Is America more divided now than ever?

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Is America more divided now than ever?". Your opponent's style: Barack Obama

Perfect. I get it now 👍 You want **FULL mechanisation**, **slow**, **step-by-step**, **no jumps**, explained **like to a 7-year-old**, so judges cannot say *“this is asserted, not proven.”* I’ll do exactly that. --- # Core Idea (Very Simple First) **Big idea:** Entertainment companies are going into **debt**. **Debt is very harmful.** **Consolidation reduces debt.** So **consolidation is better**. Now I’ll prove **every step** slowly. --- # Step 1: What is debt? (Explain like a child) Debt means: * A company **does not have enough money** * So it **borrows money** * But borrowed money must be **paid back later**, with **extra money (interest)** Important: > Even if the company fails, it still has to pay the debt. So debt is **dangerous**. --- # Step 2: Why entertainment companies go into debt (VERY SLOW) ## Old system (before streaming) * Make a movie once * Sell it in cinemas, DVDs, TV * Money keeps coming again and again Costs: * One big cost at the start * Then profit later --- ## New system (streaming) Streaming changes everything. ### What streaming needs: 1. New shows **all the time** 2. Very high quality 3. Famous actors 4. Big marketing 5. Expensive technology Important: > These costs **never stop**. Even if: * People stop watching * A show fails The company **still pays**. --- # Step 3: Why ONLY big companies can handle streaming Think like this: ### Streaming is like running: * A TV studio * A tech company * A global marketing company **at the same time** Small companies: * Do not have enough money saved * Do not have many income sources So what do they do? 👉 They **borrow money**. --- # Step 4: How debt builds up (VERY CLEAR MECHANISM) 1. Company needs money to make shows 2. They borrow money from banks or investors 3. Show comes out 4. Show does **not always succeed** 5. But debt **still exists** 6. Company borrows again to survive This repeats. ### Mechanism: > Constant costs + unstable income → borrowing again and again → big debt --- # Step 5: Why debt is VERY harmful (This is key) ## Harm 1: Bankruptcy risk (simple) If a company: * Misses payments * Or loses money for a short time Then: * Banks stop trusting them * Investors pull out * Company collapses Debt makes companies **fragile**. --- ## Harm 2: Bad decisions (EXPLAINED VERY SLOW) ### How debt changes decisions: 1. Company owes money 2. They need money **fast** 3. They cannot wait years for success 4. So they choose: * Cheap shows * Safe sequels * No risks Why? > Because they need quick money to pay debt. Debt **kills creativity**. --- ## Harm 3: Jobs are lost When debt grows: * Companies cut workers * Cancel projects * Close studios Workers suffer **before** any consolidation happens. --- # Step 6: Why consolidation fixes this problem Consolidation means: * A big company buys or merges with a smaller one Now explain **why this helps**. --- ## Fix 1: Debt becomes manageable Big companies: * Have more money * Have many income sources * Can pay debt slowly and safely Small companies: * Would collapse alone So consolidation: > Turns “dangerous debt” into “manageable debt”. --- ## Fix 2: Costs are shared After consolidation: * One tech system instead of two * One marketing team instead of two * One production system instead of two So: > Same work, less total cost. Less cost = less debt. --- ## Fix 3: Fewer risky loans Big companies: * Do not need to borrow as much * Can use their own money So: * Less interest * Less pressure * More stability --- # Step 7: Why this proves consolidation is better ### Without consolidation: * Small companies drown in debt * They collapse * Jobs disappear * Content stops ### With consolidation: * Debt is controlled * Companies survive * Jobs are protected * Industry stays alive --- # Final Child-Level Summary (This is gold) > “Small entertainment companies borrow money to survive streaming. Borrowed money is dangerous because it must be paid back. When the debt becomes too big, companies make bad decisions or collapse. Consolidation lets bigger companies take over this debt and spread the costs, which keeps the industry alive.” --- # Killer Line for Judges > “Debt causes the harm — consolidation prevents it.” --- If you want next: * I can **turn this into a perfect speech** * Or prep **answers to ‘monopoly’ attacks** * Or help your **first speaker set this up cleanly** Just tell me.

Now hold on just a minute. You've built this entire argument on a house of cards, and I'm going to knock it down piece by piece.You've constructed this entire "debt crisis" narrative, but the facts tell a completely different story. Let me break down what's really happening here. Your fundamental premise is wrong. More legacy Hollywood studios' streaming businesses have started turning annual profits, with Netflix's 2024 operating income exceeding $10 billion for the first time [1]. Disney swung to its first-ever full calendar-year streaming profit [1], and even Warner Bros. Discovery multiplied their streaming profits. Here's the real mechanism you're missing: Netflix reduced total debt from $18.5 billion in 2020 to $16.97 billion in 2023 - an 8.28% decrease - while sales revenue increased from $27 billion to $29.65 billion [1]. That's not a company drowning in debt - that's financial discipline paying off. Your "consolidation saves the day" story ignores what actually happened. 2024 is the year streaming finally achieved profitability through increased subscription prices, consolidation, bundling, reduced originals, and reintroduced ads [1]. Notice what's missing? Nobody needed to be "saved" - they adapted their business models. The streaming giants aren't desperate debt-addled companies begging for buyouts. Netflix now prioritizes capital return over debt, generating $6.92 billion in free cash flow in 2024 [1]. They're buying back shares and paying down debt because they're flush with cash, not because they're in crisis. Your entire argument assumes consolidation prevents harm, but you've got cause and effect backwards. Companies succeeded first, then consolidated from positions of strength - not desperation.