"Grimdark fiction" refers to a genre of fiction set in alternative universe, which has a tone or setting that is particularly dystopian, amoral, or violent (e.x. Game of Thrones, the Hunger Games, the Witcher, The Last of Us, The Poppy War).
Grand Final
THO the belief that one's percieved status as oppressor or oppressed ought to play a role in determining the morality of their actions
Semifinals
THW invade Yemen
Round 5
THP a democratic system with high partisan alignment, compared to one with low partisan alignment.
Info Slide
In democratic systems, partisan alignment refers to the strong attachment of an individual to vote for a political party in consecutive elections irrespective of specific manifesto policies. Dealignment is the process where a large portion of voters abandon previous partisan affiliation and become indifferent to all political parties.
Round 4
This house, as the parent, would send their children to be educated in a school whose means of communication is sign language
Info Slide
For the purposes of this debate we are discussing adults for whom sign language is their only means of verbal communication. And we are discussing children, born to these parents, who have been born hearing.
Round 3
THS the Bank of Japan's decision to end its negative interest rates policy
Info Slide
Since 2016, Japan's central bank, the Bank of Japan, adopted a policy of applying negative interest rates to excess reserves financial institutions placed with the central bank. The Bank of Japan announced that it was ending this policy in February 2024.
Round 2
THR the academisation of art
Info Slide
For the purposes of this debate, academisation of art refers to; the creation of dedicated schools, universities and academies; the creation of a codified school of thought and a metric for understanding art; the teaching of specific methods, approaches and practices of analysis and creation of art.
Round 1
THS de-banking as a strategy by governments in response to political extremism
Info Slide
De-banking refers to the closure of people's or organisations' bank accounts by banks who percieve the account holders to pose a legal, regulatory, reputational, or financial risk to the bank. In recent years, governments have worked with banks to debank individuals not on the sole basis that they are a risk to the bank but because they believe them to be engaged in political extremism. For example, the Canadian government in 2022 worked with banks to freeze accounts belonging to truckers protesting COVID-19 lockdowns.