Tag: international extemp topic brief Page 2 of 3

Topic Brief: Syria and Iran as Agents of Change in the Middle East

By Logan Scisco

On October 15, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

By Omar Qureshi

The Middle East has long been an area of major misunderstanding for the west. Whether it is the volatile nature of popular will in Iran or the legacy politics in Syria there doesn’t seem to be a clear, general regional trend. The challenge of this understanding has led to many different foreign policy approaches towards the region as a whole. Regardless of whether it has been Clinton’s “aesthetic peace policy” or the much more expansive “Bush Doctrine” of preemptive war, these policies are specifically developed for the Middle East. Moreover, these policies have embraced the 1975 idea of Pax Syriana. This term literally means “Syrian peace,” but international relations theorists have taken it to mean the attempted reshaping of the Middle East to the desires of major actors. Clinton wanted peace- or at least the appearance of peace and George W. Bush wants to develop strategic alliances backed by hard power- a move that has substantially disenfranchised the Middle East on the whole. The preeminent actors in the Middle East today are Syria and Iran.

Topic Brief: Somalia (2008)

On October 15, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

Background

With the seizure two weeks ago of the MV Faina, a Ukrainian freighter, by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, the world and its press have suddenly rediscovered the problems that exist in Somalia. Piracy off of Somalia’s waters is hardly a new phenomenon and is increasing on a yearly basis, with the international community too divided or apathetic to achieve a joint solution to the problem. What makes the seizure of the MV Faina important was that according to The Economist on October 4, 2008, the Faina had been equipped with anti-aircraft guns, grenade launchers, light weaponry, and 33 T-72 Russian tanks. Analysts fear that the pirates may have been able to ship much of the lighter weaponry to their allies in Somalia, although the chances of them being able to use the bigger weapons on board are slim. The seizure also has geopolitical implications in Africa, as the tanks on board were supposedly bound for southern Sudan, which is watching the clock and waiting for an opportunity to declare independence from Muslim-dominated northern Sudan in 2011.

Over the last two decades, Somali has had a very turbulent history, racked by civil wars and clan violence. Experienced extempers might note that they have had to focus on Somali before, when Ethiopia invaded the country to crush Islamic rebels in 2006. Today, extempers will need to focus on Somalia because the worsening political situation in the country has ramifications for the east Africa region as well as for the war on terrorism in the United States. Furthermore, the topic of Somali piracy is sure to emerge in question sets over the next month due to the fact that the world is trying to clamp down on surging pirate attacks, which threaten commerce in the Gulf of Aden, which has ten percent of the world’s shipping.

This brief will seek to provide extempers with some historical background about Somalia as well as briefly discuss several of the problems the country faces in the near future.

Topic Brief: South African Politics (2008)

On October 7, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

Background

Over the last several weeks, international extempers have most likely read about the recent political developments in South Africa, arguably the strongest power on the African continent. For those extempers that have not had a chance to catch up on these developments, Thabo Mbeki is no longer president of the country. After a prolonged political struggle between Jacob Zuma, who was Mr. Mbeki’s deputy president (a position most akin to vice-president in the United States) and who deposed Mr. Mbeki as leader of the African National Congress (ANC) in December, it appears that Mr. Zuma has won. This victory came within the span of a month when Mr. Zuma was first acquitted of fraud and corruption charges based on a judicial technicality. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the body of the South African judiciary who initiates criminal cases for the government, was said in the dismissal of the charges to have been influenced in its prosecution by Mr. Mbeki and his supporters. This finding by the judge overseeing Mr. Zuma’s case gave weight to charges, long echoed by Mr. Zuma’s supporters that Mr. Mbeki has been an overzealous president who has been intolerant of political opposition and that Mr. Mbeki has been willing to use the instruments of the state to clamp down on this dissent. On September 20^th, the ANC decided that Mr. Mbeki should resign his post in order to end the political struggle that has gripped the country for three years.

Having set the background, this brief will give an overview of the structure and history of South Africa’s political system, the current state of the government, and what challenges that government faces in the future.

Topic Brief: Zimbabwe Unity Government

On September 30, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

Overview

President Robert Mugabe and his main rival agreed to divide control of the police and army and strike a delicate balance in Zimbabwe’s Cabinet — but their power-sharing deal will be under enormous pressure from long-simmering differences and economic collapse. Some members of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s party have already complained that the compromise didn’t do enough to sideline Mugabe. Western nations poised to send in sorely needed aid and investment also are wary of the man accused of holding onto power through violence and fraud and ruining the economy of what had been southern Africa’s breadbasket.

Topic Brief: Russia’s Foreign Policy

On September 15, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

By Sebastian Pyrek

Recent events in the Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, with a special focus on the Russian involvement in the former republic, are strong evidence that Russia is undergoing another resurgence on the international stage. Nearly two decades have passed since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, but there is a strong nationalistic spirit that never fell has returned to power; spearheaded by former President and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin this movement has allowed the Russian phoenix to rise from the ashes of the USSR and regain its power on the international stage. Russia’s involvement in Ukrainian and Belarusian politics, Estonian and Georgian post-soviet sovereignty, and international energy markets (to name a few) shows that Russia’s intentions are egocentric at best. Russia‘s recent posturing indicates that its leadership rejects the idea that the international community should be monopolar with the USA in power.[1]

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: 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: 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: 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.

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