CDL Core Files Case Outlines 2013-2014
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2013/14 Chicago Debate League Core Files
Case Outlines
I. AFFIRMATIVES
MEXICO SECURITY 1AC
Contention One is INHERENCY:
Current United States policy towards Mexico does not create successful cooperation on
security issues along the border.
1.
2.
Obama’s policies toward Mexico are inconsistent and fail to address the key
issues of immigration and security.
The new Mexican government is decreasing cooperation over drug security with
the U.S.
Contention Two is HARMS: Drug Crime
Drug-related crimes in Mexico are causing violence to spill across the border, hurting the
U.S. economy and security.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Mexico is the center-point of the U.S. struggle with drug importation and
violence, and the cross-border drug trade causes massive economic upheaval and
corruption in Mexico.
Mexico’s inability to control cross-border violence without
additional assistance is preventing future cooperation between Mexico and the
United States, as well as preventing further reforms to combat corruption.
Drug violence is beginning to spill-over into the United States
because a new generation of dealers and gangs care more about sending a
message than money.
Drug violence is killing thousands every month, and this doesn’t
include kidnappings or lives ruined. Even children are being turned into trained
assassins.
Terrorist organizations are already working to trade nuclear weapons to Mexican
drug cartels in exchange for lucrative drug market access, opening the United
States up for attack.
A new terrorist attack raises global political tensions and causes misguided
responses that lead to accidental nuclear war with Russia and China.
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Thus, we present the following PLAN:
The United States federal government should substantially increase its economic
engagement toward Mexico by providing financial assistance to Mexico for violence
prevention programs near the border between the United States and Mexico.
Contention Three is SOLVENCY:
Increasing economic assistance to Mexico will decrease drug violence and increase
further cooperation.
1.
2.
Shifting focus in the drug war toward community violence prevention through
economic assistance creates localized solutions based on proven programs,
solving violence.
The U.S. can provide economic assistance through USAID targeted at crime
prevention in Mexico, and empirically these programs reduce violence.
VENEZUELA DEMOCRACY 1AC
Contention One is INHERENCY:
Current U.S. policy toward Venezuela fails to establish guidelines for democratic reform.
1.
2.
Obama’s recent nominee to the United Nations proves the administration is taking
a confrontational approach towards Venezuela that is driving the countries apart.
The U.S. does not have a comprehensive policy in place for guaranteeing
transparency and fairness in Venezuelan elections, and this puts democracy at
risk.
Contention Two is HARMS: Iran
Venezuela is using anti-Americanism to create an alliance with Iran that allows for secret
nuclear weapons development and eventual war.
1.
2.
3.
The lack of democratic institutions in Venezuela causes growing antiAmericanism and turns the region into a hotbed for terrorism.
Maduro is continuing Chavez’s policies of cozying up to Iran in order to create
artificial legitimacy for his government. The recent offer of asylum to Snowden
shows Maduro is desperate to pull Iran closer by enflaming anti-Americanism.
Iran is using Venezuela to create an intelligence network in Latin America
capable of plotting and executing attacks on the United States. Turmoil
surrounding Maduro’s election is creating opportunities for greater Iranian
involvement.
Contention Two is HARMS: Democracy
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Totalitarianism in Venezuela is hurting the U.S.’s ability to push for democracy globally,
causing global instability.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Chavez left Venezuela’s democratic institutions in chaos and
Venezuelan politicians will not be able to implement reforms on their own.
Venezuelan instability is leading to a global campaign of anti-Americanism, in
which Venezuela is fomenting a counter-democratic movement.
Failure to press for democracy in Venezuela is hurting U.S. credibility globally,
and leading to more totalitarianism in Latin America.
Global democracy prevents nuclear war and extinction.
Thus, we present the following PLAN:
Thus, we offer the following plan: The United States federal government should
substantially increase its economic engagement toward Venezuela by providing
economic aid tied to verifiable improvements in Venezuelan election monitoring and
election reporting.
Contention Four is SOLVENCY:
The plan gives reformers in Venezuela incentive and power to create change and makes a
clear statement that the United States supports democracy.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Unconditionally giving money will only bolster the current antiAmerican sentiment in Venezuela. Tying future assistance to verifiable reforms
will force Venezuela to rebuild their democracy and stop supporting terrorism.
Conditioning new assistance on reform will give the new government
political will to shift course away from Chavez’s policies.
Maduro’s shaky election victory has created a unique window of U.S.
influence. Even if democracy promotion normally fails, Maduro cannot afford to
ignore U.S. pressure and calls for increased electoral accountability now will
force Venezuela to break ties with Iran.
USAID economic assistance has successfully been tied to democracy
promotion initiatives in the past.
CUBAN ETHANOL 1AC
Contention One is INHERENCY:
The United States’ trade embargo with Cuba makes it impossible to access Cuban-grown
sugarcane ethanol, even though the U.S. is purchasing this product from other countries.
1.
Recent partnerships with Brazil prove the U.S. is investing heavily in
ethanol-based biofuels.
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U.S. policymakers are interested in importing sugarcane ethanol from
Latin America, but are ignoring Cuba.
Contention TWO is HARMS: Environmental Destruction
Other types of fuel either emit harmful greenhouse gases when used, or require the
destruction of critical habitats to grow. This causes environmental collapse.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
U.S. policies favoring corn-based ethanol over sugar-based ethanol
force farmers to plant only corn which massively increases fertilizer use. This is
300 times worse for global warming than carbon dioxide emissions.
Grasslands where corn is planted are carbon sinks, storing dangerous
gases underground. Plowing them to plant more corn releases
emissions into the atmosphere causing global warming.
Global warming is nearing a tipping point, where stopping the
problem is impossible because momentum keeps warming the planet
even after emissions stop.
Global warming makes every war scenario inevitable by creating
migratory stresses and resource shortages.
In addition, increased corn incentives from corn-based ethanol causes
fragile grassland habitats to be converted to corn fields, risking environmental
collapse from habitat destruction.
Habitat loss risks killing keystone species, causing a chain reaction of species
extinctions and the end of human life.
Contention Three is Harms: Economic Collapse.
Oil- and corn-based fuels are causing fuel price spikes that collapse the U.S. economy.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The U.S. economy depends on cheap and efficient liquid fuels for automobile
transportation, but petroleum gasoline is becoming more expensive and unstable.
Oil price fluctuations cause spillover effects in every industry that uses oil,
leading to economic collapse.
Livestock and farm operations depend on lower feed prices, especially corn, to
maintain profitability. Importing sugarcane ethanol will keep feed prices low and
increase trade opportunities.
Agriculture is America’s strongest export, and stability is key to economic
recovery because of the sector’s job-creating potential across multiple industries.
Economic collapse causes cutbacks in necessary defense spending and
global nuclear war.
Thus, we present the following PLAN:
The United States federal government should substantially increase its economic
engagement toward Cuba by fully legalizing the importation of sugar-based
ethanol from Cuba into the United States.
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Contention Four is SOLVENCY:
Ending the embargo on Cuban sugar-cane ethanol will establish a market that allows the
industry to sustain itself.
1.
2.
3.
4.
U.S. support for Cuban sugarcane ethanol is the most effective way to combat
global warming because it creates a biofuel market that solves global oil
dependence.
Cuba’s ethanol industry is dying because of regulations put in place by Castro, but
there are enough natural resources to quickly restart.
Most Cuban agricultural land is not being used, so growing sugarcane would not
require destroying any habitats. It is comparatively safer than U.S. corn or
Brazilian sugar.
The sugarcane ethanol industry can be rapidly rebooted with guidance from the
U.S. and support for market access.
CRITICAL IMMIGRATION 1AC
Contention One is Inherency:
Despite promises to make the immigration process from Mexico into the United States
easier, the government continues to deny millions access to the American dream.
Americans cling to the myth that legal immigration is possible for those who want it, but
that is a fantasy used to hide an abandonment of our ideals of equality and justice.
Thus, my partner and I stand in solidarity with Latina and Latino immigrants from
Mexico by demanding that the United States federal government substantially
increase its economic engagement toward Mexico by providing full economic
citizenship benefits to persons in Mexico.
Contention Two is My STORY:
1.
My name is ________, and this is how immigration struggles
have shaped my experience.
[Debaters should share their story or experiences here, either of their own
relationship to immigration policy or that of a friend or family member]
2.
3.
This year’s debate resolution requires examination of the Border between the
United States and Mexico as a physical boundary which is policed through state
violence by governments, but Whiteness creates a symbolic border that
subordinates Mexican-Americans as inferior.
The physical border between the U.S. and Mexico cannot be secured, but security
remains a fantasy of White America. Attempts to crack down on immigration are
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becoming more radical, and political discourse is being poisoned by borderinflected racism.
Whiteness is only possible via the creation of a racialized Other, and MexicanAmericans create an ordered hierarchy of White.
Whiteness thrives by splitting races while making discrimination a universal
policy. Latinas/os must resist racial segregation by directly challenging the
foundations of Whiteness.
The struggle must begin with the institution where we as
debaters have the most access. The education system is infused by Whiteness
passed off as objectivity. In order to break this system down, we offer personal
experience that challenges dominant constructions of identity and race.
Racism cannot be tolerated in any amount. At every opportunity presented, you
have a moral obligation to reject racism even if it can never be solved because a
world with unchecked racism makes every negative impact inevitable.
Contention Three is SOLVENCY:
Our demand might not change federal government policy, but it raises critical awareness
and brings new voices into the immigration debate that break down racism.
1.
2.
3.
4.
II.
Speaking out regarding immigration policy in debates is necessary to raise public
awareness. Any notion of universal rights and inclusion must begin by
recognizing that we are already here and always have been, and refuse to continue
being invisible.
Pushing for a new racial paradigm based on citizenship for Latina/os can
overcome the traditional White/Black paradigm for racial discrimination and
solve all racism.
The discursive frames we use to discuss policies are more important than the
policies themselves. The current dominant political discussions frame
immigration as a “problem” in need of reform, which always casts the immigrants
themselves as the criminals. Before any progress can be made at the policy level,
we need to change the way we discuss immigration.
Including personal narratives and testimonio in our struggle is necessary to
challenge social oppression by giving voice to those who have lived experiences,
moving everyone toward social justice.
NEGATIVES
MEXICO SECURITY
1NC Inherency Frontline
1.
The Affirmative case is not Inherent because Congress is already looking to
increase financial support to Mexico.
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This is an Independent Voting Issue. Inherency is a Stock Issue that the
Affirmative has a burden to meet, because if the Status Quo is already moving
towards the plan then the Negative cannot argue that the Status Quo is good. This
also means the Harms will be solved by doing nothing, and in a tie the judge must
default to the Negative.
1NC Harms Frontline
1.
2.
3.
4.
The U.S. and Mexico are already cooperating to increase border
security, and this is solving terrorism.
Impact exaggerated: Their evidence is about a nuclear terrorist attack, but there is
no proof that terrorists from Mexico would have nuclear weapons. Nuclear
terrorism is less probable and less destructive than intentional war between states.
Risk of the Harms is shrinking: Mexico’s economy is growing and cross-border
violence is decreasing.
Drug violence that does exist proves enforcement is working because gangs are
getting more desperate. Drugs are getting harder to export.
1NC Solvency Frontline
1.
2.
3.
4.
Illegal immigration comes from all over Latin America. If terrorists can sneak in
any border weak point, then the plan can never solve.
Mexico’s government will take the economic assistance as profit and
will not implement reforms to prevent immigration issues.
Mexico’s failing economy is a larger factor in encouraging weak
immigration policies, and the plan can’t solve that.
Mexico uses its position as a critical geographic link to Latin America
to deny U.S. policy requirements. They will not reform because of U.S.
assistance.
VENEZUELA DEMOCRACY
1NC Harms Iran Frontline
1.
2.
3.
Their harm scenarios negate each other. If the Venezuelan economy is
in shambles, then Venezuela won’t have any money to support Iran’s nuclear
program. If the Venezuelan economy is working, then the government is already
reforming and solving democracy. Either way, the plan is not necessary.
The new government will not continue an anti-American foreign
policy because that was a personal deal between Chavez and Iran.
Iran is willing to negotiate and has agreed to strict monitoring of its
nuclear program so there is no risk of rapid proliferation or war.
1NC Harms Democracy Frontline
1.
Non-Unique: Venezuelan elections are already fair and democratic.
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Turn: U.S. attempting to force democratic reforms on Venezuela will
cause regional backlash and hurt U.S. democracy credibility elsewhere.
Empirically denied: The Cold War proves democracy promotion does not help
U.S. image and isn’t the normal mode of U.S. foreign policy.
1NC Solvency Frontline
1.
2.
3.
4.
Turn: Democracy aid causes the Venezuelan government to push
harder against democracy, increasing anti-democratic movements and
undermining solvency.
Conditioning assistance doesn’t work – verification processes are too
difficult and the long-term planning required of investment projects makes cutting
off aid untenable.
U.S. democracy promotion only works in nations where democracy is coming
about indigenously – the U.S. cannot foment democracy from the outside.
Elections can’t be secured until institutions are reformed. By putting it backwards,
the plan can’t solve democracy.
CUBAN ETHANOL
1NC Harms Environment Frontline
1.
2.
3.
4.
No impact to species loss – surviving species will adapt, and species
go extinct all the time.
Corn production technology is becoming cleaner and more efficient.
Planting corn does not trade off with other crops because corn
fertilization is efficient enough to provide additional crop yields.
Developing economies like China and India are more key to emissions
than the U.S.
1NC Harms Economy Frontline
1.
Turn: Midwest Economies.
A.
Government support for domestic corn ethanol is critical to preventing
Midwest state economies from collapsing. The plan causes prices to drop,
destroying jobs and magnifying the impact of any recession.
B.
2.
3.
4.
Importing ethanol from Cuba will collapse Midwest economies
dependent on domestic corn production, and these economies are key to
the U.S. economy.
Sugarcane ethanol will never be productive enough to make a dent in
global gasoline consumption. Other policy changes would be necessary to solve.
The international ethanol market is too weak to drive up demand.
The U.S. economy is resilient and will recover from any shock.
1NC Solvency Frontline
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Even if the U.S. fully supports Cuban ethanol, there is no domestic
political support or prospective internal economic demand to restart the industry.
Cuban governmental policies are anti-business which will hurt foreign
investment and prevent domestic industry.
Brazil is already ramping up diplomatic pressure on Cuba to develop
sugarcane ethanol, and it is more influential than the United States.
CRITICAL IMMIGRATION
1NC Harms Frontline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Racist laws do not change social values; people ignore legal
definitions, meaning racism does not start with legal discrimination.
The federal government is no longer in charge of immigration policy.
State and local governments will continue to be racist.
Alternate Causality: Mexican-Americans are only one component of
the immigration racial divide. The Aff does not address immigrants from other
countries.
Representations and Framing do not shape reality. Words are
insignificant when compared to the Real.
Race is not the central motivation behind immigration policy. Without
addressing economics, political power and foreign policy in general the
Affirmative cannot solve.
There is already a movement for Latina/o rights that is large and
successful.
1NC Solvency Frontline
Alternate Causality: Economic cycles determine the public’s feelings
toward immigrants, and the aff’s performance can’t change that.
Turn: Legal change won’t protect new immigrants from racism, and
the problem will only get worse when new people come to the U.S.
Narratives do not break down racism. Individuals all experience
suffering differently, and personal stories become distorted once they enter
politics.
Turn: Exploitation.
A.
“Opening the border” would not be enforceable; the U.S. has
cheated on other treaties with Mexico and this would be no different.
B.
Cultural and economic forces would create a cycle of poverty
for new immigrants after the border was opened, making life worse for
everyone involved.