Disadvantages

1. Disadvantages David Henning Director of Debate Lakeland College, The Sheb and The North

2. Disadvantages • What is a disadvantage? It is a bad thing that happens as a result of implementing the affirmative plan. Thus, if we have the USFG investing in Mexico’s energy infrastructure, something bad will happen. • In the world of disadvantages, there are many bad things that happen. Economic collapse, climate change, great power war, dehumanization. No matter what, the final (terminal) impact will be horrible—like we all die. Human extinction, destruction of the biosphere, extinction of all life.

3. Disadvantages • Why run disadvantages? Several reasons. • If you only respond to the affirmative case (1AC), you have almost no chance to win the round. Why? The affirmative will claim some advantages, so if you attack those advantages, but do not defeat them completely, 100%, in the absence of a reason not to do the plan, why not try? • A disadvantage provides you with that reason not to do the affirmative plan. • A disadvantage provides you with something that outweighs the affirmative advantages. • A disadvantage helps give you the initiative in the round. You are forcing the affirmative to talk about what you want to talk about rather than just debating on their turf.

4. Disadvantages • Why run Disadvantages (continued)? • Disadvantages can increase time management pressure on the affirmative. • Disadvantages provide you with more options to win the round. • Running more than one disadvantage increases all of these pressures. • Running one or more disadvantages increases the chance that the argument(s) will be undercovered by the affirmative. • Disadvantages, when properly extended by 2NC or 1NR can put you in a good position to win the debate.

5. Disadvantages • When should you run disadvantages? • Every (negative) round. • In round, always run the disadvantage in the 1NC, and do so at the top of the speech. Why? Force the 2AC to answer them, thus using their speech time. That also allows you to answer the 2AC arguments in depth in the negative block, which can make life difficult for the 1AR. • Why not run disadvantages in the 2NC? It is considered unethical by some judges (but not me, since 2NC is a constructive speech). The real reason is that running it in the 2NC allows 1AR to answer it with a few blippy answers. It also robs you of the great advantage of the negative block, which is that you have time to answer 2AC stuff substantively.

6. Disadvantages • What does a disadvantage consist of? What are the parts of a disadvantage? • A disadvantage consists of three or four parts, depending on the disadvantage. • A disadvantage must always be unique. In a disadvantage, this is usually the first card. Uniqueness means that only the plan will cause the disadvantage. If the disadvantage is happening, or will happen anyways, then it is not a reason to reject the plan. • A disadvantage must always have a link. This is the argument that says the affirmative plan does or causes something. Example—passing the plan means Obama uses his political capital. The link is what “gets you in the door.”

7. Disadvantages • What does a disadvantage consist of? What are the parts of a disadvantage? Continued. • A disadvantage needs an internal link. An internal link takes you from the link to the impact. Think of it as going from step A to C (or in a DA organization usually B to D). • A disadvantage needs an impact. That’s the bad thing that results from the adoption of the affirmative plan. • Sometimes a disadvantage will have a brink. Brink means that we are close to the disadvantage happening, and the affirmative plan makes it happen, pushes it “over the brink.” Think “getting pushed over a cliff.” • Disadvantages usually need a time frame. That’s unusually in the shell

8. Disadvantages • Example • A. Uniqueness. Obama’s political capital is high now. • B. Link. Plan costs Obama political capital. • C. Internal Link. Loss of political capital prevents US economic reform • D. Internal Link. Failure to reform US economy causes world wide economic collapse. • E. Impact. World Wide Economic collapse causes multiple nuclear wars and the extinction of all life. • Note—in many Disadvantages C and D are all in one card.

9. Disadvantages • Types of Disadvantages • Politics. Probably the most popular disadvantage. Politics Das say Obama’s political capital is limited. Obama is forced to use his political capital to get the affirmative plan passed. Since Obama used his political capital, there is something else important that he cannot get passed, and that is really bad. Examples: Immigration, fiscal or banking reform, budget reform, international issues (Ngorno-Karabakh, CTBT, African medical assistance). There are dozens of scenarios. • Mindsets. The affirmative plan reinforces: racism, sexism, LGBT hatred, capitalism or some other school of thought. Often, these arguments are run as Kritiks. • Hegemony or other military Disadvantages. The aff plan damages (or increases) US heg, and that is bad,

10. Disadvantages • Types of Disadvantages • Military. China Sphere of Influence, China attack, Russia, India/Pakistan. Lots of possibilities. Terrorism, Iran prolif, North Korea. • Economic. Trade, economic collapse of the US, or Russia, or China, or the EU. All of which are bad and lead to war. • Environment. Lots here too. Climate change is huge, and can be good or bad. Good? Ice Age DA. Bad? Of course. In any number of ways, we all die. Sea level rise, warming, species extinction (such as Dugongs), food or water shortage. • Weird. Nazi moonbase, Zombie apocalypse, alien attack; many possibilities.

11. Disadvantages • Specific Disadvantages. • Politics—Immigration. It’s in the MUDI packet, and will be in other camp’s packets. Until immigration reform passes, it will be a popular DA. • Uniqueness—immigration reform will pass now. • Link—Economic Engagement with Mexico is unpopular with Congress. • Internal Link—Obama’s political capital needed to pass bill. • Impact—notice there is no impact provided in the 1NC shell. That’s because there are several different impacts available, and you can choose the one you think will work best against a specific affirmative. Failure to pass immigration reform can: turn hegemony, destroy medical research, India relations. Show index. • Note, the DA is about immigration reform generally, not just Mexico. If immigration reform does not pass, it impacts other groups and nations.

12. Disadvantages • Specific Disadvantages. • China Sphere of Influence. • Uniqueness—China’s influence in Latin America is expanding. • Link—Lack of US influence key to China’s expansion; economic engagement increased US influence in Latin America. • Internal Link—China influence is key to survival of humans. • Impact—the internal link card contains some impacts. One could add another impact card, like terrorism or climate change cause war or extinction, or one could save that for the 2NC/1NR

13. Disadvantages • Specific Disadvantages. • Ice Age DA. • Uniqueness—Ice Age coming now. • Link—transportation reform reduces CO2 and GHGs (for this year, it will be economic engagement with Mexico’s energy infrastructure reduces CO2). • Internal link—CO2 and GHGs needed to prevent Ice Age. • Impact—Ice Age bad, worse than Global Warming. • Note—there is a brink in the extensions. We’re on the brink now—Ice Age could happen now, and aff makes it worse.

14. Disadvantages • Specific Disadvantages. • Oil Disadvantage. • Uniqueness—Oil prices high now. • Link—Modernizing transportation infrastructure reduces US oil demand (this year, US investment in Mexican energy infrastructure reduces US oil demand). • Internal link—Drop in oil process causes Russian nationalism. • Impact—Russian nationalism equals extinction.

15. Disadvantages • Specific Disadvantages. • Exceptionalism DA. • Uniqueness—America moving away from exceptionalism • Link—Infrastructure (economic engagement) key to restoring exceptionalism • Internal link— • Impact—Exceptionalism kills rights, dehumanizes and is root cause of war and racism.

16. Disadvantages • Specific Disadvantages • Beef DA • Uniqueness—Beef consumption at all time low • Link—Improving economy increases consumption of beef • Internal link—Increased beef consumption increases antibiotic resistance • Impact—Antibiotic resistance equals extinction.