U.S.-Vietnamese Relations (2016)

[fblike]

Extempers that have had any introduction to American history are aware that the United States and Vietnam have had a strained relationship since American troops attempted to prevent Vietnam from becoming a communist country during the Cold War.  For eight year, American troops had a sizeable presence in Vietnam, culminating in a phased-down withdrawal in 1973 that eventually contributed to the downfall of the West-aligned South Vietnamese government.  Since the 1990s the United States had moved to repair its relationship with Vietnam, which remains a communist country, but issues relating to the whereabouts of unaccounted for prisoners of war (POW) and human rights have complicated such efforts.  This week, President Barack Obama traveled to Vietnam, becoming the third U.S. president to do so.  During that visit he said that the U.S. would ends its decades-long arms embargo against Vietnam on the condition that the Vietnamese government respect human rights.  Observers wonder whether America’s move is part of a way to counter China, which is currently engaged in several territorial disputes with Vietnam in the South China Sea.

This topic brief will provide some important vocabulary that extempers need to be aware of when discussing U.S.-Vietnamese relations, reasons for the United States to form a close relationship with Vietnam, and obstacles that could emerge on the path toward more amicable relations between both sides.

Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.

R&D: U.S.-Vietnamese Relations (2016)

[fblike]

Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on U.S.-Vietnamese relations (2016).

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of May 23-29, 2016

[fblike]

Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.  Good luck!

To accesquiz-01s a list of all our old quizzes, click here.

R&D from Prepd: President Obama’s New Overtime Regulations

[fblike]

l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete!  Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

This R&D provides resources on President Barack Obama’s new overtime rules.  The Obama administration announced last week issued regulations that require employers to pay overtime to employees that make up to $46,476 per year.  The administration says that it will add billions to the economy, but critics warn that it will be another impediment towards the hiring of new employees in some sectors.

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of May 23-29, 2016

[fblike]

HOTtopics1. How can El Salvador more effectively combat its gang problem?
2. Will the G7 meeting provide a political boost for Shinzo Abe?
3. Should Portugal and Spain be fined for missing their fiscal targets?
4. Does Burundi need to have good relations with Rwanda?
5. Will Mexico legalize gay marriage?
6. What steps do global health authorities need to take to combat antibiotic resistance?
7. Should Vietnam become a formal ally of the United States?
8. Can Brazil’s new governing party fix the nation’s economic recession?
9. Would the British economy benefit by existing outside of the European Union?
10. Will the EgyptAir Flight 804 crash destroy the Egyptian tourism industry?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of May 23-29, 2016

[fblike]

HOTtopics1. What lessons should California learn from its water crisis?
2. Is President Obama’s new overtime rule bad for workers?
3. Who is the most vulnerable senator of the 2016 election cycle?
4. Is college debt weighing down the U.S. economy?
5. Do American urban areas need more green spaces?
6. Is voter apathy the cause for America’s current political polarization?
7. What will the Obama administration’s legacy be when it comes to issues that affect the African-American community?
8. Do “excessive profits” exist?
9. Would the end of lethal injection mean the end of the death penalty in America?
10. What should Bernie Sanders demand at the Democratic convention?

R&D from Prepd: Weekly Roundup for the Week of May 16-22, 2016

[fblike]

l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete!  Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of May 16-22, 2016.

R&D from Prepd: The TSA & Passenger Lines

[fblike]

l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete!  Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

This R&D provides resources on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and growing passenger lines at the nation’s airports.  The TSA is under fire for not effectively handling growing lines at some of the nation’s largest airports in Chicago and Atlanta, although it claims it has not received the funding for additional personnel.  The TSA also says that not enough passengers have signed up for a pre-check program and that is also contributing to the headaches.  Some Republicans on Capitol Hill such as Illinois Senator Mark Kirk have demanded that TSA head Peter Neffenger do more to fix the problems or resign, while others say that airports should privatize their security.

The Decline of Leftism in Latin America

[fblike]

For the past decade and a half, leftist politicians in Latin America were elected at a higher rate than their conservative counterparts.  These leftist leaders, which included Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, Brazil’s Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva, Bolivia’s Evo Morales, and Argentina’s Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, all campaigned on promises of enlarging the welfare structures of their respective states and some, including Chavez and Morales, made moves to nationalize elements of the national economy to better distribute resource wealth to their people.  However, falling global demand for commodities, in addition to corruption scandals and poor policy decisions, have created a gradual backlash against leftist leaders in the region.  Whereas once it was great to rail against “neoliberal” economic policies and American influence, voters in Latin America have begun to give free market, conservative leaders an audience due to economic downturns, anxieties about the fiscal soundness of some Latin American nations, and shortages of vital consumer goods (notably in Venezuela).

This topic brief will provide important vocabulary when discussing the fall of leftist ideologies in Latin America, explain some reasons why leftist politicians had appeal to voters in Latin America until recently, and analyze why conservative politicians are making a comeback in the region.

Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.

R&D: The Decline of Leftism in Latin America

[fblike]

Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on the decline of leftism in Latin America.

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of May 16-22, 2016

[fblike]

Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.  Good luck!

To accesquiz-01s a list of all our old quizzes, click here.

R&D from Prepd: The Rousseff Impeachment Saga

[fblike]

l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete!  Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

This R&D provides resources on the ongoing impeachment saga engulfing Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.  The Brazilian Senate voted last week to put Rousseff on trial.  She stands accused of illegally manipulating public finances and will now be forced to vacate the presidential palace while lawmakers consider her fate.  The trial might take six months, which could mean that Rousseff will miss being Brazil’s official head of state during the Summer Olympics.  Her supporters charge that she is a victim of a legislative coup.

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of May 16-22, 2016

[fblike]

HOTtopics1. What should American conservatism look like?
2. Will President Obama’s argument for trasgender bathroom rights lead to an expansion of private school enrollment?
3. Should federal regulators pay more attention to the activities of Google and Amazon?
4. Will John McCain lose his Senate seat?
5. How will Pfizer’s decision to stop selling drugs for lethal injections impact death penalty practices in the United States?
6. Will personality or policy determine the otucome of the 2016 presidential election?
7. Are long airport screening wait times a national crisis?
8. Can Hillary Clinton afford to lose a significant percentage of blue collar workers in the general election?
9. Has “political correctness” dulled American culture?
10. Should illegal immigrants have access to benefits under the ACA?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of May 16-22, 2016

[fblike]

HOTtopics1. Can the world successfully eliminate extreme poverty in the next two decades?
2. Should Australian states sign treaties with indigenous peoples?
3. Is the Rousseff impeachment saga sexist?
4. Should Russia welcome a Donald Trump presidency?
5. Can the Afghan government’s accord with Hez-i-Islami provide a template for further peace deals?
6. Should Pope Francis allow women to be deacons?
7. Would Latin America benefit from a dose of libertarian economic thinking?
8. Should the Nepali government make further constitutional changes to appease ethnic minorities?
9. Will Venezuela’s economic crisis create a refugee crisis in South America?
10. Is Israeli rhetoric about Iran’s nuclear program overblown?

R&D from Prepd: Weekly Roundup for the Week of May 9-15, 2016

[fblike]

l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete!  Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of May 9-15, 2016.

Page 81 of 280

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén