcibly absorbing or invading Taiwan to bring the island into its domain. However, today that commitment risks drawing the U.S. into war with the PRC —something that would be catastrophic for both countries and the world. This plan has the US drop the TRA.
There are three possible mutually exclusive things that could happen, all of which still support an AFF ballot. One, China might do nothing and continue hoping and trying to influence Taiwan to reunify peacefully. Two, China might invade but Taiwan’s defenses are strong enough on their own to scare them off. Three, China might invade and win because Taiwan is indefensible due to the overwhelming numbers and power of mainland China’s military. In case #1 or #2, the US military commitment isn’t needed. In case #3, if the US intervenes, it would probably end in nuclear war, or else the loss of Taiwan PLUS the loss of a lot of US military force for no benefit, if Taiwan is indefensible. China absorbing Taiwan without a nuclear war would be far better than them absorbing after a nuclear war.

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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