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Pro Contentions
China Threat (General)
Belt and road bad
Russia Threat (General)
- Finland
Strengthen NATO Cooperation
Hegemony good contention
Sea cable cuts bad
Increased oil access reduces oil dependence on the Middle East
Presence protects sea cables/the internet
Presence enables faster search & rescue
Presence enables faster response to oil spills
Presence critical to military resupply in Europe/Russia deterrence
Presence key to access to rare earth metals – military security, economic security, hegemony, renewable energy good impacts
General arguments as to why more icebreakers are good (reasons covered above)
Greater oil access reduces dependence on the Middle East
Con Contentions
Pressure on Russia leads to a lash-out (including nuclear lashout, as Russia relies on a strong military presence in the Arctic for forward nuclear bases)
Crowding Russia out hurts their economy, instability and war impacts
China Politics/Encirclement
- Belt and Road good
Military trade-off (East Asia)
Diplomatic Capital trade-off
Increasing presence undermines cooperative approaches to security
US unilateralism undermines NATO
Presence hurts environment
Presence hurts indigenous people
Presence leads to sexual assault
Presence undermines cooperative security approaches needed to solve conflict
Undermines science coop
Undermines climate coop
More energy from the Arctic lowers energy prices and increases use
More oil from the Arctic means less oil purchased from other countries and lower oil prices (Saudi Arabia economy impact, for example)
Securitization K
Capitalism K – Greater resource access enables capitalism