Hey Everybody... Complete brief list

Here is the complete list of all of the briefs up on the forum for your easy enjoyment!

Because some values can be used on both sides of the resolution, I will not be specifying whether or not it is for the aff or neg.
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Value: Morality

Who decides what is moral?
Does everyone agree on what is moral?
Can you count how many different moral standards are being used in the world right now?
You said that morality comes from God, correct?
Is there more than one 'God' being claimed today?
Does everyone believe in the same God?
Does everyone define morality the same way? (see quote)

On September Eleventh, two men crashed airliners into the world trade center. They did so because they believed what they were doing was right and in accordance with their belief system. They obviously thought what they were doing was right, even though we know it wasn't. However, because their moral standard was different from ours, they had no trouble destroying a famous landmark and killing many people.

"I know only that what is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.”
-Ernest Hemmingway

Ernest clearly believes that whatever feels okay, is okay. Does this have any truth whatsoever?


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Value: The Common Good

Do men always know what is right for them?
Who decides what is good for the populous?
Is what is 'good' always right?

Hitler thought he was fulfilling the common good by killing Jews, but was he really?

“More and more, when faced with the world of men, the only reaction is one of individualism. Man alone is an end unto himself. Everything one tries to do for the common good ends in failure.” -Albert Camus
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Value: Control

Cross Ex Q's:
-Did Hitler have control during WWII?
-Did Joseph Stalin have control of Russia?
-Considering this can control be used badly?
-Do the people control the government?
-If the people control the government is it PS?
-if control is PS what is the point of having control as your value?

Historical & Current examples:
-China-baby's
-Iran-women
-Apartheid-the minorities control of South Africa produced negative results for the majority
-United States Schools-schools have become too permissive, the kids are in control of the schools. The teachers need to have control of the classrooms. Students often steal from other students IR's are disregarded. Teachers can control the students so that everyone's rights are respected and they are all equal.

Quotes:
“Liberty is the prevention of control by others. This requires self-control and, therefore, religious and spiritual influences; education, knowledge, well-being.” -Lord Acton

Judge Ed.:
-the biggest problem with valuing control is that it is so easily used wrong.
-Control gives the power to the masses to do whatever they want to anyone.
-Minorities tend to suffer when control is upheld.

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Value: Freedom of Speech

Do you agree that the majority isn't always right and isn't always doing the right things?
Do you agree that the government can respect the will of the people with limited freedom of speech?
Can freedom of speech be a bad thing?
Is limiting freedom of speech a bad thing?
Is it better to have freedom of speech with no limit?

Historic or Current Examples:

- The Tiananmen Square Massacre: People had freedom of speech and protested against the government.

Quotes:

In making a speech one must study three points: first, the means of producing persuasion; second, the language; third the proper arrangement of the various parts of the speech.
Aristotle

Judge Education:
- The problem with Freedom of Speech is it can be used wrong in many ways.
- With Freedom of Speech, some people who have strong opinions keep talking not allowing the people who don’t always have a strong opinion not to be heard because other people are talking.

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Value: Equality

- Is total equality possible?
- If so, everyone would have the same amount of power, correct?
- Then who would make the decisions?
- Who would control the country?
- Wouldn’t it be unfair to have the president run the country?
- Then equality would result in anarchy, correct?
- Then equality results in chaos, correct?

“All the citizens of a state cannot be equally powerful, but they may be equally free”
- Voltaire

“As equality increases, so does the number of people struggling for predominance.”
- Mason Cooley

“The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal”
- Aristotle

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Value: Truth
Is Truth always the same?
Do people always agree on what is true?
Do people always agree on what is real?
So would you say that truth is subjective?

Please give an example of a true government?
Can a true government not be true to its people?
Do you truly mean what you are truly saying to truly me?

Is Star Wars real?
If I say its real is it real?
They really made a movie about it didn’t they?
Is it real in the movie?
So what is real changes?

Can popular sovereignty be true?
Can there ever be a true popular sovereignty?
Can there ever be true individual rights?
Are individual rights true?

Is there any value greater then truth?
Is right a value?
Should you do what is true or what is right?
So doing what is right is more important, and truth isn’t the greatest value?

“A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it” -Oscar Wilde

I can be truly wrong.
Something can be truly not working.

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Value: Unity
Is unity uniformity?
Can people be united against popular sovereignty?
Can a government founded on individual rights be united?
Can a country always be completely united?
So would you say that the whole concept of unity is unreal?

Should we value unity over everything else?
Your value is unity, correct? and in order for a government to be legitimate it must be united, correct? If a government is not unified (and illegitimate according to you) is it necessary for the government to remove the cause?
Can an individual be strong?

If you ever come across the Revolutionary War argument, ask if the American colonies were always united. They weren’t.

Examples:
The United States weren’t always united yet they defeated the greatest military power on earth.
Samson was one yet he defeated the united philistines.

America has believed that in differentiation, not in uniformity, lies the path of progress. It acted on this belief; it has advanced human happiness, and it has prospered.
-Louis D. Brandeis (Justice on the US Supreme Court)

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Value: Unity (2)
Cross-Ex:
-If there are three people 2 want one thing and one wants something else are they unified?
-is total unity possible?
-in wars are the soldier's united?
-in wars are there usually a side in the "right" so to speak?
-can people be unified in something wrong?
-can unity in a government be found without popular sovereignty?
-can a government that respects individual right be united?
-can a monarchy be united?

Historical Examples:
Wars? Monarchies?

Quote:
“Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one” -Charles Mackay (journalist and author 1800's;)

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Value: Civil Liberties
You said a civil liberty I in a states constitution, correct?
Should people be given wrong ‘civil liberties’, such as the legalization of marijuana in California?
Is a government illegitimate if it grants its peoples wrong civil liberties?
Are men ever perfectly correct?
So can they guarantee that in their constitution, they are granting the right civil liberties?
Are there any values above Civil Liberties?
Do you think Order is one of these?
For, as you wish us to believe, civil liberties will make the governed happy?
Would you agree that popular sovereignty is an ordered gathering of the majority?

(no historical examples)

(no quotes)

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Value: Communication

Can a government ever be in total and constant communication with the people?
So complete communication is never possible?
So government can never be fully legitimate with communication?
Is America a legitimate government?
Is voting the voice of the people?
Does a government see the votes?
So they communicate with the Popular Sovereignty, like in America, which you said was legitimate?
So communicating with popular sovereignty is possible, but communicating with all the populous is not?

Joseph Stalin was in constant ‘communication with Russia during his rules because of his secret spy network. Because of said network Millions upon Millions of people died because they said one thing wrong to someone, or near someone, who was in constant communication with Stalin.

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” -George Bernard Shaw (Nobel Prize Winner for Literature)

As we can see, Mr. Shaw agrees with me in saying that communication is an illusion that does not take place. If we are trying to communicate with everyone, we will get nowhere.

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Value: Welfare

Are you aware of the total system of welfare?
Did you know that welfare money is actually tax money, which people earned?
Is money that someone earned their property?
So the government violates individual rights (making it illegitimate), and violates someone’s right to property.
Is everyone on welfare incapapable of taking care of themselves?
Is man lazy?
So we want to get things easily?
So we could apply for welfare, say we can’t work, and get money that other people worked hard to make?
Does everyone want welfare?
Does the majority?
So popular sovereignty is your way to achieve welfare?

(no historical examples)

One of the consequences of such notions as "entitlements" is that people who have contributed nothing to society feel that society owes them something, apparently just for being nice enough to grace us with their presence.”
-Thomas Sowell (American Writer and Economist)

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Value: Democracy

Does everyone ever vote?
(if yes) can you guarantee that? (if no) so we are not truly using the majority, but what some individuals want?
(following yes answer) So we don’t really know if we are using the majority or not?
So popular sovereignty might have absolutely no influence in a democracy?
Is America legitimate?
Because it is a democracy and it values democracy?
But we already said that popular sovereignty quite possibly has no influence on the government, so something else makes it legitimate?
Could this something else be respect for the governed?
Like, for example, respecting their rights?

America held a vote for the welfare bill. But that does not mean that everyone in the country voted. So, because we had a democratic government, we might have been given welfare simply because more of those who support the bill than those who negate it came out to vote?

“The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.” –Winston Churchill

“Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.” –Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist, and Critic)

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Value: Freedom According to the Law

Who makes laws?
Men?
Are men perfect?
By extension, are their laws ever going to be perfect?
Do men like freedom?
Would we like perfect freedom?
But your value is freedom according to the law, which you said was never perfect?
So we can never fully achieve freedom according to the law?

California is trying to legalize marijuana so they can tax the trafficking of it. Is it right to be able to sell marijuana to people who are addicted even though it is legal? Freedom under the law has the potential to be just as wrong as absolute freedom.

“Experience has shown, that even under the best forms (of government) those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny” -Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson obviously knows that no matter how hard a government tries, it will eventually degenerate. This could result in laws that legalize and grant freedoms that ought not to be granted.