Posted 13 October 2017 - 08:48 AM
Just my two cents: I like the concept of this Aff, but I think it has some problems with timeframe and alt causes.
Both of your scenarios rely on strengthening Puerto Rico's economy, but I don't think the Aff has a strong enough internal link to solve. People are leaving Puerto Rico for tons of reasons unrelated to education (and have been leaving for year). There are also some pretty clear barriers to the Puerto Rican economy (namely extreme debt, a lack of economic subsidies that the US grants to states, and the hurricanes) that I don't think the Aff can resolve. Plus, I'm not sure your evidence is reverse casual - even if the plan would stop people leaving Puerto Rico, I don't think it would bring anyone back, and even if Puerto Ricans were highly educated they'd probably just leave to the US for better opportunities. Combine that with a slow timeframe - it would probably take years for the effects of better education to be felt - and I think you're really vulnerable to Advantage CPs.
I would modify your case by taking some inspiration from Rowland Hall and add an impact about resolving the debt crisis. I also personally like the colonialism stuff, but it probably won't get you much offense with lay judges. If you want to keep those themes, you could add an equal justice scenario - something along the lines of "Puerto Ricans are American citizens, they deserve the same education as the rest of the country. Anything which fails to reform their education system maintains a separate and in equal system which is fundamentally immoral." I used to find that moral obligation arguments worked well for lay judges, and that will give you offense an advantage CP can't solve.
"They have done the most destructive, entirely insane thing that has ever been done. They've degraded debate. it's offensive. I'm sorry that you judges have had to listen to this, it's people like them that have destroyed the debate community"
-Missouri's reaction to a cap K