This weekend extempers will converge on Omaha, Nebraska for the 2010 Catholic Forensic League Grand National tournament. Each year, Extemp Central provides an analysis of the topic areas that will be used at Catholic Forensic League and National Forensic League Nationals. These analyses are meant to help extempers identify issues that could arise during a round and offer a few tips on dealing with each topic area. Also, the analyses provide practice questions so that extempers can do practice outlines or speeches for each topic area before the tournament.
Topics Areas addressed in this post:
Topic Area #1: Americas, Non-U.S.
Topic Area #2: Europe and Asia
Topic Area #3: Africa, Austrailia and Oceania
Topic Area #1: Americas, Non-U.S.
As this topic area implies, this round will focus on Canada, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. I guess they had some complaints about last year’s “Americas” topic area so they felt the need to put the “non-U.S.” qualifier on the end of it. In what is becoming a trend, the leftist direction of Latin America continues to be emphasized by the international media. Cooperation between Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Nicaragua, Bolivia, etc. continues with Hugo Chavez and his brand of “Bolivarian socialism” creating headaches for U.S. foreign policy and Americas allies in the region like Colombia. Since 2009, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Nicaragua have abolished presidential term limits and that had led commentators to question whether democratic safeguards in the region are being enhanced or are falling apart. Extempers can expect questions about these safeguards in-round, especially because of Chavez’s hard line tactics against political opponents in the run up to legislative elections.
Drug violence and kidnappings in Mexico will also be an issue extempers have to confront in this round. With drug violence continuing to rise, President Felipe Calderon had taken to asking for U.S. assistance and blaming the U.S. for allowing assault weapons to cross over the border. The violence has also taken a toll on Calderon’s popularity and his use of the military instead of the police to squelch drug violence has come under fire from human rights activists. Also, Calderon’s criticisms of Arizona’s new immigration law might emerge in this round.
Brazil’s rising international role, especially after its recent brokering of Iran’s nuclear fuel swap arrangement and role in the G20, will likely be a question. The political futures of the Kirchner’s in Argentina and the success of its recent bond swap can be expected to be questions as well.
The spat between Venezuela and Colombia will also an issue in this round as tensions between both nations continue to rise. Colombia has accused Venezuela of providing assistance to FARC rebels and Venezuela’s arms buildup with Russian help has ratcheted up tensions in the region. Colombia’s presidential election also has created problems because Chavez has threatened an embargo on Colombia if Juan Manuel Santos wins the Colombia presidential election.
As far as the Caribbean is concerned, extempers should be prepared for any questions about the fate of Cuba and if it is moving closer to democracy under Raul Castro (and maybe even an embargo question). Also, the spat over Honduras is likely to be a topic after Venezuela boycotted an EU-Latin America summit in Madrid because Honduran President Porfirio Lobo attended. For Canada, steps taken by the Conservative government on fuel standards for trucking and environmental criticisms it has endured over its policy with oil sands could be questions. Also, a random Vancouver Winter Olympics question could work its way in.
For international topic areas I always recommend that extempers try to relate these issues to the U.S. As I said last year, when you’re trying to explain the intricacies of the Venezuelan economy you can easily lose a judge unless you use parallels to things that they understand.
Practice Questions
1. Who will win the Colombian presidential election?
2. Why has the use of the Mexican military only increased drug violence in areas along the US-Mexican border?
3. Will Hugo Chavez’s recent offensive against Venezuela’s financial firms make Venezuela’s economic situation worse?
Topic Area #2: Europe & Asia
This is one REALLY broad topic area. It is curious that the topic writers at CFL this year did not make “The Middle East” a category. As a result, I would assume that “Asia” is where you will find questions dealing with the Middle East. Iran’s nuclear program has received more press than any other issue in the region over the course of the season and its latest nuclear deal ties into a bilateral question with Turkey and its role in the region. Iran’s support for terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah is also something to consider for this round. The Israeli-Palestinian dispute will also have some questions which will tie into the progress of recent U.S. efforts to spur on the peace process, the construction of settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and the success (or lack thereof) of Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. Israel’s concerns about Syria, Lebanon, and Iran will also factor into this round and I would expect that there will be several Israeli foreign policy questions concerned with the chances for peace or military action with any of those three countries. Also, Iraq’s sectarian tensions, especially with further draw downs of U.S. forces expected will come up in this round.
For Asian issues, North Korea’s aggression in the alleged sinking of a South Korea warship has placed it back on the front pages. The decision of the United States, South Korea, and Japan to press for tighter sanctions creates a problem for China, which has backed North Korea in the past and also creates a problem for the rest of East Asia because North Korea has threatened war if the UN Security Council places more sanctions against the regime. North Korea is already falling apart economically and extempers can expect a question on what the nation will look like once Kim Jong Il dies. As an outgrowth of this topic, extempers should prepare themselves for questions about China’s growing role in the international community and how sustainable its economic position is in light of economists warning that its economy is overheating. China’s poor human rights record, its supervision of recent elections in Hong Kong, and its push for the ECFA with Taiwan are also places where questions could come from.
Political unrest in Thailand and Myanmar also deserves attention from extempers. Myanmar’s junta is pushing for parliamentary elections that will merely rubber stamp its power. The National League for Democracy (NLD), the democratic opposition to the junta has dissolved which is an attempt to make the nation’s elections appear illegitimate. Thailand’s political unrest is degenerating into civil war and extempers will likely be asked about how the country’s political instability could be solved.
The Greek bailout and the British elections will likely have more questions in the Europe part of this topic area than any other issue. The Greek bailout has damaged German chancellor Angela Merkel’s political career and touched off a debate over the survival of the euro zone. It has also led to changes in the structure of the European Union for aiding nations that might suffer debt crises in the near future like Spain, Portugal, and Italy. The British elections have led the Conservative Party to power, although they now have to work the Liberal Democrats to maintain a majority in the House of Commons. Extempers can expect questions about Prime Minister David Cameron will change Britain, why he was able to win the election, and how long his coalition with the Liberal Democrats will last.
On other issues, the push by France and Belgium to ban the burqa and concerns in Spain and Italy about illegal immigration from North Africa could find their way into the pile as well. A “Turkey-EU” question is not to be discounted either. Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s challenge of his continued detainment by Russian authorities and Russia’s START agreement with the United States (as well as its renewed ties with Ukraine) will also come up in this round.
For extempers that choose to discuss economic issues in this round, notably the Greek bailout, make sure that you have a good command of the vocabulary necessary to answer the question. Elements of the Greek bailout involve technical financial transactions that an extemper can easily get lost in unless they take the time to research and process information carefully. Even if you know what these technical details are, rehearse explaining them in practice rounds because you only have seven minutes to deliver the speech. If you aren’t clear judges won’t follow and will get frustrated and your ranks will suffer. Also, learning how to pronounce foreign leaders names and citing them can be major brownie points among lay judges.
Practice Questions
1. Why is support for the Conservative and Labour party falling in Britain?
2. Should the EU kick Greece out of the euro zone?
3. What can the international community do to end the political crisis in Thailand?
Topic Area #3: Africa, Australia & Oceania
This topic area to me is downright puzzling. The question writers lump Europe and Asia together, which involve a wide range of issues, and then combine these three topic choices. Now correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems that “Asia” would have a much wider array of questions than “Australia and Oceania.” I really think that should have put the Middle East in this topic area, but I digress.
For the Africa element of this question several countries come to mind for this round: Nigeria, Sudan, South Africa, and Somalia. Nigeria’s former president Umaru Yar’Adua died after disappearing for several months and Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in as acting president. Considering that the nation has an election next year several are questioning whether Jonathan will attempt to keep power or step down. Also, Nigeria’s problems with the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) continue to fester and their kidnapping of foreign oil workers and destruction of Nigeria’s oil producing capacity are problems that Jonathan has not yet found a solution to. After Sudan’s controversial presidential election earlier in the year, attention has shifted to the Southern Sudanese referendum that will be held next year. According to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, the South will have the opportunity to vote next year for independence. Due to political and religious tensions, the South is expected for vote for independence but because of oil revenues and other factors the question the international community is asking is whether the North will allow the South to secede peacefully. In South Africa’s case, the World Cup will be hosted there this summer, which has brought the country’s crime rate into focus. Also, racial tensions are rising as the white South Africans who are left fear the Jacob Zuma is looking to confiscate their property, especially farm land, and turn it over to black South Africans. A question extempers could be asked on this issue is “Will South Africa become Zimbabwe?” Somali piracy will also be a question for extempers to wrestle with and how those pirates should be handled is a matter of international importance. Somalia has protested the U.S. detainment and prosecution of suspected pirates, which turns the issue into a U.S. foreign policy matter, but Somalia’s inability to govern itself and its fight against Islamic insurgents will be a question in this round.
For the African continent on the whole, questions about the nation’s ability to sustain democracy and its fight against HIV/AIDS are questions that extempers have been asked for decades and they will appear in this round as well. Expect to get some questions about how to improve the African economy and whether a common currency or improved infrastructure investments would work. Zimbabwe’s political turmoil, the question of who will succeed Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, and the ability of African nations to fight al Qaeda are issues that can emerge in this round as well.
On Oceania, extempers can expect to see some questions about Indonesia and the Philippines. I would suggest that extempers read about the latest Filipino election where Benigno Aquino has emerged as the likely winner. The Philippines need economic reform and their fight against Islamic militants requires a great deal of American aid. For Indonesia, the nation needs major economic reforms and has engaged in a massive anti-corruption sweep. Just like the Philippines, Indonesia is fighting against Islamic militants and is looking for U.S. cooperation to fight them off. Since Indonesia is the second largest Muslim nation in the world, the U.S. views cooperation with Indonesia as very important.
In terms of Australia, violence against immigrants and a national debate over immigration policy could come up in this round. Also, the nation has experienced a debate over cap and trade and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has shelved possible legislation until 2013, which is a significant blow to global cap and trade efforts. Also, Rudd’s idea of a “super tax” on mine industry profits has created fears that the country will lose domestic investors and that Chinese and Indian firms will end up controlling the Australian mining industry.
However, extempers will likely get the brunt of their questions from this round out of the Africa part of the topic and when you draw three questions from this round that odds are that one of them will pertain to some type of African issue. Therefore, if you know your African countries and issues well then this should not be a difficult topic area for you.
Practice Questions
1. How much of a blow to international climate change efforts is Australia’s decision to abandon a cap and trade plan until 2013?
2. Does religious violence in Nigeria portend badly for the nation’s presidential elections next year?
3. How can the international community ensure that the Southern Sudanese independence referendum in 2011 is free and fair?