Category: Topic Brief Page 14 of 16

Topic Brief: Oil

On June 12, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

Overview

So, with it being NFL time and all that, we here at Extemp HOTtopics decided to revisit the topic of oil. Now I’m sure you are all saying: “We’ve already talked about OPEC and how monetary policy affects oil prices.” While that is true, this briefing is going to be a little different. Specifically, since it is so late in the season, this briefing is going to focus a little less on facts and a little more on strategy. Thus, while we will cover some new issues regarding oil (mainly the windfall profits tax) this briefing is more about explaining how oil as an issue can be the save all “I need another point” saving grace of extempers. Therefore, this brief will go over some basic oil things that everyone should know, then examine how you can use oil to add a new level of analysis to all your rounds (including domestic social), and finial pose some non oil questions and give you an idea of how oil can be used to make your analysis more slick… Get it? Get it?

Topic Brief: The State of Afghanistan

On June 3, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

Overview

While the politicians talk about war in Iraq, there is that other country that we invaded and stuff is still happening there. Since 200,1 the Taliban has regained some influence in the south of the country – although the marines recently won a major victory. Further, opium production has been unchecked by anything but market forces and the government seems no more organized or in charge as it did years ago. Since tens of thousands of US troops are still fighting to stabilize a nation and this war – for some reason – is much more popular than the Iraq war (despite the fact it too may be worthy of the moniker “quagmire”), this brief is going to reexamine what is going on in Afghanistan and what that means for that country, the region and the US.

Topic Brief: Iranian Nuclear Controversy

On May 27, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

Overview

Since the dropping of two nuclear weapons on Japan, and the subsequent Soviet push to develop nuclear weapon, the countries who have nuclear capabilities has been one of the foremost concerns of the international community. So when Iran started enriching uranium, the international community got a little bit worried. When Iran refused to cooperate with the IAEA – they got a little bit angry. However, three UN sanctions later, little has changed with the IAEA condemning the lack of Iranian cooperation on March 27^th of this year. Since a country (Iran) that has promised to destroy another that already has nuclear weapons (Israel) may or may not be developing nuclear weapon is kind of a big deal. Oh, and because confirmation of such a nuclear program could justify Israeli/US attacks on Iran, let’s take a look at what is going on and what that means for the world.

Topic Brief: Bolivian Autonomy

On May 13, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

Overview

While it has long been famous for having two capital cites (La Paz and Sucre) or being partial home to Lake Titicaca – the highest navigable body of water in the world – Bolivia has recently decided that it needed to spice things up a bit. The country named after the leader of independence movements throughout Latin America elected a strong socialist leader – who is a long time advocate of the production of coca. However, it seems that Evo Morales’ pro-socialist and indigenous brand of politics has angered many of the wealthy elite. Four provinces – mostly populated by wealthy Bolivians of European descent – have planned votes to demand greater regional autonomy. When the first vote, in Santa Cruz, was a resounding victory for the pro-autonomy movement, Morales responded by pushing for a national recall vote of him and the governors of all nine provides (departments) to prove how beloved he is, and how much the average people love local government. Further complicating things is the fact that Morales is the number one disciple of Hugo Chavez, placing Bolivia in the middle of an international spat between the Latin left and the US. Since we have a series of elections that could rip a country apart, remove a democratically elected president, and alter the ideological balance of the western hemisphere, let’s take a look at Bolivia.

Topic Brief: China’s Economic Growth

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

Overview

With over 30 years of solid economic growth, China is an anomaly in the economic world. However, it seems that the odd mixture of communism and free markets that has resulted from the Great Leap Forward may have finally come to fruition as China’s economy is making the transition from producer of cheep goods to all around economic superpower. As China moves into cars, electronics and coercive economic foreign policy, it has become clear that China’s economic clout is something for the world–and especially the US–to watch. As such, this brief will examine the fourth largest economy in the world, and look at some of the impacts of this rising power.

Topic Brief: Pope Benedict XVI’s Visit to America

On April 22, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

Overview

The Pope was touring America past week. In his first visit to the US, Pope Benedict XVI went on a five day tour of New York City and Washington D.C. During the tour he met with President Bush, held mass at Yankee stadium, visited Ground Zero and blessed countless passersby. The trip was toured as an attempt to connect with an American population that was losing trust in Catholicism and especially the new Pope. However, since it’s not every day that the leader of a major world religion comes to town, let’s talk about what it means for the US, for the Catholic Church, and for the Benedict himself.

Topic Brief: Columbian Free Trade Agreement

On April 15, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

Overview

This week President Bush tried to fast track a free trade agreement (FTA) with Columbia through Congress. However, the House has already undone the mechanism that would have forced them to vote on it today and has promised to stop the agreement from passing. What is peculiar about this move is that the same Congress approved a nearly identical FTA with Peru last year. Many analysts believe that the rejection of this current bill, as well as the promise to interfere with a similar South Korean FTA, has more to do with election season posturing then it does with genuine policy concerns. Therefore, this brief will outline some of the details of the FTA and what the different sides are saying before assessing the political and economic ramifications of the little FTA that is causing a whole lot of ruckus.

Topic Brief: Turkey Banning the AK Party

On April 8, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

Overview

Seeking EU membership, Turkey has been trying to keep its politics on the up and up for quite a few years now. As things start to smooth out on Cyprus and human rights abuses against the Kurds seem less common, it seemed that Turkey had achieved a level of stability that would hurry it ascension to the EU. However, that momentum seems to be quashed as the high court is considering outlawing the AK party – the current ruling party of the nation. Turkey has multiple provisions that are intended to ensure that the government remains secular, and has banned parties with Islamist leanings before;, however, this would represent the first time that the president, PM and majority of parliament would all be a part of the banned party. As such, the potential ruling of the court will not only immediately threaten the stability of Turkey, but also may hamper the long-term ambitions of the nation’s leaders.

Topic Brief: 2008 Zimbabwean Elections

On April 1, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

Overview

Because the big news of the weekend was the elections in Zimbabwe, and the fact that they could bring an end to the twenty-eight-year-rule of Robert Mugabe, we thought it would be a good subject for a briefing. However, April Fools on us, because the results haven’t come in yet, so we will give you a rundown of what has happened so far, and what victory means for either side.

Topic Brief: Bear Stearns

On March 25, 2008

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

Overview

So, Bear Stearns… There’s a lot of messy economics surrounding this one, but it’s all over the news. This brief is going to break it down into what you need to know and how to explain it without a lot of economic jargon. Here is the back story: Bear Stearns is one of the world’s largest securities and brokerage firms. In June of 2007, the firm found itself in financial trouble when the hedge funds and securities it held in the subprime mortgage market had lost nearly all of their value. Over the coming months the firm posted a 61% net loss and severely damaged its credit. In March of this year, the bank was on the verge of being insolvent. On March 14, 2008, JP Morgan Chase and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York provided a loan to prevent Bear Stearns from insolvency, fearing the impact such an announcement would have on broader markets. Two days later, the Fed helped subsidize a JP Morgan merger with Bear Sterns, allowing the stock to be traded at two dollars a share. In a bid to boost investor and market confidence and gain support for their acquisition of the company, JP upped the share price to ten dollars on March 25. This rise, combined with Morgan’s assertion that they will buy newly released Stearns stock, means the company will end up purchasing 39.5% of the company at an average of $65 a share. This percentage, plus the influence of the current board, should give JP Morgan the influence it needs to gain control of the failed firm.

Topic Brief: Tibet Protests

On March 18, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

Protestors: Free Tibet! Free Tibet!

Peter Griffin: I’ll take it!

[He runs to a nearby phone booth]

Peter Griffin: Hello, China? I have something you may want. But it’s gonna cost ya. That’s right. All the tea.

Overview

While hardly a new issue, a week of violently suppressed protests has brought Tibet back to the political forefront. Specifically, Tibetan monks started non violent protests in the city of Lhasa on March 14^th. As the protests grew in size and intensity, the government response got increasingly heavy handed. This issue is especially timely considering its proximity to the Olympics and Taiwanese elections. Ever since Chinese Communists occupied the independent nation of Tibet in the 1950’s there has been struggle between the Chinese government and Tibetan separatists. Tactics that have been used to quell separatism have ranged from the outlawing to Buddhism and closing of regional boarders (both now discontinued), to the violent suppression of all dissent and cultural imperialism. Further the responses from international governments tend to be inconsistent and ineffective.

Topic Brief: 2008 Democratic March Primaries

On March 11, 2008

Overview

It’s time for another domestic briefing. With the general news cycle being slow and the elections going insane, it is time to reexamine the primaries and really go into some of the things that will give extempers an analytical edge in the inevitable “who will win” round. So we are going to briefly recap the March primaries, look to the major issues in the forthcoming states, and add some theoretical reasons to explain why things are as close as they are.

Topic Brief: Somali Politics

On March 4, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

Overview

When Somalia’s government suffered an insurgency in the early 90’s, the United States engaged the country in a disastrous military operation most people know of through Black Hawk Down. Unprepared to deal with a multisided urban war, the US mission found itself being bested by insurgents and warlords at every turn. After the failed undertaking, the US withdrew from Somalia and–leaving the country in shambles–without a functioning government for nearly two decades. However, this changed last year when the Council of Islamic Courts (CIC) appeared poised to take power in Somalia and establish a stable government. However, as the CIC gained control of the capital of Mogadishu last January, providing the first hope for peace in decades, the United States backed an Ethiopian invasion of Somalia, providing the money, weapons, and air strikes needed to topple the CIC. Since then, Somalia’s situation has deteriorated from minor political hotspot to incomparable disaster.

Topic Brief: Castro Leaves

On February 22, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

Overview

Viva Revolution! It is the end of an era in Cuba. Fidel Castro has stepped down as leader of the island. Fidel Castro had ruled the island since he led a Socialist revolution to overthrow the dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959. Batista had opened the island to US business – especially casinos. However, when Castro took power, he forced the companies to sell their assets to the government at extremely low prices. The companies saw this as theft, though the pries they were offered were the values they had set on their businesses to avoid Cuban taxes. Castro originally denied any ties to Communism and set up a meeting with president Eisenhower. However, when the US snubbed his diplomatic envoy – mainly because the country had lost a fortune when he took over, Castro turned to the Soviet Union to support his new government. Considering his status as a Socialist and ally to the USSR has led to an US embargo on the island since 1962. On February 24, 2008, he handed the presidency to his brother Raul. Considering this change will affect Cuba, US foreign policy, and international leftist politics, it is certainly worthy of a little extemp examination.

Topic Brief: Birth of Kosovo

On February 19, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

Overview

Happy Independence Day! This Briefing examines the birth of the world’s newest country – Kosovo. On Monday, February 18, 2008, Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia. Needless to say, Serbia isn’t happy that parts of its country are running like rats from a sinking ship, so it has enlisted the support of Russia to ensure that Kosovo doesn’t get recognized in the UN or other international bodies. The implications of this independence, on both Russian relations with the West and separatist movements worldwide, ensures that this topic has the far reaching impacts that will make it last a long time in extemp – and make a for a more interesting speech.

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