"Se Germans" are back

Hello everyone,

After recovering from Worlds on the ski slopes, I'll be blogging the Jacobs Open 2009 over at "Achte Minute".

Cheers,
Henrik

Congratulations to all

Our most sincere congratulations to all winners, top speakers, and finalists on their achievements!

Well done!

We're off to the Ball now ... Drinks await.

Winners Grand Final

Oxford A

After votes on all teams, three teams, and two final votes, resulting in 4-3-2 and 5-4 split decisions respectively.

Can Okar told us that one judge had originally voted for 1P, but after the discussion the split was 4 for 2P, 3 for 1O and 2 for 2O; the latter two then changed to 1O to have them win.

Winners ESL

BBU A

WUDC 2009 Results - Teams upcoming

Derek just thanked the organizers, led by Art; the DCA Panel; Bob Nimmo, the tabmaster; Danny P McCarthy, the Assistant Chief Adjudicator; and the participants.

Winners EFL

Vilnius A

WUDC 2009 Results - Speakers

Please excuse/correct typos!

EFL Speakers

5 Elena Zhukova
4 Laura Horvath
3 Lea Tafra
2 Yevgenia Golubova
1 Aiste Dumbryte

ESL Speakers

5 Adam Hildebrandt (yay!)
4 Yoni Cohen
3 Sela Nevo
2 Simone van Elk
1 Leela Koenig

Best speakers of the competition

10 Harish Natarajan (Cambridge C)
8 James Dray (Oxford A)
8 John Leader Maynard (Oxford C)
7 Sheng Wu Li (Oxford B)
5 Julia Featherston (Sydney A)
5 Steve Hind (Sydney B)
3 Fiona Prowse (Monash A)
3 Amit Golder (Monash A)
2 Tim Mooney (Sydney A)
1 Naomi Oreb (Sydney B)

Public Vote on the Motion

The motion failed; the Nays have it.

First Winners Announced

Comedy Competition:
Willard Foxton

Masters Team:
Ireland - Ross McGuire and Gregg O'Neill

Masters Individual:
Barry Glynn
(Honorable Mentions to Willard Foxton, Doug Cochran, Derek Doyle)

Public Speaking:
Patrick Bateman

Congratulations to all!

Entertainment ensues

There is now an entertainment program, currently featuring a traditional Irish a cappella band, which gives us and especially my thumbs a chance to relax a little ...

First Ideas on the Grand Final

A quick survey of first ideas suggests that people think that Oxford C, Harvard A, or Oxford A could very possibly have won.

I personally have my hopes still set on Oxford A, who have presented an amazing case beyond eloquence.

Art is currently doing thank yous, which are clearly all very well deserved.

First Ideas on the Grand Final

A quick survey of first ideas suggests that people think that Oxford C, Harvard A, or Oxford A could very possibly have won.

I personally have my hopes still set on Oxford A, who have presented an amazing case beyond eloquence.

Art is currently doing thank yous, which are clearly all very well deserved.

2. CO Speech

- Reliance on unknown potentiality of life extreme interpretation

- Status of fetus
- Plausible that mother's individ rights override other
- Everytime I miss an opportunity to have sex and create life, I commit murder under their definition ...
- Life might be, but does not have to be, cf we could all go to hell if we don't go to church, the state still does not force us

- Phil can justify abortion prior to mother, but impact does not justify excl from moral decision making

- Save the life imperative is relative ... Sometimes other people's rights override

2. CG Speech

- What is a fetus
- Moral debate ... must have max moral protection
- Other kinds of people also have full rights, eg life support
- Prospect of dev differs life vs not life anymore

- Women's rights
- Being a mother is not moral equiv to being murdered
- Consent to sex extends to full range of possibilities

- Role of state
- State to step in
# missed a bit
- No equiv tradeoff to killing fetus shown by gov

1. CO Speech

- Arbitrary line:
agency answered difficult but not arbitrary
not total scientific consensus does not mean having to adhere to one of the extremes

- Viability ... Self direction not possible until certain stage, further often giving the family the right to switch off life support, eg when born in coma

- Potentiality is not enough ... crazy world bc pot starts earlier down the line

- Role of state
- Should the state force those believing otherwise to forego what is individual moral judgment
- Quality of life consideration

1. CG Speech

- Who gets to decide?
- Existence of third party makes this different
- Existing society wide presumption to favor life over convenience
- Full moral consideration necessary given that Opp conceded that baby is alive
- Silence of third party is not consent

- Women's rights
- Mother's don't get to kill baby, cf switching off life support and will/consent
- Parents take rights from child ... also don't allow retribution
- Rights of mother even in case of right to have fun stops at right of baby

Fantastic rebuttal to Will and James.

2. OO Speech

- Women who have sex consent to motherhood? ... Insane
- Why is phys harm the only harm conceded by gov
- Control over body effectively with state ... as sort of baby factory
- Rebuilding the idea of mental harms through pregnancy

- Still masses of unwanted pregnancies ... woman with coat hanger, cf 60s in GB ... support is with doctors
- Summary rant to wrap it up

Excellent, Oxford A!

2. OG Speech

Assume that Opp is happy to have abortion whenever

- Nature of sex implies consequences ... ceded autonomy
- Makes people more aware ... Condoms with 99.9% safety
- Full life can still be had despite pregnancy

PoI James reiterating self concept

- disenfranchisement by gov bc poor people are driven into abortion bc of missing support services
- Disenfranchisement of men ... Should have a say in that decision # same thing other way around?

1. OO Speech

- Odd that OG concede to taking life in sit of self defence
- Backstreet w coat hanger vs doctor
- Still justified when saving life of another

- Scenarios where this could still be justified,
eg Siamese twins: self defence against attacker on part of mother
Zombies attacking in the back street

-> when woman feels that there is a danger posed by the fetus, can act in self defence

- when woman at fault: can still be pregnant when all forms of contraception fails

Wow, what an argument ...

1. OG Speech

- Value of life
- Fundamental ground for all rights
- Stage drawn arbitrary
- Active decision to end life ... akin to murder ... diff to contraception

PoI from Will on rape

- Phys and mental trauma
- Women seeking abortion little able to comprehend
- Phys damages from procedure as phys harm
- Knowledge to have taken life as mental harm

- Pregnancy point is at sex w/o contraception understood