Debater Toolkit Joshua Chen

Joining us today is my friend Daniel Basuk, an ex North American circuit debater studying law in Boston.

We combine perspectives to address the following: How does police abolition change the way society views and treats criminals? What is restorative justice and how does it compare to traditional notions of justice as punishment and deterrence? Finally, tips on arguing more effectively and sensitively on issues of police abolition vs reform.

What does abolishing police actually mean? What are mutually exclusive justifications for abolishing the police rather than sticking to reform? On a practical note,  is it possible to create a police-free world that is both safe and sustainable, where communities can protect themselves instead of relying on external protection? 

Would a global ban on nuclear stockpiles work? Would North Korea comply, and how does this answer change depending on the incentive structure behind North Korea's nuclear weapons program? Will any country actually use its nukes in an era of economic globalization and financial inter-dependence? Why MAD (mutually assured destruction) is a (creative) but ultimately illogical form of reassurance against a country launching a nuke. Get better at debating about nukes and North Korea!

What outcomes do government bail outs actually produce, from historical and logical perspectives? How do failing banks and business effect non institutional and institutional investors and traders? Are bailouts even necessary? (difference between types of bankruptcies) If bailouts are to be implemented, what strings should we attach in order to rectify immoral and irresponsible business practices? Get better at debating motions about government aid to the private sector, finance, and investors!

Should the government ban speech? How exactly does hate speech harm individual identity and pollute healthy discourse? Conversely, is it plausible to rely on the free market of ideas to control hate speech, and run the risk of empowering hate through creating a taboo around it? Become better at debating hate speech and general discourse motions! 

Is culture collectively owned, or exclusively controlled by one community? Does the answer depend on whether we treat culture as an evolving way of life or as physical artifacts? This episode explores the process of how culture is created,  and provides three principles governing who gets to control its usage, representation, and dissemination - 1. effort, 2. ancestry, and 3. restitution. Get better at debating motions on cultural commercialization, integration of indigenous cultures into the mainstream, and representation of culture and history in modern education!