How to Run Secret Spec 2: Hammer & Anvil

This is part of a 3-part series on how to run Secret Spec. Catch up on Part 1.

You picked a reasonable interpretation of the affirmative position to argue against. Here’s how you execute it.

Step 1: The Anvil

The first step is to establish that the affirmative doesn’t disavow the version of the Plan that you’re going to hit. You can do this in your speech, but it’s far easier to do it in cross-ex.

  • Aff: We support invading a country.

  • Neg: Which one?

  • Aff: That’s for you to find out after you’ve run your arguments.

  • Neg: Can you name a country you’re not invading?

  • Aff: Canada.

  • Neg: Any others?

  • Aff: No.

  • Neg: So to be clear: you support invading any country that isn’t Canada?

  • Aff: Potentially.

  • Neg: Potentially? When will you know what you support?

  • Aff: We’d have to hear your arguments first.

  • Neg: I’m not asking about my arguments. I’m asking what you support.

  • Aff: We support the resolution.

  • Neg: So you support invading any country that isn’t Canada. Right?

  • Aff: Yes.

If you can’t get to it in cross-ex, you can create a (weaker but functional) anvil by explicitly pointing to the ambiguities of the Plan in the following speech.

Again: the affirmative is being given plenty of chances to take a position. What happens next was fully avoidable. Don’t spare them if they choose this route.

Step 2: The Hammer

Since all Plans excluding Canada are now on the table, ask yourself:

What’s the weakest version of the Plan you can think of?

Invading a close European ally like the UK or France would be disastrous. But Russia and China are even worse. War with them could easily turn into an existential threat to humanity. Let’s go with China.

The structure will vary depending on the argument, but the rhetoric will work about the same.

  • Disadvantage: Nuclear War.

  • Link: Invading China. The affirmative said in cross-ex that they support invading any non-Canadian country. That includes our top trading partner and the most populous country in the world, China.

  • Brink: 290 warheads. China is currently armed with …

Resist the urge to preempt or spike the affirmative’s next act. Just tell the judge what happened up to now. Speak as if the only possible way the debate can proceed is with the aff defending an invasion of China. Anything else would be incoherent and dishonest! You think better of your opponents than that.

It’s easy to predict the aff’s next move. We’ll cover that in the next post.

Joseph AbellComment