High school debate is meant to teach students how to argue difficult ideas on the merits, not how to avoid them. In this fifth episode of “The Death of Debate,” I dig into how the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) has drifted from that mission. Although I was denied press access to their national tournament, I managed to interview students, coaches, and even an NSDA board member outside the venue. Their testimonies, alongside my investigation into hundreds of “judge paradigms” posted online, painted a clear picture of the forces corrupting high school debate. If discomfort is treated as harm and liberal dogma is treated as objective fact, students aren’t learning how to think critically and persuade others—they’re learning how to work a rigged system. Tune in next Friday for the finale of “The Death of Debate.”