You Cannot Perm this Counterplan

Get ready. There is a cheesy debate analogy coming at you.

In debate we have a plan. The plan supports the resolution. This year our resolution is: “The U.S. Federal government should substantially increase incentives for alternative energy development in the United States.” Our plan is to implement a cap and trade policy that will reduce emissions by 20% of 1990 levels by 2020. We run this when we are affirmative.

Obviously the Negative team must not support the plan. One way to debate the Affirmative’s plan is to run a counterplan. One popular counterplan involves building up more nuclear energy plants across the country (and personally, I agree).

Debate strategy says to permute the counterplan, which means that if you are on the affirmative you need to find a way to do your plan while incorporating the neg’s counterplan. For instance, you could go ahead with tradeable permits and also concentrate on building small nuclear reactors in rural regions to take them off the strained grid (I can’t take credit for that one, just an argument I heard along the way). That way you get all of their solvency plus yours and a substantially greater net benefit.

I actually really like counterplans. My debate captain does not. I don’t really argue with my debate captain (not a good idea to argue with national qualifiers in debate) so we don’t run them. However, we encounter plenty on the Aff. My kids always come to me saying “what should we do if we get the ______ counterplan?” I always say: “Perm it. Now, let’s think of a way to do this.”

In life I’m all about having a plan. I’m type-A, I can’t help it. And if somebody has a better plan, I’ll never admit it, I’ll just find a way to do both.

I live my life as if I were in a debate round with God. I come to Him with a plan. It’s a pretty solid plan from my perspective. Did I mention that I’m type-A? I do things well. I think ahead to possible problems and consequences. I deliver a flawless list of advantages that seem to outweigh any potential negative impacts and I say, “Ok God, prove this plan wrong. Just prove it.”

And then He offers this crazy counterplan and like a good debate coach I’m left trying to perm it. “Ok God, I’ll grant you that it’s a good plan. But so is mine, so let’s do both.”

I’m learning that life is not like debate tournament. What may be good strategy in a debate round is not generally good strategy when seeking the Lord’s will. For some reason the perm isn’t working. We can’t do both His plan and mine and I’m losing the round. Maybe I’ve just got to concede to His plan – or better yet, maybe I should just forfeit this debate entirely. It’s not wise to get into a debate with your trophy-touting debate captain. It’s even more foolish to get into a debate with your sovereign Creator.

Does this make any sense? Maybe this is an obscure analogy that has to rest in the debate realm. But it kind of struck me the other day as I was listening to a couple freshmen run a hemp plan (yes, let’s grow hemp and turn it into biofuel). It actually just excited me that I can turn something as esoteric as policy debate theory into a spiritual analogy.

In closing, I shall offer up some lyrics from a song I’ve been listening to on repeat for the last few weeks:

And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
-By Your Side, by Tenth Avenue North

When I listen to this song it's like God is saying, "Please Mandy, don't turn this into a debate round. You cannot perm this counterplan. Do not fight me. You are raging against the hands that are holding you up and holding you together."