Environment vs. Economy Options

[*Kathleen*]

All right, so since I want to see a different topic out there...this one's from February's Lincoln-Douglas topic:

Resolved: A government's obligation to protect the environment ought to take precedence over its obligation to promote economic development.

I'm on the negative side for this, seeing that only by providing a healthy, stable economy can you be able to help the environment. The products of a good economy are what help improve the environment.

Haha don't worry...I have more points...I've researched both sides to this, so bring it on.

[ComradeRed]

Minda, about your focusing-on-the-economy-doesn't-guarantee-a-good-economy argument: in how many actual instances are there that a government focuses on economy, and it still doesn't improve?

MOST of the time the government focuses on helping the economy it doesn't work out.

Soviet Russia
Red China
Herbert Hoover over here in the United States
"Corporate" Welfare, the Farm Bill, et.c

The economy is something best left to the free market. You should affirm the resolution beacuse protecting the environment (the "commons") is better done by public entites, whereas the economy is made up of PRIVATE entities, and thus it is better to let the free market take care fo that with no government interference.