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About This File

The goal of a theory argument is to present an issue and a route through which we can address the problem. Generally, this route is either "drop the argument" or "drop the debater".


This file is a variant of the latter route, with one significant difference: it calls for the judge to vote against the person who presented the theory argument. It relies on the metaphor of mutiny and rebellion to prove that the best way to solve a problem is to create a martyr that instigates change in the debate community. The less "fair" the treatment, the better.


This is strategic because you can very often beat people who are vastly better theory debaters than yourself by making the debate smaller. It can also function as a great timesuck; you can simultaneously neutralize a very long theory objection with a single turn and also put the ball back in the other team's court.


I also like this argument because it's applicable in almost every round. Any time theory comes up, you can use this file.


There are some drawbacks: one is opportunity cost, in that running this turn prevents you from making your own theory objections. Furthermore, you'll find that many judges have a prohibitively high threshold for such clearly abusive arguments, so be prepared to spend a lot of rebuttal time to win this position.




Table of contents:


Rosa Parks. 1

Shell 3

High Risk. 4

Low Risk. 5

O/V / Extension. 6

High Risk. 7

Low Risk. 8

AT Fairness. 9

Fairness Solvency Turns. 10

Solvency. 14

AT: â€œMartyrdom doesnâ€™t solveâ€ Gen. 15

AT: â€œWe Solve Tooâ€. 17

AT: â€œI Have to want to do it for it to workâ€. 18

AT: â€œCanâ€™t Change Anythingâ€. 21

AT: Offense. 22

AT: â€œLeads to perpetual Sacrifice / Martyrdomâ€. 23

AT: â€œMartyrdom / Sacrifice Intrinsically Badâ€. 24

AT: â€œDeath Badâ€. 25

AT: â€œYour Argument is Islamic Funamentalismâ€. 28

AT: â€œMetaphors Badâ€. 29

Other Answers. 31

AT: â€œWeâ€™re Dropping the Theoryâ€. 32

AT: Fear of Death. 33

AT: â€œMartyr Somebody Elseâ€ 34

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Just some advice: a lot of times you write 'his' when referring to the other teams theory arguments, it would be better to write their because it can be considered patriarchal discourse. The opponents aren't necessarily males.

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