Tournament: Berkeley | Round: 2 | Opponent: Clovis North TP | Judge: Tres Pittman
GBN HK – Cuba Embargo Aff
1AC
1ac – relations
Contention one --- Latin American relations
U.S.-Latin American relations are deteriorating --- undermines the development of strong regionalism
Inter-American Dialogue, 12 – the Inter-American Dialogue is the leading US center for policy analysis, exchange, and communication on issues in Western Hemisphere affairs (“Remaking the Relationship The United States and Latin America”, April 2012, http://www.thedialogue.org/PublicationFiles/IAD2012PolicyReportFINAL.pdf)
What is at stake is the future of inter-American relations, which today
AND
missed . Well-developed ideas for reversing these disappointing trends are scarce.
The plan is the vital internal link --- greater economic engagement is the litmus test for engaging all of Latin America
Perez, 10 ¬– JD, Yale Law (David, “America's Cuba Policy: The Way Forward: A Policy Recommendation for the U.S. State Department” 13 Harv. Latino L. Rev. 187, Spring, lexis)
Anti-Americanism has become the political chant de jour for leaders seeking long-
AND
throughout Latin America, and would go a long way toward creating goodwill.
Cuba is the number one issue in U.S.-Latin American relations
Perez, 10 ¬– JD, Yale Law (David, “America's Cuba Policy: The Way Forward: A Policy Recommendation for the U.S. State Department” 13 Harv. Latino L. Rev. 187, Spring, lexis)
Third, the Obama Administration ignores Latin America at its own peril. Latin America's
AND
but also the pragmatism that has made America so great to begin with.
Now is key --- if Latin American countries don’t receive greater U.S. engagement, they’ll transition to independence
Valencia, 5/20/13 – political analyst and contributing writer for Global Voices Online Robert, “U.S. and Latin America: Economic Cooperation without Militarization?”, http://www.worldpolicy.org/blog/2013/05/20/us-and-latin-america-economic-cooperation-without-militarization)
In May, President Barack Obama visited Mexico and Costa Rica and vowed to strengthen
AND
Latin American countries will forge ahead with economic and security integration amongst themselves.

Oil spill cooperation denies their links
Tampa Tribune 1/29/14 (Tampa Tribune, January 29, 2014, http://tbo.com/news/politics/new-oil-spill-pact-between-us-cuba-has-tampa-roots-20140129/)
TAMPA — In a deal initiated in Tampa, the U.S. is
AND
protocol is designed to clear away red tape that could slow the process.

Recent cooperation should have triggered the link
Reuters 2/6/14 (David Adams and Daniel Trotta, Reuters, February 6, 2014, http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/02/06/usa-cuba-idINDEEA150AV20140206)
Officials from both countries have told Reuters that U.S.-Cuban relations have
AND
the 1990s, in U.S. President Bill Clinton's first term.

The plan is key to bolster stronger regionalism --- key to Cuban democratization
Inter-American Dialogue, 12 – the Inter-American Dialogue is the leading US center for policy analysis, exchange, and communication on issues in Western Hemisphere affairs (“Remaking the Relationship The United States and Latin America”, April 2012, http://www.thedialogue.org/PublicationFiles/IAD2012PolicyReportFINAL.pdf)
The democratic outlook in the Americas is on balance positive, particularly when compared with
AND
US concern about human rights violations, would be an important first step.
It also sparks a Cuban economic transition --- that’s the first step toward democracy
Lopez-Levy, 13 (Arturo, “A Post-Castro Era Looms for Cuba”, April 17, 2013 Arturo Lopez-Levy is a PhD Candidate at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies of the University of Denver, http://www.fpif.org/articles/a_post-castro_era_looms_for_cuba)
In the last five years, the Cuban government has created an important institutional foundation
AND
would put the U.S. embargo against the island in jeopardy.
Cuban democracy spills over to the rest of the region
Santons, 8 – chairman of the Cuban American National Foundation (Jorge Mas, “How to Win the Cuban American Vote,” Washington Post, 25 October 2008, http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2008-10-25/opinions/36910345_1_cuban-dissidents-travel-and-remittances-cuban-americans)
U.S. policy toward Cuba is at best static and at worst counterproductive
AND
effect on Floridians and Cuban Americans nationwide. It has in the past.
Current Cuba policy wrecks OAS credibility
Reuters, 12 (Brian Ellsworth, “Despite Obama charm, Americas summit boosts U.S. isolation,” 4/16/12, http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/16/us-americas-summit-obama-idUSBRE83F0UD20120416)
(Reuters) - President Barack Obama sat patiently through diatribes, interruptions and even
AND
," said Geoff Thale, program director at the Washington Office on Latin America
An effective OAS is key to Latin American democracy
Inter-American Dialogue, 12 – the Inter-American Dialogue is the leading US center for policy analysis, exchange, and communication on issues in Western Hemisphere affairs (“Remaking the Relationship The United States and Latin America”, April 2012, http://www.thedialogue.org/PublicationFiles/IAD2012PolicyReportFINAL.pdf)
Even as Latin America expands its global reach and presence, it is important that
AND
, in order to regain a central role in inter-American affairs.
The plan sends a clear signal that reinvigorates the OAS
White, 13 – Senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and former U.S. ambassador to Paraguay and El Salvador (Robert, “After Chávez, a Chance to Rethink Relations With Cuba”, New York Times, 3/7/13, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/08/opinion/after-chavez-hope-for-good-neighbors-in-latin-america.html?pagewanted=all)//TL
FOR most of our history, the United States assumed that its security was inextricably
AND
cooperating in matters of common concern would be reduced to a historical footnote.
Latin American democracy is key to global democracy
Hillman, 2 – Ph.D., Professor and Director, Institute for the Study of Democracy and Human Rights, St. John Fisher College (Richard S., Democracy and Human Rights in Latin Americai, Preface, p. vii) SP
Latin American experiences, especially in the areas of democratization and human rights protection,
AND
human rights have definitively entered the political lexicon and discourse throughout the world.
Democracy prevents extinction
Diamond, 95 - Hoover Institute Senior Fellow (Larry, “Promoting Democracy in the 1990s,” http://wwics.si.edu/subsites/ccpdc/pubs/di/fr.htm)
This hardly exhausts the lists of threats to our security and well-being in
AND
which a new world order of international security and prosperity can be built. 

And empirics prove it prevents war
Muravchik 1 (Josh, Resident Scholar – AEI, “Democracy and Nuclear Peace”, July, http://www.npec-web.org/Syllabus/Muravchik.pdf)
The greatest impetus for world peace -- and perforce of nuclear peace -- is the
AND
accommodate those interests except when the other party's behavior seems threatening or outrageous.

Relations spur effective global cooperation in preventing terrorist theft of nuclear weapons
Inter-American Dialogue 12 (“Remaking the Relationship The United States and Latin America”, the Inter-American Dialogue is the leading US center for policy analysis, exchange, and communication on issues in Western Hemisphere affairs, April 2012, http://www.thedialogue.org/PublicationFiles/IAD2012PolicyReportFINAL.pdf)
In addition to economic and financial matters, Brazil and other Latin American nations are
AND
consultation and collaboration on a new, more effective approach to the problem.
Terrorism is probable --- there’s nuclear theft now
Dahl, 7/1/13 – Specialist Correspondent (Frederik, “Governments warn about nuclear terrorism threat,” 7/1/13, http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/01/us-nuclear-security-idUSBRE96010E20130701)
(Reuters) - More action is needed to prevent militants acquiring plutonium or highly
AND
. "Some material goes missing and is never found," he said.
Nuclear terrorism results in all-out nuclear war and extinction
Ayson, 10 –Professor of Strategic Studies and Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand at the Victoria University of Wellington (Robert, “After a Terrorist Nuclear Attack: Envisaging Catalytic Effects,” Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 33.7, InformaWorld)
But these two nuclear worlds—a non-state actor nuclear attack and a
AND
be admitted that any preemption would probably still meet with a devastating response.
1ac – plan text
The United States federal government should substantially ease its economic restrictions on the Republic of Cuba.

1ac – agriculture
Contention two --- agriculture
Global agricultural collapse is inevitable --- destroys the environment and causes food scarcity --- several indicators demonstrate the necessity of a sustainable agriculture model
Peters, 10 –  LL.M. expected 2011, University of Arkansas School of Law, Graduate Program in Agricultural and Food Law; J.D. 2010, University of Oregon School of Law (Kathryn, “Creating a Sustainable Urban Agriculture Revolution” J. ENVTL. LAW AND LITIGATION Vol. 25, 203, http://law.uoregon.edu/org/jell/docs/251/peters.pdf)
The U.S. agricultural system is becoming increasingly more concentrated, specialized,
AND
response to rapidly changing climate conditions and will help to ensure food security.

Cuba’s model of urban agriculture is a sustainable alternative
Peters, 10 –  LL.M. expected 2011, University of Arkansas School of Law, Graduate Program in Agricultural and Food Law; J.D. 2010, University of Oregon School of Law (Kathryn, “Creating a Sustainable Urban Agriculture Revolution” J. ENVTL. LAW AND LITIGATION Vol. 25, 203, http://law.uoregon.edu/org/jell/docs/251/peters.pdf)
While urban agriculture was a response to a dramatic crisis in Cuba’s history, through
AND
a new economy for many Cubans without negatively impacting the environment or society.

Only the plan makes the Cuban model viable --- the U.S. export market is key
Kost, 4 – agricultural economist, Specialty Crops Branch, Economic Research Service, US Department of Agriculture (William, “CUBAN AGRICULTURE: TO BE OR NOT TO BE ORGANIC?” http://www.ascecuba.org/publications/proceedings/volume14/pdfs/kost.pdf)
In addition to the above European markets, the successful expansion and viability of Cuba’s
AND
domestic consumption in an environment where other production approaches are just not available.

The plan jumpstarts U.S. investment in Cuban organoponics --- that causes a global urban agricultural revolution
Shkolnick, 12 - J.D. Candidate, Drake University Law School (Jacob, “SIN EMBARGO: n1 THE CUBAN AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE UNITED STATES” 17 Drake J. Agric. L. 683, Fall, lexis)
VI. New Opportunities While investment in Cuban businesses and sales or purchases of Cuban
AND
may be just what is needed to allow for urban agriculture to flourish.
That prevents U.S. agricultural collapse --- extinction
Peters, 10 –  LL.M. expected 2011, University of Arkansas School of Law, Graduate Program in Agricultural and Food Law; J.D. 2010, University of Oregon School of Law (Kathryn, “Creating a Sustainable Urban Agriculture Revolution” J. ENVTL. LAW AND LITIGATION Vol. 25, 203, http://law.uoregon.edu/org/jell/docs/251/peters.pdf)
An adequate food supply is essential for the survival of the human race. Historically
AND
urban areas with access to an adequate supply of fresh, nutritious food.
Environmental collapse risks extinction
Ehrlich, 13 – Professor of Biology and Senior Research Scientist in Biology @ Stanford University (Paul R. Ehrlich (President of the Center for Conservation Biology @ Stanford University) and Anne H. Ehrlich, “Can a collapse of global civilization be avoided?,” Proceedings of the Royal Society Biological Sciences, Proc. R. Soc. B 2013 280, published online 9 January 2013)
Virtually every past civilization has eventually undergone collapse, a loss of socio-political
AND
it from generating a global collapse is perhaps the foremost challenge confronting humanity.
Industrial agriculture ensures bioterrorism
Peters, 10 –  LL.M. expected 2011, University of Arkansas School of Law, Graduate Program in Agricultural and Food Law; J.D. 2010, University of Oregon School of Law (Kathryn, “Creating a Sustainable Urban Agriculture Revolution” J. ENVTL. LAW AND LITIGATION Vol. 25, 203, http://law.uoregon.edu/org/jell/docs/251/peters.pdf)
In order to be capable of sustaining itself, the United States must eliminate dependence
AND
in the event of an attack on U.S. transportation infrastructures.
Extinction
Matheny, 7 – Research associate, Future of Humanity Institute, Oxford University (Jason G., “Reducing the Risk of Human Extinction,” Risk Analysis, Volume 27, Number 5, http://www.upmchealthsecurity.org/website/resources/publications/2007/2007-10-15-reducingrisk.html)
Of current extinction risks, the most severe may be bioterrorism. The knowledge needed
AND
such experiments because the bene?ts do not seem to be worth the risks.

Tournament: Greenhill | Round: Doubles | Opponent: CE Byrd GN | Judge: Toby Whistenhunt, Colin Quinn, Juan Garcia
Cites are in Open Source Document

Tournament: Greenhill | Round: 2 | Opponent: Westminster HL | Judge: Katie Klante
Greenhill Round 2 --- Aff v. Westminster HL

1AC

1ac – relations

U.S.-Latin American relations are deteriorating --- undermines the development of strong regionalism
Inter-American Dialogue, 12 – the Inter-American Dialogue is the leading US center for policy analysis, exchange, and communication on issues in Western Hemisphere affairs (“Remaking the Relationship The United States and Latin America”, April 2012, http://www.thedialogue.org/PublicationFiles/IAD2012PolicyReportFINAL.pdf)
What is at stake is the future of inter-American relations, which today
AND
missed . Well-developed ideas for reversing these disappointing trends are scarce.

The plan is the vital internal link --- greater economic engagement is the litmus test for engaging all of Latin America
Perez, 10 ¬– JD, Yale Law (David, “America's Cuba Policy: The Way Forward: A Policy Recommendation for the U.S. State Department” 13 Harv. Latino L. Rev. 187, Spring, lexis)
Anti-Americanism has become the political chant de jour for leaders seeking long-
AND
throughout Latin America, and would go a long way toward creating goodwill.

Cuba is the number one issue in U.S.-Latin American relations
Perez, 10 ¬– JD, Yale Law (David, “America's Cuba Policy: The Way Forward: A Policy Recommendation for the U.S. State Department” 13 Harv. Latino L. Rev. 187, Spring, lexis)
Third, the Obama Administration ignores Latin America at its own peril. Latin America's
AND
but also the pragmatism that has made America so great to begin with.

Now is key --- if Latin American countries don’t receive greater U.S. engagement, they’ll transition to independence
Valencia, 5/20/13 – political analyst and contributing writer for Global Voices Online Robert, “U.S. and Latin America: Economic Cooperation without Militarization?”, http://www.worldpolicy.org/blog/2013/05/20/us-and-latin-america-economic-cooperation-without-militarization)
In May, President Barack Obama visited Mexico and Costa Rica and vowed to strengthen
AND
Latin American countries will forge ahead with economic and security integration amongst themselves.

The plan is key to bolster stronger regionalism --- key to Cuban democratization
Inter-American Dialogue, 12 – the Inter-American Dialogue is the leading US center for policy analysis, exchange, and communication on issues in Western Hemisphere affairs (“Remaking the Relationship The United States and Latin America”, April 2012, http://www.thedialogue.org/PublicationFiles/IAD2012PolicyReportFINAL.pdf)
The democratic outlook in the Americas is on balance positive, particularly when compared with
AND
US concern about human rights violations, would be an important first step.

It also sparks a Cuban economic transition --- that’s the first step toward democracy
Lopez-Levy, 13 (Arturo, “A Post-Castro Era Looms for Cuba”, April 17, 2013 Arturo Lopez-Levy is a PhD Candidate at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies of the University of Denver, http://www.fpif.org/articles/a_post-castro_era_looms_for_cuba)
In the last five years, the Cuban government has created an important institutional foundation
AND
would put the U.S. embargo against the island in jeopardy.

Cuban democracy spills over to the rest of the region
Santons, 8 – chairman of the Cuban American National Foundation (Jorge Mas, “How to Win the Cuban American Vote,” Washington Post, 25 October 2008, http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2008-10-25/opinions/36910345_1_cuban-dissidents-travel-and-remittances-cuban-americans)
U.S. policy toward Cuba is at best static and at worst counterproductive
AND
effect on Floridians and Cuban Americans nationwide. It has in the past.

Current Cuba policy wrecks OAS credibility
Reuters, 12 (Brian Ellsworth, “Despite Obama charm, Americas summit boosts U.S. isolation,” 4/16/12, http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/16/us-americas-summit-obama-idUSBRE83F0UD20120416)
(Reuters) - President Barack Obama sat patiently through diatribes, interruptions and even
AND
," said Geoff Thale, program director at the Washington Office on Latin America

An effective OAS is key to Latin American democracy
Inter-American Dialogue, 12 – the Inter-American Dialogue is the leading US center for policy analysis, exchange, and communication on issues in Western Hemisphere affairs (“Remaking the Relationship The United States and Latin America”, April 2012, http://www.thedialogue.org/PublicationFiles/IAD2012PolicyReportFINAL.pdf)
Even as Latin America expands its global reach and presence, it is important that
AND
, in order to regain a central role in inter-American affairs.

The plan sends a clear signal that reinvigorates the OAS
White, 13 – Senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and former U.S. ambassador to Paraguay and El Salvador (Robert, “After Chávez, a Chance to Rethink Relations With Cuba”, New York Times, 3/7/13, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/08/opinion/after-chavez-hope-for-good-neighbors-in-latin-america.html?pagewanted=all)//TL
FOR most of our history, the United States assumed that its security was inextricably
AND
cooperating in matters of common concern would be reduced to a historical footnote.

Latin American democracy is key to global democracy
Hillman, 2 – Ph.D., Professor and Director, Institute for the Study of Democracy and Human Rights, St. John Fisher College (Richard S., Democracy and Human Rights in Latin Americai, Preface, p. vii) SP
Latin American experiences, especially in the areas of democratization and human rights protection,
AND
human rights have definitively entered the political lexicon and discourse throughout the world.

Democracy prevents extinction
Diamond, 95 - Hoover Institute Senior Fellow (Larry, “Promoting Democracy in the 1990s,” http://wwics.si.edu/subsites/ccpdc/pubs/di/fr.htm)
This hardly exhausts the lists of threats to our security and well-being in
AND
which a new world order of international security and prosperity can be built. 

And empirics prove it prevents war
Muravchik 1 (Josh, Resident Scholar – AEI, “Democracy and Nuclear Peace”, July, http://www.npec-web.org/Syllabus/Muravchik.pdf)
The greatest impetus for world peace -- and perforce of nuclear peace -- is the
AND
accommodate those interests except when the other party's behavior seems threatening or outrageous.

Relations spur effective global cooperation in preventing terrorist theft of nuclear weapons
Inter-American Dialogue 12 (“Remaking the Relationship The United States and Latin America”, the Inter-American Dialogue is the leading US center for policy analysis, exchange, and communication on issues in Western Hemisphere affairs, April 2012, http://www.thedialogue.org/PublicationFiles/IAD2012PolicyReportFINAL.pdf)
In addition to economic and financial matters, Brazil and other Latin American nations are
AND
consultation and collaboration on a new, more effective approach to the problem.

Terrorism is probable --- there’s nuclear theft now
Dahl, 7/1/13 – Specialist Correspondent (Frederik, “Governments warn about nuclear terrorism threat,” 7/1/13, http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/01/us-nuclear-security-idUSBRE96010E20130701)
(Reuters) - More action is needed to prevent militants acquiring plutonium or highly
AND
. "Some material goes missing and is never found," he said.

Nuclear terrorism results in all-out nuclear war and extinction
Ayson, 10 –Professor of Strategic Studies and Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand at the Victoria University of Wellington (Robert, “After a Terrorist Nuclear Attack: Envisaging Catalytic Effects,” Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 33.7, InformaWorld)
But these two nuclear worlds—a non-state actor nuclear attack and a
AND
be admitted that any preemption would probably still meet with a devastating response. 

1ac – plan text

The United States federal government should substantially ease its economic restrictions with the Republic of Cuba.

1ac – agriculture

Contention two --- agriculture

Global agricultural collapse is inevitable --- destroys the environment and causes food scarcity --- several indicators demonstrate the necessity of a sustainable agriculture model
Peters, 10 –  LL.M. expected 2011, University of Arkansas School of Law, Graduate Program in Agricultural and Food Law; J.D. 2010, University of Oregon School of Law (Kathryn, “Creating a Sustainable Urban Agriculture Revolution” J. ENVTL. LAW AND LITIGATION Vol. 25, 203, http://law.uoregon.edu/org/jell/docs/251/peters.pdf)
The U.S. agricultural system is becoming increasingly more concentrated, specialized,
AND
response to rapidly changing climate conditions and will help to ensure food security.

Cuba’s model of urban agriculture is a sustainable alternative
Peters, 10 –  LL.M. expected 2011, University of Arkansas School of Law, Graduate Program in Agricultural and Food Law; J.D. 2010, University of Oregon School of Law (Kathryn, “Creating a Sustainable Urban Agriculture Revolution” J. ENVTL. LAW AND LITIGATION Vol. 25, 203, http://law.uoregon.edu/org/jell/docs/251/peters.pdf)
While urban agriculture was a response to a dramatic crisis in Cuba’s history, through
AND
a new economy for many Cubans without negatively impacting the environment or society.

Only the plan makes the Cuban model viable --- the U.S. export market is key
Kost, 4 – agricultural economist, Specialty Crops Branch, Economic Research Service, US Department of Agriculture (William, “CUBAN AGRICULTURE: TO BE OR NOT TO BE ORGANIC?” http://www.ascecuba.org/publications/proceedings/volume14/pdfs/kost.pdf)
In addition to the above European markets, the successful expansion and viability of Cuba’s
AND
domestic consumption in an environment where other production approaches are just not available.

The plan jumpstarts U.S. investment in Cuban organoponics --- that causes a global urban agricultural revolution
Shkolnick, 12 - J.D. Candidate, Drake University Law School (Jacob, “SIN EMBARGO: n1 THE CUBAN AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE UNITED STATES” 17 Drake J. Agric. L. 683, Fall, lexis)
VI. New Opportunities While investment in Cuban businesses and sales or purchases of Cuban
AND
may be just what is needed to allow for urban agriculture to flourish.

That prevents U.S. agricultural collapse --- extinction
Peters, 10 –  LL.M. expected 2011, University of Arkansas School of Law, Graduate Program in Agricultural and Food Law; J.D. 2010, University of Oregon School of Law (Kathryn, “Creating a Sustainable Urban Agriculture Revolution” J. ENVTL. LAW AND LITIGATION Vol. 25, 203, http://law.uoregon.edu/org/jell/docs/251/peters.pdf)
An adequate food supply is essential for the survival of the human race. Historically
AND
urban areas with access to an adequate supply of fresh, nutritious food.

Environmental collapse risks extinction
Ehrlich, 13 – Professor of Biology and Senior Research Scientist in Biology @ Stanford University (Paul R. Ehrlich (President of the Center for Conservation Biology @ Stanford University) and Anne H. Ehrlich, “Can a collapse of global civilization be avoided?,” Proceedings of the Royal Society Biological Sciences, Proc. R. Soc. B 2013 280, published online 9 January 2013)
Virtually every past civilization has eventually undergone collapse, a loss of socio-political
AND
it from generating a global collapse is perhaps the foremost challenge confronting humanity.

Industrial agriculture ensures bioterrorism
Peters, 10 –  LL.M. expected 2011, University of Arkansas School of Law, Graduate Program in Agricultural and Food Law; J.D. 2010, University of Oregon School of Law (Kathryn, “Creating a Sustainable Urban Agriculture Revolution” J. ENVTL. LAW AND LITIGATION Vol. 25, 203, http://law.uoregon.edu/org/jell/docs/251/peters.pdf)
In order to be capable of sustaining itself, the United States must eliminate dependence
AND
in the event of an attack on U.S. transportation infrastructures. 

Extinction
Matheny, 7 – Research associate, Future of Humanity Institute, Oxford University (Jason G., “Reducing the Risk of Human Extinction,” Risk Analysis, Volume 27, Number 5, http://www.upmchealthsecurity.org/website/resources/publications/2007/2007-10-15-reducingrisk.html)
Of current extinction risks, the most severe may be bioterrorism. The knowledge needed
AND
such experiments because the bene?ts do not seem to be worth the risks.

2AC

2ac – oil da

Cuba’s history of failed wells prevents drilling --- there isn’t even oil there
Franks, their author, 13 (reporter for Reuters, Jeff, "Cuban oil hopes sputter as Russians give up for now on well," 5/29/13, http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/29/cuba-oil-idUSL2N0EA00W20130529)//AM
A number of factors are working against Cuba's oil hopes, among them the political
AND
It is going to be extremely challenging (for Cuba)," he said.

Oil dependence fuels regional arms racing – specifically Saudi Arabia
Luft 07 (Gal Luft, executive director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, “Dependence on Middle East Energy and its Impact on Global Security,” Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, most recent cited date – 2007, http://www.iags.org/luft_dependence_on_middle_east_energy.pdf)
Despite the high visibility of the Arab-Israeli conflict, historically, wars among
AND
the Saudi oil industry and the world economy at large could be incalculable.

Reducing oil dependence would lead to significant reductions in Middle East military presence
CFR 06 (Council on Foreign Relations, “National Security Consequences of U.S. Oil Dependency,” Independent Task Force, Graham T. Allison Karin M. Lissakers Norman R. Augustine Walter E. Massey Robert A. Belfer Ernest J. Moniz Stephen W. Bosworth William K. Reilly Helima L. Croft James R. Schlesinger John Deutch Peter Schwartz Charles J. DiBona Philip R. Sharp Jessica P. Einhorn James B. Steinberg Martin S. Feldstein Linda G. Stuntz David L. Goldwyn* James L. Sweeney Michael D. Granoff * Frank Verrastro J. Bennett Johnston David G. Victor Arnold Kanter J. Robinson West, 2006, http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA507168)
Sixth, some observers see a direct relationship between the dependence of the United States
AND
reduced its dependence, then the defense budget could be reduced as well.

That diffuses Iranian aggression and arms races that guarantee escalation
Jones 11 (Toby C. Jones, assistant professor of history at Rutgers University, editor, Middle East Report, “Why the US Should Withdraw From the Entire Persian Gulf,” The Atlantic, RSN, December 26, 2011, http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/424-national-security/9111-why-the-us-should-withdraw-from-the-entire-persian-gulf)
The presence of the American military in the Gulf has not only done little to
AND
and military arms race, one that could easily spin out of control.

Extinction
Chossudovsky, 10 — Professor of Economics at the University of Ottawa and Director of the Centre for Research on Globalization (Michael, “Towards a World War III Scenario? The Role of Israel in Triggering an Attack on Iran”, 8/13/2010, http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.phpcontext=vaandaid=20584)
For several years now Iran has been conducting its own war drills and exercises.
AND
decision by the US and its allies to postpone an attack on Iran. 

2ac – brazil da

Brazilian economic collapse inevitable
Stelzer 12 — economic and business columnist for the Sunday Times, the Courier-Mail, and the Guardian, contributing editor of the Weekly Standard, contributor to the Daily Telegraph and the New Statesman, managing director of investment banking firm Rothschild Inc, senior director and fellow of the Hudson Institute, a visiting fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford, resident scholar and director of regulatory policy studies at AEI, Ph.D. in economics from Cornell University (Irwin M., “America Plods Forward, Much of the World Slows”, The Weekly Standard, 5/26/2012, http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/america-plods-forward-much-world-slows_645916.html, Deech)
Start with B: Brazil’s manufacturing sector is contracting. The nation’s finance minister,
AND
calls Brazil “one of the world’s most expensive places to do business.”

Brazilian economy is strong and resilient
Stratfor 8 (Global Forecasting, “The Financial Crisis in Latin America”, Premium Service, 10-29, http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20081027_financial_crisis_latin_america)
Other economies, such as Bolivia and Paraguay, are so well-insulated from
AND
real and will come in handy as the country reacts to the slowdown. 

2ac – nietzsche k

Suffering is not inevitable, engagement allows celebration – withdrawing inward makes chance impossible
May 5 (“To change the world, to celebrate life,” Todd is a professor at Clemson. Philosophy and Social Criticism, Vol 31 No. 5–6 pp. 517–531)
There are many ways to conceive the bond between world-changing and life-
AND
for this moment, a political ascetic? Asceticism like that is dangerous.

Considering and reacting to certain instances of suffering is good – response creates compassion
White, 11 (Richard, associate professor of philosophy Creighton University “Levinas, the Philosophy of Suffering, and the Ethics of Compassion”, The Heythrop Journal Volume 53, Issue 1, pages 111–123, Published online Sept 27 2011, Wiley)
Levinas fails to recognize that what is properly meaningful is not so much the suffering
AND
suffers like we do, and because we all share a common fate. 

Institutional change is key to celebration of life
May, 05 (“To change the world, to celebrate life,” Todd is a professor at Clemson. Philosophy and Social Criticism, Vol 31 No. 5–6 pp. 517–531)
To change the world and to celebrate life. This, as the theologian Harvey
AND
who would be more than willing to take your world up for you.

2ac – commission cp

Commissions on Cuba policy triggers massive backlash --- congress perceives the commission as the same as ending the embargo
Limbacher 2k (Carl Limbacher, NewsMax staff, Cuba News, “U.S. Senate to Discuss Formation of Bipartisan Commission on Cuba,” June 21, 2000, http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y00/jun00/21e12.htm)
A proposal to set up a bipartisan national commission to review the effectiveness of the
AND
described it as a veiled attempt on Dodd's part to end the embargo.

Doesn’t result in the aff --- their link to politics proves other legislators will send opposing recommendations ---- also proves the CP still results in political fights
SCF 04 (US Senate Committee on Finance, “Senators Reject Administration's "Cuba Commission" Recommendations,” May 6, 2004, http://www.finance.senate.gov/newsroom/ranking/release/?id=6e5094a1-f28a-4ac8-9740-6f39159092ce)
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) In response to the release of a report
AND
contacts, and restoring full Presidential foreign policy authority with respect to Cuba.

Massive delay --- the recommendation doesn’t even happen until more than half a year later
Limbacher 2k (Carl Limbacher, NewsMax staff, Cuba News, “U.S. Senate to Discuss Formation of Bipartisan Commission on Cuba,” June 21, 2000, http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y00/jun00/21e12.htm)
The Dodd-Warner proposal reaches the Senate floor as Congress examines a separate measure
AND
its findings to Congress and the president within 225 days of its formation.

2ac – guantanamo bay cp

Closing Guantanamo tanks Obama’s political capital
Waxman, 7/30/13 – Professor of Law, Columbia University Law School, and Co-chairman, Roger Hertog Program on Law and National Security, Columbia University Law School, and Adjunct Senior Fellow for Law and Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations (Matthew, July 30, 2013, “Closing Guantanamo Would Still Leave Some Toughest Decisions for the Next President,” Lawfare Blog, http://www.lawfareblog.com/2013/07/closing-guantanamo-would-still-leave-some-toughest-decisions-for-the-next-president/, Hensel)
At last week’s Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing, advocates of closing Guantanamo, such as
AND
with so much to do in so little time, that’s probably impossible. 

2ac – debt ceiling politics da

Won’t pass – Obama won’t negotiate
Picard 9/20, Joe, "Obama calls Boehner says he won't negotiate on debt ceiling" The Hill thehill.com/homenews/news/323805-obama-to-boehner-no-negotiation-on-debt-limit
President Obama phoned Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Friday to tell
AND
-cutting package with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). 

Syria and Summers thump
Feldmann 9/16 Lauren, CSM, “How liberal 'triumphs' on Syria and Summers have weakened Obama” http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/2013/0916/How-liberal-triumphs-on-Syria-and-Summers-have-weakened-Obama
The left is on a roll. Liberals successfully pushed back against President Obama’s plan
AND
and to raise the limit on federal borrowing authority a few weeks later.

Normal means is executive licensing – shields the link
Pascual and Huddleston, 9 – Carlos, VP and Director of Foreign policy, Brookings Institute, and Vicki, Visiting Fellow
( “CUBA: A New policy of Critical and Constructive Engagement”, April, http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2009/4/cuba/0413_cuba.pdf)
Given the strong sentiments and expectations that Cuba engenders, it would be preferable for
AND
which only contributes to making the United States appear to be a bully. 

That means the plan is spun as a win
Pinon, 9 – energy fellow with the University of Miami’s Center for Hemispheric Policy (Jorge, “Oil work can be part of US-Cuban rapprochement” Oil andGas Journal, 107.17, 5/4, proquest)HA
The president can end this impasse by licensing American companies to participate in developing Cuba's
AND
, thereby giving Cubans a better chance for a stable and democratic future.

No impact to the Debt Ceiling --- their authors exaggerate
Tom Raum 11, AP, “Record $14 trillion-plus debt weighs on Congress”, Jan 15, http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_17108333?source=rssandnclick_check=1
Democrats have use doomsday rhetoric about a looming government shutdown and comparing the U.
AND
," and raising the debt limit will become an imperative, he suggested.

Lifting embargo boosts U.S. economy
Reuters 9-20-2012 (“Cuba says ending U.S. embargo would help both countries” September 20, 2012, Reuters U.S. edition, Jeff Franks http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/20/us-cuba-usa-embargo-idUSBRE88J15G20120920).
(Reuters) - Both the United States and Cuba would benefit if Washington would
AND
go into history as the man who rectified a policy that has failed."

Tournament: Greenhill | Round: 3 | Opponent: Notre Dame LP | Judge: Samantha Varney
Cites can be found in Open Source Document

Tournament: Greenhill | Round: 6 | Opponent: Maine East AL | Judge: Morgan Titcher
Cites are in the Open Source document

Tournament: St Marks | Round: 1 | Opponent: Athens MM | Judge: Yao Yao Chen
ST. MARK’S ROUND 1 --- AFF V. ATHENS MM
1AC
Same Cuba Embargo 1AC
2AC
2ac – t-positive incentives
Counter-interpretation: economic engagement includes the removal of barriers to economic incentives – solves their limits disad
Haass, their author, 2k (Richard, President of CFR, Terms of Engagement: Alternatives to Punitive Policies, Survival;, vol. 42, no. 2, Summer 2000, pp. xx–xx, http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/articles/2000/6/summer20haass/2000survival.pdf)
Architects of engagement strategies can choose from a wide variety of incentives. Economic engagement
AND
that govern it rank among the most potent incentives in today’s global market.
2ac – democracy good – spreading now
US spreads democracy now --- question of effectiveness
Miller, 12 (Paul D., Assistant Professor of International Security Affairs at the National Defense University, March 16, 2012, “American Grand Strategy and the Democratic Peace,” Survival, Vol. 54, No. 2, April-May 2012, pp. 49–76)
In fact, since the end of the Cold War the United States has been
AND
the spread of democracy and human rights, and thereby to US security.
2ac – democracy good – war impact
Democracy solves war and it will be modeled
Miller, 12 (Paul D., Assistant Professor of International Security Affairs at the National Defense University, March 16, 2012, “American Grand Strategy and the Democratic Peace,” Survival, Vol. 54, No. 2, April-May 2012, pp. 49–76)
This project has significant strengths as a major component of US grand strategy. A
AND
failure, one of the major challenges of the twenty-first century.
2ac – democracy good – a2 transition wars
Democratic transition decreases war – best models
Ward and Gleditsch 98 (Michael D., Professor of Political Science – University of Washington and Kristian S., Graduate Research Trainee in the Globalization and Democratization Program – University of Colorado, Boulder, American Political Science Review, March)
As Figure 1 details, democratization-whether in mild or strong degrees-is
AND
we examine the direction, magnitude, and smoothness of the transition process.
2ac – democracy good – a2 democratic backsliding
Backsliding won’t happen
Lynn-Jones, 98 (Sean M., Editor, International Security, Belfer Center at Harvard University, March, 1998, “Why the United States Should Spread Democracy,” http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/2830/why_the_united_states_should_spread_democracy.html)
Response: There are four reasons for rejecting claims that fears of democratic backsliding compel
AND
, however, relative-gains concerns vary and are often almost nonexistent.
2ac – word pic
Perm --- do both --- the counterplan footnotes the negative implications of the plan and guarantees the extension of oppression --- doing both reveals both the negative implications of our terminology while short-circuiting the counterplan’s attempt to white-wash that
Litowitz 98 (DOUGLAS, VISITING ASSISTANT PF LAW – CHICAGO-KENT, 49 Mercer L. Rev. 709)
Danger 1: The Obscuring and Mystifying of Power Relations Many legal documents are phrased
AND
seemingly consensual relations and to expose them as a naked exercise of power.
Extinction
Foucault 84 (Michael, Director of the Institute Francais Hamburg, The Foucault Reader, ed. Rabinow, p. 259-260)
Since the classical age the West has undergone a very profound transformation of these mechanisms
AND
species, the race, and the large-scale phenomena of population.
Plan errors get fixed in Congressional rulemaking
Heitshusen 10 (Valerie, Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process – Congressional Research Service, “Enrollment of Legislation: Relevant Congressional Procedures”, Congressional Research Service, 7-15, http://www.senate.gov/CRSReports/crs-publish.cfm?pid='0E2C*QLK322P20200A)
Enrollment of a measure must accurately reflect congressional action; virtually no changes may be
AND
one chamber even before the measure in question has passed either chamber.19
Representations don’t shape reality
Valbjørn 4 (Morten, PhD in the Department of Political Science at Aarhus, “The Middle East and Palestine: Global Politics and Regional Conflict,” pg. 67-68)
As mentioned before, the relational perspective is a critique of both the neglect of
AND
be better at asking important and critical questions than at offering attractive answers.
2ac – neoliberalism k
Our approach to international relations is accurate---theirs fails and ontology and epistemology don’t come first
Owen 2002 – Reader on Political Theory at the University of Southampton (David Owen, “Re-Orienting International Relations: On Pragmatism, Pluralism, and Practical Reasoning,” Millenium – Journal of International Studies, 2002, accessed through Sage Journals)
Commenting on the ‘philosophical turn’ in IR, Wæver remarks that ‘a
AND
to the kind of vicious circle that they can, collectively, generate.
No alt – the system is sustainable
Jones 11 Owen, Masters at Oxford, named one of the Daily Telegraph's 'Top 100 Most Influential People on the Left' for 2011, author of "Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class", The Independent, UK, "Owen Jones: Protest without politics will change nothing", 2011, www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/owen-jones-protest-without-politics-will-change-nothing-2373612.html
My first experience of police kettling was aged 16. It was May Day 2001
AND
of revolt, there remains no left to give it direction and purpose.
The Cuban embargo is meant to exclude and punish those who don’t fit into the prevailing neoliberal monoculture and rationality --- it also turns the alt
Harrison ‘8 (Faye Venetia Harrison; Ph.D., Anthropology, Stanford University, M.A., Anthropology, Stanford University, B.A., Anthropology, Brown University; Professor of Anthropology and African American Studies, University of Florida; “Outsider Within: Reworking Anthropology in the Global Age”; Pg 222; University of Illinois Press)JFIII
As I reflect on the racial and gender implications of neoliberalism and¶ structural adjustment
AND
foreign policies that fail to do justice¶ to our sense of humanity.
Engagement within the existing system of market mechanisms is necessary to avoid reproducing the status quo
Bryant 12—professor of philosophy at Collin College (Levi, We’ll Never Do Better Than a Politician: Climate Change and Purity, 5/11/12, http://larvalsubjects.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/well-never-do-better-than-a-politician-climate-change-and-purity/)
However, pointing this out and deriding market based solutions doesn’t get us very far
AND
there’s no way around this, and we do need to act now.
1AR
1ar – t-positive incentives – counter-interp
Easing the embargo is “economic engagement” --- assumes our wording
McGregor, 2k (Deborah, Financial Times, June 21, 2000, “Senate rejects commission,” ProQuest)
In the House, there has been a growing interest in lifting sanctions on the
AND
Deborah McGregor, Washington Copyright Financial Times Limited 2000. All Rights Reserved.  
Economic Engagement includes lifting sanctions
Pernaa, 7 – Dept of Political Science at Lund University (Emilia, “Catering Sticks and Carrots for the Global Security,” http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFileandrecordOId=1324375andfileOId=1324376
The term engagement has been understood in a rather multiple manner. It can be
AND
to base on legitimate policies, following the norms of the international system.
1ar – neoliberalism k – a2 root cause of war
No single root cause of war
Cashman, 2k Greg, Professor of Political Science at Salisbury State University “What Causes war?: An introduction to theories of international conflict” pg. 9)
Two warnings need to be issued at this point. First, while we have
AND
, but also a certain element of randomness or chance in their occurrence.
1ar – neoliberalism k – a2 moral obligation
Extinction outweighs
Bostrom 12 (Nick, Professor of Philosophy – Oxford University, Director – Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute, Interview with Ross Andersen, Correspondent at The Atlantic, “We're Underestimating the Risk of Human Extinction”, 3-6, http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/03/were-underestimating-the-risk-of-human-extinction/253821/)
Bostrom, who directs Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute, has argued over the course
AND
eliminating poverty or curing malaria, which would be tremendous under ordinary standards.

Tournament: St Marks | Round: 4 | Opponent: Berkeley Prep DD | Judge: Stephen Weil
ST. MARK’S ROUND 4 -~-- BERKELEY PREP DD
1AC
Same Cuba Embargo
2AC
2ac – t-government to government
Counter interp -~-- economic engagement can be and towards the private sector
Haass and O’Sullivan, 2k - *Vice President and Director of Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution AND a Fellow with the Foreign Policy Studies Program at the Brookings Institution (Richard and Meghan, “Terms of Engagement: Alternatives to Punitive Policies” Survival _{vol. 42, no. 2, Summer 2000, http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/articles/2000/6/summer20haass/2000survival.pdf
The provision of economic incentives to the private sector of a target country can be
AND
multitude of possible partners for unconditional engagement with non-state actors.
2ac – agriculture da
Terminally non-unique – one way trade now
Wolfson, 10 - practicing psychiatrist/psychotherapist in the Bay Area (Phil, “Cuba Sí’ Tikkun Magazine, Sept/Oct, http://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/cuba-si)
But the water problem of Havana is not just about the embargo. It is
AND
is deliberately profitable to the U.S. agricultural industry. Wow!
Two-way trade is key - Cuba’s model will outcompete the industrial ag model
Cornell and Patel, 9 – both write for the Council on Hemispheric Affairs (Christina and Tara, “Cuba Elevates Urban Gardening To a Cause” 4/17, http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/index.php?article=11525
Since the development of urban agriculture in Havana, production has increased exponentially, with
AND
important economic actor, ultimately expanding its profits through competitive transactions and trade.
2ac – executive order cp
USFG isn’t all three branches
Chicago 7 (University of Chicago Manual of Style, “Capitalization, Titles”, http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/CMS_FAQ/CapitalizationTitles/CapitalizationTitles30.html)
Q. When I refer to the government of the United States in text,
AND
government: the Congress, the Senate, the Department of State, etc
Roll back -~--
A) Courts
IS 00 (Indianapolis Star, 6-13, Lexis)
Fortunately, it takes more than an executive order from the president to create a
AND
acceptable to the American public. Robbing Peter to pay Paul is not.
B) Congress
Risen 4 (Clay, Assistant Editor – New Republic, The American Prospect, Aug, Lexis)
Congress provides an additional, if somewhat less effective, check on executive orders.
AND
one issue will respond by limiting other things you want," says Mayer.
Links to politics
Risen 4 (Clay, Assistant Editor – New Republic, The American Prospect, Aug, Lexis)
The most effective check on executive orders has proven to be political. When it
AND
proposal -- and it painted him indelibly as an anti-environmental president.
Plan alone boosts Obama’s credibility – key to resolve multiple foreign policy conflicts
Dickerson ‘10 (Lieutenant Colonel Sergio M. Dickerson, "United States Security Strategy Towards Cuba," Strategy Research Project, www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2anddoc=GetTRDoc.pdfandAD=ADA518053)
Conclusion¶ Today, 20 years have passed since the fall of the Berlin Wall
AND
decline in the greater global order bringing true peace for years to come.
2ac – immigration reform politics da
Normal means is executive licensing – shields the link
Pascual and Huddleston, 9 – Carlos, VP and Director of Foreign policy, Brookings Institute, and Vicki, Visiting Fellow
( “CUBA: A New policy of Critical and Constructive Engagement”, April, http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2009/4/cuba/0413_cuba.pdf)
Given the strong sentiments and expectations that Cuba engenders, it would be preferable for
AND
which only contributes to making the United States appear to be a bully.
That means the plan is spun as a win
Pinon, 9 – energy fellow with the University of Miami’s Center for Hemispheric Policy (Jorge, “Oil work can be part of US-Cuban rapprochement” Oil andGas Journal, 107.17, 5/4, proquest)HA
The president can end this impasse by licensing American companies to participate in developing Cuba's
AND
, thereby giving Cubans a better chance for a stable and demo}

Tournament: St Marks | Round: 5 | Opponent: Casady KR | Judge: Matt Harkins
ST. MARK’S ROUND 5 --- CASADY KR
1AC
1ac – relations
Contention one is relations—
Mexican energy cooperation is key to a SUSTAINABLE partnership – boosts regional economy, solves Mexican violence and reverses Latin anti-US sentiment
Reyes 13 – JD, member of the USA Today Board of Contributors (Raul, April, “Opinion: President Obama has the chance to improve US/Mexico relations,” http://nbclatino.com/2013/04/29/opinion-president-obama-has-the-chance-to-improve-usmexico-relations/)//BB
Obama will arrive in Mexico with good and bad news.  On the positive side
AND
foreign policy with Mexico based on its potential, not on its problems.
Several internal links –
First, thinking BEYOND security is key – energy cooperation overcomes alternate impediments and creates a resilient partnership
Miller and DeLeon 9 – *Stephanie, consultant on U.S.-Latin America relations and was formerly the Research Associate for the Americas Project on the National Security Team.  Born in Venezuela with family from Colombia, Miller earned her degree from Duke University in International Comparative Studies with a focus on Latin America. She currently lives in Bogotá, Colombia, Rudy, Senior Vice President of National Security and International Policy at American Progress(“Transcending the Rio Grande,” http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/04/pdf/mexico.pdf)//BB
The U.S.-Mexico relationship is ready for renewed collaboration on a range
AND
of the United States’ most important and strategic allies in ¶ the hemisphere.
Second, SEQUENCING is vital – CLIMATE cooperation FIRST spills over to the rest of relations
Donnelly 10 – Program Associate, Mexico Institute @ Wilson Center (Robert, “U.S.-Mexico Cooperation on Renewable Energy: Building a Green Agenda,” http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/us-mexico-cooperation-renewable-energy-building-green-agenda)//BB
Discussant Johanna Mendelson Forman stressed the linkages connecting climate change, energy, and economic
AND
S. companies suffer from a lack of adequate export-import financing.
Third, Only Obama’s actions solve – reverses Anti-US sentiment throughout Latin America
Valencia 13 – New York-based political analyst and is a contributing writer for Global Voices Online
(Robert, “U.S. and Latin America: Economic Cooperation without Militarization?,” http://www.worldpolicy.org/blog/2013/05/20/us-and-latin-america-economic-cooperation-without-militarization)//BB
In May, President Barack Obama visited Mexico and Costa Rica and vowed to strengthen
AND
Latin American countries will forge ahead with economic and security integration amongst themselves.
be discussed in the next chapter.
Relations solve Mexican stability
Brzezinski 12 – former National Security Adviser (Zbigniew, “Strategic Vision: America and the Crisis of Global Power”, 2012, pp. 198-199)Beddow
Defeating the narcotics pandemic would become exponentially more difficult if the United States declined,
AND
a state would stimulate further anti-Mexican tendencies in the United States.
Mexican instability escalates every impact --- causes global arms racing and collapses US influence
Haddick 10 (Robert, Managing Editor – Small Wars Journal, “This Week at War: If Mexico Is at War, Does America Have to Win It?”, Foreign Policy, 9-10, http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/09/10/this_week_at_war_if_mexico_is_at_war_does_america_have_to_win_it)
Most significantly, a strengthening Mexican insurgency would very likely affect America's role in the
AND
recently learned about insurgencies to stop this one from getting out of control.
A strong security agenda and intelligence network are vital to curbing proliferation
Downie, 11 (Richard, CSIS Africa program deputy director, master’s degree in international relations/public policy from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, “Critical Strategic Decisions in Mexico: the Future of US/Mexican Defense Relations,” July 2011, Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, National Defense University, http://www.ndu.edu/chds/docuploaded/Dr_Downie_OCP_2011.pdf)
Impact on US/Mexico Defense Relationship The “stay the course” option would
AND
operate in a common framework and ultimately achieve a level of functional interoperability.
Proliferation causes global nuclear war
Muller, 8 — director of the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt in Germany and a professor of international relations at Frankfurt University (Harald, “The Future of Nuclear Weapons in an Interdependent World”, The Washington Quarterly, pp. 63–75, Spring 2008)
A world populated by many nuclear-weapon states poses grave dangers. Regional conflicts
AND
and related facilities, the more points of access are available to terrorists.
Independently, A recession’s coming – stats prove and consumer confidence means nothing
Pineros 8/1 (Brittany, programme manager of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, “The US is headed for 'another recession' in 2014”, http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/3892/the-us-is-headed-for-another-recession-in-2014)//lm
Four years after the end of the Great Recession, the United States economy is
AND
partisanship is unfortunately what we have come to expect from our elected officials.
Latin energy connectivity is key to growth
Noriega and Cardenas 12 – *Former US State Dept Official,  director with Vision Americas
(“An action plan for US policy in the Americas,” December, http://www.aei.org/outlook/foreign-and-defense-policy/regional/latin-america/an-action-plan-for-us-policy-in-the-americas/)//BB
America’s economic crisis and threats to US security have undermined its traditional global-leadership
AND
its own hemisphere. A prosperous hemisphere means a more prosperous United States.
US growth solves great power war
Khalilzad 11 – PhD, Former Professor of Political Science @ Columbia, Former ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan (Zalmay Khalilzad was the United States ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United Nations during the presidency of George W. Bush and the director of policy planning at the Defense Department from 1990 to 1992. "The Economy and National Security" Feb 8 http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/259024/economy-and-national-security-zalmay-khalilzad)//BB
Today, economic and fiscal trends pose the most severe long-term threat to
AND
, hostile states would be emboldened to make aggressive moves in their regions.
These wars go nuclear
Harris and Burrows 9 – *Mathew, PhD European History @ Cambridge, counselor in the National Intelligence Council (NIC) , Jennifer, a member of the NIC’s Long Range Analysis Unit (“Revisiting the Future: Geopolitical Effects of the Financial Crisis” http://www.ciaonet.org/journals/twq/v32i2/f_0016178_13952.pdf)//BB
Of course, the report encompasses more than economics and indeed believes the future is
AND
within and between states in a more dog-eat-dog world.
1ac – warming
Advantage two – warming
Global warming is real and human induced – top climate scientists agree
Anderegg et al 10 – PhD Candidate @ Stanford in Biology (William, “Expert credibility in climate change,” National Academy of Sciences, p. 12107-12109)BB
Preliminary reviews of scientific literature and surveys of cli- mate scientists indicate striking agreement
AND
discussions in media, policy, and public forums regarding anthropogenic climate change.
Action now averts extinction
Morgan 9 – professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (Dennis Ray, “World on Fire: Two Scenarios of the Destruction of Human Civilization and the Possible Extinction of the Human Race”, 2009)Beddow
As horrifying as the scenario of human extinction by sudden, fast-burning nuclear
AND
to a fundamentally different premise regarding the relationship between industrial civilization and nature.
Warming is an existential risk – quickening reductions is key to avoiding extinction
Mazo 10 – PhD in Paleoclimatology from UCLA (Jeffrey Mazo, Managing Editor, Survival and Research Fellow for Environmental Security and Science Policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, 3-2010, “Climate Conflict: How global warming threatens security and what to do about it,” pg. 122)BB
The best estimates for global warming to the end of the century range from 2
AND
adaptation to these extremes would mean profound social, cultural and political changes.
It’s not inevitable --- every increment of CO2 is key and effects are immediate
Matthews and Soloman 13 (H. Damon Matthews and Susan Solomon, Associate Professor and 2009/2010 University Research Fellow in the Department of Geography Planning and Environment at Concordia and an atmospheric chemist, working for most of her career at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “Irreversible does not mean unavoidable”, 4-26, http://www.sciencemag.org/content/340/6131/438.full.pdf?keytype=refandsiteid=sciandijkey=X0PL7KHfd92FH6)
Understanding how decreases in CO2 emissions would affect global temperatures has been hampered in recent
AND
the same time scale as the political decisions that lead to the reductions.
Independently, emissions cause ocean acidification – extinction.
Romm 12 – physicist and climate expert, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress (Joseph J., “Science: Ocean Acidifying so fast that it threatens humanity’s ability to feed itself”, 3/2/12;  http://earthlawcenter.org/news/headline/science-ocean-acidifying-so-fast-it-threatens-humanitys-ability-to-feed-itself/)//Beddow
The world’s oceans may be turning acidic faster today from human carbon emissions than they
AND
species goes extinct it’s gone forever. We’re playing a very dangerous game.”
Warming leads to hydrate instability which causes extinction and outweighs their impacts
Guardian 10 (Guardian News “Did Deepwater methane hydrates cause the BP Gulf explosion?”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/may/20/deepwater-methane-hydrates-bp-gulf, Thursday 20 May 2010)
The vast deepwater methane hydrate deposits of the Gulf of Mexico are an open secret
AND
crumpled by a force of nature scientists are still just getting to know.
Technical assistance for renewables significantly reduces greenhouse gases
COCEF 12 – La Comisión de Cooperación Ecológica Fronteriza (“Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy and Transportation: Project Opportunities in the U.S. – Mexico Border Region,” http://www.cocef.org/Eng/VLibrary/Publications/SpecialReports/BECC20WP2020Nov20201120index.pdf)//BB
This white paper describes the current deficit in the U.S.-Mexico border
AND
and the funds will need a highly ¶ capacitated and experienced program manager.
Mexico is key:
First – production – they have ENORMOUS renewable energy potential
Wood 10 – PhD in Political Studies @ Queen’s, Professor @ ITAM in Mexico City (Duncan, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, http://www.statealliancepartnership.org/resources_files/USMexico_Cooperation_Renewable_Energies.pdf)//BB
The North American context¶ The North American economic region is experiencing an impact from
AND
economic and financial incentives for public or private sector¶ development of renewable resources
Second – technology transfer – Mexico will spread the green tech globally
ENS 12 – Environmental News Service, (“U.S., Canada, Mexico Vow ‘Continental’ Energy Grid,” http://www.reepedia.com/archives/4568)//BB
The leaders of the United States, Mexico, and Canada today pledged to develop
AND
, including electricity generation and interconnection and welcome increasing North American energy trade.”
Third – international cooperation – Mexican leadership leads to GLOBAL climate agreements
O’Neill 13 – PhD in Government @ Harvard, senior fellow for Latin America Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan foreign-policy think tank and membership organization
(Shannon, “Mexico Makes It: A Transformed Society, Economy, and Government,” Foreign Affairs, 92.2)BB
If Mexico addresses these challenges, it will emerge as a powerful player on the
AND
and help construct new international financial, trade, and climate change accords.
1ac – plan
The United States federal government should substantially increase its economic engagement by providing renewable energy assistance to Mexico.
1ac – solvency
Finally – solvency

Renewables energy is critical to solve global warming  
Devabhaktuni et al. 13 (Vijay Devabhaktuni, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Toledo; Mansoor Alam, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Toledo; Soma Shekar, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Toledo; Sreenadh Reddy Depuru, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Toledo; Robert C. Green II, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Toledo; Douglas Nims, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toledo; Craig Near, Genziko Inc. “Solar energy: Trends and enabling technologies” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Volume 19, Pages 555–564, March 2013, SciVerse) MR
Renewable energy is not a new concept, but it continues to rapidly emerge as
AND
energy is also becoming increasingly important to slow the effects of climate change.
Specifically – the US is key
Hartsoch 11 – MA @ San Jose State, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales for SolFocus
(Nancy, “A Sunny Future for Border Relations?,” http://breakingenergy.com/2011/05/10/featured-a-sunny-future-for-border-relations/)//BB
Amidst the darkening cloud of violence that grips the US-Mexico border region,
AND
a more effective means to creating a peaceful, prosperous, cleaner future.
Government-to-government cooperation is key
Wood 10 – PhD in Political Studies @ Queen’s, Professor @ ITAM in Mexico City, (Duncan, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, http://www.statealliancepartnership.org/resources_files/USMexico_Cooperation_Renewable_Energies.pdf)//BB
This report argues that US involvement in the Mexican renewable energy sector has paid substantial
AND
renewable energy sector holds enormous potential to contribute even more in the future.
There is an advantage to linear advancements of renewable energy – key to meet demands of a growing economy
Friedman 6-18 – Staff @ Climate Wire, (Lisa, “Latin America Enjoys Abundant Renewable Energy but Lacks Policies for Use,” Scientfic American, http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=latin-america-enjoys-abundant-renewable-energy-but-lacks-policies-for-use)//BB
Latin America and the Caribbean could meet 100 percent of their electricity needs with renewable
AND
and that policies to promote renewable energy come at a high economic cost.
2AC
2ac – warming
Strategically securitizing environmental problems is key to global coop and peace
Ehrlich 2k—Center for Conservation Biology, Stanford (Anne, Resources and Environmental Degradation as Sources of Conflict, http://www.pugwash.org/reports/pic/pac256/WG5draft.htm)
None of this is to suggest that cooperation in environmental or resource management is easy
AND
envisioned by global-governance advocates since the end of World War II.
Fearing climate’s the most effective strategy to motivate action
Ropeik 12—Instructor at Harvard University, author, and a consultant on risk perception, risk communication, and risk management. (7/11/12, David, Fear of the Physical Threat of Climate Change Is Starting to Trump Ideological Denial, http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/how-risky-is-it-really/201207/fear-the-physical-threat-climate-change-is-starting-trump-ideolog)
The problem with climate change, so far anyway, has been that for all
AND
protect ourselves from one of the biggest threats our species has ever faced.
Turns the K
Glantz 6 (Michael H., Senior Scientist – National Center for Atmospheric Research, “Africans, African-Americans and Climate Impacts: Top-down vs. Bottom-up Approach to Capacity Building”, Fragile Ecologies, 7-7, http://www.fragilecologies.com/jul07_06.html)
Numerous studies document that the poor and people of color in the United States and
AND
(e.g., mosquitoes), and other climate-related problems.
2ac – wilderson k
Their use of the concept of social death swings the pendulum of academia toward despair, overgeneralizes the experience of the slave, and provides a mask to cover the underlying problems
Brown, 09 (Vincent Brown, Professor of History and African and African-American Studies at Harvard University, “Social Death and Political Life in the Study of Slavery”, American Historical Review, December 2009 http://history.fas.harvard.edu/people/faculty/documents/brown-socialdeath.pdf kdh)
Slavery and Social Death was widely reviewed and lavishly praised for its erudition and conceptual
AND
is any indication, the pendulum seems to have swung decidedly toward despair.
Physical survival and extinction outweighs ontology
Jonas 96- Former Alvin Johnson Professor of Philosophy at the New School for Social Research, Former Eric Voegelin Visiting Professor at the University of Munich (Hans, “Mortality and Morality: A Search for the Good After Auschwitz, pg. 111-112)
With this look ahead at an ethics for the future, we are touching at
AND
this confession of faith we come to the end of our essay ontology.
The slave is not socially dead—life can always improve – the term is totalizing and unsustainable
Culbertson, 10 (Laura Culbertson, "Slaves and Households in the Near East", The University of Chicago Oriental Institute Seminars, Number 7,  oi.uchicago.edu/pdf/ois7.pdf kdh)
The concept of social death is not without criticism, however, much of which
AND
original social networks or birth entitlements as a result of becoming a slave.
Wilderson’s argument ignores multiple examples of black optimism and dooms the black body to a social death
Ba, 11 (Saer Maty Ba, teaches film at Portsmouth University, researches ‘race’, the ‘postcolonial’, diaspora, the transnational and film ‘genre’, African and Caribbean cinemas and film festivals, “The US Decentred From Black Social Death to Cultural Transformation”, Cultural Studies Review, volume 17, number 2, September 2011, kdh)
A few pages into Red, White and Black, I feared that it would
AND
?  The  coffle   approaches with its answers in tow.’ (340)
Perm do both – Abolishing social death via complete transformation is impossible --- small reforms are the only way to actualize change
Heiner, 3 (Brady, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, California State Univeristy at Fullerton, “Social Death and the Relationship Between Abolition and Reform,” Social Justice, Volume 30, Issue 2, pg. 98-101, jstor, Tashma)
The element that ultimately distinguishes a radical (abolitionist) agenda from a liberal (
AND
the prison, and, more generally, between the local and the global
Progress now solves social death --- there’s momentum away from a single, socially dead black identity
Lawrence, 7 (Aaron, “Vague measure of African-American progress,” The Record, 11/30/07, L07, proquest, Tashma)
A PEW RESEARCH Center survey released last week produced a mind-boggling conclusion about
AND
solution? The question itself is too flawed to reach such a conclusion.
Our approach to the aff creates a system of hope that’s better than the alt- positivism fuels progressive engagement and rethinking of power relations, and spurs possibilities for future change
Giroux, 2004 Henry, (When Hope is Subversive, November 1, 2004. Tikkun Vol. 19, No. 6, http://www.henryagiroux.com/online_articles/Tikkun20piece.pdf )
Is it possible to imagine hope for justice and h,umanity after the torture
AND
and justice ?ourish as part of the ongoing struggle  for a global democracy.
Afro-pessimism is inaccurate and is used to justify white supremacism
Patterson 98 (The Ordeal Of Integration: Progress And Resentment In America's "Racial" Crisis, Orlando Patterson is a Jamaican-born American historical and cultural sociologist known for his work regarding issues of race in the United States, as well as the sociology of development)
In the attempt to understand and come to terms with the problems of Afro-
AND
we still have some way to go before approaching anything like a resolution.
Their ontological framing of blackness dooms the alternative. Placing Blackness as oppositional denies it any existence independent of white supremacy and makes identity reliant on oppression
Pinn 4 – Macalester College Professor of Religious Studies (Anthony, Dialog: A Journal of Theology, Volume 43, Number 1, Spring 2004, '‘‘Black Is, Black Ain’t’’: Victor Anderson, African American Theological Thought, and Identity', pg.57-58, Wiley online Library)
This connection between ontological blackness and religion is natural because: ‘‘ontological blackness signifies
AND
longer needing to surrender personal interests for the sake of monolithic collective status.
1AR
1ar – wilderson k – a2 schlag
Schlag’s refusal to delineate a precise object of his critique causes his kritik to be co-opted into the very normative system he challenges while he ignores key normative structures we need to criticize.
Conaghan, Professor @ Kent Law School, 2003 (Joanne, Beyond Right and Reason: Pierre Schlag, the Critique of Normativity, and the Enchantment of Reason: Schlag in Wonderland, Miami Law Review, April, Lexis)
Nevertheless, Schlag's refusal to delineate with any precision the object of his critique is
AND
perspective from which reason's purposes are derived and its shortcomings identified and assessed.
1ar – wilderson k – roleplaying good
Role playing good
Hanghoj 8- assistant professor at the University of Aarhus, Copenhagen (Thorkild, “PLAYFUL KNOWLEDGE: An Explorative Study of Educational Gaming”, http://static.sdu.dk/mediafiles/Files/Information_til/Studerende_ved_SDU/Din_uddannelse/phd_hum/afhandlinger/2009/ThorkilHanghoej.pdf)
Thus, debate games require teachers to balance the centripetal/centrifugal forces of gaming
AND
, but also in becoming articulate and responsive citizens in a democratic society.
1ar – wilderson k – perm
Energy profits are re-allocated as social assistance
Wood 12 - PhD in Political Studies @ Queen’s, Professor @ ITAM in Mexico City (Duncan, Wilson Center, http://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/RE_Energizing_Border_Wood.pdf)//BB
But the potential positive benefits of ¶ wind energy development go far beyond ¶ investment
AND
prevented potential ¶ criticism of encouraging excessive energy ¶ use or being regressive.

Tournament: Contact Info | Round: 1 | Opponent: Lack of Communication | Judge: Debate Community
We will be attending Greenhill, St. Marks, Michigan, and Dowling.

Tournament: University of Michigan | Round: 2 | Opponent: Iowa City OG | Judge: Paul Vicinanza
MICHIGAN ROUND 2 --- AFF V. IOWA CITY OG
1AC
Same Cuba Embargo 1AC BUT the plan text has changed:

The United States federal government should substantially ease its economic restrictions on the Republic of Cuba.

2AC
2ac – t-appeasement
Economic Engagement includes lifting sanctions
Pernaa, 7 – Dept of Political Science at Lund University (Emilia, “Catering Sticks and Carrots for the Global Security,” http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFileandrecordOId=1324375andfileOId=1324376
The term engagement has been understood in a rather…policies, following the norms of the international system.
2ac – biodiversity da
Plan solves global biodiversity crises
Conell, 9 -Research Associate at COHA (Christina, “The U.S. and Cuba: Destined to be an Environmental Duo?”, Council on Hemispheric Affairs, 6/12/09, http://www.coha.org/the-us-and-cuba-an-environmental-duo/)//TL
•Cuba’s abundant natural resources need to be…execution of exemplary sustainable environmental protection practices.
2ac – politics da
No chance of passage --- Obamacare website fiasco triggers all of their links
Russell Berman 10/29/13, writer at The Hill, “ObamaCare steals spotlight from push on immigration,” http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/188417-obamacare-steals-spotlight-from-push-on-immigration
The troubled rollout of the healthcare law has thrown a…implementation of the healthcare law.¶ “It is getting overshadowed,” said
Normal means is executive licensing – shields the link
Pascual and Huddleston, 9 – Carlos, VP and Director of Foreign policy, Brookings Institute, and Vicki, Visiting Fellow
( “CUBA: A New policy of Critical and Constructive Engagement”, April, http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2009/4/cuba/0413_cuba.pdf)
Given the strong sentiments and expectations that Cuba…making the United States appear to be a bully.
Laundry list pounds the agenda
WSJ 10/17, Peter Nicholas and Carol E. Lee, "Obama's Agenda Faces Rocky Road", 2013, online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303680404579141472200495820
Yet as much as he wants to shift the focus to…GOP leaders to negotiate with the president on immigration.
Obama’s involvement wrecks chances of passage---spooks GOP
Brian Bennett 10/24, and Christi Parsons, LA Times "Obama softens tone on immigration reform", 2013, www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-immigration-obama-20131025,0,6755968.story#axzz2ihpoZszR
Outside analysts and advocates say Obama needs to gain…doing for the past five years, which is nothing."
Only the plan solves --- any alternative collapses hegemony
Hinderdael 11- M.A. candidate at SAIS Bologna Center, B.A in History and Economics from University of Virginia (Klaas, “Breaking the Logjam: Obama's Cuba Policy and a Guideline for Improved Leadership”, 6/11/11, http://bcjournal.org/volume-14/breaking-the-logjam.html?printerFriendly=true, google scholar)KW
As Cuba has moved down a path of internal transformation,…have enormous repercussions for American security.
2ac – commissions cp
Commissions on Cuba policy triggers massive backlash --- congress perceives the commission as the same as ending the embargo
Limbacher 2k (Carl Limbacher, NewsMax staff, Cuba News, “U.S. Senate to Discuss Formation of Bipartisan Commission on Cuba,” June 21, 2000, http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y00/jun00/21e12.htm)
A proposal to set up a bipartisan national commission to…attempt on Dodd's part to end the embargo.
Doesn’t result in the aff --- their link to politics proves other legislators will send opposing recommendations ---- also proves the CP still results in political fights
SCF 04 (US Senate Committee on Finance, “Senators Reject Administration's "Cuba Commission" Recommendations,” May 6, 2004, http://www.finance.senate.gov/newsroom/ranking/release/?id=6e5094a1-f28a-4ac8-9740-6f39159092ce)
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) In response to the release of a report by the…Presidential foreign policy authority with respect to Cuba.
Massive delay --- the recommendation doesn’t even happen until more than half a year later
Limbacher 2k (Carl Limbacher, NewsMax staff, Cuba News, “U.S. Senate to Discuss Formation of Bipartisan Commission on Cuba,” June 21, 2000, http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y00/jun00/21e12.htm)
The Dodd-Warner proposal reaches the Senate floor as…Congress and the president within 225 days of its formation.
2ac – coercion da
Consequentialism first
Issac 02 – Professor of political science at Indiana-Bloomington, Director of the Center for the Study of Democracy and Public Life, PhD from Yale (Jeffery C., Dissent Magazine, Vol. 49, Iss. 2, “Ends, Means, and Politics,” p. Proquest)MY
As a result, the most important political questions are…arrogance. And it undermines political effectiveness.
2ac – diplomatic capital da
Kerry is spending dipcap on Latin America now
Karpova 4/23 Lisa Karpova, staff writer @ Pravda.Ru, “John Kerry, Secretary of State: "Latin America is our back yard"”, 23.04.2013, http://english.pravda.ru/world/americas/23-04-2013/124377-latam_backyard-0/,
wyo-bb
On Wednesday, the American Secretary of State, John…countries, but he will go to the region," said John Kerry.
Non-unique --- dip cap loss now and inevitable --- Pacific realignment
Saipan Tribune 7/30/13 (Saipan Tribune, Chinese News Source, “Bordallo Asks for Greater Clarity on Asia-Pacific Rebalance,” July 30, 2013, http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1andnewsID=139089)
This was as an important hearing to better…on with this very tangible part of the rebalance.”
Link is backwards --- reform on Cuba frees up dip cap for other issues
Sweig 12 (Julia E. Sweig, Nelson and David Rockefeller senior fellow for Latin America studies and director for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, “Getting Latin America Right,” 1/2/12, http://nationalinterest.org/article/getting-latin-america-right-7880?page=6)
With serious initiatives on Cuba and guns, backed up…regional realities as well as his country’s national interest.
No warming impact --- not real, predictions fail, CO2’s not key, and alt causes
Lean 13 (Geoffrey, Environmental Correspondent – Daily Telegraph, “Global warming: time to rein back on doom and gloom?”, Daily Telegraph, 4-5, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/globalwarming/9974397/Global-warming-time-to-rein-back-on-doom-and-gloom.html)
All right, I accept that this Arctic April may seem an…have to do much more to control carbon dioxide.
2ac – capitalism k
Cap is inevitable and sustainable
Foster 9 (JD, Norman B. Ture Senior Fellow in the Economics of fiscal policy – Heritage Foundation, "Is Capitalism Dead? Maybe," 3-11, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101694302)
Capitalism is down. It may even be out. But…we repeat the cycle again sometime down the road.

Short-term market mechanisms are the only solution to environmental destruction---the alt is ideological blindness parading as moral purity which justifies the status quo
Bryant 12--professor of philosophy at Collin College (Levi, We’ll Never Do Better Than a Politician: Climate Change and Purity, 5/11/12, http://larvalsubjects.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/well-never-do-better-than-a-politician-climate-change-and-purity/)
Somewhere or other Latour makes the remark…other way, there’s no way around this, and we do need to act now.
Capitalism is key to widespread and effective disease treatment – regulations inhibit companies
Ralston, 3 executive director of Americans for Free Choice in Medicine (Richard E. Ralston “Free Markets: The Key to New Drugs at a Reasonable Price” 2003 http://www.freedomfromfda.org/freemarketskey.html) NG
¶ Government control of prescriptions drugs and their…means those who produce them—alone!
Mutations ensure diseases cause extinction
Darling 12 (David, Astronomer, “9 Strange Ways the World Really Might End”, Seattle's Big Blog, 3-18, http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2012/03/18/9-strange-ways-the-world-really-might-end/?fb_xd_fragment, Washington State University)
Our body is in constant competition with a dizzying…survival of our species could be threatened.

Tournament: University of Michigan | Round: 3 | Opponent: Wayzata GN | Judge: Bobby Ciborowski
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN --- ROUND 3 V. WAYZATA GN
1AC
Same as Michigan Round 2
2AC
2ac – t-appeasement
Economic Engagement includes lifting sanctions
Pernaa, 7 – Dept of Political Science at Lund University (Emilia, “Catering Sticks and Carrots for the Global Security,” http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFileandrecordOId=1324375andfileOId=1324376
The term engagement has been understood in a…policies, following the norms of the international system.
2ac – regime da
Transition coming now --- it will be unstable absent real economic progress --- Chavez death means only a risk the plan prevents collapse
Morris 11 (Emily, London Metropolitan University UK, FORECASTING CUBA’S ECONOMY: 2, 5, AND 20 YEARS, Presented at the international symposium “Cuba Futures: Past and Present,” organized by The Cuba Project Bildner Center for Western Hemisphere Studies at The Graduate Center/CUNY, http://web.gc.cuny.edu/dept/bildn/cuba/cubaforecasting.pdf)
Risks in the short term Political risks arise from … of the growth leaders, China and India. 14 C

2ac – immigration politics da
No chance of passage --- Obamacare website fiasco triggers all of their links
Russell Berman 10/29/13, writer at The Hill, “ObamaCare steals spotlight from push on immigration,” http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/188417-obamacare-steals-spotlight-from-push-on-immigration
The troubled rollout of the healthcare law has thrown a … law.¶ “It is getting overshadowed,” said
Normal means is executive licensing – shields the link
Pascual and Huddleston, 9 – Carlos, VP and Director of Foreign policy, Brookings Institute, and Vicki, Visiting Fellow
( “CUBA: A New policy of Critical and Constructive Engagement”, April, http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2009/4/cuba/0413_cuba.pdf)
Given the strong sentiments and expectations that Cuba … the United States appear to be a bully.
Laundry list pounds the agenda
WSJ 10/17, Peter Nicholas and Carol E. Lee, "Obama's Agenda Faces Rocky Road", 2013, online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303680404579141472200495820
Yet as much as he wants to shift the focus to … GOP leaders to negotiate with the president on immigration.
Obama’s involvement wrecks chances of passage---spooks GOP
Brian Bennett 10/24, and Christi Parsons, LA Times "Obama softens tone on immigration reform", 2013, www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-immigration-obama-20131025,0,6755968.story#axzz2ihpoZszR
Outside analysts and advocates say Obama needs to … doing for the past five years, which is nothing."
Economic benefits are overstated
Mike Flynn 13, Breitbart reporter, July 13, "White House Oversells Economic Benefits of Immigration Reform," www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/07/13/white-house-oversells-economic-benefits-of-immigration-reform
On Saturday, President Obama used his weekly…reform. Economic growth, however, seems a very weak one.  
2ac – diplomatic capital
Kerry is spending dipcap on Latin America now
Karpova 4/23 Lisa Karpova, staff writer @ Pravda.Ru, “John Kerry, Secretary of State: "Latin America is our back yard"”, 23.04.2013, http://english.pravda.ru/world/americas/23-04-2013/124377-latam_backyard-0/,
wyo-bb
On Wednesday, the American Secretary of State, John Kerry, … he will go to the region," said John Kerry.
Non-unique --- dip cap loss now and inevitable --- Pacific realignment
Saipan Tribune 7/30/13 (Saipan Tribune, Chinese News Source, “Bordallo Asks for Greater Clarity on Asia-Pacific Rebalance,” July 30, 2013, http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1andnewsID=139089)
This was as an important hearing to better articulate our … this very tangible part of the rebalance.”
Link is backwards --- reform on Cuba frees up dip cap for other issues
Sweig 12 (Julia E. Sweig, Nelson and David Rockefeller senior fellow for Latin America studies and director for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, “Getting Latin America Right,” 1/2/12, http://nationalinterest.org/article/getting-latin-america-right-7880?page=6)
With serious initiatives on Cuba and guns, backed … as well as his country’s national interest.
Dip cap doesn’t solve crisis
Danin 7/20/13 (Robert M. Danin, Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, “Secretary Kerry’s Creative Ambiguity and Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks,” Council on Foreign Relations, July 20, 2013, http://blogs.cfr.org/danin/2013/07/20/secretary-kerrys-creative-ambiguity-and-israeli-palestinian-peace-talks/)
Diplomatic ambiguity of the sort produced by Secretary … capital. That alone, however, is unlikely to be sufficient.
Israel/Palestine conflict has never escalated --- there’s no evidence for their impact
Satloff 6 (Robert, Executive Director – Washington Institute, “The Iraq Study Group: Assessing Its Regional Conclusions”, 12-21, http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2549)
The report's greatest analytical leap of faith is the … to solve because it is the right thing to do.
2ac – coloniality k
Discourse doesn’t shape reality
Roberts and Joseph, 5 (John Michael, lecturer in sociology and communication @ Brunel University, and Jonathon, professor of politics and international relations @ University of Kent, “Derrida, Foucault, and Zizek: Being Realistic About Social Theory”, Critical Realism Today, 56, Autumn, pg 119-120)
To conclude, we would say that epistemic caution … the broader social and cultural world of which we are a part.
A focus on epistemology guts political solutions
Jarvis, 2k (Prof Philosophy @ U South Carolina (Darryl, Studies in International Relations, “International Relations and the Challenge of Postmodernism”, pg. 2)
While Hoffmann might well be correct, these days … become "an appropriate form of scholarship."5
Terrorism studies are epistemologically valid---our authors are self-reflexive
Boyle, 08 – Michael J. Boyle, School of International Relations, University of St. Andrews, and John Horgan, International Center for the Study of Terrorism, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, April 2008, “A Case Against Critical Terrorism Studies,” Critical Studies On Terrorism, Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 51-64
Jackson (2007c) calls for the development of an explicitly CTS … produce such scathing indictments of its own work.
The U.S. is not an empire – we are key to international institutions that solve conflict  
Ikenberry 4 (G. John Ikenberry, Prof. of Geopolitics, “Illusions of Empire: Defining the New American Order” Foreign Affairs, March/April 2004)
Is the United States an empire? If so, Ferguson's … that have limited and legitimated U.S. power.

Tournament: University of Michigan | Round: 6 | Opponent: Niles West SK | Judge: Brad Meloche
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ROUND 6 --- AFF V. NILES WEST SK
1AC
See UM Round 2
2AC
2ac – t-appeasement
Economic Engagement includes lifting sanctions
Pernaa, 7 – Dept of Political Science at Lund University (Emilia, “Catering Sticks and Carrots for the Global Security,” http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFileandrecordOId=1324375andfileOId=1324376
The term engagement has been understood in a … following the norms of the international system.
Limited number of cases check limits explosion
Haass and O’Sullivan, 2k - *Vice President and Director of Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution AND a Fellow with the Foreign Policy Studies Program at the Brookings Institution (Richard and Meghan, “Terms of Engagement: Alternatives to Punitive Policies” Survival _{vol. 42, no. 2, Summer 2000, http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/articles/2000/6/summer20haass/2000survival.pdf
Architects of engagement strategies can choose … some of the possible incentives used in the form of engagement.
2ac – agriculture da
Terminally non-unique – one way trade now
Wolfson, 10 - practicing psychiatrist/psychotherapist in the Bay Area (Phil, “Cuba Sí’ Tikkun Magazine, Sept/Oct, http://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/cuba-si)
But the water problem of Havana is not just about … imbalance is deliberately profitable to the U.S. agricultural industry. Wow!
Two-way trade is key - Cuba’s model will outcompete the industrial ag model
Cornell and Patel, 9 – both write for the Council on Hemispheric Affairs (Christina and Tara, “Cuba Elevates Urban Gardening To a Cause” 4/17, http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/index.php?article=11525
Since the development of urban agriculture in Havana, production … ultimately expanding its profits through competitive transactions and trade.
2ac – gradualism da
Transition coming now --- it will be unstable absent real economic progress --- Chavez death means only a risk the plan prevents collapse
Morris 11 (Emily, London Metropolitan University UK, FORECASTING CUBA’S ECONOMY: 2, 5, AND 20 YEARS, Presented at the international symposium “Cuba Futures: Past and Present,” organized by The Cuba Project Bildner Center for Western Hemisphere Studies at The Graduate Center/CUNY, http://web.gc.cuny.edu/dept/bildn/cuba/cubaforecasting.pdf)
Risks in the short term Political risks arise from the … economies of the growth leaders, China and India. 14 C
Plan solves and avoids the link --- unconditional action from the US enables the regime to save face
Holmes 10 (Michael G. Holmes, BA, Georgetown University, Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies Thesis, “Seizing The Moment,” June 21, 2010, http://repository.library.georgetown.edu/bitstream/handle/10822/553334/holmesMichael.pdf?sequence=1)
However Raul doesn’t actually have to lobby … make Cuba more receptive to future changes.
Non-unique – Reforms have been fast in Cuba since ’08 – privatization of the economy, property rights, and businesses
Barcia, 12 – Senior Lecturer in Latin American Studies at the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, as well as Deputy Director at the Institute for Colonial and Postcolonial Studies at the University of Leeds (Michael, “Cuba's slow path to the future”, Aljazeera, 1/11/12, http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/01/20121883342630706.html)//EX
Leeds, United Kingdom - When the Cuban parliament … stimulate the creation of even more new businesses.
2ac – biodiversity da
Plan solves global biodiversity crises
Conell, 9 -Research Associate at COHA (Christina, “The U.S. and Cuba: Destined to be an Environmental Duo?”, Council on Hemispheric Affairs, 6/12/09, http://www.coha.org/the-us-and-cuba-an-environmental-duo/)//TL
•Cuba’s abundant natural resources need to be protected … of exemplary sustainable environmental protection practices.
2ac – politics da
No chance of passage --- Obamacare website fiasco triggers all of their links
Russell Berman 10/29/13, writer at The Hill, “ObamaCare steals spotlight from push on immigration,” http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/188417-obamacare-steals-spotlight-from-push-on-immigration
The troubled rollout of the healthcare law has thrown a … of the healthcare law.¶ “It is getting overshadowed,” said
Normal means is executive licensing – shields the link
Pascual and Huddleston, 9 – Carlos, VP and Director of Foreign policy, Brookings Institute, and Vicki, Visiting Fellow
( “CUBA: A New policy of Critical and Constructive Engagement”, April, http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2009/4/cuba/0413_cuba.pdf)
Given the strong sentiments and expectations that Cuba … to making the United States appear to be a bully.
Laundry list pounds the agenda
WSJ 10/17, Peter Nicholas and Carol E. Lee, "Obama's Agenda Faces Rocky Road", 2013, online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303680404579141472200495820
Yet as much as he wants to shift the focus to … to negotiate with the president on immigration.
Obama’s involvement wrecks chances of passage---spooks GOP
Brian Bennett 10/24, and Christi Parsons, LA Times "Obama softens tone on immigration reform", 2013, www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-immigration-obama-20131025,0,6755968.story#axzz2ihpoZszR
Outside analysts and advocates say Obama needs … doing for the past five years, which is nothing."
Loss of PC still results in high-skill reform
Yglesias 1/15 Matthew, Slate, 2013, How the GOP Can Roll Obama on Immigration, www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2013/01/15/immigration_reform_will_obama_get_rolled.html
Of the major policy issues under discussion in … kind of fanaticism that is the exact opposite of Obama's approach to politics.
Latin American relations solve warming
Zedillo 8 (Ernesto, Former President – Mexico, Thomas R. Pickering, Former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, “Rethinking U.S.–Latin American Relations A Hemispheric Partnership for a Turbulent World”, Report of the Partnership for the Americas Commission, The Brookings Institution, November, http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Research/Files/Reports/2008/11/2420latin20america20partnership/1124_latin_america_partnership.PDF)
The Need for a Hemispheric Partnership Historically, the … sustained cooperation among the hemisphere’s countries.
Warming won’t cause extinction --- adaption checks
Barrett 7 (Scott, professor of natural resource economics, Columbia University “Why Cooperate? The Incentive to Supply Global Public Goods”, introduction)
First, climate change does not threaten the survival of …, but we would have done much more about it by now.
2ac – capitalism kritik
cap is inevitable and sustainable
Foster 9 (JD, Norman B. Ture Senior Fellow in the Economics of fiscal policy – Heritage Foundation, "Is Capitalism Dead? Maybe," 3-11, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101694302)
Capitalism is down. It may even be out. But it's far … we repeat the cycle again sometime down the road.
Short-term market mechanisms are the only solution to environmental destruction---the alt is ideological blindness parading as moral purity which justifies the status quo
Bryant 12--professor of philosophy at Collin College (Levi, We’ll Never Do Better Than a Politician: Climate Change and Purity, 5/11/12, http://larvalsubjects.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/well-never-do-better-than-a-politician-climate-change-and-purity/)
Somewhere or other Latour makes the remark … other way, there’s no way around this, and we do need to act now.
key to widespread and effective disease treatment – regulations inhibit companies
Ralston, 3 executive director of Americans for Free Choice in Medicine (Richard E. Ralston “Free Markets: The Key to New Drugs at a Reasonable Price” 2003 http://www.freedomfromfda.org/freemarketskey.html) NG
¶ Government control of prescriptions drugs and their … means those who produce them—alone!
Mutations ensure diseases cause extinction
Darling 12 (David, Astronomer, “9 Strange Ways the World Really Might End”, Seattle's Big Blog, 3-18, http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2012/03/18/9-strange-ways-the-world-really-might-end/?fb_xd_fragment, Washington State University)
Our body is in constant competition with a dizzying … very survival of our species could be threatened.}

Tournament: University of Michigan | Round: 7 | Opponent: Pine Crest LM | Judge: Ellis Allen
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ROUND 7 --- AFF V. PINE CREST LM
1AC
See UM Round 1
2AC
2ac - t-appeasement
Economic Engagement includes lifting sanctions
Pernaa, 7 - Dept of Political Science at Lund University (Emilia, “Catering Sticks and Carrots for the Global Security,” http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFileandrecordOId=1324375andfileOId=1324376
The term engagement has been understood in a … following the norms of the international system.
2ac - t-conditional
Counter interp --- economic engagement can be conditional or unconditional
Kahler, 6 - Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, University of California, San Diego (M., “Strategic Uses of Economic Interdependence: Engagement Policies on the Korean Peninsula and Across the Taiwan Strait” in Journal of Peace Research (2006), 43:5, p. 523-541, Sage Publications)
Scholars have usefully distinguished between two types … agent that reshapes the goals of the target state.
2ac - agriculture da
Terminally non-unique - one way trade now
Wolfson, 10 - practicing psychiatrist/psychotherapist in the Bay Area (Phil, “Cuba Sí' Tikkun Magazine, Sept/Oct, http://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/cuba-si)
But the water problem of Havana is not just about the … imbalance is deliberately profitable to the U.S. agricultural industry. Wow!
2ac - ustr da
Alliance resilient --- it's unbreakable
Okamoto 2 (Yukio, President - Okamoto Associates, Washington Quarterly, Spring, Lexis)
Given the magnitude of the danger that an … unbreakable -- because there are no acceptable alternatives.
Cooperation inevitable --- disputes won't manifest
Bader 10 (Jeffrey 6/7, Senior fellow at Brookings- Director of the John L. Thornton China Center, 6/7/10 Keynote Speech: US-Japan Alliance at 50: Toward a Reenergized Partnership” http://stimson.org/japan/pdf/Transcript_Jeff_Bader.pdf)
The sinking of the South Korean naval vessel, Cheonan, … is the indispensible foundation for the alliance. 

2ac - immigration politics disad
No chance of passage --- Obamacare website fiasco triggers all of their links
Russell /13, writer at The Hill, “ObamaCare steals spotlight from push on immigration,” http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/188417-obamacare-steals-spotlight-from-push-on-immigration
The troubled rollout of the healthcare law has thrown … of the healthcare law.¶ “It is getting overshadowed,” said
Normal means is executive licensing - shields the link
Pascual and Huddleston, 9 - Carlos, VP and Director of Foreign policy, Brookings Institute, and Vicki, Visiting Fellow
( “CUBA: A New policy of Critical and Constructive Engagement”, April, http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2009/4/cuba/0413_cuba.pdf)
Given the strong sentiments and expectations that Cuba … the United States appear to be a bully.
Obama's involvement wrecks chances of passage---spooks GOP
Brian , and Christi Parsons, LA Times "Obama softens tone on immigration reform", 2013, www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-immigration-obama-20131025,0,6755968.story#axzz2ihpoZszR
Outside analysts and advocates say Obama needs to … past five years, which is nothing." 

2ac - terrorism kritik
The alt freezes action to solve the impact
Ganor, 02 (Boax Ganor, The International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism, “Defining Terrorism: Is One Man's Terrorist Another Man's Freedom Fighter?” http://www.maeganandjoe.info/temp/School/A-PSMG20434720-20GLOBAL20PERSPECTIVES20ON20TERRORISM/Unit201/one20mans20terrorist.pdf)
Most researchers tend to believe that an objective … forms of violent struggle reflecting different levels of illegitimacy.
The U.S. is not an empire - we are key to international institutions that solve conflict  
Ikenberry 4 (G. John Ikenberry, Prof. of Geopolitics, “Illusions of Empire: Defining the New American Order” Foreign Affairs, March/April 2004)
Is the United States an empire? If so, Ferguson's … that have limited and legitimated U.S. power.
Terrorism studies are epistemologically valid---our authors are self-reflexive
Boyle, 08 - Michael J. Boyle, School of International Relations, University of St. Andrews, and John Horgan, International Center for the Study of Terrorism, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, April 2008, “A Case Against Critical Terrorism Studies,” Critical Studies On Terrorism, Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 51-64
Jackson (2007c) calls for the development of an explicitly CTS … such scathing indictments of its own work.
Globalization is inevitable and sustainable - key to economic stability
Price 11 (John, Graduate in Commerce from Queen's University in Canada, has taught international business at Universidad de las Americas in Mexico City, “Globalization Is Here to Stay: Why Latin America Must Accept Its Globalized Destiny and Ready Itself to Compete," 8/19/11, https://umshare.miami.edu/web/wda/hemisphericpolicy/Task_Force_Papers/Price-GlobalizationTFPaper.pdf slim_)
There exists a sizeable industry of academics, pundits, … the 1990s), productivity and wealth creation drop.