I was a college debater from 1955 to 1960 and then a judge. I really cannot countenance what our young people are now subject to. Go ahead with your own debate league and leave these anti-intellectuals to stew in their own bigoted juices. You don’t need them. Good young minds don’t need them. Our nation doesn’t need them. I wish you every success.
This is how insidious Marxism and leftists are. I am proud to be a capitalist. It is the ONLY economic system that enables people of all colors, backgrounds and gifts to succeed.
Same old story. The progressive left are fascist totalitarians. The question is what to do about it? Perhaps creating a new organization that encourages real, open, fair debate?
What scares me is these young people are supposedly learning to use skills that will, in the future, help them in leadership positions. I don’t want my country’s future leaders learning how to suppress ideas.
The supporters of censoring arguments in favor of woke ideology can never defend their positions. They are cowards, and they should be treated with disdain.
This is a classic technique of authoritarians...”We will listen to anything you have to say...as long as it is within the parameters of which we agree to listen.”
This has the dual effect of both re-enforcing the tactics of the young, would-be authoritarians and inducing the young free thinkers into self-censorship.
When everything is about identity, all thinking stops, and a mind virus sets in, as I describe here...
Ironically, this current NSDA, not Mr Fishback's alternative, is teaching kids EXACTLY the skills they need to get ahead fast in today's world: 1. Start by digging up dirt on social media, 2. Never address your opponents argument directly (or at all), instead make sure the focus remains ad hominem, 3. Always argue from the left, 4. The more you say 'phobia' the more you win.
Please tell me I’m not imagining things. I went to the link provided to Lila Lavender and cannot believe what I am reading. This is fake news, right? No one can really be a debate judge while also proclaiming to be a f*cking MAOIST? Do these people really exist or is this AI f*cking with us?
This is so sad. My son debated for his high school team for four years and in his senior year was co-captain. He learned many important skills as a result of this experience, including how to think logically, research an issue and put together a cogent argument. There are life skills that have helped him in his career. I am so glad that my children didn't experience what is occurring today as described in this article but I feel sorry for those high school students who live in fear for expressing views other than the personal views of the judge and also need to worry about being subjected to personal attacks. Debate has turned into a farce.
This effort to start a new, parallel debate society should be a model now for what to do about this totalitarianism. Reforming institutions from within will not work unless they are getting undermined at the same time by parallel institutions able to offer a real refuge and alternative. Maybe call it the Committees of Correspondence movement.
I am an active NSDA Coach and this year was the first year my students were able to attend the National Tournament because NSDA granted us our own District. Our district consists of Modern Orthodox Jewish students from Yeshiva High Schools around the country. Prior to this year, we were precluded from competing at Nationals as qualifying tournaments were on the Sabbath. NSDA granted us a district to correct this problem and we ended up sending 16 students from NY, NJ and FL to Nats. Our district can be found at www.citrononline.org.
I and our male students and even our judges proudly wore our kippas at the tournament. We also made it very clearly known that we are a pro-Israel Jews. Personally, I saw no negativity to me and my students.
I also witnessed and judged rounds, this year, debaters from around the world tackle difficult topics with zero perceived self-censorship.
With that all being said, I am CERTAIN there are judges who's paradigms are biased. I also personally think these judges should NOT be allowed to judge rounds. However, I would want to know their bias up front, in their paradigm, so I can take two actions:
1) Not hire them for our District and thanks to this series of articles we will be screening paradigms carefully
2) Be able to challenge a ballot based on bias of the judges through the proper channels at NSDA.
We plan to run over 20 tournaments in our district next year and I will personally take all measure to screen out biased judges. I think we will need other districts to commit to the same rules.
They should rename the NSDA the National Subversion and Demoralization Association. Good reminder why it’s best to stay anon if you want to post spicy takes. My pseudonym warned us - can you reason with a demoralized person? https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/how-to-reason-with-a-demoralized
If you can’t win at something, no matter your efforts, then you change the rules in your favor or quit and disparage the event’s value entirely! This is a classic progressive left tactic. They have little to no interest in the actual debate and all its merits…unless it advance their ideologies and/or agendas. This isolationism of thought will be the downfall of our great society! So sad and so anti-American in its nature. It is exactly the type of “thought-control” our fore-fathers were fearful could destroy our chance at a safe and peaceful republic for all types of people to experience life, liberty and happiness!! It’s truly heartbreaking to watch our nation withering slowly in front of us!
Keep up the good work without Americans like you we have no chance.
Thank you for reporting on this extensively and shining a light on this upside down situation. This is right out of “1984.” Debate is the place where we’ll thought out arguments inform and educate. Once again the woke agenda tries to pull the rug out from under logic. Keep fighting the good fight for our futures and our children. And remember to vote every single woke politician out of their jobs.
"A few critics have pointed out that my piece was written out of self-interest. That all I was trying to do is publicize my own organization." - Excuse my ignorance, but is the current system of high school debate (NSDA) free? Are there fees? Do the judges get paid or receive a stipend? How is the current system not benefitting the organization and organizers? How is the CURRENT system not one that has the interests of the existing organizers/admins/judges at heart?
I was a college debater from 1955 to 1960 and then a judge. I really cannot countenance what our young people are now subject to. Go ahead with your own debate league and leave these anti-intellectuals to stew in their own bigoted juices. You don’t need them. Good young minds don’t need them. Our nation doesn’t need them. I wish you every success.
“I also admit I am a capitalist.”
This is how insidious Marxism and leftists are. I am proud to be a capitalist. It is the ONLY economic system that enables people of all colors, backgrounds and gifts to succeed.
Same old story. The progressive left are fascist totalitarians. The question is what to do about it? Perhaps creating a new organization that encourages real, open, fair debate?
What scares me is these young people are supposedly learning to use skills that will, in the future, help them in leadership positions. I don’t want my country’s future leaders learning how to suppress ideas.
Or is that the point?
The supporters of censoring arguments in favor of woke ideology can never defend their positions. They are cowards, and they should be treated with disdain.
This is a classic technique of authoritarians...”We will listen to anything you have to say...as long as it is within the parameters of which we agree to listen.”
This has the dual effect of both re-enforcing the tactics of the young, would-be authoritarians and inducing the young free thinkers into self-censorship.
When everything is about identity, all thinking stops, and a mind virus sets in, as I describe here...
https://www.sub-verses.com/p/climb-aboard-woke-my-spaceship
Ironically, this current NSDA, not Mr Fishback's alternative, is teaching kids EXACTLY the skills they need to get ahead fast in today's world: 1. Start by digging up dirt on social media, 2. Never address your opponents argument directly (or at all), instead make sure the focus remains ad hominem, 3. Always argue from the left, 4. The more you say 'phobia' the more you win.
Please tell me I’m not imagining things. I went to the link provided to Lila Lavender and cannot believe what I am reading. This is fake news, right? No one can really be a debate judge while also proclaiming to be a f*cking MAOIST? Do these people really exist or is this AI f*cking with us?
This is so sad. My son debated for his high school team for four years and in his senior year was co-captain. He learned many important skills as a result of this experience, including how to think logically, research an issue and put together a cogent argument. There are life skills that have helped him in his career. I am so glad that my children didn't experience what is occurring today as described in this article but I feel sorry for those high school students who live in fear for expressing views other than the personal views of the judge and also need to worry about being subjected to personal attacks. Debate has turned into a farce.
This effort to start a new, parallel debate society should be a model now for what to do about this totalitarianism. Reforming institutions from within will not work unless they are getting undermined at the same time by parallel institutions able to offer a real refuge and alternative. Maybe call it the Committees of Correspondence movement.
I am an active NSDA Coach and this year was the first year my students were able to attend the National Tournament because NSDA granted us our own District. Our district consists of Modern Orthodox Jewish students from Yeshiva High Schools around the country. Prior to this year, we were precluded from competing at Nationals as qualifying tournaments were on the Sabbath. NSDA granted us a district to correct this problem and we ended up sending 16 students from NY, NJ and FL to Nats. Our district can be found at www.citrononline.org.
I and our male students and even our judges proudly wore our kippas at the tournament. We also made it very clearly known that we are a pro-Israel Jews. Personally, I saw no negativity to me and my students.
I also witnessed and judged rounds, this year, debaters from around the world tackle difficult topics with zero perceived self-censorship.
With that all being said, I am CERTAIN there are judges who's paradigms are biased. I also personally think these judges should NOT be allowed to judge rounds. However, I would want to know their bias up front, in their paradigm, so I can take two actions:
1) Not hire them for our District and thanks to this series of articles we will be screening paradigms carefully
2) Be able to challenge a ballot based on bias of the judges through the proper channels at NSDA.
We plan to run over 20 tournaments in our district next year and I will personally take all measure to screen out biased judges. I think we will need other districts to commit to the same rules.
They should rename the NSDA the National Subversion and Demoralization Association. Good reminder why it’s best to stay anon if you want to post spicy takes. My pseudonym warned us - can you reason with a demoralized person? https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/how-to-reason-with-a-demoralized
Premise: Today's über-progressive thought police are following a Nazi paradigm.
If you can’t win at something, no matter your efforts, then you change the rules in your favor or quit and disparage the event’s value entirely! This is a classic progressive left tactic. They have little to no interest in the actual debate and all its merits…unless it advance their ideologies and/or agendas. This isolationism of thought will be the downfall of our great society! So sad and so anti-American in its nature. It is exactly the type of “thought-control” our fore-fathers were fearful could destroy our chance at a safe and peaceful republic for all types of people to experience life, liberty and happiness!! It’s truly heartbreaking to watch our nation withering slowly in front of us!
Keep up the good work without Americans like you we have no chance.
Thank you for reporting on this extensively and shining a light on this upside down situation. This is right out of “1984.” Debate is the place where we’ll thought out arguments inform and educate. Once again the woke agenda tries to pull the rug out from under logic. Keep fighting the good fight for our futures and our children. And remember to vote every single woke politician out of their jobs.
"A few critics have pointed out that my piece was written out of self-interest. That all I was trying to do is publicize my own organization." - Excuse my ignorance, but is the current system of high school debate (NSDA) free? Are there fees? Do the judges get paid or receive a stipend? How is the current system not benefitting the organization and organizers? How is the CURRENT system not one that has the interests of the existing organizers/admins/judges at heart?