1. Which country will be the biggest threat to international security in 2009?
2. Should the Senate refuse to seat Burris?
3. Is Caroline Kennedy a qualified candidate for U.S. Senate?
4. Will the Israeli offensive in Gaza help or hinder future Middle East peace talks?
5. Should the EU intervene in the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute?
6. Will the winner of the Minnesota Senate race have a tainted victory?
7. Do Bulgaria’s problems mean that the EU should cease expansion plans for the near future?
8. Should China change its export driven economic model?
9. Are “obesity taxes” a good idea?
10. Will OPEC’s production cuts save the global economy from deflation?
Welcome Extemp Central, formerly known as Extemp Question Central. After several years at the old site, I have moved to a new type of platform that will be more pleasing to the eye and hopefully more user-friendly.
When the incoming presidential administration of Barack Obama considered what foreign policy challenges they might face in the first few weeks of office, it is fair to say that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was not at the top of the list. With international analysts warning of how close Iran is to having the capability to build a nuclear weapon and with the latest military moves by Pakistan along the Indian border, Obama’s transition team envisioned conflicts, but not one that has the potential to ruin much of the international goodwill Obama brings with him into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The first semester of the season has come and gone and Extemp Question Central is happy to be part of it. After the recent tournaments at Glenbrooks and George Mason University, the National Points Race standings have seen more of a shakeup and the second half of the year looks to be even more exciting, with nationals only six months away.
Last week, when it appeared that the Obama presidential transition would proceed as smoothly as possible in the midst of economic turmoil, two foreign wars, and a crisis of relations between India and Pakistan, the entire U.S. political climate was shaken to its core by the arrest of acting Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. The controversy has been a distraction for the incoming Obama administration and his transition team has been beating a quiet message for the media, while circling the wagons to prevent any negative political fallout. The incident has also put into question Obama’s economic plan, worth up to $1 trillion, and has the implication of eventually altering the makeup of the U.S. Senate, at a time when Democrats assumed that Obama’s successor would be a Democratic candidate.
While Canadian politics is not a topic that extempers are accustomed to speaking about at great length, the last month has slowly began to change that evaluation. Loyal readers of the SpeechGeek HOTtopics services know that several weeks ago I wrote a topic brief concerning the outcome of the Canadian elections, elections which strengthened the Conservative Party but denied Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper a majority government. While analysts debated how long Harper’s government could hold on, and my earlier topic brief indicated that the government would last until the summer, just several weeks into its term the government has been thrown into a crisis, as opposition parties have unified to oust Harper and the Conservative government from power.