Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its economic and/or diplomatic engagement with the People’s Republic of China
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2AC AT: Russia Impact
International Business Times, 2015 [News organization focused on political and economic matters, Dec. 9, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/threatening-nuclear-weapons-syria-putins-attempt-get-russia-treated-like-superpower-again-1532600 The stakes appear to have been raised in Russia's Syria gamble, as President Vladimir Putin casually let it drop that Russia will "hopefully" not have to use nuclear weapons against Islamic State (Isis). The key word here, however, is "appear". It's important to remember that military involvement in Syria, and the harsh statements that regularly accompany it, serve a dual purpose for the Russian government. On the international front, Russia is busy expanding its comparatively limited sphere of influence and seizing whatever opportunity it can to one up the West. Prolonged confusion over how best to deal with Isis specifically and the Syrian civil war in general gave the Russian government a golden opportunity to seem proactive and decisive next to the likes of Barack Obama and David Cameron. Sure, Russia threw its lot in with dictator Bashar al-Assad but to Russian officials, those are merely details. What's important is that Russia is acting as though it knows what it's doing, while the West, all the way until the horrific, Isis-orchestrated Paris attacks, has demonstrated much more self-doubt. Syria is Russia's chance to be treated like a superpower again. Dropping the word "nukes" into a conversation about the Syrian conflict is just one more way of trying on that fancy old Soviet mantle, from the days when the US and the USSR seemed to divide the world between them. This rhetoric doesn't make Russia's real path in Syria any less uncertain going forward, but it does up perceived prestige points, especially if we consider the rise of the right in Europe and the popularity of someone like Donald Trump in the US. At a time when demagogues with extreme positions are dominating the headlines, Russia laying the nuclear option on the table can actually appeal to a certain demographic far beyond Russian borders. Trump is saying "ban all Muslims", while Putin is slyly suggesting to basically nuke parts of Syria; but next to Trump, Putin appears to be more clever and refined (and always allowing himself a way to save face, by merely hinting at the nuclear option). And in an environment of increased fear, decisive-seeming statements and decisions hold particular power. Already, Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas and another 2016 US presidential hopeful, has praised Putin's decision to get involved in Syria. Of course, Putin's words were meant primarily for his domestic audience, which must be placated with constant reminders of Russia's might and greatness. The Russian ruble has devalued, pensions are in jeopardy, grocery prices have shot up, as has the poverty rate, and scattered economic protests have already begun. A great, if short-term strategy for dealing with that is simply redirecting everyone's attention to enemies abroad. Putin is essentially saying: "Sure, my fellow citizens, things might be tough right now, but just look at all of the butt we are kicking in Syria! Real patriots won't mind tightening their belts for a little while longer, as Russia blazes a trail to glory!" This may seem simplistic, but one should never underestimate the average Russian's desire to feel proud of their country. That desire was overlooked in the 1990s, paving the way for a politician like Putin to assume power. It's also important to remember that Russia has never nuked another country before. There is no difficult legacy there – and hence no room for self-reflection. This is why both Russian politicians and journalists can afford to be flippant about nuclear weapons. Taiwan Relations DisadvantageVocabularyTaiwan, Republic of China (ROC), Taipei: Island off the coast of China. In the 1940’s, a Chinese political party fled mainland China and started a government there. Since then, China has claimed Taiwan as their own country while Taiwan (generally) wants independence.People’s Liberation Army (PLA): The Chinese armed forces. Basically the accumulation of all the Chinese military. It is the largest military in the world.
Ma Ying-jeou (Ma Ying Joe): President of Taiwan from 2008-2016. Generally, a pretty moderate leader of the country. He had many policies that brought Taiwan closer to the PRC and received heavy criticism. He was the head of the Kuomintang (KMT) party.Kuomintang (KMT) (Co-Min-Tahng): Taiwanese political party which influences Taiwan toward the PRC. They eventually want Taiwan reunified with China. They just lost huge in the recent election to the DPP.Tsai Ing-wen (Ty eng-When): Current president of Taiwan and their first female president. She has just become president May 20th so it’s hard to say exactly what she will do. However, she is a member of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) so many believe she will strongly push back against the PRC.
Democratic People’s Party (DPP): Taiwanese political party which wants Taiwan to remain independent from China. They just received a huge lead in the legislature and won the presidency so they will decide policy until the next election.
Appease: To give in usually militarily. This is connected to political leaders who gave Hitler what he wanted in the late 1930’s because they believed that would make Hitler happy and he would stop being horrible. Instead, just like giving in to a bully, they only made him stronger and gain more power.Zero-Sum: Direct trade-off. There is a limited amount of something and so when one person/group/country takes, everyone else has less. When relationships are zero-sum that means that when one gains, the other loses.Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD): A missile system that may be put in South Korea to protect them from North Korea. The US, South Korea, and Japan like this idea because it will better protect these countries from North Korean weapons. China and North Korea don’t like it because they feel like this is an excuse for the US to put their military in the area.
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