Good introduction to trade debate
Debate Central is a project of the National Center for Policy Analysis where overviews and evidence is provided to help spur high school policy debate.
In the spring of 2010 UIL had a topic that dealt with free trade versus protectionism. While it’s not exactly the same topic we’re covering the site features a great overview that will point you in the right direction.
Here is one helpful section:
Second, the affirmative can make the claim that free trade decreases the likelihood of war and increases peace. In 1748, Baron de Montesquieu wrote that “Peace is the natural effect of trade. Two nations who differ with each other become reciprocally dependent; for if one has an interest in buying, the other has an interest in selling; and thus their union is founded on their mutual necessities.”
This can be a powerful affirmative argument. If the United States is dependent on, say, China for trade, we may be deterred from starting a war with China because, in the end, we need the goods they give us more than we need to blow them up. Likewise, if China is dependent on the money we give them for the things they provide, they will be less likely to take extreme action in the case of a disagreement.
That would be a great stock answer to any war disadvantage… good luck with your researching.
Tomorrow, at the PSCFA coaches conference, Marse and I will be facilitating a discussion of this year’s topic and we will have some evidence to share. I’ll post everything that gets distributed sometime next week on the site so stay tuned!
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